June 18, 2009 – The Last of the “OLD Folks Running Amuck”
We depart paradise today. It has been two wonderful weeks of doing, seeing and enjoying so much. We thought it only fitting to end our blog reports with our Top 10 of 40 years to Paradise:
1. The Hana Road Drive/Resort, Maui
2. The door-less scenic helicopter flight over Kaua’i
3. Mountain Tubing – irrigation canal on Kaiu’i
4. Snorkel/sunset cruise of the Na Poli Coast, Kaua’i
5. Waimea Canyon and 4 wheel drive tour, Kaua’i
6. Sunrise on Haleakala, Maui
7. Big Island – Volcano Tour
8. South Pacific Dinner Show, Kaua’i
9. Ue lena Hawaiian Review, Maui
10. The view from room 221 at the Kaha Lana Resort, Kaua’i
What an incredible way to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Think we might try this kind of vacation again sometime/somewhere.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Day 14
We got up early to another beautiful sunrise form our lanai (50 yards from the surf). Mike went to play golf at Wailua Municipal Golf Course, home to some world class tournaments and only $32 for visitors. Karen stayed at the Kaha Lani Resort for some me time. As soon as Mike got back we headed out for another helicopter adventure. This time with NO DOORS. It was an incredible scenic flight around the island. This really is the garden island. After the flight we stopped at the Kauai Coffee Plantation for some free tasting, Very, very good. We arrived back at our room at 4:10 for a quick change and were off for our final night adventure by 4:30. We were heading to a dinner show of South Pacific. It was a very good production and dinner was good too. What a fabulous way to end our Hawaiian adventure.

Tuesday – June 16, 2009 Day # 13
Wow what an incredible anniversary celebration we have had. Today we spent some time posting our blog, doing some laundry and actually taking some time to relax, read and enjoy our time in paradise.
Enough of the sedentary time! We were off to join the Kauai Back Country Adventures for mountain tubing run. We were outfitted with lighted helmets, gloves and big ol’ inner tubes. After a drive through a very scenic back country road in the Lihue Sugar Cane Plantation we reached the irrigation ditch that flows from Mt. Wai’aleale (the wettest place on earth, it rains almost every day -400 +inches a year). With a quick plop and splash we were on our way twisting, twirling and bumping down the channels, flumes and tunnels. Through the 5 tunnels (1/2 mile or longer each) we turned on our head lamps and saw the handiwork of the labors and iridescent lichen on the surface of the walls and ceiling. Out in the open we were surrounded by lush growth along the waterways. 45 minutes later we were at the end of our ride – what a hoot! We ended our trip with a nice lunch at a pretty little swimming-hole.
Another day, another adventure!! Kauai has been wonderful.

Kauai, June 15, 2009
We left the hotel at 8 AM and drove to Waimea Canyon. This canyon is considered the grand canyon of the Hawaiian Islands. It was really beautiful even though there were few waterfalls due to a lower than average rainfall. The canyon is a wide variety of reds, browns and greens. When we got to the last look-out we found ourselves in the clouds. On the way down we side tracked five miles down a dirt and erosion rutted road to the coast and cliffs for a magnificent view. After 4-wheeling back to the main road we made it back to the hotel by 5PM.

Kauai, June 14, 2009
We started our Anniversary by cooking a cheese omelet, with a grain toast, pineapple and POG, a good fruit juice. We drove south to a golf course located in a county park that was donated by the McBryde family. Golf fees were $9 for 9 holes, $9 for club rental and $9 for cart rental. I played pretty good, Karen drove and took pictures. We then drove to Port Allan for lunch and a sunset snorkel, dinner, sunset cruise, a great way to end our anniversary.

Kauai, June 11-12, 2009

Kauai, June 13, 2009

An easy day in paradise. We signed up yesterday to listen to a “timeshare” presentation. This morning was our appointment – remind us not to do that again….. We earned $330 credit toward some tours for sitting through their Sales Pitch – can you say “arm twist”? for 3 hours! They make it sound too good to pass up. But, we did; took the $$ and ran.

We drove to the end of the road on the north coast to Ke'e Beach, and stopped for a good lunch at Hanalei. Saw some beautiful beaches and incredible scenery along the way. Kilauea Point is the farthest point north in the Hawaiian Islands where there is an old light house and a National Wildlife Refuge. We saw many interesting birds and a couple of monk seals in this area

Tomorrow we play golf and take a snorkel/sunset cruise. Aloha

Kauai, June 11-12, 2009

Kauai, June11-12
Well we left the busy island of Maui and came to the Kaha Lani resort near Lihue, on the Island of Kauai. It is beautiful and much more relaxing than the Papakia Resort, though not as relaxing as our favorite Hotel Hana-Maui. The first night we relaxed and bar-b-qued Ahi tuna and turned in early.
Friday morning we were awoken early by numerous roosters that live in the area (the 1st greeting was about 3:15a). Actually, Kauai is over-run with foul, very rural. We drove south in our jeep and went to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. We toured the Alperton Gardens, a very beautiful landscape, and viewed the Spouting Horn, a lava tube wave feature. We drove back, stopping for a very incredible chocolate lava ice cream at Lappert’s in Old Koloa Town. A quick stop for some provisions and we headed back to enjoy the resort. Outside of the ever present Safeway was an activities booth where we signed up for another helicopter ride and a sunset/snorkel sail of the NW coast. The fun just keeps on coming.