Port Stop: Hilo, Hawaii

After four days at sea (see my last post) we've arrived in the Aloha State. First stop is Hilo, on the big island, which has the same name as the State: Hawaii.  Our early morning arrival is greeted with a little tropical sprinkle and a tiny rainbow as we near the dock.

Large ships like the Golden Princess are not usually taken into port solely by the ship's captain, but by a local expert, known as a pilot.  This person helps the captain navigate safely. Our ship slows to a crawl as the Pilot comes aboard.

Although we don't use a tug, one is available and gives us a welcome salute.

About an hour later we join about 50 other cruisers aboard a bus for a pre-arranged tour of some sights on the island. There are several tours to choose from.

Our first stop is Big Island Candies were we get to see confections being made and even sample a few.

Next stop: Hawaii Botanical Tropical Gardens where the flowers amaze me.

The garden trail begins on a hillside and as we wind our way down to the bottom, we get some peek views of the ocean and volcanic beach.

Next, it's time for lunch and we enjoy a buffet waiting for us at Naniloa Volcanoes Resort. After lunch, I step out on the lawn and snap a few pics of Hilo Bay and the island for a panorama.

We reboard the bus and travel up to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park where it seems almost a requirement to take a photo of Halema'uma'u Crater and spend a while in the Visitor Center.

Back on the bus for one last stop:  Hershey's Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut factory.

Some pretty scenery around the factory ...

Back on the ship, an afternoon snap of the port from the Sky Deck ...

And that completes our port stop in Hilo, Hawaii. Thank you for stopping by John's Island. Comments are welcome. Next post: Honolulu.

Four Days at Sea

First of all, thanks to so many for comments which I thoroughly enjoy! In my last post I introduced you to the journey. It starts at San Pedro, California, at the Port of Los Angeles. We are aboard the Golden Princess scheduled to embark at 4 PM. Within a matter of minutes, we pass the breakwater and lighthouse known as Angle's Gate and pass into the Pacific Ocean for four days of cruising en route Hilo, Hawaii. Click on the pics for large views!

What does one do while cruising for four days? Yes, dining is sure to be one of the first thoughts, and yes, the cuisine is grand, but beyond that, there is actually so much to do that I couldn't begin to cover it all in this blog. Now, for me, I'm traveling because I enjoy the ship, it's operations, and it's an exceptionally good way to find some time for the 3Rs -- rest, relaxation, reading. As Princess says, escape completely.


Explore the ship. RMS Queen Mary length = about 1019 ft., Golden Princess = 951. This is a big ship.

Watch the sky. Discover the blue ocean.

 

Thanks for stopping by John's Island! Next post, Hilo, Hawaii.

Ocean Away

The journey:  From John's Island to the real islands in the middle of the Pacific. A slow cruise and good way to escape completely. Imagine about 2460 miles at about 21 miles an hour. Los Angeles to Hilo, Hawaii, takes about 4 days. The picture above was taken on morning of the third day just as we were entering the tropics by crossing over the Tropic of Cancer. The vastness of the Pacific Ocean is difficult to fully appreciate, but this journey helps. It's good to be back home too.

Church at Dawn

Seattle's Immaculate Conception Church at dawn. Cascade Mountains in the background. February 10, 2011.

Friends: I'm out-of-the-office for a couple of weeks, somewhere over the ocean blue. Next post in early March. Until then, take care and be well!

Thanks for stopping by the Island!

The Emerald City from Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint

When they say "The Emerald City" ... This is what they're talking about.

It's not unusual to get a nice break in the weather in February. Yesterday was one of those nice days and I decided to see how the city looked from the relatively unknown Mt Baker Ridge Viewpoint. Our view here is looking to the west-northwest. City center is a little over 2 miles distant and the Olympic Mountains a little over 40 miles. The perspective from this location gives some interesting effects such as the Space Needle (near right edge) looking almost at ground level. Actually, it's 605 feet in height.

Thank you for stopping by John's Island!

Dawn Over the Cascades

My window on the world looks mostly to the west, but there is a spot in the building where I can catch the eastern horizon. One morning last May the conditions looked good for a sunrise shot. As it turned out I liked this early dawn scene better with the steeple on the left and the church domes on the right. Seattle is situated on a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and Lake Washington. The closer ridge in the photo is the summit of the isthmus. In the distance, The Cascade Mountain Range about 50 miles away. Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger image.

Back Trackin' to Fort Worth

First of all, a brief, but BIG, Thank You, to all followers. I sure appreciate all the encouraging comments and hope all of you will visit often.

In a recent post I mentioned being a "railfan", one of the more friendly terms given to those of us who are fascinated, in one way or another, with trains. My fascination with railroads started way back in the 60s. (Yes, I know, almost a forever ago.) I was just getting interested in photography as well. Back tracking to that time, I was living in Fort Worth, Texas, and a new bridge had just been built over the rail yards west of downtown.

I went to the bridge late one afternoon to capture the shot above. I wish I could remember what kind of camera I had. I think it was a Pentax. In those days I saved most of my pictures in the form of 35mm slides. Scanned it into the computer and used Photoshop Elements to clean up the dust and scratches from 40+ years of storage.

I hope someone in Fort Worth sees this and lets me know if the skyline has changed much. LOL. Taking a look at Google Maps I can see that the rail yards probably haven't changed too much.

One more shot below was taken from the same spot but very early one morning just at dawn. Fort Worth's tallest building at the time had a giant clock on top which displayed digital time on one side and CNB on the other, for Continental National Bank.  It's fun to reflect on images taken so long ago.