The Senior Scene

Rain and sun, rain and sun. That’s how our trip to Maui turned out.
As with the Seattle area, Hawaii was breaking records in the rain department. We were so lucky where we were in the up country of Maui. We had rain every evening and it just nicely cooled things down. During the day we could drive a mile or so and find beautiful, sunny weather.
And drive we did. We put over 800 miles on the vans during our stay. Once again, we spent two weeks learning all about the island we were on. Maui is more like two islands joined by a deep valley. It is 48 miles long and 26 miles wide (only six miles at the narrowest point of the valley). The population is 155,000 residents, plus an average of 42,000 tourists. Over 2 million tourists come to this island every year. Our log cabin home was in what is called Up Country just out of Makawao, a cowboy town, on the way up to Haleakala Crater. We were next to the Sacred Garden in the middle of jungle vegetation with a beautiful river running through the property. Almost every day we would take off for some part of the island to explore.
Our first adventure was to Iao Valley and the Iao Needle, a 2,250-foot rock formation surrounded by lush, green mountains. There are beautiful views from the top of the lookout back through the valley and into the town of Wailuku. Of course, we also had to have a stop at Costco to stock up on provisions for our stay.
On another day, we headed out to Kihei, Wailea and Makena Beach. We had lunch at the beautiful Grand Wailea Resort with all its pools, sculptures, waterfalls and beaches. You can drive for hours just looking out the windows.
A full day was spent on the Road to Hana, Fifty-six one lane bridges and 617 curves each direction. Around each curve you would find flowers, a waterfall, or just more jungle vegetation. It was an amazing day. We stopped at beaches to watch the surf crashing over lava rock, picked up banana bread at a roadside stand, and had lunch at Hana Ranch.
Lahaina is an old whaling port, now loaded with shops and restaurants. We did our thing and then all met up again under the giant banyan tree (planted in 1873). It takes up the entire city park with all its extended trunks and branches dripping with vines. We had such a great time that we even came back another day to explore the Kaanapali coast and have dinner at the Hula Grill.
One day we drove to Maalaea, where we boarded a catamaran and took off looking for whales. We were very lucky this late in the season to see a couple of them. We saw puffs of water where mothers were swimming with babies and even had a chance to catch a couple of tails splashing about.
Haleakala at sunrise is a spectacle not to be missed. It was a very early start for the two-hour drive up to 10,000 feet on very windy, curvy roads, and it was very cold at the top. We wrapped ourselves in blankets and watched over the crater as the sun rose above the clouds. A Hawaiian couple did chants to the rising sun, and the rest of us snapped picture after picture. On the way down, we stopped for breakfast, and as we continued we were able to see some of the hardy souls who were doing the bicycle trip down from the top.
We did so many other things that I don’t have space to write about but we thoroughly enjoyed. There were beaches, farms, hills and pools. There were art shows, galleries and stores. You need to be there to see if all. I hope you will join us another time.
You need to sign up now for the fun trips of the future. We have Vancouver to San Francisco in September; Memorials of War: Normandy and Paris in October; Puerto Penasco on the Gulf of Mexico in November; and then Tampa to Vancouver through the Panama Canal in April 2015. Call or e-mail Linda Finch at 253-927-8207 or linda.finch@gmail.com.

