Back in May this granddaughter graduated from high school and next month she will be headed off to college. Last Friday she boarded a plane with other members of our church youth group and headed to Ecuador for a week-long mission trip. Four days after she returns she will leave with another group from the church as part of an on-going mission work in a small community in southeastern Arkansas. She is having an awesome summer. Have a blessed week.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

I am new to this meme, so I am not exactly sure how to jump in except to just jump in. I mentioned last week that I have been listening to a lot of music from one particular country artist recently. Dwight Yoakam was popular during the late 80’s and through the 90’s. He was instrumental in introducing the “Bakersfield Sound” to country music, which was a blend of country and hillbilly rock. You may even notice a hint of Elvis influence in some of his work. Dwight always gave a nod to early country music artists by recording cover tunes of Hank Williams and others from the 40’s & 50’s. Dwight’s first hit said a lot about country music artists of the early days. Their goals were centered around playing guitars and driving Cadillacs.

I recently stumbled on to this tune and it is a nod to the legendary king of country music, Hank Williams. A Cadillac is still the primary theme here in “Long White Cadillac”

One of my personal favorites from the Yoakam song book is a classic country “break-up” song. We all feel a little lonely and hurt when a relationship comes to an end and Dwight captures the essence of a heartache perfectly with, “It Only Hurts When I Cry” You may notice a little Elvis influence in this video.

While the Dwight Yoakam career has seen it’s peak, he still continues to release music that is well crafted and carries a message. As in all things of life and relationships…”Things Change”

Well, that’s an introduction to Dwight Yoakam music. If you have not listened to him in the past, I would encourage you to spend a little time exploring his songbook and listen to “Fast as You”, “Honky Tonk Man”, “Ain’t That Lonely Yet”, and “Little Sister”. For some real insight catch Dan Rather’s interview of Dwight on YouTube. Have a blessed week.

 

There are those times on a cruise that you seem to be a thousand miles from nowhere. You can just sit on the deck and watch the sun rise or set. Off, in the distance you can see a rain shower  The clouds seem to be hanging just above the surface of the water and you are alone with your thoughts. Sometimes, being alone with my thoughts can be a little scary, confusing, humorous, or boring. Don’t ask me why an ocean sunset brought to mind a country song and reignited an appreciation for the artist.

Lately I have been listening to a lot of Dwight Yoakam. Dwight was a major player in country music during the late 80’s through the late 90’s. He was part of  what came to be known as the “Bakersfield Sound”, which was a blend of country and hillbilly rock. Given the direction that country music has turned the past decade with lyrics that don’t seem to tell a story and instrumentally over-produced chorus, I have a better appreciation for artists like Dwight that could write a good lyric, melody, and a memorable chorus line. Like I said, some days my mind will wander a thousand miles from nowhere.

 

Lifeguard in Paradise

It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Probably the best job in the world for a young adult that hasn’t decided what they want to be when they grow up. Just maybe, they have decided they want to do this for the next 25 years!

No trip to Hawaii is complete without a visit to Pearl Harbor. The image of the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri depict the beginning and the end of World War II.

The battleship Arizona lies, as a memorial, where she sunk on December 7, 1941 and the United States was thrust into World War II. Over 1100 of her 1400 man crew were killed instantly when a bomb penetrated the deck and exploded in the ship’s ammunition magazine. We were not able to get on to the memorial due to the fact that the gangway has become structurally unsafe and is currently under repair.

The battleship Missouri sits proudly in the former “Battleship Row” as the ship where the articles of surrender were signed by the Japanese that ended the war in the Pacific. The ship traveled to Tokyo Bay for the surrender ceremony. The Missouri was still in service into the early 90’s before she was brought to Pear Harbor and retired from active duty.

The statue and quote of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz sums up the total experience of what has become known as “The Greatest Generation”. They were the children of the depression. They did not ask for war, but they did not shrink from the challenge. More than any generation before or since, they saved this world from the tyranny. Imperial Japan had plans to dominate the Pacific while Hitler and Nazi Germany would rule the world if it were not for this generation of Americans and their allies. They showed us that freedom is never free, and it must be defended at all costs. Our nation owes this generation a debt of gratitude that it can never repay. Sadly, most of these brave souls have passed on, and in a few more years they will all be gone from this life.

The visit to Pearl Harbor was an emotional and inspiring day. There are several buildings that have artifacts and video presentations that give an insight into what happened on that day. If you go to Hawaii, do not pass up the opportunity to visit Pearl Harbor. Adjacent to the harbor is the Pacific Air Museum. We did not get to visit that building and I will always wish that we had more time.

