Hawaii Cruise Classes

We spent 5 days sailing from Hawaii to Vancouver - what a perfect time to have quilting classes! We scheduled one class (or event) each morning and afternoon and had a wonderful group of enthusiastic students. Susan taught beading and wool applique; Cathy designed a hibiscus flower and also entertained us with songs and stories; I taught my overlays/cutaways design and students made undersea pictures. Here are a few photos from my class:

One of the projects for all the students was making a cover for a small journal book that we had given them when we started our cruise. We brought lots of bits and pieces (beads, sequins, embroidery threads) and students had collected items to add to their book covers (ticket stubs, brochures, photographs). Some very interesting covers were created.

On our last day at sea we all dressed 'Hawaiian' and had a group photo taken on deck. What a great group!

Hawaii - the Big Island

The last stops on the cruise (before sailing back to Vancouver) were in Kona and Hilo on the Big Island (Hawaii). The youngest island in the Hawaiian archipelago (a mere half-million years old), Hawaii Island is still growing thanks to an energetic volcano. The Kilauea volcano is one of the major attractions on the island but we found that Hawaii has so much more to offer. In Kona, we rented a car with Susan and Henry and toured around the whole island in one day! We travelled from the seashore through tropical rainforests to high plateaus with grazing lands and then, finally, to Volcano National Park. It was amazing to see such diverse landscapes in one day.

We visited the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum to learn about the volcano and saw the plumes of sulphur dioxide coming from the huge crater.

Part of the crater road was closed due to this gas in the air. We also stopped along the road to see numerous steam vents. A bit unsettling to think this steam was coming from the depths of the earth!

Then it was back to the ship - in time for dinner!

We sailed along the coast at night and saw the lava flow in the distance. Unfortunately they were impossible to photograph but I can say I saw them.

The next stop was Hilo where Alan and I golfed and did our final shopping for souvenirs. If I go back to Hawaii, this is definitely an island where I'd like to spend more time.

Our last view of the islands was this rainbow - another iconic image of Hawaii.

Kauai and Maui

Our cruise included stops at all the major islands. First was Kauai, the Garden Island. Formed some six million years ago, the island encompasses roughly 550 square miles and is the oldest and northernmost of the main Hawaiian Islands.

This is the view from our balcony as we sailed to Nawiliwili harbour.
We spent part of the day on a small beach near the harbour enjoying the water and the warm sun. You can see our ship (Carnival Spirit) - looks like a floating hotel doesn't it!













The next two stops were on Maui (Kahului and Lahaina). We rented a car in Kahului and visited the Iao Valley State Park. It is a peaceful lush area with easy hikes, exotic tropical plants, and clear running water. The ridge-top lookout offers a fantastic view of the valley and Kahului Harbour.











Then we drove along the Kaanapali coast and finished the day with a round of golf on a course right next to the water.



In Lahaina we anchored away from shore and were 'tendered' to the jetty. We spent a few hours checking out the main tourist areas including several small museums, shops and this magnificent banyan tree.
The tree was first planted in April, 1873, and marked the 50th Anniversary of Christian missionary work in Lahaina. The tree was imported from India was only 8 feet tall. It now stands over 60 feet high, has 12 major trunks in addition to a huge core. It stretches over a 200-foot area and shades 2/3 of an acre.

More about Hawaii

We stayed aboard our ship (Carnival Spirit) overnight in Honolulu and our first 'order of business' was to meet all the quilters who were joining us. We gave them some last minute information about a Special Project for later in the cruise and invited them to join Susan, Cathy and myself at the Hawaii Quilt Guild's 25th anniversary quilt show.

A few of us walked to take the city bus to the quilt show and on our way we passed a very interesting building with wonderful tile decorations. We all took lots of photographs - perhaps these will inspire some new quilts. I can see potential for new Give & Take Applique designs.

The quilt show exhibited a very strong Hawaiian influence in the work, both in colour and design. Here are a few examples. The hostesses were very welcoming and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the show!

Hawaii Cruise

I'm back from Hawaii and our wonderful 12-day quilting cruise! We flew to Honolulu and spent a couple of days there before we boarded the ship. This is the view from our hotel on the first night.

And we were welcomed 'Hawaiian Quilting-style' whenever we used the elevator. This is one of the quilts that greeted us!

We toured some famous places in and around Honolulu. First is the Royal Hawaiian hotel - the 'pink' one. Right on the beach and built in 1927, the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel is known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" and ushered in a new era of luxurious resort travel to Hawaii. The gardens are immaculate with large palms and lush tropical plants. The hibiscus flowers were stunning.

We also visited the Iolani Palace. A Hawaiian national treasure and the only official state residence of royalty in the United States, `Iolani Palace was the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's last two monarchs--King Kalakaua, who built the Palace in 1882, and his sister and successor, Queen Lili`uokalani. During the monarchy period, the Palace was the center of social and political activity in the Kingdom of Hawai`i. Though its grandeur was neglected after the overthrow of the monarchy, restoration began in the 1970s through efforts of concerned individuals. Our audio tour explained the wonderful features of the Palace - I would have loved to spend a lot more time there.

But...the ship was waiting and we boarded and watched our first spectacular Hawaiian sunset.

More to come as I go through almost 500 pictures!