The rains were coming down. Snow had canceled the trip to Canada and the harness races. We were more than ready to head south to the Caribbean Sea. We flew out of Seattle in what was to become perhaps the wettest March in history, only to land in Houston to more rain. We saw nothing on our drive to Galveston but still more rain – only a drizzle, but definitely there.
Our spirits were up the next morning as we had breakfast at the hotel and prepared to really begin our adventure. Navigator of the Seas was awaiting us.
A marvel at sea, she has 14 decks, a royal promenade with designer boutiques, unique shops, live entertainment venues and restaurants serving up mouth-watering food. There is a rock climbing wall, full-size basketball court, golf simulator, miniature golf course, ice skating rink, flow rider surf simulator, and a complete spa and workout center. Add to that a three-story dining room, Italian, Asian and Mexician specialty restaurants, a steak house grill, 24-hour cafe, a full buffet center and other miscellaneous food spots tucked in here and there. This is a city completely on its own and would be our home for the next week.
We had two complete days at sea as we headed further south and into warmer weather. The ocean was flat and dolphins could be seen playing in the wake of the ship. Passengers lounged by the pool, became educated at the art auction, won and lost in the casino, enjoyed a production show and late-night comedy. There was an opportunity to learn a new card game, watch a movie on the big screen by the swimming pool, have a treatment in the spa, attend a seminar, take a skating lesson, learn line dancing or just join a trivia group or participate in a wine tasting. There are so many different things to do that boredom can never set in.
At last we awoke in the morning to see the beautiful greenery of the island of Roatan, home of the world’s second-largest coral reef and a divers’ paradise. We hired a car and were driven around the island, which is home to many American and European expats. Just a short flight to Texas allows these people to have summer homes away from the winter weather and into the unique culture of the island. Roatan has a long history of pirates, conquistadors and slaves. We were able to see long, beautiful white-sand beaches and volcanic rock coasts. The interior gave us encounters with monkeys, iguanas, colorful birds and even more colorful tourists zipping through the dense jungle. The shops gave us handwoven baskets and amazing mahogany wood products along with the usual tourist trap items.
The next day was Belize City, founded in the 1700s by pirates. African slaves were brought to help harvest lumber and mixed with the Europeans, whose descendents began to mix and ultimately the Creole culture we see today was created. This is a tender port, and so not everyone got off the ship. Those who did found Mayan ruins, tropical forests, flowing rivers and a zoo created for animals who were injured and unable to return to the wild. Those more adventurous types did zip-lining and cave tubing.
Cozumel was the final port of call. It was a busy spot with five ships in port at the same time. We elected to take a horse-drawn carriage ride to explore what the area had to offer other than a myriad of shops. We traveled into some of the back streets past private homes, schools and churches. We peeked into courtyards, stores and restaurants and got more of a feel as to what life might be like on this busy island just off the cost of Mexico. Cozumel is a diver’s paradise with water temperatures hovering in the low 80s year-round and visibility up to 200 feet. We even had beautiful views while looking off the ship and watching the water sports go on around us.
And then it was back to a final day at sea. It was nice to relax and have a slow, comfortable time to pack up clothes and memories; pick up a last-minute item at the duty-free store, lounge in the sun around the pool, and enjoy a cocktail as the sun sets and one last gourmet dinner.
Cruising is such an effortless way to travel. Unpack once and spend the rest of the time enjoying yourself. We have now scheduled another cruise on Navigator of the Seas for February 2015. This time she will head to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Make plans now to join us. And don’t forget, we have space out of Tampa in April 2015 through the Panama Canal to Vancouver (only have to fly one direction and then relax on the long, luxurious way home). A short cruise is planned in September from Vancouver to San Francisco.
For those who don’t cruise and want to stay closer to home, there is Harrison Hot Spring in June, Victoria in August, Reno in September and Puerto Penasco in November. There are always dinner dates and mystery trips. For reservations or further information, call Linda Finch at 253-927-8207 or get on the e-mail list at linda.finch@gmail.com

As I sit here writing this in early February with snow on the ground, I think to March and beyond. Spring is just around the corner, and with that are all the wonderful gardens and nurseries. 

Would you like to head up to the Skagit Valley to see the tulips, or perhaps go south to the lilacs?  How about a trip to Molbak’s or one of the other wonderful nurseries to pick up a few plantings? Now will be the time to sign up for something headed in those directions.

A very nice group will be departing early this month on a flight to Houston, Texas and a bus to Galveston, where we will meet up with RCCLs Navigator of the Seas. You will have to wait until we get back to hear all about that.  And then in April, we have rented a house on Maui and will spend two weeks going in and out of every back road around the island.  That will give you another column to read where you will say, “I wish I had gone with them.”

We certainly aren’t getting any younger, and the bucket list is out there. We all make excuses, particularly the one that says, “I don’t have anyone to share with.”  We will always help you find a roommate so that you are not paying single supplements.

Sharing does not mean that you have to do everything together, unless you want to. It means that you pay the lesser share fare and have someone to talk to when you wish. Who knows? You just might find someone to share with on other adventures.

Another way to meet potential roommates is to take some of the day trips. These include mystery trips, dinner dates, and other short excursions.  We have a Victoria, B.C. trip planned for a two-night stay and might just throw in a couple more short overnights.

May brings a marvelous trip to our nation’s capitol for a week-long visit to see memorials, museums, Arlington Cemetery, MountVernon, Annapolis and much more.  There still might be room if you want to come along.

October has some of our people taking off for Europe for the anniversary of the beaches of Normandy.  Spend some time in Paris and then head out to remember all that took place so many years ago.

In April of 2015, we have a wonderful group already developing to do a 19 day trip from Tampa, Fla. to Vancouver through the Panama Canal. The new one won’t be finished by then, but we will certainly be able to see what is happening with it. And think of it, you only need to fly one way as the ship will bring us right back home.

For reservations and further information, call me at 253 927 8207 or send an e-mail linda.finch@gmail.com.

Our week in Cuba was definitely eye-opening, from our landing in Trinidad to our departure from Havana. We arrived home a better-educated and more compassionate group. 

