Page 12 Monday 8/14/2023 - Kona, Ready Or Not
The terrible Lahaina fire kept us away from the area so the Captain negotiated a landing in Kona instead.
The sunny Kona District stretches almost two-thirds of the entire West side of the island of Hawaiʻi—from just south of ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (Waikoloa Beach Resort) to Manukā Park (Kaʻū). Along this expansive area, you'll find everything from coffee farms to historic Hawaiian landmarks. In fact, King Kamehameha actually spent his final years in Kailua-Kona.
That's Mary on the left!
Kailua-Kona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is also known as Kailua (a name it shares with a community on the windward side of Oʻahu), as Kona (a name it shares with the district to which it belongs) and as Kona Town.
Kailua-Kona is the second-largest settlement on the island of Hawaii (after Hilo) and the largest on the island's west side, where it is the center of commerce and the tourist industry. Kailua-Kona is served by Kona International Airport, just to the north in the adjacent CDP of Kalaoa.
The population was 19,713 at the 2020 census, up from 11,975 at the 2010 census. Kailua-Kona was the closest major settlement to the epicenter of the 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake.
The moon was up and Mary and I were enjoying its beauty. As we gazed up at the sky, I pointed out Venus to the right of the moon. It was a magical moment and we felt grateful to witness such a stunning sight.
The sea was so calm it looked like glass.
More stars are now visible.
Ships anchor offshore at Kailua Bay and tender cruisers to Kailua pier located at the center of Kailua village. The historic village features plenty of restaurants and shops which you can tour on foot.
By 8:00 am the runabouts were busy!
Today, my sweetheart and I opted not to take a tour and instead headed to the Da Vinci restaurant for breakfast. I have to say, the food and atmosphere were absolutely delightful. We enjoyed a lovely meal and it was the perfect way to start our day.
The breakfast menu was amazing.
We were thrilled to have booked a penthouse suite. The perks were amazing, especially the priority disembarkation. We were able to walk off the ship with ease and before we knew it, we were onshore within just twenty minutes. It was such a smooth and hassle-free experience.
The waters were crystal clear.
They had six little boats running back and forth all day!
Palms swaying in the breeze.
We walked into the first shopping location we found and looked around.
The flowers were everywhere!
There is our ride sitting pretty a mile off shore!
The little boats looked like dingys when viewed against the Emerald Princess.
The bar was not open; probably a good thing!
The littler side street shops were covered with large trees.
There was a tiny problem! The town did NOT expect a cruise ship in so they started a water pipe repair activity meaning all the restrooms and restaurants were closed! We found this out after the first "urge". We walked with our legs crossed almost a mile until we spotted a faciliity. We darned near didn't make it.
Did she make a find??
The Princess was viewable by most of the shop owners.
We walked for an hour and then turned around and came back
It was fun so see the little ships darting back and forth!
After an hour walk in the sun, we are ready for a drink! No water required!
A great place to "people watch"!
Sharkey and I got to be good friends!
We like Dive Bars
Da Shark Shack is a family-owned and operated business that has been serving the Kailua-Kona community for over 10 years. Our mission is to provide a unique and unforgettable experience for locals and tourists, with exceptional service and creative cocktails.
Polly wanted a drink! Well trained!
There were shops adjacent to the bar; we visited them!
Did you hear that, kids???
Mary tried to pawn me off but people got wise!
We met some new friends on shore who were passegers on the ship!
Little old us after a two mile walk!
"Ready for another two miles?"
We will start any time now!
Safely on the boat heading for the mother ship.
"Can you swim, Big Boy!"
"Yes I can!"
The Princess was looming over us!
Checking our treasures.
We had to hit up the ice cream bar - it was a must! And of course, we went all out and got the deluxe drink and dessert package. It was totally worth it!
"I am going to be good and not order a second super-duper chocolate banana fudge sundae!"
Calories everywhere!
We came back at 2:12 pm so says the monitors.
We can't believe it, but we were both craving a big, juicy hamburger with all the fixings - even if we did have to shoo away a few flies! We definitely didn't hold back, and stuffed ourselves silly. I guess we figured that since dinner was still two hours away, we might as well indulge a little!
Yummy for the tummy!
After stuffing ourselves, we made it to the 18th floor and Mary broke out a pack of cards. We played Crazy-8's for an hour.
Did You Know? - The game first appeared as Eights in the 1930s, and the name Crazy Eights dates to the 1940s, derived from the United States military designation for discharge of mentally unstable soldiers, Section 8. It may have derived from the German game of Mau-Mau.
There are many variations of the basic game, under names including Craits, Last Card, Switch, and Black Jack. Bartok, Mao, Taki, and Uno add further elements to the game.
Of course, the card shark won; Mary seven, Paul one!
The cards were old but never used, they were so stiff it took a lot of work to shuffle them!
"How can I shuffle the deck so Paul can win?"
We sat at one of the lounges to have a drink and couldn't help but notice the last of the lifeboats being loaded onto the ship. It was quite a sight to see! I wonder how many people those lifeboats can hold. It's reassuring to know that the ship is well-prepared for any emergency situations.
Be careful there poopsie!
Before dinner we sat in the central lounge and drank some squashed grapes.
We are now setting sail for Orange, Ca.
The verandas were empty? Our suite had a double veranda with seating for six people!
Our table was ready! On the Promenade Deck!
Our friends from shore joined us this evening
We enjoy each others company so much!
We went through the entire chops and steaks menu!
The center areas has magnificent Tiffany illumination.
Our pictures were available right after dinner!
A handsome group for sure!
Funny and interesting folks!
