R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 143

Port 4 Nawiliwili — Kaua’i Marriott and Duke’s delectable Hulu Pie

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Kaua’i Marriott Resort

As I mentioned on Monday, neither Ursula nor I are strangers to  the Kaua’i Marriott Resort, and Duke’s Canoe Club Barefoot Bar and Restaurant.  We stop by both whenever we hit Nawiliwili.  Why stop at a resort at which you’re not staying?  For the beauty of it all.  Inside the resort is a very impressive garden, which views such as these:

There’s also a very nifty weather station on the grounds, but you’ll have to wait until this week’s Fun Photo Friday for that....

Breaking the 10,000 Barrier — 10,068 and counting

Just a tad under two years ago I posted my first YouTube video.  That would be my demonstration on spin-cocking a Rossi Ranch Hand and a full-size clone of the Winchester Model 1892, also made by Rossi and converted for me by the late Mike DiMuzio.  That video hasn’t exactly “gone viral”, but it hasn’t done badly, either.  Today it surpassed 10,000 views.  Here’s that video:

For information on the Rifleman’s Rifle and the television show that inspired this video, see:

Firearms — Television...

Port 4 Nawiliwili — Reaching Kaua’i

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Sun, Fun, and Breezy Palms in Nawiliwili

Ursula and I have spent some time over the years here in the Crown Princess’ next port of call — Nawiliwili on the island of Kauaʻi.  Indeed, you can read more on this island on by previous articles listed at the end of this one.

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Crown Princess in Nawiliwili

We arrived on October 25, 2015, the morning after the Crown Princess departed Lahaina, Maui.  The Nawiliwili Beach Park is home to a previous non-cruise destination, the beautiful Kaua’i Marriott,...

Fun Photo Friday — Lahaina Favorites

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Island Paradise

Below is today’s Fun Photo Friday gallery of Lahaina favorites:

Filed under: Fun Photo Friday, Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel, vacation Tagged: Crown Princess, Fun Photo Friday, Lahaina, Maui, photography, R. Doug Wicker, South Pacific, travel photography

Port 3 Lahaina — Part 2

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Lisa Fittipaldi and Ursula in Lahaina Banyan Court Park

Front street in Lahaina is a lot of fun.  From art galleries, to jewelry stores, places to grab a bite, and enjoying the pure beauty of surf pounding against black lava rocks, there is just much to see and do here.

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Cheeseburger in Paradise

Yes, you can get deals here on jewelry if you shop and haggle.  Ursula managed to snag for an incredibly low price a beautiful and rather massive 14-carat gold bangle at Lahaina Jewelry at 845 Front St...

Port 3 Lahaina — Part 1

 

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Largest banyan tree in the United States — Shades on an acre

The Crown Princess’ next stop on this 28-day Pacific voyage occurred on October 24, 2015.  We anchored off the coast of Maui and tendered in to Lahaina.  Anyone who has followed this blog for at least a couple of years will know that this is far from our first trip to Lahaina:

Arriving to Lahaina, Maui Walking Downtown Lahaina Fun Photo Friday — Lovely Lahaina

Nevertheless, this is one stop I always enjoy.  And if you click on...

Solemn Photo Friday — Memorial Sites of Oahu

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Flying the Flag

I hesitate to call this another entry in my Fun Photo Friday series.  The subject is just too serious for that.  Here are some of my favorite images from our visit to the USS Arizona Memorial and the Punchbowl Cemetery:

Filed under: Fun Photo Friday, Photography, R. Doug Wicker, vacation Tagged: Fun Photo Friday, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, photography, Punchbowl Cemetery, R. Doug Wicker, South Pacific, travel photography, USS Arizona Memorial

Port 2 Honolulu — National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

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National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

Lisa and Al Fittipaldi joined Ursula and me for a ride that would take us high above the towering buildings of Honolulu.  Exiting the bus we still had a bit of a hike to our destination.  Along the way we would find spectacular views of Honolulu and Diamond Head.

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The view from the Punchbowl

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Honolulu and Diamond Head

The sun was settling low on the horizon by the time we reached our objective.

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Entrance to the Memorial

This is a trip Ursula has wanted t...

Port 2 Honolulu — USS Arizona Memorial

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USS Arizona’s final resting place

It’s a short hop, or sail in this case, from Hilo on the Big Island to Honolulu on the island of Oahu.  Ursula and I have been to Oahu too many times to count, as had our frequent cruising companions Lisa and Al Fittipaldi, so this excursion planned by Ursula would forsake the usual in favor of memorializing.  As Al Fittipaldi is retired U.S. Navy (who says Air Force and Navy can’t mix?) Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial seemed a natural.

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Ursula (cent...

Port 1 Hilo — Macadamia Nuts and a Black Sand Beach

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Richardson Beach

I mentioned that there was a second commercial stop, this one after the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens.  That would be the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory and Tour.

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Not exactly a photo stop, but certainly a tasty one as you can see from the bag of goodies Ursula is holding below:

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Mauna Loa Factory

For a more photo-worthy destination we headed west back to State Road 11, north just past Hilo International Airport, and then east to Richardson Beach and Richardson Ocean park.  It’s ab...