Susan on the Road - Ageless GlobeTravels

Victoria British Columbia: A Visit to Butchart Gardens - One of Canada's Premier Gardens

8/7/2013

The last excursion we took on our Alaskan cruise, was Butchart Gardens. This garden truly must be one of the most beautiful in North America and it definitely is one with an amazing story. We visited in the late afternoon as the sun was sinking into the western sky.

Robert Pim Butchart, a pioneer in the thriving North American cement industry, developed a limestone quarry and built a cement plant at Tod Inlet (on Vancouver Island) to satisfy Portland cement demand from San Francisco to Victoria. Eventually, the limestone deposits were exhausted and his enterprising wife Jennie, made plans to create something of beauty in the gigantic exhausted pit.

From farmland nearby, she had tons of top soil brought in by horse and cart and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry. Little by little, the quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken Garden.

A central rock mound and the graceful Ross Fountain along with the Bog Garden all add to the unique nature of this unforgettable sunken garden.

Between 1906 and 1929, the Butchart’s created a Japanese Garden on the seaside, an Italian Garden on their former tennis court and a beautiful Rose Garden.

In the trellised rose gardens, each rose variety is marked by name, origin and year registered with the American Rose Society. We wandered the fragrant pathways and discovered the frog fountain and “wishing well”.

A Torii gate marks the entrance to serene Japanese Garden. Gentle paths (dotted with Himalayan Blue Poppies in the late spring) guide you by streams, ponds and bridges. Japanese maples and beech trees rustle softly creating a peaceful experience. Jennie Butchart hired Isaburo Kishada, an expert Japanese landscaper, to design this garden in 1906.

Butchart Gardens is now an amazing garden you can visit and it is absolutely stunning, in the summer this garden is filled with color and the tea house is a wonderful stop for afternoon tea while the gift shop is full of beautiful garden themes items, including delicate pieces of china painted with varieties of plants and flowers found at the garden.

Learning About Native Culture & History of Southeastern Alaska: Saxman Native Village - Ketchikan

8/7/2013

We booked this excursion as a fun experience for our niece who was along on this cruise and it turned out to be as interesting and educational as we had hoped.

The Village of Saxman was founded in the late 19th century when residents of the traditional Tlingit villages of Cape Fox and Tongass, decided to consolidate their communities at a new site. In 1894, a village site was chosen on a protected harbor off the Tongass Narrows. Saxman was named after a Presbyterian teacher, Samuel Saxman, who was lost in a canoe accident while seeking a site for the new village to be built. The name Tlingit means “People of the Tides”

A small sawmill was built, and a school and houses were constructed. Fishing and cutting lumber for the growing towns of Saxman and Ketchikan were the economic mainstays of the new village and of course now tourism is a very large business.

Many of the totem poles and ceremonial artifacts you will see at the village were retrieved in the 1930’s, from the abandoned Tlingit and Haida villages at Cape Fox, Tongass, Cat Island, and Pennock Island. The totem poles were restored and relocated to Saxman as part of a United States Forest Service program.

The meanings of the designs on totem poles are as varied as the cultures that make them. The poles may recount familiar legends, clan lineages, or notable events. They also commemorate historic persons or represent shamanic powers, though the totem poles were never objects of worship. Some poles were even used as objects of public ridicule for village offenders.

The park includes a carving center which you can visit, a tribal house, and a cultural hall where you can watch traditional Tlingit dance exhibitions. Art and spirituality are incorporated in nearly all areas of Tlingit culture and you will see the evidence of this in the paintings, carvings and performances.

The Beaver Clan House is where you will see the traditional clan dances. There is a rich tradition of oratory and the songs and dances performed are property of the clan.

The clans are a matrilineal system. Children are born to the mother's clan and gain their status within her family, including originally, the traditional hereditary leadership positions. In Tlingit culture a heavy emphasis is placed upon family and kinship.

The traditional dress for the dances include the colorful “Button Blankets” A button blanket is a wool blanket that is to be worn as a cape, embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons. They are often given as gifts at ceremonial dances and huge feasts called “potlatches”.

The blankets became a tradition after they were originally acquired from the traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company during the mid-19th century. The trade blankets were typically dark blue and decorated with buttons made from abalone or dentalium shells. The central crest typically portrays a symbol of the wearer's family heritage. Contemporary button blankets are also made in other colors such as bright red.

