Hawaii, February 2008

[Gladstoner]

When you go whale-watching in Hawaii, be aware that boats are prohibited by law to get closer than 300 feet.

But then again, whales aren't prohibited by law to do the same with boats. 

[Roanoker]

More shots from the helicopter.

[KCKev]

Roanoker, what truely wonderful pictures! Thank you so much for sharing you trip with all of us. I never thought about going to Hawaii, but now I think I want to go sometime.

[Roanoker]

Roanoker, what truely wonderful pictures! Thank you so much for sharing you trip with all of us. I never thought about going to Hawaii, but now I think I want to go sometime.

Thank you for your very kind comments, KCKev. I truly believe that everyone should visit Hawaii at least one time in his life. The climate alone is worth the trip. You, of course, will need to take your camera!

[Highlander]

Thank you for your very kind comments, KCKev. I truly believe that everyone should visit Hawaii at least one time in his life. The climate alone is worth the trip. You, of course, will need to take your camera!

Ditto.  Looks like a great place to visit but it looks like you had less than ideal weather for your helicopter trip.  What islands have you been to?  Which ones do you recommend?  I think I would like to see Pearl Harbor and Honolulu but beyond that, I go for the most dramatic scenery.

[Roanoker]

Ditto.  Looks like a great place to visit but it looks like you had less than ideal weather for your helicopter trip.

No kidding! The flight right after ours got cancelled. Some of the 'copters were open, without windows to mess up pictures with reflections. Those would have been much better for photos.

What islands have you been to?

We flew from Kansas City to Dallas/Ft.Worth (I think) and on to Maui. We spent several days there and then flew via one of the Hawaiian airlines to Honolulu (on Oahu), just long enough to catch the next plane to Kauai. We spent a few days there and then flew on to the Big Island, again stopping in Honolulu to switch planes. After five days in a rented house on a black-lava beach, we flew back to Maui, again via Honolulu.

Which ones do you recommend?

Gosh, I don't feel qualified to answer. Every island has plenty to offer. I suppose it depends on your specific interests and those of your companions. The son who is into geology and astronomy drove up to the top of Haleakala on Maui at 2:00am to view the southern-hemisphere skies and watch the legendary sunrise while standing above the clouds. (He took some great pictures which I will include with a presentation I'm working on and will put onto DVD with music.) Naturally, he wanted to see volcanic activity, and he was able to do so at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. I liked it, too.

I think I would like to see Pearl Harbor and Honolulu

I would like to have seen Pearl Harbor, but we missed it. We'll have to go back. We were at the Honolulu airport a lot, but we didn't see much of the city or anything on Oahu.

I go for the most dramatic scenery.

Then any of the Hawaiian Islands will work for you. A coworker just left for a two-week trip to Hawaii, visiting each island by cruise ship. I think that would be a good way to do it. My older son planned this trip (did a great job) and preferred to rent a van and a car so we could go some places together and some places separately. He had been to Hawaii two or three times before.

Just go! 

[Roanoker]

More shots from the helicopter.

[Roanoker]

These will be the last pictures from the helicopter flight over Kauai.


Getting ready to land.


You can almost miss these falls.


So we'll get a closer look.






We made it back!


Another group landing.


Enough of helicopters. Now to watch water spewing through a natural "vent" on the shore.


You just have to stand there and wait for it to blow.




Same place. Different angle.

[GRID]

You are supposed to fly on clear days Roanoker! 

[Roanoker]

You are right. You should have been there with us to make the proper arrangements. 

[Roanoker]

I did find this patch of flowers amidst all the rocks and water.


Here is my grandson, on the deck of his very nice room.


This is a famous hot dog place, where we had lunch. You could put just about anything on those hot dogs.


These birds joined us for lunch.


At the end of day, we left Kauai and made our way to the Big Island. I'm not sure where we were when I took this one.


Moon during the day.


I didn't realize when I took this picture that it was Diamond Head. I think it is a tuff ring, having something to do with volcanic activity.


The next three pictures are of Honolulu, on Oahu. The only place we went to on that island was the airport, to get to the next island.






Notice how the mountain below rises above the clouds. I think the tiny white dots are an observatory complex.


Here's another shot of the same thing.

[Roanoker]

It is now 2/17/08, and we arrived at the Big Island the night before. I woke up in the very nice house my daughter-in-law found for us to rent for five days. (My husband and I were given the nicest bedroom.)

This is what I saw when I walked out onto the balcony.


This is the house next door. You can see our "back yard," right up next to the ocean.


This is the house we stayed in. It was very large, having two floors. I now see that it had a two-car garage, but we didn't use it. Our bedroom was at the top right. Top left was the living room.


More scenes of our back yard.












My husband and I trekked down the street to check out the neighborhood. This was a newly constructed house, ready for purchase and occupation.


