Welcome Loyal Airmen, it’s been two weeks since we returned from our fabulous vacation on the islands of Hawaii.  And as promised last week, we’ve got lots of great photos to share with you.  Our first three days were spent in Honolulu and the pix above is the view from our hotel room.

There were lots of wonderful places to tour in this grand South Pacific metropolis, but the most memorable was the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, where events there led to the U.S. entry into World War II. Quite a spiritual moment when you step onto the memorial itself realizing the remains of that great battleship and its lots crew are there, under the water below your feet.

If you’ve ever watched the TV police show, HAWAII 5-O then you are familiar with the palace picture above and the stature of the King.  Truly impressive to see for real.

Most restaurants are open enclosures and even while enjoying the local nightlife of the city, one is still subject to the warm sea breezes from all around.

Of course, one of the main reasons for including Honolulu on our itinerary was to afford the Air Chief the opportunity to meet his comics co-creator and friend of 47 years, artist Gary Kato.  Honestly, meeting Gary was like meeting a long lost relative. We’ve been pals for so long, no surprise we all relished the meeting.

Here’s a shot of me, Gary and our brother-in-law, Gus, as Gary was demonstrating the “Hang Loose” gesture to us. We saw it used quite often while on our trip.  With only a few days on Oahu, it was time to pack up and head for Maui where we would spend the next five days.

Less developed than Oahu, Maui still retains its island feel, a paradise buried in a sea of floral green everywhere one looked.

The western shore is fairly developed with some truly beautiful hotels. This was the view of the pool at ours. It was over an acre in size. In distant background you can see the blue line of the Pacific.

The outer landscaping of the resorts is all themes around the natural beauty of the island.

A closer shot of the pool.  We did venture into the ocean, but found the shoreline extremely rocky and the surf powerful. Only for the brave of heart.

Of course that didn’t stop us from walking the surf and enjoying beach to the max. Here we are hamming up, while Val’s shadow snaps the pix.

All the pools around the hotel were stocked with these beautifully colored coy fish.

Valerie before a smaller statue of King Kamehameha.

Here we are one sunset seated on the outside porch of our room. View from there was spectacular, looking out over the Pacific.

Here’s one such sunset…truly inspiring.

And here’s a typical morning on the beach at Maui.

Our traveling companions, Valerie’s sister Barbara and husband Gus. We always have such a great time together.

Of course you can’t visit the island without going to a traditional luau, which we did on our second there.  Some of those dances are over a hundred years old.

One of the Air Chief’s favorite pictures, as we shared the garden beauty of this magical place.

The flowers were so beautiful and everywhere.  Val loved them all.

On the third day, we boarded a shuttle bus for an 8 hour excursion all around the island of Maui, called “The Road to Hana,” a plantation located at the very top of the island.

Sadly, as we learned, all the sugar and pineapple plantations are gone from the islands now, being too expensive to compete with South American growers. Whereas the island’s economy now depends primarily on tourism. Here’s another spectacular shot from high up the small narrow jungle road.

Where bridges were concerned, the roads narrowed to one lane and if there was traffic coming from the opposite side, one vehicle would have to pull over and let it pass before moving on. Many bridges crossed gorgeous waterfalls.

There is an hypnotic beauty of this jungle paradise that captivates the soul. It is pristine and uncluttered, save for Mother Nature’s opulent colors.

It was not difficult to imagine this landscape ala the Garden of Eden.

With so many plants and trees having been brought to the islands from far Eastern countries, the flora is diverse and a botanist would be in seventh heaven exploring it all.

Happiness on the islands is contagious. But as all good things, our trip came to an end all too soon.

Our last night together, before flying home the next day.  As you can tell from this pix, all of us were tired but happy beyond words, left with such wonderful memories we will keep forever.  Thanks for stopping by and enjoying them with us.

Ron – Over & Out!