2008 Spirit of the West Cruise Diary and Photos
That's right - we're off to Hawaii.
First of all a big thank you to Billie and Hugh McLennan, for hosting the
Annual Spirit of the West Cruise!!!
www.hugh-mclennan.com We've never really thought about
a cruise before, but because the folks on board with us will be fellow
ranchers, or at least western type people, we are REALLY looking forward
to it. Throw in a tour of the biggest ranch in the world and now we are
REALLY REALLY looking forward to it!! The fun, the sun, the relaxation ...
that's all just a bonus.
Then a big thank you to Judy and Harry who will be dog sitting, wood
fire keeping, cow & horse feeding, and bull baby sitting (or dodging).
Because of them we are able to leave home on January 10th. Thank you!!
We'll try to keep this page up to date, including photos, but it
depends on when we will have Internet access and how many Piņa
Coladas we've had before we get it. Below you'll find a basic
itinerary of our trip, a map of where we're going, and some
info on the ship itself. Go to the Itinerary
|
We'll start our diary here as soon as possible after we leave. There
is also a diary on Billie and Hugh's web site at
www.hugh-mclennan.com if you want to see other photos. These photos
will all enlarge if you click on them.
|
|
Jan 10th left home
|
|
We've left home, the snow, the cold, etc, Thursday morning
January 10th. We have a five hour drive ahead of us and
we'll have the rest of the day in Vancouver (can't win them all)
but wanted to be there a day early - in case. It will also give us
a chance to visit with Bruce, Wendy, and Sarah - in fact the plan is
to go for Sushi with them tonight. We'll spend the night in the Best
Western Richmond and get to sleep in - and we'll have a TV with reception!
|
|
|
|
Jan 12th Honolulu
|
|
The Mariott, where we stayed on the night of the 11th - a long walk to the beach :-) Lots of surfers
out - both directions as far as we could see. A great view to wake up to in the morning. We got to the hotel
about 10:30pm Hawaii time (2 hours behind BC time).
|
|
Jan 12th Honolulu
|
|
|
|
Jan 12th Honolulu
|
|
Right outside the Zoo was a Banyan tree which looked like it had its root on the wrong side of the dirt.
Lots of beach walking, and taking in the local sights, like this tree. There were kids jumping off a concrete
breakwater - probably 30 feet down into about 2 feet of water - they waited for a roller to come in
first and jumped on the top of the wave!
|
|
Jan 12th Honolulu
|
|
|
Jan 12th Honolulu
|
|
Jan 13th Hilo
|
Jan 13th Hilo
|
Jan 13th Hilo
|
Jan 13th at Sea
|
Jan 13th at Sea
|
|
January 13th. Mark and Hugh up-loading the Spirit of the West radio show to the
Internet for the stations. We docked in Hilo at 8:00am. Here is a photo of the Pride
of Aloha at the dock. Not that we're complaining by any means, but Billie and Hugh have
a nicer deck than we do! Here's a photo of happy hour on their deck. Kathy is standing
on our deck just prior to going for dinner. The last photo is of (clockwise) Kathy, Doug,
Lyn, Hugh, Billie and Mark.
|
|
Jan 14th at Sea
|
Jan 14th at Sea
|
Jan 14th at Sea
|
Jan 14th at Sea
|
Jan 14th at Sea
|
|
January 14th evening. Anyone recognize the couple in the first photo? Probably not ...
been a long time since a skirt and/or a jacket have been worn! We didn't have to wear them
but figured if we didn't we may never have the opportunity again (once we're off the ship that is). Hugh and
a half a dozen other musicians entertained about 200 people last night on the stage by the
pool. It was a sing along that neither Kathy or I sang along to (we didn't want to clear the
pool deck).
A message for home - Judy and Harry, hope all is ok and that you're having fun there -
we sure are here!! :-) Ain't thought about home until I started typing this!
We'll let you know if we decide to sell the place and stay here!
Can you please pass a message on to Dimps at some point - that Quentin Stevick says to say hi.
It is a small world.