The traditional songs and dances welcomed us to the village and the performers ranged from tiny children to respected elders. The vibrantly painted interior with its two large totems along with the chants and rhythms drew us into what felt like a very spiritual experience.

Finally breaking the solemnity, visitors are encouraged to join in the last dance which I must say was pretty amusing!

Saxman Native Village is very interesting to visit and our young niece really enjoyed learning about the history and culture of the Southeastern Alaskan native peoples.

Glacier Bay: You Won't Have to Even Leave the Ship to Visit These Glaciers!

8/5/2013

Glacier Bay……… an exciting excursion you won’t even have to leave the ship to experience!

Most of the Alaskan cruises visit Glacier Bay Nation Park to view the sea-life, northern birds, calving ice-flows and the snow-capped peaks of the wilderness park, and it is a beautiful sight.

President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the area around Glacier Bay a national monument under the Antiquities Act on February 25, 1925. Glacier Bay became part of a binational UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and became a Biosphere Reserve in 1986. Most of Glacier Bay is designated a wilderness area which covers 4,164 square miles (10,784 km) and you can actually feel the remoteness of the expansive backcountry spread out before you.

Lower Glacier Bay is a transitional zone and this is where we saw most of the seals and sea-birds and we even saw majestic Bald Eagles watching for their dinner.

The upper Glacier Bay is cold and snowy and this is where you really feel like you are in arctic regions.

There are fifteen tidewater glaciers in the park. Glaciers descending from high snow-capped mountains into the bay create spectacular displays of ice and iceberg formation. Every few minutes a huge avalanche of snow breaks off into the sea, called “calving” and the rumble and crash as the ice plunges splashing into the bay is dramatic, sending ripples of waves toward the ships watching the display.

Not bad for an excursion you didn’t have to pay for! (sort of)

Skagway: Up to the White Pass on a Vintage Gold Rush Railway

8/4/2013

Skagway………. Entrance to the Klondike Gold Fields and our boarding station for the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway Excursion.

This cruise excursion is perfect for families and those who are mobility impaired. You will be able to sit in a vintage parlor car while the narrow gage railroad engine takes you almost 3,000 feet up to the White Pass Summit and the international border with Canada.

Fabulous memories traveling with my family and friends! This is the perfect trip for your family too!

The railroad was built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush in only 26 months and connected the deep water port of Skagway to, Whitehorse Yukon, Canada, the interior of Alaska and most importantly, the goldfields.

As the gold rush picked up speed, it became obvious that a faster and easier way for prospectors to get themselves and more importantly, their supplies, to the gold fields was required.

At the beginning of the gold rush, the most popular route taken by prospectors to the gold fields in Dawson City, was a treacherous route from the port in Skagway, across the mountains to the Canadian border at the summit of the Chilkoot or White Passes. There, the prospectors were not allowed across by Canadian authorities unless they had one ton of supplies. This usually required several trips across the passes. There was a need for better transportation than pack horses which were used over the White Pass or human portage over the Chilkoot Pass.

You can imagine how difficult it must have been for the men building the railroad using dynamite and pickaxes and the weather and difficult living conditions would have been an incredibly harsh challenge. The last spike was finally driven in August of 1900.

The grade is steep and the train travels over high trestles and through dark mountain tunnels and sometimes seems to barely cling to the sides of the steep cliffs.

Best of all are the views along the way of snow-capped mountains dotted with mountain goats, waterfalls, deep river gorges, tall pines and lush green alpine slopes. You won’t be able to tear your eyes away from the wild natural beauty. White Pass Railway & Yukon Route is a fun family experience and a stunning view into the challenging wilds the gold prospectors faced in the 19th century.

Alaskan Cruise Excursions? Our Recommendation: Take a Bush-Plane to Taku Glacier Lodge!

8/2/2013

Are you thinking of taking a cruise to Alaska next year?
Think about this……. The shore excursions you decide to take can make your trip fabulous or just OK.

This series about Alaska shore excursions will give hopefully give you some insight into a few of the excursions we opted to take. We loved them all, but they were very different, ranging from exploring the wilds of Alaska via authentic bush plane, to visiting an Alaskan native village and old gold-mining towns; from a train ride to the White Pass and enjoying a blooming Canadian garden.

