Category: Thoughts

Hawaii Continued

Posted on by Pete Schloss

 

Awake at 6 a.m., breakfast at 7, on the road by 9, and not “off duty” until after 7 p.m.. That about sums up our daily experience during Road Scholar Hawaii. Except for our first and last days on the “Island State” there were only 2 “rest days” out of the 3 weeks. I decided on January 31st to suspend my daily accounts of our experience, believing I would resume upon our return to Kansas City. However, the best laid plans…

Our return to Kansas City went well. Sifting through the accumulation of mail I was reminded that it was tax season. I have always done our taxes, and this year was no exception. In recent years doing our state and federal returns has been relatively straightforward. Not so this year. We had a second state (Colorado) to file in due to the sale of our Colorado home. That, coupled with changes in Missouri’s tax laws, and questions involving the synergy between the state and federal returns occupied my time and attention for a few days. I got it done, and then quite obviously did not return to posting about Hawaii. Thank you to those who have reached out and asked, “How was is…”, “What happened…”, “Are you going to finish…”

It was great, if a bit brutal. I had to decide to realign priorities during the trip. And yes, I intend to “finish” in the next few posts. So, here goes.

 On January 31st we left the island of Maui and traveled to our third island, Kaua’i. (When possible, I am using the Hawaiian spellings that include the punctuation/pronunciation marks, the okina (a backward apostrophe indicating a pause) and the kahakō (a long vowel symbol but denoting that the short vowel sound should be held longer.))

We had been staying at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel and on the last morning the hotel staff presents a Kukui Nut Lei Ceremony to the departing guests.

This hotel was perhaps our favorite of the five that we experienced. It was comfortable, well situated for tourist enjoyment, and made a focused effort to include Hawaiian traditions and culture along with the hotel’s hospitality.

The ceremony was heartfelt. We were instructed to bring our Kukui Nut Lei with us on any returns to the Islands as it is tradition to add a nut to the lei on each return. Christine and I will take that to heart.

Our Kukui Nut Leis. Other souvenirs include pieces of lava and two US geologic survey markers. These are identical to the originals that are in place at the locations. I purchased the duplicates at the National Park offices. They are also available for sale on-line.

Again, our leaders Susan, Patricia, and Glenn, adroitly shepherded us to the airport for our one-hour inter island flight. At Kaua’i’s Lihu’e Airport a bus was waiting for us and touring continued without pause.

We visited Spouting Horn Park where an old lava flow and lava tubes interacted with surf to present a Hawaiian version of Yellowstone’s “Old Faithful”.

We also visited the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Botany is not my “thing”, but for some in our group the extraordinary diversity of tropical species found here was captivating.

Christine’s long deceased uncle and aunt, Clark and Veda Bowen, spent part of their retirement here on the island. From 1981 to 1983 Clark was Executive Director of the Kokee Natural History Museum, Kaua’i. We visited the museum on February 2nd. Clark had been a professor of Botany/Biology at Iowa State University from 1955-1980. Two of the members in our group knew the Bowens at the University nearly 50 years ago. What a coincidence!

The remainder of the afternoon included a stop at a grocery store to buy “supplies” for the following “free day”, check-in at the Hilton Garden Inn, Wailua River, and dinner.

The following day, February 1st was one of our two “days off”. Christine and I did some investigating together. The hotel grounds were archeologically significant, and I did some solo hiking and exploration.

This curiosity, located about half a mile from our hotel, is a stairway leading to the beach. What makes it unusual is that it is a cleverly created labyrinth. The stairways present dozens of turns and “crossroads”. Eventually we made it to the beach!

My solo wanderings took me to a hidden Japanese cemetery, 

and the equally hidden Holoholokū overlook where oral tradition holds that the sacred births of island royalty occurred here.

 

To be Continued. Peace Everyone. Pete

 

 

Haleakalā National Park

Posted on by Pete Schloss
A Place Sacred for the Gods. January 30, 2026.
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The name Haleakalā is Hawaiian for “house of the sun.” According to a local legend, the demigod Maui imprisoned the sun here in order to lengthen the day.

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This is a sacred place and treasured by Hawaiians as a place of pilgrimage to witness the beginning and end of the day. The vistas are otherworldly.

It is also very popular with bicyclists!

Designed a National Park in 1976, the park covers over 50 square miles.

