Monday, Day 10 - Jan 15 - 8am to 4pm, Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii, USA

It is a pretty day in Hilo, HI today, sunny and about 77 degrees. The Silver Seas Silver Whisper in in port with us. She is a ship similar in size to our ship. We sailed on Silver Seas in 2000, but didn’t enjoy it as much as the other lines we were sailing at the time and have never tried the line again.

When we were in Hilo in 2010, we rented a car and toured most of the Island including Hilo’s small, historic, downtown area, full of restaurants and shops and the beautiful Hilo Bay Beachfront Park, a black-sand mecca for surfers and canoeing enthusiasts. Our main focus on that day was the spectacular Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii's only UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its drive along the 11-mile Crater Rim that circles Kilauea's summit caldera and craters. We also did some snorkeling at one of the famous black sand beaches and were lucky enough to see the Hawaiian state fish, the wedge-tail triggerfish, called Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa in Hawaiian.

Today we are doing one of the ship’s free tours to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. We gather at 8:45AM in the Theater and are heading for the bus by 9AM. The tour is scheduled for 2 1/2 hours, but is more like 3 hours. Again it is really well done. We are taken to small vans holding 8 people each. There are three vans in the first departure.

We have a good driver-guide who does a running commentary as we head to the Gardens. We pass through Liliuokalani Park and travel along Banyan Drive, viewing the Hilo Bay front and lush Hamakua Coast.

Arriving at the Gardens, we get a sticker which acts as our ticket and a map. We have approximately 90-minutes of free time to explore this delightful garden. Created and designed by one man, Dan Lutkenhouse, from 1978 to 1984, the garden's natural layout perfectly complements the flora and fauna. This tropical rainforest, with its waterfalls, meandering streams and rugged ocean coastline, is home to colorful "Sexy Pink" and "Lobster Claw" Heliconia, mysterious "Bat plants", Giant Anthuriums, exotic Gingers, and more than 2,500 species of tropical flowers, fruits and plants collected from many parts of the world.

The garden's incomparable open-air Orchid Garden displays orchids growing in their natural environment and is one of the largest orchid displays to be found in any Botanical Garden.

We walk through the spiritual Palm Jungle, enhanced by towering Cathedral of Alexandra Palm trees, which opens up to a hidden three-tier waterfall, Onomea Falls.

There is a state-of-the-art Bird House which is home to the garden's eight colorful Macaws, and the serene Lily Lake teemimg with koi and aquatic plants. The Garden's spectacular setting with its beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean is well worth the nearly mile long walk. There is golf cart service to travel the very steep 500ft board walk to get down to the ocean level park.

The van is waiting when we get back to the entrance and we are soon back on the ship. It is noon so we head to the open deck off the La Veranda for a buffet lunch of various cold salads and meat dishes. There is a cool breeze blowing across the deck and with the stunning view of the island we have a very pleasant lunch.

This sets the stage for a long afternoon nap for Carolyn though she really intended to read but....best laid plans. Dick spends the afternoon working on the pictures and trying to figure out how to get them off our phone. There always seems to be a technical glitch but with the help of our Grandson, Nathan, at Baylor University, the problem is solved and the photos retrieved.  Now if we can just remember how to do it tomorrow!

At 5PM we adjourn to our balcony with drinks in hand to watch sail away. Once we clear the harbor, we see several whales, first of the trip. They are traveling by Hawaii this time of year so hopefully we will see some more.

Dick goes to hear Clive again while Carolyn gets dressed. She joins Dick in time to hear the last of his set. We go to the Compass Rose for dinner. The service is a little off tonight. Our waiter can’t seem to get his act together, but the food is good. Dick has the Dover sole and Carolyn has Maine lobster. Then it is off to bed.

Hard to believe we are beginning our second week of this adventure. Tomorrow is Kauai where we will rent a car.