But our first port was Juneau Alaska and our amazing shore excursion to Taku Glacier Lodge.

To get to Taku Glacier Lodge, Jim and I first climbed aboard a classic De Havilland sea plane and soared over 5 massive glaciers, icefields filled with bright blue crevasses, snow-capped mountains and the deep green Tongass National Forest. The beauty spread out below us was amazing and truly a sight everyone with an adventurous heart should see.

When it was time to land at the lodge, the Taku River guided us in like a blue-green runway. The Taku Glacier Lodge was built in 1923 and became famous for one of its residents, Mary Joyce, who journeyed 1,000 miles by dog sled. The lodge is on the National Registry of Historic Places and its atmosphere is filled with old days Alaska with antique dog sleds, fur pelts, and huge stone fireplace with a moose-head over it.

While we sat on the porch, drinking beer and wine and waiting for our fresh Salmon dinner to finish cooking on the outdoor grill, we took in the amazing view of the Hole-in-the-Wall glacier (also called Taku Glacier) that sits directly across from the lodge.

After our meal, our guide took us on a walk of the vibrant green, wet, northwest rainforest. The forest was quiet and moss dripped from the branches high above us. Meadows were filled with colorful wildflowers, but what really caught our attention were the bears that had come out from hiding at the smell of the cooking salmon. I have never been close to a bear in the wild before and though they were obviously youngsters, we were careful not interfere with their search for food. They even climbed up onto the cooled barbeque to lick up the Salmon droppings!

Finally, sated with adventure and Alaskan views, we climbed back into our bush-plane and headed back to the ship.

This excursion put on by Wings Airways to Taku Glacier Lodge is one I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone cruising to Alaska. It was exciting, enchanting and stunningly beautiful.

Last Cruise Port - Ensenada Mexico - Does Bad Press Make us Fear Going Ashore?

6/12/2013

All the discussion at the blackjack table centered on who was going ashore and who was too turned off by the bad press (kidnappings, robberies etc.), that Mexico has been subjected to in the last few years.

Jim and I teetered on the edge of not going ashore, but the lure of another interesting travel adventure led us to the terminal and then onto the shuttle into Ensenada.

I have been to Mexico several times both on vacation and to Ensenada as part of an educational program, so I was prepared for the obvious economic challenges that this part of Mexico is experiencing. The most evident proof of this are groups of tiny children selling gum and dime store toys on the streets.

It was pretty sad that our shuttle driver felt compelled to reassure everyone that they would be safe going into town and that a shuttle would ready to take them back to their refuge on ship every ten minutes. I can only assume that the bad press has really affected their tourist economy. I have to admit, the streets and shops were pretty empty of tourists. It actually made me feel embarrassed to be walking around town with other Americans, so obviously tourists from the cruise ship, like aliens landing from another planet.

In light of these observations, what was most important and really impressive was that even with these challenges, the people we met in the businesses and on the streets are welcoming, friendly and helpful.

Inevitably, as we wandered through the shops filled with colorful pottery, interesting crafts and woven textiles, kiosks with beautiful abalone shells and carved ironwood art, we began to relax and enjoy the lively discussions that would bring about a mutually agreed upon price.

The highlight of our brief stay in Ensenada was our stop at a local bar where as we sipped ice cold Modelo’s while we were serenaded by a very talented guitarist with a lovely voice.

So I guess the point of all this is that you shouldn’t let bad press keep you from visiting Mexico. Be safe and be vigilant, but remember to enjoy the moment so that you won’t miss the unique experience of your travel adventure...

Walking Through Lahaina's Past & Present

6/11/2013

If you want to learn about Lahaina’s history as well as current efforts in the restoration of historically and culturally significant sites, take a walking tour with Maui Nei Native Experiences.

We met our guide at the harbor area of Lahaina, where we walked past the relaxing melodies of traditional Hawaiian welcome music performed by a group of Lahaina Senior Citizens to gather under the balconies of the Pioneer Inn. This would also be where Jim and I would be called back like a siren song for yummy tropical drinks and lunch later. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

First, we would follow our local tour guide into the history and almost lost culture of Hawaii’s original people.