My first flower picture of the day! (There will be more.)




Aloha!

[Roanoker]

Husband and I are still strolling in the neighborhood of our rental house on the Big Island.

There were many flowers and plants along the way.


This one almost looks like an animal.






I'd be 'fraid to touch this one.


House under renovation.


Already built.




The Pacific is their backyard.




A short trek through a woods-like area took us to the ocean. Maybe it was a lot for sale. We did see a few.


Who can resist looking at a big hole in a rock with the sea splashing through it?

[Roanoker]

We're almost done with our stroll down the neighborhood of the house where we stayed on the Big Island.

People (don't know who) pointing at something.


If you have a $half mil lying around, you can purchase this half acre.










We're back at the house and relaxing in the back yard at the end of day.




It is the next day, and we drove to Volcanoes National Park. I snapped this one of Mauna Kea along the way.


This one is Mauna Loa.


These plant things look like Easter eggs to me.


Flowers will grow anywhere. And I'm glad.

[Roanoker]

We were looking at lava and stuff. I experimented with masking portrait-shaped pictures with circular blobs.


Son, comparing lava samples. Nice sky, no?


We are in the town of Kona on the Big Island, eating lunch.


Shot of the town.


Steps leading to the restaurant upstairs.


Cute statue.


Food place, I guess.


I have a bunch of pictures of this same place with black goats roaming around, but this one was the prettiest. The goats weren't all that great, anyway. (I guess I could have cloned some in. Too lazy.)


This is Mauna Kea. (I think.)


It is the next day. We took a stroll through the neighborhood again. Here's another experiment.


Many of the plants in this neighborhood look like fireworks displays.


This was a woods-like area where lots were for sale, between the street and the ocean.

[Roanoker]

We are finishing our trek through the neighborhood of our rental house on the Big Island.

This is the area behind all the houses on the street. It is their global back yard, I guess.


I found some of the lava formations to be works of art.






We then drove back to Volcanoes National Park. I should have included a picture of the "house" itself. It served as a visitor center, restaurant, gift shop, and maybe a lodge.


Son, looking at the massive caldera. The "house" is behind me.


This may be what son was viewing.


A token flower, reaching out.


Notice the "small" eruptions on the "shelf" at the side of the caldera. We will take a stroll by them next week.


Notice the eruptions in the caldera.


We are beginning our walk part-way around the caldera.


Hawaii is certainly a place for botany aficionados.

[Roanoker]

We are now taking the stroll I mentioned last week, alongside the caldera.

I had no idea what lay ahead. It looked like an expanse of nothingness to me. The sign said "Steaming Bluff Trail." Okay. Whatever.


Oh. I see people on a trail up ahead, and there is steam. The sign was right.


I do like pretty grass. Like this.


Oooo. There's the caldera.


Here are a few of the many steam vents along the trail.


Steam vents follow the path. Actually, it's the other way around.


The familiar, hardy flower.


We get pretty grass, the caldera, steam, and a nice tree here.


Always time for flowers.


I thought these leaves looked like roses. And aren't those ferns pretty.


The contrast here was striking to me. The leaves look like butterflies.


This shot shows you the caldera on the left, the steam vents in the middle (with grass), and the people trail on the right.

[Highlander]

That looked like snow atop the higher mountain (Mauna Loa?) in the picture.  Always suprising to see snow at that lattitude but it is 13000'.  How was the February temps at sea level? 
 

[Roanoker]

That looked like snow atop the higher mountain (Mauna Loa?) in the picture. 

It was snow. I tried to remember the names of the various mountains, but I don't do well in that regard.

Always suprising to see snow at that lattitude but it is 13000'.

Yes. My son, who is particularly interested in geology, drove up and climbed to the top of Haleakala very early in the morning after we arrived at Maui. That's the place where people can view the sunrise while standing above the clouds. He has some great pictures, including shots of ice chunks in his hand. I will invite him to post some of those pictures here or in another thread. Incidentally, when I "Googled" Haleakala to make sure I spelled it correctly, I found a bunch of sites with good pictures.

How was the February temps at sea level?     

Fantastic. In my opinion, the one most striking feature of all the Hawaiian islands we visited (Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island) was the incredible weather. Perfect during the day and perfect at night. My older son--the one who planned the trip--was unhappy to learn that our rental house on the Big Island did not have air-conditioning. But there was no need for AC, and he agreed.

[Gladstoner]

I will invite him to post some of those pictures here or in another thread.

Ok, here's a few:

Three planets:  Earth, Venus, and Jupiter.


Mauna Kea in the distance.


Sun hiding behind a cloud top.


Sunrise at last.


Haleakala casts a shadow.


Rising higher....


Ice crystals formed on the soil overnight.


The weather was cold (~30 degrees) and very windy.

The predawn stars were absolutely magnificent, but my camera couldn't capture them.