Moon Buggy II

Awhile back, when we were visiting Nappanee, Indiana, we had some bodywork and paint corrections done on The Beast.  This included removal and replacement of the Diamond Shield clear paint protectant film. Next, we had the paint polished in the garage at Showalter RV. Because of this, we needed to apply some paint protection as all of the previous owner’s wax was removed in the polishing process.

I really like going to Showalter RV. The owner is VERY accommodating, as he is my cousin‑in‑law. When one of his service bays was not in use, he allowed us to use it to apply wax indoors.  WOO HOO!  This made the job easier, but the big help was loaning us a set of rolling scaffolding.  Waxing a 45’ long, 13’2” tall RV on a ladder is a lot of work. Climb up, climb down, climb up, climb down…. Another advantage to the scaffolding is we could have two people on it at the same time!

Elizabeth and I were up on the scaffolding, which we called a “Moon Buggy II” in memory of the scissor lifts that her Grandfather built and she played on in her youth. The scaffold was on casters and had two platforms on it so it made the daunting task of waxing four billboards of surface area very easy.

Moon Buggy II
Photo Credit: Junelle Showalter

The original moon buggy
Photo Credit: Greg Kiser

My paint sealant of choice is RejeX^®, which is a thin film polymer that provides a high-gloss, and more importantly to me, an ultra-high release surface. Their slogan is so true: Nothing Sticks but the Shine. I use it on all the smooth hard surfaces on my vehicles. On glass, it works like Rain-X but it lasts longer, and RejeX^® is easier to apply.  It makes washing our vehicles effortless.

OH, and now I had to order a buffer/polisher to make the work go even faster.  But I will also have to order a big pile of pads to keep a clean one on the machine at all times.

Off-roading in the Rain

When we were on Kauai, my cousin Steve signed us all up for a 4x4 UTV Ultimate Ranch Tour on Kipu Ranch. He and his wife, Junelle, are avid off-road fans. You can read about our last adventure off-roading with them here.

On our way there, it started to rain. We thought it would stop rather quickly. We were wrong. It didn't stop raining until about the last hour of our tour. I was so glad I wore my swimsuit. We were covered in mud. At one point, it was raining so hard that I could barely see. Despite the cover, rain was running down my glasses, which were picking up a lot of muddy spray as well. At least we didn't get dusty!

I have to admit that Harold and I would probably have never done the off-road tour on our own. They're expensive and we'd have probably selected another activity. So, we're really glad that Steve took the initiative on this one. We had a blast!

Harold takes the wheel

What can you do?

This rain!

Mud!

The gang

Slip 'n Slide

Sacred Caves

Mt. Haupu view

Descending Mt. Haupu

Dole Plantation

I'm not sure why I enjoy Dole Plantation so much. It's touristy and overpriced. Yet, on each trip to Oahu, it's one place I want to go. I love the sea of pineapple yellow blanketing the gift shop with all kinds of apparel, plush pineapple shaped pillows, jewelry, food items, bath, and body products.

It's a nice drive out of Honolulu toward the north shore. You get out of the city and into the lush green countryside. Dole's grounds are beautiful. We have yet to pay to tour the plantation garden, settling instead for what you can see. Who knew there were so many varieties of pineapples.

This year, we did opt to try the pineapple maze. At one point the maze had the record as the world's largest maze. I refuse to tell you how long it took us to find the stations and complete the maze card. We may or may not have taken a few unauthorized shortcuts. It was getting rather warm, which meant I was getting a bit grumpy. Harold definitely has a better sense of direction than I did, at least without me putting a lot more effort into keeping track than I cared.

We completed the maze and treated ourselves. Perhaps the Dole Whip is the reason I love going to Dole Plantation.

Done!

Reward!

Pearl Harbor Memorial - USS Battleship Missouri

On our last trip to Oahu, we toured the USS Missouri. The USS Missouri is where Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. It's located near the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. From a day which will live in infamy to the war's end, Pearl Harbor is a fitting place for the memorials.

We had visited the Arizona on previous visits and wanted to do something a little different. We opted for the Heart of the Missouri tour to get a more in-depth look.

The tour does involve a lot of stairs and occasionally tight spaces. So, it may not be for everyone. There are self-guided tours for those who prefer to go at their own pace, but there will be some things you won't see.

The tour brought back a lot of memories for Harold, and it was fun seeing him interact with the tour guide, who was very knowledgeable. Even though Harold was never on a battleship, it seems there are a lot of similarities with cruisers and destroyers.

Pierside view of USS Arizona and USS Missouri

On Broadway, the longest passage

USS Missouri played a role in Desert Shield

Harold pulling the pickle

The captain's chair

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

On Oahu, we visited the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. It was our second visit to the Smithsonian Affiliate. The museum's website does a far better job of describing their exhibits than I ever could. The exhibits are impressive. They especially do a good job with the backgrounds in Hanger 37. Hanger 79 has been left in much of its original state, bullet holes from December 7th included.