We began our walk at one of the spiritual locations where Hawaiian culture began 1700 years ago and were joined by a Hawaiian gentleman in what I think was a Kihei, a cloak worn over one shoulder. We listened to his ancient chant at the sacred Hauola birthing stone (at Lahaina Harbor), considered a place of healing and creation because it was a location where fresh and salt water mixed.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the stone was used as a royal birthing stone because it was believed that giving birth on the stone would extend the life and health of the child. When a chieftess was ready to give birth, her attendants would help her onto the stone chair and assist and witness the birth.

In later centuries, the chair was used for its healing powers and ailing Hawaiians would lay back in the chair and let the waters which had healing powers wash over them.

Our tour continued on into the missionary period at the Baldwin House Museum. Dwight Baldwin arrived in the Hawaiian Islands assigned to the mission of Hawaii on the big island in 1832. After serving there for four years he was sent to Maui where he served most of the rest of his career and where he did his most important work.

While he worked tirelessly as a missionary, opening the Seaman’s Chapel, promoted literacy in both English and Hawaiian, taught temperance because alcoholism was destroying Hawiian society, performed as the unofficial postmaster and contributed to the education of Hawiians in Lahaina in many other ways, he is best known for his great work as a self-educated physician during the terrible epidemics that swept Maui and the Hawaiian Islands. These epidemics were brought to Hawaii on ships from America, particularly those bound from the west where the gold-rush was on. Hawaiians had no immunity to the diseases brought to the islands by passengers and crew members.

Baldwin’s biology coursework while attending college provided a basis for his work as a doctor focusing on public health issues, and discovered through experience what techniques could be applied in the remote tropical environment. By trial and error, he developed vaccines which saved thousands of lives on Maui.

Later, in 1859, Dartmouth College granted him an honorary doctoral degree in medicine in thanks for his dedicated work.

The original house was built from 1834 – 1835 by its original owner, the Reverend Ephraim Spaulding, and was built from coral, stone and timber the additions and second story were added by Dwight Baldwin and its interior is furnished as it looked when the Baldwins lived there.

Interestingly, right next door is the old stone “Reading Room” where Pacific Whaler Masters and Captains would come to catch up by reading the news from the rest of the world. I have to admit, I couldn’t help picturing these disciplined men sitting by lamp light reading while the wild raucous life of the typical whaling seaman echoed in the streets nearby.

Following this interesting but history-heavy tour, we were ready for some cold water and a snack, so our trusty tour guide led us to Take Home Maui, a tiny local store and deli where we sampled the most delicious, juicy papaya and pineapple I have ever tasted. If you want to purchase local food and produce this is the place to go. You can even send home pineapples to your friends and family in the states!

I have to admit, the walk through the streets of old Lahaina was pretty warm, but it was very interesting to see the part of town where the original plantation workers would have made their homes. The neighborhood was dotted with Buddist temples built by the original Asian immigrants who worked the plantations. Our last stop on this neighborhood tour was an impromptu stop at a local artisan’s home to view a work in progress.

Leaving the neighborhood, we made our way to Waiola Cemetery, the oldest Christian cemetery in Lahaina, which is located next to the Waiola Church. The cemetery was established in 1823. As devout converts to the Christian religion, this cemetery is the resting place of Hawaiian Royalty including a few below that I found particularly interesting!

·         King Kaumualii, the last king of Kauai.

·         The sacred Queen Keopuolani, the highest royalty by virtue of bloodlines in all Hawaii, born in Wailuku in 1780; she was the first Hawaiian baptized as a Protestant.

·         High Chief Hoapili, a general and King Kamehameha the Great's closest friend; Hoapili married two of Kamehameha's queens, Keopuolani and Kalakua.

·         High Chiefess Liliha, granddaughter of King Kahekili; Liliha visited England and King George IV with her husband, Boki, Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu. In 1830 Liliha started a rebellion with 1,000 soldiers on Oahu while she was governor there. Her father, Hoapili, forced her to give up her office and return to Maui.

Our final stop was the “work in progress” of the Friends of Moku' ula. As we stood out looking at a vacant dirt lot, it was hard to imagine the grand plans for restoration ever coming to fruition, but as we listened to the native Hawaiian blessing and walked single file along the sacred path following in the footsteps of ancient Hawaiians, we were mentally transported to the ancient island and center of the Hawaiian universe that had once existed.

For lying here in the heart of the old royal capital of Lahaina is one of Hawaii’s most sacred historical sites. This is where a royal residence built on a tiny island, was surrounded by a sacred pond, though we had to imagine what it would have looked like.

