The orange alert about terrorist concerns caused a few minor hiccups during the trip to Hawaii. First, the flight from Calgary to Los Angeles was delayed and a connection to Maui not possible so the wonderful Air Canada agent arranged a new route through San Francisco to Maui. It worked! We made it through US Customs just in time, and the officer even allowed my friend through with only an Alberta identification card. But come January 2007 you WILL need a passport to travel between Canadan and the U.S.A. The only other minor intrusion was having to go through extra security checks in every lineup.
Now, Hawaii. The cruise was wonderful and the splendor of the islands magnificent. We saw lush mountains and valleys, encountered the wonders of volcanoes on the Big Island, saw steams of lava pouring into the sea at night, roamed peaceful and historic beach areas, stood within inches of huge sea turtles, and wandered the streets of old Lahaina.
The sea was as blue as blue could be, especially along the backdrop of the Naapali coast where the mountains soar until they reach the clouds.
This was my second trip to Hawaii within eight months, and I would be delighted to go again.
