Hawaii, July 5-13, 2008
WE HAD A GREAT VACATION. HERE ARE OUR HIGHLIGHTS.
Our Hilo B&B swimming hole
Swimming was fantastic
View from Hilo B&B
Hilo B&B
Vickie and bamboo “bush”
Bamboo in the morning
The famous Akaka Falls, 442 ft. tall. North of Hilo
Trail to Akaka Falls
Evidence of a prevailing wind
Laupahoehoe Point
The road to Waipio Valley
ATV expert
On the trail. Not the Hawaii I expected.
Falls, swimming on the way
Falls pool
Falls pool
Waipio Valley
Waipio Valley
Waipio Falls, not much water today.
West Big Island volcanic intrusions. Not Arizona.
This is Hawaii? Yes it is. There are so many climates and environments for such a “small” island.
Road cut through the lava
Waikoloa. Dinner with the Daugherty family. Beaux, Brian, Ann, Vickie, Benjamin
The Kona Tiki Hotel in Kailua Kona
These crabs are zippy
Crab boogie
Kona Tiki, after a hard day of relaxing
The view from our room at the Kona Tiki
In the room
View from our room again
Visitor’s center at 9000 ft. on Mauna Kea
Rare protected silver sword plant near the observatories
It’s desert-like. And we had to put on sweatshirts because it was 53 degrees and we just came from 85 degrees.
The astronomers’ personal telescopes
Cattle land near Waimea
Turtle mellowing in Puuhonua O Honaunau Nat’l. Hist. Park
Puuhonua O Honaunau, the “City of Refuge”
Puuhonua O Honaunau canoe shop
Puuhonua O Honaunau mausoleum
Spirit Guards of the mausoleum
Spirit Guards of the mausoleum
South Point, farthest South in the USA
South Point showoff dolphin. It was as if it was hailing us.
South Point dolphin people
South Point, more evidence of prevalent wind
There’s a rusty, decrepit, abandoned wind farm on the South Point. Who knew a wind farm could be that old?
More dead wind machines.
There is a snazzy new wind farm to take the old one’s place further toward the shore.
Here’s our B&B near South Point, the Macadamia Meadows Farm near Na’alehu. Beautiful place to cool out.
Charlene Cowan gave us a tour of the orchard. Husband Courtney was a chatty and informative host, too.
Ms. Cowan and an old, incredibly strong nut cracker. Macadamia nut shells are about tougher than diamonds.
We saw lava venting into the ocean. This we saw on our approach to the site.
It was a half-mile walk on lava to the viewing site. Bring a flashlight for stumbling back to the car.
Pahoehoe lava (the not chunky kind)
Viewing site, and 400 best friends. Not a surrogate tripod anywhere.
We were lucky to see such activity. I didn’t think I’d ever see this in person, maybe just in National. Geographic.
Telephoto shot near dusk of some lava ejection.
Past dusk...
A guy loaned me his tripod.
Kiluea crater from the old Volcano National Park hotel. This is very active just now (July 08)
Closeup from the Jaggar Museum
The Thurston lava tube, lit-up tourist part. This is a relatively ancient lava transport.
Thurston lava tube. exiting the unlit-up part.
This looks like the path to paradise it pretty much is.
The big island of Hawaii leaves a mark on your heart.
Mark Twain said Hawaii was “the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.”
Yup.
