Have Uke....Will Travel!

Three Mile White Sand Beach - Molokai'i  

We are off for the Hawaiian island of Molokai'i and the Uke Ohana 2015 event we have been looking forward to since February. 

Bellingham is our departure city.  Fom the window of our Alaska Airlines flight we wave goodbye to our home, the San Juan Islands.  See that long island on the western edge of the archipelago?  That's San Juan Island, floating in the Salish Sea as the sun prepares to set on the western horizon.

737-800  Alaska Airlines

Pacific Ocean....lots of it.

The direct to Honolulu new route out of Bellingham,WA., and traveling into the evening, allowed us to upgrade to a first class seats!  Seats in row #2 turn out to be far from our usual back of the plane location....both in distance and well, all the rest of it.

Beet salad Mr. Simpson?

Oh, YES!  

Mai-tais and warmed nut bowl?  Seriously?

Would you like your own entertainment tablet and cheese cake?  Why the ?

This five and 1/2 hour flight "flies" by.  I finally watch the movie "Wild" and so does Steve....each with our own earphones.  Weird.  On the way home, I watch "Still Alice" and as I glance at Steve's screen, he has apes tromping back and forth.  Yeah, that's about right.

Getting in at almost 10 p.m. we spend the night in Honolulu.  I am learning SO much about figuring out and booking trips on line.  I am also appreciating the days of the travel agent!   A small learning experience here: if you choose the cheaper hotel, which is a little further from the airport, and it says, "shuttle to the airport"...that might mean..."you hire your own private shuttle from the airport to the hotel at your own private expensive expense."  Or, you could choose the one hotel, very close to airport, looks worse, costs more (like the cost of a shuttle) with the advertised shuttle and the impotant word, "free."  You COULD do that instead.

Thursday morning we are back at the airport, sometime after the expensive and not free airport shuttle does not show up,  meaning we jump a cab....and dash up to the Mokolele Airline counter for our morning flight to Kaunakakai, Molokai.  (did you ever notice how many Hawaiian places start with k and are long words?)


Mokolele Airlines is very particular about weight.  Flying at home in this type of aircraft they do ask for your weight.  You just tell them....as loudly or quietly as you wish.  Here you hop ON the scale with your carry on bag...and ukulele of course.  The TOTAL weight flashes up in nice big numbers.  Hum.

Oh drats!  Weighed in just like luggage!  

Our lift to Molokai....looks a lot like flying to San Juan Island!

The beverage service starts (and ends) at the gate.

Row #2....again!  The same, but.....different.

Leaving Honolulu behind...we are ready to begin our experience getting to know this gem of a Hawaiian island.

With one day to get to know the island before the ukulele retreat begins, we are off and driving.  There is a small printed tourist guide (for a small island) of seven or eight places you might want to  check out.  It neglects to mention the harbor, but harbors are always on the Steve and Nan list.

Room on one side of the wharf for about 20 boats to tie bow in.

Look what we find tied up....from Alaska!  A little Fisher 25!

It was fun to spot this little version of our sailboat, safely tied in the harbor at Kaunakakai, HI.  No one around, but the fella on the neighboring boat informed us, for sure it's NOT for sale, has been there several years, and the owner is usually in Alaska working.  Must have been a big trip for a little boat!

Next it's off to, Papohaku Beach Park, the longest white sand beach in all the Hawaiian islands, also known as Three Mile Beach.  One of the amazing experiences is to be in Hawaii, on an incredible beach, with...well, no people.  Oh, alright...there were four people.  Total.

We are two of four people on "Three Mile Beach"....

 We drive to the overlook on the north side of the island to see Kalaupapa, the peninsula that was a dedicated leper colony from the late 1866 until the 1969.  There is much "story" about the people who were forced to live here and the people who helped them do so.  Today you can fly in on a tourist flight, take a donkey down the hillside...or, you can look from afar.  That's where we are.

Reading the informational signs at the lookout

This lookout also "looks out" at the highest sea cliffs in the world!  Recognize this view?  Of course! It's from Jurassic Park III....I'm sure you remember that!

The Pali (cliffs) on Molokai.....breathtaking!

We cannot pass by the chance to stop at the old Sugar Mill and history museum that tells the tales of many of the people that were taken to and lived in the leper colony.  Then, it's off to Purdy's Macadamia Nut Farm...for...

The little nut farm of the 50 original trees is very productive.  (there are now additional trees)  It is pointed out that everything in this farm is produced organically, no pesticides are used.  There is a pest patrol though...made up of kitties!  Many kitties!  We enjoy a short talk about macadamia nut trees and then a lesson in cracking these very hard nuts...and the best part...tasting!

Macadamia nuts .....everywhere!

Nut crackers!  And they work really really well!

Yummy treats....mac nut honey and mustard!  Try it with a piece of coconut!  OK!

Even the intrepid travelers, who have the advantage of three hours west coast time added to the day, begin to tire by late afternoon.  It's off to Hotel Molokai and the hammocks!  P.S.  This is the only hotel on the island!  As of 2014, all other accomodations are house or apt. or condo rentals.

Looking up from our hammock!  Don't miss this stop!

Here's the part about, "Let Molokai change you!"

Patio off our room and....our hammock!

Hotel Molokai beach

Tomorrow we join forces with the rest of the ukulele players coming to Molokai for a long weekend of "Uke Ohana" (uke family) at Pu'u O Hoku Ranch (place of the stars).  Time to rest up!