Do you know how steep a 17% grade is? I do. Now!…

December 5, 2024

Today we were (well, technically we still are for another 10 minutes or so) in Hilo, Hawaii and I went to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens and Randy went to see some of the volcanoes. Tomorrow, Honolulu and then Kona then seven more sea days!

Among the first things you see at the Botanical Gardens is this sign, warning about the 17% grade walking down into the heart of the gardens. 17% is STEEP!

We didn't have a guide, just one of the employees telling us where to go. And warning about the steep walking trail!

Pretty entrance.

Then, lots and lots of local rainforest flowers and plants.

Doesn't look steep at all, does it? Trust me, I held onto the railing all the way down and all the way back.

The waterfall at the bottom of that steep path down.

All in all a very pretty garden, but I could have done with an escalator.

For Randy's trip I don't have pictures yet, hope to get an SD card reader tomorrow in Kona and I'll then be able to add his photos to my blog.

But here he is on his way out (the only time so far that docking has been on our side of the ship.

Beautiful port, isn't it?

See you later!

On to Honolulu and more adventures!

Finally, some pictures...

December 5, 2024

Finally found a cable to connect my Nikon to the computer so I could download pictures. Today will be from the Queen Mary to yesterday (after six days at sea!) in Kahului on our tour with Hike Maui.

Queen Mary on the left, our Seabourn Quest docked behind her.

Randy waiting and waiting and waiting for our ride to the Quest.

The day after Thanksgiving, the ship was decorated for Christmas.

Willie awaiting a cocktail in the Observation Bar.

Willie napping on the deck above the pool.

Looking down our hallway.

The Grand Staircase decorated for Christmas. Straight ahead is the door to the Grand Salon where all the shows and talks and the Liar's Game take place.

Willie admiring the Grand Staircase.

Willie looking forward to trying the pool (NOT!).

Looking down the Grand Staircase from the top deck.

Willie sunbathing on the top pool deck.

The pool.

Randalyn, our tour guide from Hike Maui showing us the taro root we will be trying (not very tasty, and it is sort of gritty).

I forget what this is called, but definitely purple and tastier than the taro root. But still gritty.

Up close and personal with whatever the purple stuff is.

Starfruit, very tasty and sweet.

Randalyn showing us how to open a coconut.

We finished with cookies!

Believe it or not, this is the entrance to a playground, AKA Giggle Hill.

It has a beautiful castle for the kids to play in/climb on.

Our lunch spot in Makawao.

Those are not rocks, they are green turtles resting after their breakfast for about 10 to 15 hours.

A painter at the turtle beach selling his stuff.

An unsuccessful surfer.

And a successful surfer, also at the turttle beach.

The end of a successful day.

On to Hilo, Hawaii, tomorrow.

Hawaii, here we come...

 December 4, 2024

Last sea day before we get to Hawaii! We’ve pretty much learned our way around the ship. We can usually remember where Trivia is played (The Club, deck 5); where the main restaurant is located (called with great originality, The Restaurant, deck 4); where the bars are (Observation Bar, deck 10; The Club Bar, deck 5; there are a couple of others outside); where to get coffee at 0600 (Seabourn Square, deck 7; Observation Bar, deck 10). You get the idea.

First stop is Maui. Randy was wondering why we went to Kahului, Maui, before stopping at Hilo, he thought Hilo was closer. It is but only by 37 miles (Long Beach to Kahului is 2498 miles, Long Beach to Hilo is 2461) so I guess it just depends on which port is available on any particular day.

After Kahului (OGG), changed from Lahaina for obvious reasons, Hilo (ITO), then Honolulu (HNL), then Kona (KOA). We have tours in the first two towns but not in the last two but we will see old friends in Kona.

HNL will probably be where we shop for a reader so I can download photos. And there is supposed to be a very nice needlepoint store in HNL. In ITO I will go on a tour of the botanic garden and Randy will do a different tour. That’s the only time we plan on splitting up.