The closest state to Hawaii is Alaska.  Just go straight north, closer than California.  You can win a bar bet with that.   It becomes evident if you visit Hilo’s Tsunami Museum, set in an old bank on the town’s main street.  The museum has displays showing the time from an Earthquake in Chile, Japan or Alaska until a Tsunami arrives on the big island.  There are displays on how to respond when you hear the siren and how to react if you feel a local earthquake.  This would be a good set of exhibits to travel to Alaska.  And the guy who sold us our ticket to the museum is from Wasilla, Alaska.  He went to college in Hawaii, married a Hawaiian woman and is now selling us tickets.  He told us not to miss the exhibit on the1967 Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami.   

We got into Hilo at 7 AM but we did not get off the ship until after a leisurely breakfast.  This was our last port of call, and we had been here near the end of April.   At the dock it appears that folks are forgetting their government issued picture ID.  There are post it notes on the poster telling us to bring our IDs, from each of the security staff imploring cruisers to check to make sure they have their ids with them.

There is a shuttle into Hilo but it requires a ticket.  To get a ticket you go to the tourist desk, which by the time we got off was down to one person, who was spending time with each visitor answering questions and marking maps.  While we were waiting the 10:30 and 10:45 shuttles left so we split the cab fare with another couple.  It was just a little more than 4 shuttle tickets.

After the Tsunami museum we walked along the waterfront,

And made a brief visit to the farmer’s market,

Before getting onboard for a mid afternoon sail away.  

Six nights and Five days on the ship to reach Seattle.  Sailing away seems like a closing.  For most people taking weeklong a cruise this would be just the beginning.