It was here that King Kamehameha III had his secluded, moated Palace Moku’ula which was surrounded by a pond. The Moku‘ula, or Sacred Island, was a symbolic “piko”, or umbilicus, in Hawaiian tradition. Lahaina is roughly in the center of the island chain. Entrance to the residential complex would have been along a narrow causeway and was strictly “kapu”, forbidden to all except the king’s chosen guests. The supernatural guardian spirit of the lake was the powerful lizard goddess Kihawahine.

Very little of this cultural history remains to be seen today, except for stones from the sacred island which mark the sacred location of ancient royal burials. The work begun by Dr. Paul Christiaan Klieger and the Bishop Museum when they found the archeological evidence of the site almost a century ago, continues today and restoring this amazing cultural find will take years and many donations. If you would like to read more about this project, click on the links below.

Friends of Moku' ula

Sacred-Sites.org

While the tour was really interesting, it was a long hot trek and as soon as it was over, we headed back to cool shade of the giant ancient Banyon Tree in Courthouse Square where we met my mom. This 60 foot high tree was planted in 1873 to commemorate the first Protestant mission on Lahaina. Banyon trees are pretty amazing because they drop aerial roots from their limbs and those roots grow into tree trunks after they reach the earth, creating a forest of Banyon limbs.

While you are at Courthouse Square, be sure to check out the Old Courthouse built in 1859 (the second story houses a history and cultural museum) and the ruins of the original Old Lahaina Fort built in 1851 which protected the port from the riotous sailors of the North Pacific Whaling fleet.

Fortunately, since we were almost fainting from thirst, we were able to convince my mom to delay our planned additional tourist activities and instead head upstairs with us to Captain Jack's open air bar for a cold refreshing Mai Tai. This fortified us for further shopping and sightseeing

After parting ways with mom, Jim and I had one more stop that led us back to where we had started our day in Old Lahaina, the Pioneer Inn, which was Lahaina's first hotel and was the scene of some wild parties at the start of the 20th century.

George Freeland, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, tracked a criminal to Lahaina and then fell in love with the town so he built the hotel in 1901. The Pioneer Inn remained the only hotel in all of west Maui until the 1950s. The hotel and restaurant is decorated with antiques and architecture from the turn of the century. You can stay at this restored hotel (it’s a Best Western), but we remained downstairs in the historic restaurant/bar and enjoyed hamburgers under the watchful eye of the resident parrot before boarding a tender back to the ship.

11 Tips for Spending Cruising Time with your Parents

6/7/2013

These are just a few suggestions that might be helpful when traveling with your family, especially parents. It’s easy to get busy with excursions, relaxing by the pool, shopping, and all the other distractions available, but to make sure you actually spend time with family, try a few of the 11 tips below!

1.       Bring games with you – Scrabble, Yatsee, Cards, Chess etc…… (most ships don’t have a great selection of games and they are pretty worn out).

2.       Sit in one of the many lounges to play those games. We used hard candy as chips for poker! Everyone will stop by to talk when they see what you are doing.

3.       Bring Walkie Talkies (don’t pay humongous cell phone fees!) so you can find each other spontaneously on the huge ship. FYI - The ship phones are available also if you don’t have a WT. (They are all over the place, usually on the walls) so you can leave a message on your loved-one’s room phone.

4.       Play Bingo (my parents love Bingo!)

5.       Take part in the Trivia nights (It’s a blast)

6.       Go to the spa with your Mom.

7.       Watch a movie under the stars with the family. (they even serve popcorn and ice cream!)

8.       For those who gamble, watch the pro in your family compete in a Poker or Blackjack tournament or have them teach you how to play one of the games in the casino.

9.       Go to Tea with your Dad. (My dad loves a good English high tea!)

10.   Plan to meet up on shore for a meal, drink or shopping, if not everyone can handle an all day excursion or has limited walking capability.

11.   Plan to have a special meal with everyone in one of the specialty restaurants, not just the main dining room.

I hope these suggestions help. They are just a few that work for us and maybe they will enhance your trip with your family also!

Oahu - Ditching Our Tour of the Arizona for Waikiki Beach!

6/6/2013

Even a history nut like me can have a moment when you just need to escape your own plan.

