Hawaii Memories...

I was blessed to be able to travel to Hawaii and cruise the Islands on the NCL Pride of America over a year ago now.  But today is a day to recall warm, tropical places, and this is one of the best memories I have.  Traveling to Hawaii and seeing the beauty that surrounds you is just overpowering. Even today as I think back to a beach on Maui, I am enveloped in the awe of the moment... it was a Carpe Diem experience and definitely my "happy place" for quite some time.

One of the best ways to see the Islands is on a cruise, and the NCL Pride was a good option.  You are in a port everyday or even overnight in Maui and Kauai.  Sailing past the Napali Coast and its remarkable shoreline is a must.  One of the other memories that I keep close is driving up the coastline at Kona, on the North west coast of the Big Island, ending at the northern most point and breathtaking views.

So if you would like to take a journey to a land of beauty, I can help you plan your own Hawaii Memories.  Let me know... http://www.cruiseshipcenters.com/en-US/DeniseHile/home 

Maui...a view of my "happy place"

Black Sand Beach on the road to Hana - Maui

A sunset view from the top of Haleakala - 10,023 ft above sea level.  

Maui shore - my "happy place" memory

At the crater edge of Kilauea - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Akaka Falls State Park - near Hilo, Hawaii (The Big Island)

Kona shores and a view of the NCL Pride of America

NCL Pride of America at Kona, Hawaii

Hubby looking at lava rock on Kona Island

Kona, Hawaii

Journey through the Panama Canal

Traveling through the Panama is a bucket list must, especially for anyone interested in historical achievements that has benefited many ships and their cargo.   On a cruise ship, this is a day long transit that began for us in the Pacific Ocean traveling through the first set of locks that raise the ship to the level of the lake (a man-made reservoir) in the center of the canal, then traveling through the second set of locks that lower the ship to the level of the Atlantic Ocean.  (Our cruise ship makes the journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic and then returns from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  The ship for our journey was the NCL Star).  

Here is a link to a map by Thomas Römer/OpenStreetMap data [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons that displays the canal as a whole.

During the day long transit, a narrative guide was brought on board the ship to share the history and details of the canal.  Also, a professional photographer stood on the land and hills to take photos of the ship and passengers as we progressed through the canal.  This was later made available on a DVD.

What a memorable trip that was worth experiencing!  And I have a few photo memories to share...

A photo of the set of locks as we entered on our ship, the NCL Star.  You can see a pilot boat and another vessel in the distance.

Inside the first set of locks.  The vessel and pilot boat are already in the second lock.

Looking to the side, you can see the rail cars that help navigate the ship through the canal locks.

Water being flushed out of the lock - all of the movement of the water to fill and empty the locks is by gravity

A look back as the lake portion of the canal is shown.

A passing vessel in the lake of the canal.