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The rim of the volcano crater, nearly 2 miles above sea level, can be reached by car. The park is host to a network of over 40 miles of trails. Wilderness camping is available and 3 remote primitive cabins can be reserved for up to 3 nights.

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The park features the dormant Haleakalā Volcano which last erupted sometime between 1480 and 1600 AD. The crater is 7 miles across, 20 miles in circumference, and 2,600 feet deep. The interior of the crater is dotted by numerous volcanic cinder cones.

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Although located in the tropics, the summit has a desert alpine climate. Night temperatures can descend below freezing, and occasionally there is even snow.

A number of unique and endangered species are found here, including the Nēnē bird (a goose-like bird native to Hawaii and rescued from the brink of extinction) and the Silversword plant which is found nowhere else in the world.

The ranger explaining the Silversword lifecycle. These examples are approximately 18 years old. Without warning they will bloom and then die.
A Silversword in the wild.
Examples that recently bloomed.

The Haleakalā Observatory, operated by the University of Hawaii, is prized for the pristine viewing conditions. One of its primary functions is to track satellites and space debris.

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Many in our group considered today a highlight of our trip, me included.

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After the park we lunched in the unusual Hawaiian “cowboy town” of Makawao. It is famous for its paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) history, arts scene, and cooler climate. It offers a blend of plantation past and modern creativity. It offered us a great pulled pork sandwich!

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Our lunch spot.

Tomorrow Is once again moving day with our next destination the Island of Kauaʻi.

Peace Everyone. Pete.

From Ashes Rebirth

Posted on by Pete Schloss
Lahaina, Maui, January 29, 2026.

Yesterday, January 28, was a very full day… How full was it?

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Up at 6 AM, breakfast at 7 AM, a brief rest until 9,

A 9 AM presentation on the destruction and restoration of Lahaina…

Lunch at the first restaurant to reopen in the downtown, “Lahaina Mixed Plate”…

A long motorcoach drive to the Maui Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum…

Another motorcoach drive, this time to the Maui Arts and Cultural Center…

Dinner, and a long motorcoach drive back to our hotel. We concluded at 8:00 PM.

Christine was not feeling her best and chose to remain at the resort. She is again enjoying rest at the resort today. (She went whale, watching in the afternoon, smart woman!)

Today, January 30, we are ascending by motorcoach to 10,000 feet and Haleakalā National Park. While it is 70° at sea level, we anticipate temperatures in the 50s at the top of the mountain. The Park is named after the dormant volcano within his boundaries, the huge Haleakala Caldera. Designed a National Park in 1976, the park covers over 50 square miles. I am attempting with limited success, to type this while we bounce merrily down the road on this four hour round trip.

I will let photographs with some captioning describe the events of yesterday.

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Temporary housing. This has been extended for another year while rebuilding continues.
Temporary housing
The rebuilding process is evident everywhere. 
The last of the great sugar refineries.
Some of the heavy equipment utilized in sugar harvesting and processing.
Sugar museum staff giving a presentation on the history of sugar production in Hawaii.
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The superintendents house, now the site of the Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum. sugar was “king“ in Hawaii from the early 20th century until 1981.
During the years of sugar production, Hawaii was continually faced with a labor shortage. Immigration with contract labor and indentured servitude was utilized. Immigrants were brought in from China, Japan, the Philippines, and Portugal. The typical indentured contract was three years of hard labor. 
This steam engine which powered the sugar mill, weighed 50 tons, had a 24 foot flywheel, and generated 1500 hp. It was in use from 1903 to 1981. 
This is a working scale model of the sugar processing machinery. 
A Portuguese bread oven used by the Portuguese immigrants. 
A 1930 gas powered crawler tractor, a “caterpillar“.
The Maui Arts and Cultural Center.
We were fortunate to be on hand for a special exhibit. The center director and the number of the artists we’re on hand to discuss their work.
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Peace Everyone. Pete

Who We Are

Posted on by Pete Schloss
Road Scholar Hawaii, Four Islands, January 19 – February 8, 2026.

We number 30. Three of us are group leaders and 27 are participants. Most of the group members have traveled with Road Scholar (formerly known as Elder Hostel) many times, some as often as three times a year. Christine and I are in the minority as this is our first Road Scholar experience.