I really hate to put down a cruise excursion when I was really looking forward to it, but in this case, you really need to know the truth.

We had signed up for an excursion to the WWII monument the Arizona, and we were really looking forward to it, but when we exited the ship, and entered the huge terminal, we joined a line of almost 800 people. This long, long, line inched along for 45 minutes while bus after bus left for the same place and slowly, realization dawned.

How in the world can the small memorial out in the harbor, accessible only by small boats accommodate all these people?

Jim had been to the memorial before and knew that since the boats that transport people to the memorial are small, that it would take hours just to get onto the Arizona. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE history, but even I would not spend my day standing in line with other cruise passengers waiting to a glimpse of the memorial.

Now this is important……. Our recommendation is, if you want to visit the memorial, get off the ship at the earliest time allowed, catch a taxi and go to the monument on your own. It will be well worth the effort and will actually save you money and will also save you from wasting your day! After your visit, head into Honolulu and enjoy Waikiki beach and shopping.

So……. Jim and I looked at each other and both of us knew instantly that after waiting 45 minutes already, we were going to ditch the line, catch a taxi and head into Honolulu to explore Waikiki beach and the shops. We felt such guilty freedom as we sped in our taxi toward the city, but big smiles of relief were on our faces.

Waikiki is wonderful. The beach and its tall palms, warm blue water and view of Diamond Head are beautiful and it’s really fun to watch people learning to paddle board, surf, and canoe on outriggers. The long outriggers particularly give the scene a Hawaiian feel.

After a walk on the beach, we decided to check out the kiosks and shops at the International Market Place, where you can find the typical tourist souvenirs, but where we also found a gentleman carving Tikis out of local Hawaiian wood. They were beautifully carved and it was fun to be able to purchase work from a local artisan.

While the marketplace is filled with items that won’t cost you a fortune, if you want to shop upscale, just walk across the street to the posh hotels like the Moana Surfrider Hotel or the Outrigger Hotel. The shops are filled with high-end art, and beautiful but expensive jewelry and clothing. I must admit, it was tempting to step into the shops, but Jim was already headed toward Duke’s Canoe Club which is located in the Outrigger Hotel and opens out onto the beach.

Duke’s is decorated in true tiki-bar style, transporting you to island fantasy with soft Hawaiian tunes and thatched roof bar overlooking the beach. The ice cold Mai-Tais come in glass tiki-shaped goblets with huge chunks of pineapple and a bright umbrella. Be careful though, they definitely have a kick! Jim opted for a tasting of Hawaiian beers. Duke's has an extensive menu of Hawaiian inspired food and loved standards like juicy Angus Beef Cheddar Burgers, which was Jim's choice. I opted for the most delicious Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Cajun dressing and pico de gallo. I have to admit, we spent at least a couple hours munching, sipping and watching the action on beach while the breeze cooled us.

The restaurant is named after one of Hawaii’s most important citizens, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, born in Honolulu in 1890 and grew up on Waikiki beach, swimming, surfing and canoeing. Representing the U.S., during three separate Olympic Games, he won four Gold Medals and one Silver Medal in swimming and went on to introduce surfing to New Zealand and Australia. He acted in 28 movies and made surfing popular in California. He is remembered not just for remarkable speed as a swimmer, but for his grace in the water, his good humor, and his sportsmanship.
It’s fun to think you are hanging out on the same beach Duke enjoyed!

Excursion to Historic Kauai - Grove Farm & Kauai Plantation Railway

6/4/2013

Yes excursions can be fun even for those who don’t regularly opt for tours!

When researching excursions for Kauai, Jim let me pick one that I would be interested in even though that meant that we would NOT be visiting the locations used by movies such as Jurassic Park, would NOT be snorkeling, kayaking, zip-lining, taking a river cruise up the Waialua River, tubing, relaxing at the beach……… or any of the other amazing excursions offered for the day.

No, my choice was typical to my love (bordering on obsession maybe) for history. We joined a small group of about two dozen other history nuts for a trip to Grove Farm and the Kauai Plantation Railway. Fortunately for my “tour-picking” reputation, I don’t regret this choice in the least!

This plantation provides one of the last authentic experiences of Kauai’s sugar cane heritage. It was really interesting and we learned a lot about life on a Hawaiian Island plantation and the short steam engine railway ride was a lot of fun.

