Tuesday October 7, 2014 Lahaina, Maui, HI

Today was our trip to Lanai.  We got up early and had coffee while we got ready to go and on the way to the ferry in Old Town Lahaina.
We left Papakea at 8:15.  Our check in time for the ferry was 8:45 with a 9 o'clock departure. We found parking in a pay lot near the harbor and checked in.  Our boat was a large catamaran, it may have been larger than the ferry we rode to Molokai.

First cache on Lanai

The ride to Lanai took about 45 minutes, it was a little over 16 miles.  The first thing we did on landing was find a geocache.  It was an easy find.  This completes the requirements for the Hawaii Island Hopper Challenge.  Finding a cache on each of the six publicly accessible islands.  Of course I have no idea when I can get back to Oahu to sign the logbook.

By the time we finished the cache and got back to the dock the island shuttle had left.  Seems it leaves for Lanai City and other points shortly after the ferry docks and comes back in time for the next ferry.  When the concierge at the Papakea told me about the shuttle it sounded more like a hop on hop off arrangement.  One of the ferry workers called us a taxi and we were taken to Lanai City.  It was about a 20 minute ride.

The driver explained some of the history of  the island on the way.  He dropped us off at the Blue Ginger Cafe which he had recommended.  Gerri and I had eaten at places like this before and had been very satisfied.   I had a Moco Loco mixed plate,  a hamburger patty with  and gravy.  Gerri and Neva ordered the roast pork plate.  My plate was good but the roast pork wasn't.

The restaurant's namesake

Moco Loco

Roast pork dinner

An imposing bank building in Lanai City

After eating we walked a block or so up the street to the Visitors and Cultural Center.  They had an impressive display of artifacts and old photos depicting first native life and the plantation and ranching life,  Lanai had once been owned by Dole and was an island wide plantation.  Most of the agriculture was centered around Lanai City which was located in the caldera left by the volcano that had formed the island.  Pineapples are no longer grown on Lanai commercially.  On the way from the harbor to the city we drove through the areas where pineapples were grown. Our driver told us there was only one plantation left in Hawaii and that was on Maui.

Pineapple in a display garden

Cook Pines

The highway to the harbor

After touring the Cultural Center we called for a ride back to the harbor.  We had a different driver on the return trip.  He had been born and raised on Lanai.  We remarked on the plants especially the Mesquite and Cook pines that seem to be everywhere.  He told us that most of the plants we see are non native and that the native plants tend to be more low growing, under 10 feet tall.

Cook Pines lined the highway

The taxi driver dropped us off at the beach area near the harbor.  We had decided to take the 2 o'clock ferry back to Maui.

A popular beach for snorkeling 

 There was a geocache only 2/10ths of a mile from the beach, so I decided to go for it.  Gerri and Neva walked back to the harbor.

The Four Seasons Resort from the cache site

I had to walk a lot further to get to the cache. Where I started was a very nice beach and as I walked around point and up the cliffs I saw spectacular views and a couple of secluded small beaches.  They were only accessible by water. Most of the pictures have a haze in them.  It is caused by the smoke from the erupting volcano on Hawaii.  The two pictures were taken on my iPhone and the panoramic one was stitched together by Google+.

Local fauna

View from the ferry of Manele Harbor

The Pioneer Hotel and Theater

Gerri had to change our ferry reservations so that we could return to Maui earlier than originally planned.  We were soon off the ferry in Lahaina by the Pioneer hotel and after a short walk back to the car.  The air conditioning felt good.

Banyan Tree Park

Neva at AMP

We decided on the Aloha Mixed Plate restaurant for dinner.  Gerri and Neva split a Kalua pork sandwich and fries.  I had a fried noodle plate.  We sat by the walk by the sea.  The view was great and there was a breeze off the ocean.

Anthuriums by the sea

We were back at the Papakea before sunset. We played a game of dominoes.  I finally won one.  I beat Gerri by 1 point.

The sunset was obscured by clouds.  Even though the moon was due to go into full eclipse starting at 11, none of us were able to stay up that late.  Maybe next time.