Haleakala

We started this day by being at the tender station at 8:15.  We went down and were in the line for the next one.  There was one loaded and ready to leave but didn’t and didn’t and then more crew members came with radios and then officers and all were staring down the tender platform.  Soon they started unloading the tender and all those people had to get off.  Reassuring that the lifeboat we will depend on is not functioning.  This is  just another in the long line of things that have been piling up on this cruise but more on that later.   Luckily after a long delay, we got ashore and found the van to shuttle us to Avis to get our car but now we are an hour later than we thought we would be getting off.  We headed out to Haleakala which is at 10,000 feet.  It was a beautiful drive and you went from lush vegetation to moon like conditions.  We were in the clouds and rain then we would see beautiful blue skies.  Just an awesome drive and Debbie was a great driver and guide.  We weren’t sure that we could have time to make it to the top but we did but unfortunately we were unable at the time we were there to see anything because of the clouds.  The temperature at the top was 43 degrees and windy so we bundled up and headed to the observation center.  I have to say that yours truly got us into the park free because of my “senior US Park Pass”.  It saved us a whole $10 for parking.  We got to see the Silversword which is really a bright silver plant that only grows on this volcano.  We stopped on the way up to buy flowers from a local garden and saw cattle on the way up too.  We had a great day and made it back to stand in the long weaving line for the tender back to the ship.  We showered and got ready for dinner and went to see the comedian in the theater.  He was mildly amusing.  Debbie went to the casino and I came back to the cabin and was asleep before she got back. 

Pictures will follow when we get to San Diego...The internet is not cooperating with the photos.