For our family vacation this year we went with Neal's mom and sister to Hawaii. None of us had ever been to Oahu or Kona so we ventured out in exploration of the two islands.
OAHU
Given that the buzzing city of Honolulu is on this island,
we hadn't totally expected this more lush, green side which
was a really nice surprise.
"Pipeline" (aka "Pipe")
The beach where the famous surfing competition
takes place each year. You wouldn't know it by the
calmness of the waves at this time of year but come
back in the winter and you'll see the average wave
soaring in the 9 foot range.
Down the road from Pipe was another beach we
stumbled upon where several sea turtles were
hanging out sunbathing.
This guy was in his 40's!
Waikiki
One of the neatest things to see on Oahu is the
historical Pearl Harbor. Here we were about
to get on the U.S.S. Missouri, which was
decommissioned and brought back to
Pearl Harbor in the 90's.
Directly in front of the U.S.S. Missouri, in the distance,
is the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. This is a unique perspective,
since the war began with the first attack on the Arizona
and ended with the declaration of peace on the Missouri.
U.S.S. Arizona memorial
Hanauma Bay
This is the best place to snorkel on the island of Oahu
and the best snorkeling that we have ever done anywhere.
The variety of fish among the gorgeous backdrop made
for a truly awesome experience. Definitely a place
we recommend!
Kelly, Neal, and Carolyn
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
(The Hawaiian state fish)
Try saying that three times fast!
KONA
This was the bay down the road from our hotel
Hawaiian sunset
The first thing we did when we got to the island was
hit Costco and buy a load of groceries for the week.
We had some great home-cooked meals during
our stay, one of which was fresh Opa and veggies
from the grill.
Turtle Bay Resort
Every 4th of July there is a tradition on the island to
have a turtle release. For two years, baby sea turtles
are kept in a protected sanctuary at the hotel until they grow
large enough to survive the transition to life in the ocean.
Every Independence Day, several new turtles are released
to their new homes.
Under the clouds in the distance you can see the
island of Maui.
The thing that surprised us most about the island of
Kona was the landscape. Much of the side we stayed on
looked like moonscape, with wide open plains toward
the northern side. The reason for this, we learned, is
because Kona is the newest of the Hawaiian islands.
The lush landscape that we typically associate with Hawaii
took literally thousands of years to form, with various plants
and flowers growing only after a bird had flown in with the
seeds or the resource for new plant life washed up with the
ocean's shore. Kona still has much evidence of its volcanic
origins, hence the black moonscape over a large part of the
island. This is, as a result, the best place to see a volcano
and an active one at that. While we didn't see any lava
flow into the ocean while we were there, some lucky tourists
catch that spectacular show on occasion.
This was the most greenery we saw while on the island
and it sure was gorgeous. The botanical gardens were
started by a couple in their 50's who loved this plot of land
near the ocean and wanted to create something beautiful
and lasting for others to enjoy.
A random waterfall somewhere on our way
back from the gardens. What is a trip to
Hawaii without the quintessential
waterfall photo?
The smoking volcano
While we didn't see any lava flow during our volcanic
exploration tour (in fact it was freezing and rainy
that day) we did get a beautiful rainbow.
One of my life's dreams since I was a teenager has been
to swim in the wild with dolphins. Since I was told that
Kona is one of the best places to do this, I of course had
to seize the opportunity. My sister-in-law and fellow
animal lover, Carolyn, was up for the adventure so the
two of us went out with another family on a little motor
boat and chased schools of dolphins before they
settled in for their morning slumber. After chasing them
on the boat and in the water, jumping in with our snorkel
gear in several different locations up the coast and having to
swim like heck to keep up with them, we were able to get
close enough to almost touch them. There is nothing in
the world like having such a beautiful creature come
that close to you and look you in the eye. Such an awesome
experience and one I definitely don't regret doing.
Carolyn and I also experienced another adventure on the
trip and did a night snorkel with the Manta Rays. That was
a little more daunting, not only being in the water at night but
watching these 10 foot creatures come straight at us with
their mouths wide open (that's how their body is structured).
They can't and won't hurt you but they did come close enough
to brush our skin, which was exhilarating in the way I imagine
jumping out of a plane would be - both frightening and amazing
at the same time. It was a very cool experience, which I
also do not regret doing.
Aside from swimming with the local sea animals, Kona is
also one of the best places in the world for star gazing,
since they have one of the highest peaks. Although the
temperature on the island had been very mild and pleasant
all week we pulled out our winter hats, gloves, scarves
and coats, and meandered up the mountain of Mauna Kea
where the temperature dropped to the low 30's. While it
was windy and freezing, the stars were truly phenomenal.
Family photo op! The happy Hawaiian tourists
on our last night of vacation.
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