MAUI-Hawaii

Ok, I would not call Hawaii “Dixie”, but it is south, so technically it could be fair game for the blog.  It can get cold and snowy here in Memphis in February so when my parents invited me to join them in Maui a week ago, I thought why am I thinking about this, I just need to go. The one drawback to traveling to Hawaii is that it is super far away, requires a flight equal to one of going overseas and is really really expensive.  So, if you have the opportunity to visit Hawaii, relax and go.  Besides enjoying the undivided attention of my folks (something that does not occur often) there was great weather and beautiful sights to see.

Pacific Whale Foundation:  The PWF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the whales that winter in the Hawaiian waters. However, the PWF offers many whale educational programs such as whale watching boat tours.  When you approach their office to pick up your tickets for the boat ride, you are quickly assaulted by their gift shop offering all sorts of whale paraphernalia and other kitschy stuff.  The boat was large and comfortable and once the boat chugged out of the protected area we immediately began to see blow holes, flippers, and tails.  The guide was very informative, giving us a blow by blow of everything that supposedly was taking place under the water (to the point that she was talking too much). Seeing whales is probably a matter of going out there in the right season.  Years ago we went whale watching off of the Canadian coast and maybe saw an alleged whale flipper but, it could have been a rock or something. The highlight of this tour was when the guide lowered a microphone below the water and we got to listen to the whale noises.

Haleakela National Park:  A huge dormant volcano.  The first time my entire family was at the Haleakela we went up there at sunrise and then rode bikes down.  This was really cool, as we got to enjoy the scenery up close and unfolding slowly.  This time we rode up in a huge Lincoln Continental.  Seeing this park in full daylight was spectacular.  Each way you turned offered a different view of nature. There were tons of tourists (some speaking Dutch) and a truck that transported horses and stank up the entire area.  We drove down through a bunch of puffy clouds and had our ears popped.

Lahaina:  A kitschy little whaling town.  There is one main drag offering tacky Hawaiian souvenirs, restaurants and helicopter excursions. One the bright side this town has not been Disneyfied, as the landscape included native Hawaiians.  The streets featured uneven paving and folks parked all over the congested streets. We met some Canadians there who helped us find a parking spot for the car. I refrained from buying any kitschy souvenirs but my dad negotiated on a fish shaped carved wooden box for his administrative assistant.    

Iao Valley/Needle:  Amazingly jagged peaks covered in lush green vegetation.  There are just over a million steps leading up to the lookout points, but it is well worth the climb. 

Recently, a parking company installed a parking meter to charge for parking.  Interestingly enough, there is an attendant there to “assist” everyone in putting their money in the machine.  Bathrooms and sanacans are provided.  Strangely, the sanacans were highly superior in cleanliness to the bathrooms.

 

Tour buses bringing cruise ship passengers on excursions were arriving while we were there so we knew we had hit pay dirt. We met a group of Polish tourists from the ship-we could tell by their interesting glasses frames, dental work and hats they were foreign.  My dad being a charming Eastern European had to wow them with his broken Polish.  Everyone was most appreciative.  

Pa’ia:  A charming sleepy surfer town. This is the real McCoy.  The waves out there were scarily awesome with probably only the bravest locals taking in the waves. Believe it or not there was a lifeguard stand although, I wonder how they could ever brave that water to rescue someone.  Dad brought his binoculars, and we saw the most humongous sea turtles surfing right along with the people. 

  

Recommendation: Absolutely go if you have the time and money.

FIRE MUSEUM OF MEMPHIS

I happened to be downtown the other day for a meeting and decided to drop in on the Fire Museum. I ditched my car in a nearby garage as parking on the street was scarce.  The museum is easy to find because of its catchy signage of a Dalmatian wearing a fire hat. My youngest son had gone there for a school trip years ago when he was in grade school and loved it.

The Fire Museum is located in a charming retrofitted vintage fire station.  This museum is quite small and very focused in its displays with no space for visiting exhibits or expansion. The first floors have the “exciting” larger exhibits of antique fire engines - do not touch, an antique collection of fire engine toys, and a history of local fire fighting. The second floors are devoted to fire safety/prevention awareness and paying homage to local firemen of the past.  There was a slide pole but alas it was not open to the public (a lawsuit waiting to happen?).  Even the Children’s Museum had a large fire truck that kids could climb all over but this did not appear to be the case here.  

While five year old boys will be enthralled by the glamorous huge fire engines, the museum also focuses on practical fire safety tips.  This fire safety lesson is conveyed in a fun multi-sensory way that should appeal to school age children.  The building has high ceilings and a huge echo factor that are probably a joy when it fills up with marauding school children. There is a stuffed horse a la Mr. Ed that repetitively says the same thing over and over.

 

While I was there (Friday, mid-morning), there were only a few grandparents with little kids in tow.  The guard told me that much to my luck, I had just missed a school trip.

Recommendation:  Boys under 7 who dream of growing up to be a fireman, school trips, and people who’s grandpa fought the great fire of 1954.  

PINK PALACE MUSEUM – Memphis

One of my favorite museums in Memphis is the Pink Palace.  The Pink Palace was built by Clarence Sanders the man who founded the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain and got its name from the pink stones he used to construct it.  Clarence never completed the house but the city of Memphis made it into a museum.  Looking at the building you get the feeling of this is “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” from a bygone era. 

The museum does a really good job of telling the story of Memphis and the Mid-South.  Areas of interest covered are geology, industry and history.  The museum collections are vast and many of the artifacts fascinating.  There is also one gallery devoted to traveling exhibits which keeps the museum fresh and us coming back.  Another attraction is the Imax Theater that rotates films quarterly.  There is also a planetarium which is kept way too cold during shows (maybe because it is cold out in space?) with greatly cut back hours due to many budget cuts.

Once my daughter’s school had a field trip to the Pink Palace and we were able to go “behind the scenes” to view the storage areas.  It is unbelievable to see all of the stuff the museum has that normally no one sees.  I would love it if they would occasionally make exhibits of the stuff that is put away or at least have scheduled tours of that area.

We have been members of the Pink Palace for many years.  Your membership includes entry to the Lichterman Nature Center and the Mallory-Neely House (a historic home in Victorian Village).  Another great feature included with membership is reciprocity at other ASTC museums in the US and worldwide.  Over the years we have used this ASTC membership for free admission to museums in Huntsville, Baton Rouge, Seattle, Portland, Philadelphia and Vancouver BC.

Recommendation:  Great activity for people of all ages especially on cold rainy days.