Our first destination was Trinidad, where we stayed at an all-inclusive beach resort, Brisas, built in 2000.  It was much like going to an all-inclusive in Mexico – the welcoming entertainment and cocktail, exploration of the property to find our rooms, restaurants and lounges.  The beach was beautiful and the sunsets magnificent.  We had plenty of time to view the sunsets as we returned back late each afternoon, but only once was there time to view the beach.  This was a “People to People” educational tour, the only way we could obtain the required visa.  We were there to interact and learn and that we did.

Time was spent driving the countryside, lush and tropical with hills in the background; visiting markets with the usual jewelry, linens and wood-working; watching the people as they went about their business.  The homes in this area were noticeably minimal but well-kept with no litter or graffiti to be seen.  Most Cubans now “own” their own homes where multi-generational families reside.  We were told that there is no unemployment but there are people who are “available to work.”

A tour of a cigar factory was a highlight. We were not allowed to take photos but could definitely interact with the workers who were all smiles and excited to try to explain to us what they were doing.  The art of pantomime worked both directions as we watched them pick out, pack and roll the leaves into the beautiful works of art those cigars can become. Working conditions were clean; the people looked healthy and happy; we felt more than welcomed.

A tour to the Botanical Gardens showed plants indigenous to the area but also transplanted from all over the world. Beautiful flowers and amazing trees were everywhere. Back in town, we were once again surrounded by the “old” American cars, taken into shops with meager supplies, toured through the theater and given a concert by a choir that is working hard to raise enough funds to tour the U.S.  Dinner was at a “private” restaurant, as now the citizens can own their own businesses.  It was sad to see that we were the only customers. The food was excellent, the service on the spot and entertainment was provided. Old, beautiful mansions have now been turned into some of these wonderful restaurants that are trying to survive.

It took a full day to travel by bus (Chinese-made) between Trinidad (population 70,000) and Havana (1.5 million). We learned tourism is the number 1 industry, with the U.S. being the number 2 country despite the embargo.

We visited the museum at the Bay of Pigs and learned, from the Cuban perspective, just what happened in 1961 and the area that was covered.  We traveled on a steam train through the sugar cane fields and ate bananas fresh off the trees. Our lunch was in the jungle with a beautiful sinkhole-type pool, next to the restaurant and the ocean across the street.

Havana was all any of us expected.  We resided at the National Hotel, built in 1930 and home to the rich and famous of the time. It has been beautifully restored and we were honored to be a part of it all.  Looking at the pictures on the walls of those who have stayed since the ‘30s was absolutely amazing.  This was our home but not our purpose, and we spent many hours driving around the city looking at buildings, comparing districts, seeing hospitals, walking streets and looking in small shops.

A visit to the Literacy Museum took us to 1961 when Fidel Casatro closed all the schools and sent the people out into the country. In the U.S., we thought this was horrible, but in Cuba it was a time of reform for the people.  From as young as 8 years old, they went out of the cities and into the country to teach people to read and write. Over 230,000 people were involved in this, and now the illiteracy rate is less than 0.2 percent. Proof of the success was in the letters these people wrote to Fidel thanking him.

A stop at a “poly-clinic” gave us an inside view of healthcare. Every town has a clinic and doctors. This clinic had 24 family doctors and handles 27,000 inhabitants in the area. Healthcare is free. A rehab program was in place and doctors go out into the community.

To give us a little insight to the educational system, we were taken to an art school. The “art” at this school was “circus.” The students were ages 14 to 18. They maintained regular educational classes in the morning but then learned circus in the afternoon. We were made aware of their accomplishments with a performance.

Seniors are well taken care of. When they wish, they put their name on a list, much as we do, for housing in a senior community. The large home that we visited houses women on one side, men on the other, and had small apartments for couples. The singles were housed dormitory-style. Once again we noted the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities. People were well, clean and happy. We learned that they received all their meals, healthcare and were even taken out on occasional day trips. Sounded a little like home but on a rather lower scale.

Not necessarily of a “people to people” nature, we were allowed to visit the Hemingway House where this famous author lived and worked.  This was a magnificent tour into a home that was built in that era of luxury and decadence in Cuba before the revolution.

A last stop was made at the home of Fueste, an artist who is becoming a world-known master. He works a lot in mosaic and has rejuvenated his community by doing the walls and buildings. 

On our last afternoon, we met with Camilo Garcia Lopez, a professor who tried to explain, from a Cuban perspective, what the revolution did and how Cubans and the U.S. look at each other. I would have to write considerably much more to get into that explanation, but it did open our eyes to a different viewpoint.  There was much good discussion and hope that our countries could come to some agreement which would allow these people to grow and prosper and allow us the ability to freely travel here and have commercial business with them.

It was an amazing trip and one we will all remember. Asked why we wanted to go, we all said because we can.