Grove Farm was originally a Sugar Plantation. It was one of the first sugar plantations in Hawaii when it was started by a German immigrant named Hermann Widermann in 1854. He literally chopped down a grove of kukui trees to make room for his creation, so he named his plantation Grove Farm.

In 1864 he leased the plantation to George Norton Wilcox who later purchased the plantation. It remained in the Wilcox family for over 100 years.

It is believed that sugar cane, along with other foods, was introduced to Hawaii by Polynesians when they sailed to the islands about 1,000 years ago, but they didn’t process the sugar, they chewed on the cane. European and American Immigrants began building plantations and processing the sugar for export in 1825. With the introduction of irrigation, the plantations flourished.

Hawaiian sugar plantations became particularly successful during the U.S. Civil War which shut off access to and eventually destroyed many of the South’s sugar crops.

We toured the beautiful old home and its guest houses, where the family and their guests would spend time socializing. The main estate house has two bedrooms, writing room, two bathrooms, and a library on the first floor. A grand staircase leads up to the second floor which has more bedrooms.

Behind the main house is a hexagonal gazebo styled after a Japanese teahouse, built in 1898. To the south is a guest cottage with two living areas from about 1890. Another single story cottage was built in 1877 for George Wilcox, and an office building was built in 1884. The kitchen and laundry are both located in detached cottages near the main house to prevent them heating up the house.

When Charles Dickey was hired to renovate the main house in 1915, he knocked down walls and opened up spaces. He felt that it was important to allow the trade winds to circulate through the house and built wide projecting eves so that windows could be kept open even when it was raining. This style was copied throughout the islands and became known as the “Hawaiian style home”.

Workers on the plantation occupied a row of tiny homes also built by Dickey. These homes were considered very nice for a plantation worker of that era. The small group of homes was called Kaipu Camp. “Kaipu” was the word for a Chinese foreman at the plantation. Most workers were Chinese immigrants trying to make a better life in Kauai.

Grove farm is an active farm museum. We walked through the vegetable garden and admired the view of the island valley from the shady back porch, kept company by one of the many, many cats on the plantation. These cats even lounged in the chicken coups and pens, friends for life with the many roosters and hens!

Groves of banana trees lined the dirt roads next to horse pastures, but only remnants of the cane fields survive. There are no active cane plantations existing on Kauai any longer.
After a very thorough tour, we boarded our vans again and sped off to the Kauai Plantation Railway for a train tour of the plantation.

We soon boarded our old-timey open air car which was pulled by an authentic 1939 diesel engine similar to those used on Hawaiian Plantations (they are currently restoring two historic plantation steam engines for future use). Our young tour guide was very knowledgeable and his sense of humor animated what could have been an information heavy tour.

We trundled by coconut palms, cane fields, banana groves, rain forests and many tropical plants that I will never remember, but were pretty amazing at the time while learning about the fascinating botany and agricultural history of Kauai.

My favorite part of the train tour was our stop at the “Farmyard”. We were greeted by wild pigs, goats, and tiny newly hatched chicks being frantically herded by their moms. I began to believe that the “Wild” label might be a stretch as the pigs sidled up to the fence where we were encouraged to feed them and their greedy pen-mates, the goats. I have to admit, it was pretty cute watching Jim try to keep his fingers out of the way when one of the pigs eagerly pushed his snout forward to munch a piece of bread!

By the time the train dropped us back at the lovely Kilohana Plantation House, we were ready for some liquid refreshment, so we headed inside the mansion to Gaylord’s Restaurant at Kilo Hana. Built in 1936 by sugar baron Gaylord Parke Wilcox, the mansion at Kilohana is the finest example of plantation era architecture in Hawaii.

The restaurant itself has a beautiful tropical courtyard area where you can enjoy a relaxing meal of fresh island cuisine (much of it grown on the island), but since we were interested in a colorful tropical Mai-Tai with a juicy chunk of pineapple perched on the rim, we walked on through to the Mahiko Lounge. The lovely bar area is decorated in early 20th century island style. It felt like Hemmingway could walk in any minute!

Refreshed, we peeked into a few of the mansion rooms which have original plantation furnishing and décor. You will find tiny boutiques and art for sale tucked into several of the rooms.

This excursion was lots of fun, proving that if you are in the mood for a tour a cruise excursion can be the way to go. There is an excursion for just about every interest!