Japanese Zero

I think one of the stories that intrigued me this time was how the Robinson family had used a tractor to furrow the island of Niihau to keep it from being used by enemy aircraft. They finished the project prior to December 7th and Niihau was never used as a base of operations.

Cletrac Tractor and the only crashed Zero on Niihau

They had recently opened the Above and Beyond Exhibit, a highly interactive exhibit. That exhibit was part of our reason for going. I had to grin when I saw Harold flapping his arms, trying to stay in V-formation.

Flying Tigers

Canyon Trail Hike

While we had been to Waimea Canyon on previous trips, this was our first hike. We went with my cousin Steve, his wife, Junelle, and his former boss and his spouse. Harold ended up not going because of a sore foot. I don't think he minded the extra nap and quiet time.

We were told that the Canyon Trail to Waipo'o Falls was an easy hike, family friendly. When we got back I noticed that The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook called it a moderately strenuous hike, four miles round trip. I think I agree with that description. It was a little more than I had expected, but the stretches that I would deem moderately strenuous were not that long, just a little steep. Keep in mind that I'm not an avid hiker. Steve's former boss, who is 70, had no problems and set the pace for the hike.

Giant mud puddles and slick slopes were prevalent. I was glad I had on old athletic sandals. I ended up just wading through a couple of the puddles. I just knew that if I tried to balance on the unstable tree branch someone had laid down, I'd end up with more than wet shoes!

You can see the Waipo'o Falls from the first lookout. At the end of the hike, you just see the very top of the first drop. If it hadn't rained recently, I might have been tempted to soak my feet. As it was, I wasn't even considering it.

By the way, there is a $5.00 daily parking fee for Waimea Canyon. It's definitely worth it.

Waipo'o Falls from the first lookout (from Dec 2018)

Another distant viewpoint (Dec 2018)

Steve and me

Canyon viewpoint

Canyon viewpoint

Almost there

About all of that magnificient falls that you see

Palms and Pumpkins

So, in trying to think of some different things to do on Oahu this trip, I stumbled across the mention of sunflower fields. It turns out that Pioneer Dupont has a sunflower seed farm on the north shore side of the island.

We decided to head out that way to see if we could get a couple of snapshots. We had driven past sunflower fields in Kansas, and I thought it would be fun to see a field up close. We should have called first. The season had already ended.

However, I noticed a photo on a Facebook post from my friend Dan who lives on the island. I asked him about it when we met him and his family for church and brunch.

Aloun Farms has a pumpkin patch, a taro patch, and some sunflower fields. We decided to check it out too. Yeah! They still had sunflowers. It was the last weekend of their pumpkin patch. Essentially, it was a sort of fall festival, complete with kiddie rides, carnival games, petting zoo, pony rides, live music, vendor booths, and food.

Taro - a Hawaiian staple

Iolani Palace

Iolani Palace is the only palace in the United States. Sure, there are other larger, fancier homes, such as Biltmore, but none are truly royal. Iolani was the home of the Hawaiian monarchy. The monarchy was overthrown by United States in 1959, making it the 50^th state.

The architecture and woodwork are amazing. The Grand staircase, made of koa wood, is beautifully maintained. The doors all had bronzed, decorated hinges. The floors were polished wood. 

The Grand Staircase

Dining Room

The door hinges

Glass Etchings

The throne room was impressive, although I was more intrigued by the dress designed to look like peacock feathers. 

The king was very well traveled and well-read. He welcomed technology. The palace had electricity four years before the White House did. Telephones were brought in early on as well as things we take for granted like flushing toilets and hot and cold water.

I know I didn’t take the time to read about all the exhibits that Iolani deserves. We were a little concerned about parking. We did the audio tour, which lasts about 45 minutes, but you can go at your own pace.

Ready to tour

How We Found the Gravesites of Johnny & June Cash

Still on east coast time, I walked into the hotel lobby early, before breakfast hours, looking for coffee. Immediately, a lone, older lady sitting at the counter struck up a conversation. We chatted a few minutes, and she mentioned that she had been on the road with Johnny and June Cash. I was kind of wondering if everyone in Nashville was a name dropper, and I wasn't really sure I believed her. A few more minutes of polite conversation, and I headed back to the room with my coffee.

I mentioned the conversation to Harold, not knowing that he too had encountered her on his trip to the lobby for coffee. He mentioned that she was right in one thing. Johnny and June Cash were indeed buried in the cemetery about half a block up the street.

A bit later, we headed to the lobby for breakfast. She was still there. She was chatting with the staff. Apparently, she spends a lot of time in that lobby.  She invited us to sit with her at the counter. A little hesitant, we decided to join her. She told us her name, Peggy, and volunteered that she lived a few blocks away, that Nashville had changed a lot, and that she hardly ever went downtown anymore.

Eventually, she went to her car and brought back one of the books she had written. We glanced through it, noting that the inside jacket cover described her as someone who never met a stranger. We certainly agreed with that assessment.

After breakfast, with a little time to kill, we walked over to the Hendersonville Memory Gardens Cemetery. We never would have known had we not met Peggy in the lobby.