January 15th. Room service brought up the coffee and we're enjoying it on our
private deck ... could get used to this!! Kathy's going through the list of excursions for
Maui as we have to book ahead a few days. Mark works on the computer (this web site and Hugh's)
while Kathy and Billie are out at a wine tasting. We'll get to Fanning Island first thing tomorrow
morning and are looking forward to a day on the beach - we need some rest ...:-) They are having
a BBQ there for us, too.
|
|
Jan 15th at Sea
|
Jan 16th Fanning Island
|
Fanning Island
|
Fanning Island
|
Fanning Island
|
|
January 15th.Kathy does her homework - a last review for Thursdday's seminar
January 16th. The next photo is taken from the tender to Fanning Island - note
the Pride of Aloha in the background. Once on the Island we found local craft tables
on the sides of the walking path - in the third photo Kathy checks out some of the hand made
local jewelry. At the end of the walking path we found heaven - a white coral sand beach and
LOTS of sun!! Heading back to the tender we took this photo of our ship.
|
|
Fanning Island
|
Fanning Island
|
Fanning Island
|
Fanning Island
|
Jan 17th seminar
|
|
January 16th cont'd. 2000 people hit the beach. This is now the village side of the Island -
a little deeper water and better to swim (the other side we could wade forever and only get to our knees).
Can you imagine us in this crowd? The second photo is of some of the local kids heading to a stage
where they performed a dance. Next we hit the post office - yes they say you can actually mail a letter
from here and have Fanning Island as the post mark. We had our passports stamped by the local officials.
Like I said the swimming was great but here we unknowingly washed off all of our sunscreen ... didn't
really notice anything for about 4 hours - then things started getting a little stingy! Oouch!
January 17th - seminar Kathy's dreaded day arrived ... 9:00am and she started her
power point presentation which went off without a hitch - she did a super job and had tons of
compliments and tons of interest and questions. Thanks to Rob O and all his preliminary panel for all the
feed back that helped make the seminar what it was!
We are indeed having a super time! Harry and Judy - have you ever had any thoughts on buying a ranch?
This lifestyle is pretty hard to take but I guess someone has to do it.
|
|
January 16th
|
January 18th, at sea
|
at sea
|
at sea
|
at sea
|
|
January 18th. Many thanks to Beth and Wendy for providing my wardrobe - all the clothes
that I would never have had otherwise! The photos show from beach to sunburn to coffee in bed
and a couple of evenings out dining on the ship.
Don't forget to check out the photos on Hugh's web site at:
www.hugh-mclennan.com - Hugh has already decided that Kathy will be Miss January
on the planned Spirit of the West calender!
|
|
January 18th
|
January 19th, Maui
|
Maui
|
Maui
|
Maui
|
|
January 18th. Photo one - another of Kathy in a dress!!
January 19th. Photo two - On the dock and looking under the bow of the Pride
of Aloha at the hills of Maui!! The next photo is of one of the many kiosks on the docks
in Lahaina, Maui. Here Kathy gets our boarding passes for the Atlantis Submarine. Photo
four is of a reconstructed section of a coral wall from an 1832 fort. Right after this
photo we boarded our sea taxi to the sub. The guide was just saying that there were
whales in the bay but they didn't see them very often ... he then added "like that one". So we got a
bonus on our submarine tour as we saw two babes and one adult at different times.
|
|
Maui
|
|
January 19th cont'd. If there is mistakes here we'll blame Jill and Robert as
I was typing away and the butler knocked on the door - with two bottles of wine!!!
Thanks you two!!
|
|
January 19th, Maui
|
Maui
|
Maui
|
Maui
|
Maui
|
|
January 19th cont'd.
The next three are of the submarine and the view of the fish and sunken ship from the sub.
Sure can appreciate your diving Chevy, after seeing all that neat stuff down there!. The
last two photos were taken in Lahaina - the first of a Banyan Tree. This tree shades 2/3
of an acre and is about 1/4 mile around. It was planted in 1873. The second is of a guy
and his birds, charging for photos with the birds. They were so tame he put all five
on top of two kids when we were there and then I got yelled at for taking a photo so we left.
|
|
January 20th, Big Island
|
Parker Ranch
|
Parker Ranch
|
Lava
|
Kona
|
|
January 20th.
