it's the end of the day on Thursday, and it's time to get in a little relaxation. Gaze at the photos of the North Pacific in July, from the deck of the Crystal Symphony. Many faces of the North Pacific Ocean, and the infinite sky. In the photo above, can you even see where the …
Continue reading Tranquil Thursday-Sea and Sky over the North Pacific
I am an amateur bird-watcher, and when I see a new one, I check it off on my "Life List", which is in the back of my 1960s edition of Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds (which is now a collector's item). Fortunately, in this guide are two pages of pictures of Hawaiian …
Continue reading Something else I found on my trip to Hawaii…Birds!
I am 69 years old and still working full-time as a buyer for an aerospace company. Aside from vowing never to draw Social Security or be subject to Medicare (as a reason for keeping working), I couldn’t think of what I would do with myself if I retired. I play violin, but there’s not much …
Continue reading I found my retirement “calling” on the Hillsdale cruise to Hawaii
Wednesday, July 25 through Monday, July 30, we were again at sea, and you know what that means... Lectures! The weather wasn't conducive to much deck-walking, but I did get a few ocean and cloud pictures. This was the last picture of Hawaiian waters. July 25 speakers were Roger Kimball on "Trump vs The Elites"; …
Continue reading Last Half of the Journey-Hawaii Cruise Travelog-Leaving Hawaii for Mexico…And Home
After the thrilling volcano-viewing session, a nice dinner, and a good night's sleep, we arrived at our last Hawaii stop, the town of Kailua-Kona. Again, the Crystal Symphony had to "anchor out" in the harbor, and we were ferried in on the ship's tenders. It was only a 15-minute ride, and we got a good …
Continue reading Vacation Travelogue-Last Hawaii Stop-Kailua-Kona
We arrived in Hilo just before noon, and the skies were hazy with what had been described to us as "vog", or "volcano fog", caused by the still-erupting volcano on the other side of the island. About which more later. Above is the view from the port side of the ship. Below is the view …
Continue reading Vacation Travelogue, Hillsdale Hawaii Cruise, Days 9 and 10-Hilo and beyond
We normally got up around 8:00AM, so we were able to stand at the rail and watch the island of Maui appear. As usual, it was a beautiful, sunny day. We saw many of these kite-surfers all around the Hawaiian Islands. Lahaina Harbor had a few, with their colorful kites. The Crystal Symphony had to …
Continue reading Vacation Travelogue-Hillsdale College Cruise to Hawaii-Day 9-Maui
The Crystal Symphony is a beautiful ship, and my readers and followers know my penchant for taking "artsy" pictures when I am aboard ship. Following is a group of pictures I took aboard ship, at various times on the 15-day cruise. These lockers hold life jackets and other safety gear. The bow of the ship …
Continue reading Vacation Travelogue-Hillsdale College Cruise to Hawaii-Interlude, Aboard Ship
Finally, on our sixth day out, we spotted signs of nearing land. I love transportation, and was thrilled to see a container ship on the horizon. We finally saw signs of land. Finally, we rounded the last headland and got our first glimpses of Honolulu. The famous Diamond Head, an extinct volcano that almost stands …
By Day Four, we had gotten well into the routine of morning and afternoon lectures, broken up by an awesome breakfast buffet, walks on the deck when the weather permitted, lunch by the window, and just relaxing in the stateroom. Most of the time, it was too windy and cold on the deck to sit …
Continue reading Vacation Travelogue-Hillsdale Cruise to Hawaii, Days Four and Five
Calling-all-RushBabes 