Aloha!

Our final port of call was the island of Kaua’i. It is known at the “Garden Island” and for good reason. It was probably our favorite island, most likely because our two best excursions took place here. It was an overnight stay in port so we had the opportunity to attend an authentic Hawaiian luau. The Kalamaku Luau, on the Kilohana Plandation was one of the highlights of the cruise. On this night there were 600 guests from the cruise ship. First of they roast the pig in the traditional manner by building a charcoal fire pit and cooking the pork for about twelve hours.

This one is for demonstration purposes because I don’t think they cook enough for 600 guests in this manner. Still it is an interesting process.

The entertainment was outstanding. The dancers told the story of how Hawaii came into existence. The islands are volcanic formations and Polynesians left other parts of the Pacific and traveled here by boat, not unlike Christopher Columbus.

The lighting and costumes were amazing.

This luau is a must do.

Earlier in the day we headed over to the airport and boarded a helicopter for a tour of the Napali coast line.

If any of these images look familiar to you, many of the scenes in the Jurassic Park movies were filmed on this island. Also scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, South Pacific and other films have found Hawaii to provide exotic locations.

The weather was perfect for the excursion. One volcano crater on this island is the wettest place on earth, receiving 450 inches of rainfall per year. On this day the rains had come overnight so the crater was clear and we flew into it. There is no way to capture the beauty of it in photos. You will just have to go see it for yourself. The next morning we would be heading back to Honolulu and wrapping up our cruise, but not our vacation. The cruise ship left Kaua’i and headed up this same coastline so I have images from the air and the sea.  Both vantage points provide breath taking views.

These formations are known the the locals at “The Cathedrals”.  Very appropriate.

Aloha!

 

 

The Flowers of Hawaii

A visit to the Botanical Garden of Hawaii

Aloha!

This was our second cruise. Four years ago we took a cruise to Alaska and it was another trip of a lifetime. One of the great things about a cruise is that your scenery changes every day but your hotel room stays the same!

I took this photo later in the week during our helicopter excursion. More about that in a later post.

Our first port of call was on the Island of Maui. Most of the ports in Hawaii are shallow water ports and a tug boat is always on duty to keep everything safe. I love these little workhorses of the sea. I think that if I lived on an island, tug boat captain, would be the job for me.

After the ship docked we caught a bus up to the coastal tourist town of Lahaina. It is a small community with lots of shops and restaurants as well as water sports. The temperature and humidity on this day were about equal and both were over 80. Still, with the occasional trade wind it was pretty pleasant and there is always a great view to enjoy.

We found a couple of restaurants that have been featured on HGTV’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”. For those of you wondering what Fleetwood Mac does when they aren’t touring, Mick Fleetwood lives and owns a restaurant in Hawaii. The menu looked great but we opted for another place.

We chose Down the Hatch. It is a very casual eatery and the food was just outstanding. We enjoyed probably the best and freshest fish tacos ever.

We spent a little time watching folks sail and para-sail. We decided that we just might try the parasailing thing one of these days. It looked like serious fun.

Back aboard the ship, our next stop will be the big island of Hawaii and stops in Hilo and Kona. I smell coffee!

Aloha!

My wife and I have recently returned from the vacation of a lifetime. We spent 12 days in the Hawaiian Islands. We spent two days on the beach at Waikiki prior to boarding the Norwegian Cruise Line “Pride of America” and taking a seven day cruise around the islands. Upon our return to Honolulu, we spent another three days at Waikiki.

The most iconic landmark in all of Hawaii is Diamond Head. We took an excursion that included a submarine ride and I snapped this image, with my cell phone, on the way back to the beach from the sub. Yes, the water really is that blue. It is the most beautiful water in the world.

While strolling the beach one morning we observed some young people learning how to surf and…

a few who were very proficient at the sport. Standing on a surfboard, on the beach is about as good as I would ever get. My knees and balance would never allow me to look like this young man.

The day before our cruise we took a bus excursion to the North Shore and it included at stop at the Byodo-In temple in the Valley of temples. It is a concrete, non-practicing Buddhist temple. The setting is just spectacular.

After a brief stop at the temple we headed out to a couple of small beaches to see some of the protected wild life. Hawaii is passionate about their animals and you are not allowed to get within ten feet of the endangered monk seal. The green sea turtle is another iconic symbol of Hawaii.

Our day ended back on the beach at Waikiki, having dinner. Tomorrow our real adventure would begin. Aloha!