We took the first photo because we miss the snow so much! Ya right ... hard to believe that there is snow at home
right now! The second photo is at the Parker Ranch Pukalani Stables where they fed us lunch. The third photo is for Jill
and Judy. Kathy is petting a Catahula Healer (she said "I miss my puppies") that are used by one of the Parker Ranch
Paniolos (cowboys). Please note she said she missed her puppies not the snow or cold, or home, or anything like that.
The next photo shows one of the old lava flows on the side of the road as we headed back to Kona and the last photo was
taken by Kathy a we watched the sun set from Billie and Hugh's balcony in the harbor at Kona.
|
|
January 21th, Kauai
|
Kauai
|
Kauai
|
Kauai
|
Kauai
|
|
January 21st.
We landed in Kauai at 8:00am and had a relaxing morning - coffee delivered by room service,
laying around on our own deck and watching the ship dock. We then headed to the beach with
a side tour of the Marriott Hotel Atrium - man what a sight - Jill you wanta see Koi ....
In the second photo Kathy and Bille pause at the bridge to check out the waterfall - all
right in the centre of the atrium. The next photo is on the beach right in front of the
Marriott - a great swim, lots of fun, and unfortunately our last beach. The next two photos
are taken at the Luau that night. A great show and a great dinner.
|
|
January 21th, Luau
|
January 22nd, Kauai
|
Kauai
|
Kauai
|
|
January 21st.
In the first photo Mark gets his photo taken with some of the Hula Dancers.
January 22nd.
Here we pose in the same spot that Elvis did his wedding scene in Blue Hawaii. Next Mark poses
on some rocks on the beach at the site of Gilligans Island. The last photo is of a tug pushing us
out - for the last time. Homeward bound ... actually we have yet to cruise around the Na Pali Coast
this afternoon and tonight we head for Honolulu. Tomorrow we do a full day tour on Oahu and then at
10:00pm we'll board our plane home.
|
|
Jan 22nd, Na Pali Coast
|
Jan 22nd, last meal
|
Pearl Harbour
|
Pearl Harbour
|
Tiny!
|
|
January 22nd.
The Na Pali Coast - although cloudy and a little rainy this was a spectacular sight! The
photos, as always, don't do justice but it shows the idea anyway. The last meal on the
ship (always great food) was with Lynn and Doug and the steak was the best yet - amazing!
January 23rd.
Jim and Karen arranged an all day tour of the Big Island and it was really fantastic -
some great memories to leave with. The first photo is of the monument that stands over
the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbour. The ship is right where it sank and some of it
sticks up out of the water. The next photo is of three guys that are survivers of
that battle that took place on December 7th, 1941 - they signed a book that we bought.
Next is "Tiny", our bus driver and tour guide for the day - he made the tour!! He was
hilarious!
|
|
Jan 22nd, Na Pali Coast
|
Jan 22nd, last meal
|
Victoria
|
Victoria
|
Home sweet home!
|
|
January 23rd.
Next we went to the Dole Plantation where we took a very educational
train ride around the place and had lunch - Billie and Hugh stand at the entrance to
the building in the first photo and sit in the train in the next.
January 24th.
After a night on the plane and a ride on the ferry we arrived in Victoria about 11:00am.
It was a great visit with friends and family. The first photo is Mark's sister, Jill,
his Mum, and Jill's husband Robert. Next is at Rob and Geraldine's with her parents,
Jill, Robert, and friends Dale and Sital, with a friend of theirs. The last photo shows
what we came home to - click to enlarge and then read the temperature - note the wind
chill temperature! Home sweet home!!
Judy and Harry - thank you sooooo much - if you hadn't stayed here we wouldn't
have been able to go. Everything at home looks perfect - couldn't even tell that
you had been here! Thanks, thanks, thanks!!
|
|
