ON THE ROAD: last day on Kauai, & the end of the cruise

 

Instead of our morning walk around the deck, Craig and I had a very light breakfast then went off the ship to explore the area of Kauai near our ship.  We took a shuttle to the Anchor Shoppimg center nearby, and behind the center we found a bridge which took us to the beautiful Marriott Kauai Hotel.

This site has changed and morphed over the years. Originally the Kauai Surf Hotel, it was purchased by hotelier Chris Hemmeter, who’d built the gorgeous Hyatt Hemmeter Center in Waikiki in the 70s. I remember being stunned by its opulence and beauty on my first trip to Honolulu.  He did the same thing on Kauai in the 80s with the Westin Kauai. The over-the-top “fantasy island” feel delighted some and shocked others: in the eclectic mélange of  architectural styles there were more Greek columns than could hold up the Acropolis,  one wag stated, and the hotel was populated with wild animals wandering around a two acre reflecting pool.  there were also meandering  canals with gondolas, and a fantastic pool with fountains.  Critics said it looked more like Versailles than Hawaii.  He installed a 2.5 million dollar collection of Asian and Pacific Island art to complement the decor.  All these changes did not go unnoticed; many  Hawaiians felt they’d already lived in a fantasy island and didn’t need to recreate one.

The changing economic conditions and the hurricane changed all that; the property was badly damaged and was broken up and purchased by Marriott.

The hotel today is still beautiful but scaled down a bit from the theme park feel of the original. Craig and I arrived in time for the 9:00 feeding time for the koi carp, and I got to visit with a parrot. The huge pond also held a variety of bird life, who swam up to get some food.

We walked over to the spectacular pool area to admire the view.  I remembered being here a few years ago on my Hawaii circle tour, where a friend was busy making phone calls.  It’s a very restful place to sink into a comfortable chair,  to get a coffee or drink from the bar, admire the view – and take pictures, of course.

We looked at the little shopping center for bargains and I found two at the Crazy Shirt store.  We hurried back to the ship, since we had to sail at 1:30.  Sadly, our time on Kauai was finished. It was time to watch the sail away, read a book and relax in the sun!

i ended up on the upper deck, checking out all the passengers, who decided to have a last swim or sun.  There was a barbecue with hot dogs, hamburgers and a band was playing – a very festive atmosphere.

My sister and brother-in-law were invited to a cocktail party for returning guests, but, as it turned out, Ed decided he’d stay in his lounging robe on his own private balcony.  Since we decided that Beatrice could not possibly go unaccompanied, Craig and I took his place.  The champagne flowed -from the bottle into our stomachs!

We had one night and one more specialty restaurant to explore, so we signed up for the East Meets West option, where we watched our cook prepare our dinner on the grill -sort of like Benihana.  After we’d made our reservation, I realized that we would miss the scenic cruising of the Na Pali Coast.  We had nice views of the chef and his creative cuisine, however.  I will include two coastal pictures from an online source, so you won’t feel left out.

After dinner, we went to the evening show –  Beatrice and Ed went twice because they thought it was so good. It was a history and review of Las Vegas shows over the years.   At the end of the show, the entire crew came on stage to say goodbye and thank us for our week on their ship.   It was a very touching end to the journey.  I had to pack because I spent late afternoon napping, but the other three headed to the piano bar, and I was told, closed down the place.  Those Lockwood’s know how to party!

We were up and out the next morning, with the fake missile drill being part of the excitement, which I recounted earlier.  At the airport I had an adult libation before boarding the plane, and it wasn’t a Hawaiian drink. I couldn’t find anything Hawaiian to drink, so I settled on a strawberry margarita.  It was tasty.

I’ve been home for ten days now.  I managed to catch a cold when I was gone -maybe on the flight back -so I’ve been sniffling and sneezing.  It wasn’t a horrible cold but it hung on, and I felt very tired.   Perhaps I didn’t get enough sleep on my trip.  It seemed as if every day in Hawaii was packed with lots to do, so maybe  I had to come home to rest from my vacation!  I’ve tried to get back into my regular schedule, and I took a long walk yesterday with  clear skies in my beautiful neighborhood.  No matter how far I roam, there’s no place like home!

So, where’s the next trip, you may ask.  I’m in research mode, with two trips in mind: the first is an Australian/New Zealand cruise from either Aukland  or Sydney, and I’m checking out cruise lines:   big ship or small ship? The itinerary we’ve chosen would include Hobart, in Tasmania, so that -and our pocketbook-limits options to either Princess or Holland America lines.  I’ve never sailed on Princess. Any ideas?  This trip would probably take place in 2019.

Another trip is a possible short jaunt to see the homes and gardens of Charleston and Savannah.  I once saw Charleston for one day in the rain, in May 2013, but that wasn’t enough.  That should be easier to plan.

A trip that’s been in the back of my head for a while is a cruise to Cuba.  That’s been a possibility for a few years, but with special health issues with  American diplomats, this may be on hold.  A friend wants to go on a photography trip to Iceland.  So many countries so little time..

Please let me know your thoughts about this trip or any others I’m thinking of taking. I’d also love to hear about your travels.   Thank you for writing. It’s so good to hear from you. I learn so much from my friends.

Goodbye Hawaii, hello next adventure!

Stay safe and warm,

Karen