There are 10 couples and seven singles. Among the singles there are six women and one man. A number of the singles have expressed to me that this is an ideal way of traveling for them as they are never “alone“.

We are as young as our mid 60s and as old as 90. Perhaps we have lost a step physically, but we more than compensate in our inquisitiveness and desire to keep exploring our world.

We don’t talk politics, we don’t talk religion, we avoid controversy in favor of fostering a welcoming and inclusive dynamic. I do not sense that any of us represent the extremes of conservative or liberal. Perhaps some are right leaning and others left leaning, but we seem to be mostly centrist. For us, “current events“ represents what we have seen yesterday and will be seeing today and tomorrow.

We are retirees, but many continue to freely donate time and expertise within our communities. We represent the four corners and center of the Continental United States.

As conversations and relationships within the group mature, we learn of spouses lost, children, grandchildren, prior professions, medical challenges, prior travels, milestones…

We learn of special talents and expertise among us; quilting, pottery, music…

For these three weeks I am left with no doubt, this is where I belong.

Peace Everyone. Pete.

The Battle of Kepaniwai.

Posted on by Pete Schloss
‘Īao Valley State Monument, Maui, Hawaii.

This morning, we bid farewell to The Big Island. One might think that organizing 30 people’s check-in for their flight, checking baggage, and receiving seat assignments and boarding passes would be a Herculean task.

Our group leader, Susan, made it look easy. She divided the group into subgroups and designated a “leader“ for each group of six. The group leaders each had one reservation with the other five members of the group confirmed under that reservation number. It all worked seamlessly.

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The flight was on time and in less than 45 minutes we were touching down on the island of Maui. Before proceeding with our tour for the day and subsequent arrival at the hotel, we enjoyed an ice cream style treat and lunch on our own.

This is the only place of its kind in Hawaii. It’s a Japanese style ice cream, somewhere between sorbet, softserve, and gelato. Super tasty!
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First impressions: Maui seems more developed and tourist friendly than the Big Island.

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It is also the site of an immense tragedy. It is on this island that fires ravaged the community of Lahaina in August 2023. At least 102 people perished in the fire, two are still missing, and property losses we’re over $5.5 billion. 17,000 acres were burned, destroying over 2200 buildings.

There are monuments lining the highway with images of many of the deceased. Out of respect I did not take pictures of those monuments, but rather took pictures of the monuments left to the many dear pets that were lost in the conflagration.

Later this week, we will visit the scene of that devastation and have lunch at the first restaurant to open after the fire.

As a travel day, there was not an abundance of time for sightseeing. Nevertheless, we were able to visit the site of one of the most consequential and bloody battles in native Island history.

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This amazing image is courtesy of Gary Schils , a member of our group. 
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In a most peaceful and garden like setting is the Monument to the 1790 Battle of Kepaniwai. This battle was the start of Kamehameha I’s campaign to unify the Hawaiian islands under one rule.

Kamehameha was described by Captain James Cook as “a brute of a man”. He was considered iron-tough, unyielding, and peerless as a warrior in battle. He was also considered a brilliant tactician, and savvy politician.

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I will allow my pictures to tell the rest of the story and convey impressions of the beauty of this area:

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A floral gift left to the island gods. 
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Here we are sampling leaves of a plant that was used traditionally as an analgesic. The leaves and roots were specially effective on toothaches. We chewed and then spent the next half hour with tongues partially numbed. 
Members of our group ascending 160 steps to a peaceful overlook for a prayer and contemplation.
The group waving to me. 
A moment for prayerful meditation led by Susan.

A little after 3 PM we arrived at our hotel, The Outrigger Kā’anapali Beach Resort. We were greeted by music and dance.

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A small army of bellmen took over our luggage which later magically appeared in the proper rooms. This is a place worthy of a visit in anyone’s vacation itinerary!

There is a brewery restaurant on the grounds, an amazing beach, swimming pool, and of course the room is without fault.

The view from our room balcony. 
Again, the view from our balcony. 
Our room.

Our group shared dinner at the Maui Brewing Company Restaurant. We are really looking forward to the next four nights here!

There is a presentation and sightseeing tomorrow morning. Many people in the group are going whale watching in the afternoon. Christine and I plan to take advantage of the beach and pool and perhaps get some laundry done in the free time.

Peace Everyone. Pete