We departed Minneapolis on Tuesday, February 18th at 11:30 am and arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 6:37 pm. There is a 4 hour time difference from Minnesota (MN arrival time 10:37 pm) where we checked into the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa for a 3 night stay. Wednesday started with a memorable visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial. We also visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and saw many other points of interest during our bus tour of the city with a very chatty and well versed guide. Had information overload. We had lunch at the Gordon Biersch Brewery in Honolulu. Thursday we had a free day so Arlene and I along with one other couple, Lauren and Kay, took a side trip to the Polynesian Cultural Center. This turned out to be an all day affair. Friday we left Honolulu with an inter-island flight to Lihue on Kauai Island. We lunched at Gaylord’s Restaurant on the Kilohana Plantation. After lunch we visited the Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We didn’t really get to see much as the canyon was engulfed in clouds with only an occasional peek at the canyon. We then checked into the Kauai Beach Resort located in Lihue. In the evening we had a pizza party dinner. Saturday was a free day and if I recall correctly we didn’t do anything special. Arlene washed a few clothes as we packed light to avoid having to check luggage. Sunday we departed Lihue with another inter-island flight to Kahului on Maui Island. We had lunch at the Maui Ocean Center’s Seascape Restaurant and spent some time checking out the tropical aquariums. We had a brief orientation drive ghrough Lahaina Town before checking in at the Hayatt Regency located in Laha for another 3 night stay. Monday was another free day so a few of us took a van tour on The Road to Hana which was 152 miles around the larger part of Maui Island. Very narrow and rough roads going through various seasons during the day. Very beautiful trip but many switch backs and curvy roads. This was another all day affair leaving at 7:15 am and returning around 11:00 pm. Tuesday we signed up for a 2 hour whale watching excursion and did see many hump back whales although not many up close. It is their mating and birthing season so they come here from Alaska because of the warmer waters the calves need to survive. That evening we attended a Luau Dinner with a large buffet and terrific entertainment. Wednesday we had to check out of the hotel and spent some time in Lahaina for lunch and shopping for those who cared to do so. The only thing we brought home was a box of Hawaiian cookies. We then visited the Tropical Plantation and enjoyed a tram ride through its lush landscapes. We also enjoyed th picturesque scenery of Maui’s lao Valley and the lao Needle where in 1790 King Kamehameha 1 destroyed the Maui army in an effort to unite the Hawaiian islands. We had our farewell dinner at Buzz’s Wharf Restaurant before being taken to the airport for out departure back to the USA. We had an overnight flight through Los Angeles and arrived back in Minnesota about 1:40 pm. It was a fun trip with a good group of people. Thanks to all who made it enjoyable.