February 2013 we ventured to Honolulu to begin a 7-Day Cruise aboard Norwegian, our first time testing the water's, so to speak. Our experience was not ideal due to an outbreak of the Norwalk Virus the week before we sailed, bringing the ship during our cruise into a quasi 'lock-down' state. Service aboard the ship was mediocre at best, with all available staff trying to keep up with cleaning and trying to serve in the buffet. We couldn't even salt and pepper our own food! The experience on the ship was therefore not what we had hoped but we still had a great time with our friends, the Camps. Much of our time was spent on shore, among the various islands; sightseeing, quading, eating and generally enjoying our time in the sunshine.
Below you can capture a bit of the fun we had:
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| Japanese Garden - Hilo |
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| Sunset near Diamond Head |
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| Nothing better than 2 weeks with this beauty! |
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| Quad Trip on Kauai - Banditos |
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| Kauai - Our Favorite Island |
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| Diamond Head Lighthouse |
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| Dennis & Holly 2013 - Hawaii |
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| Black Sand Beach |
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| Pearl Harbor Gunners, Dennis & Val |
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| Incredible Rainbow over Honolulu |
I've always wanted to visit the memorial and museums of Pearl Harbor but I was not emotionally prepared for the deep sadness and reverence I would feel while there. All these years later, I am in awe of the heroism and bravery of the men and women that fought, some living and many dying, on that historic day. I couldn't help but think that a message was being sent our way when the rainbow above rested over the city of Honolulu for over two hours, the exact length of time that we were at the memorial. Coincidence? Maybe, but I was still so very touched by this beautiful event.
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| Oahu Impressive Northern Coast |
Beautiful locations, good friends, a wife that I adore and no work for two weeks. What could be better? Oh, maybe retirement so I can do this fun stuff full time!
