Final Oahu Adventures

Our last day in Oahu was spent driving up the east side to the North Shore and back down through the middle of the island.  We stopped at beautiful lookouts and turquoise beaches.  We found a Buddhist Temple and saw an arch out in the ocean.  We spotted sea turtles from the shore and discovered fields of pineapple as far the eye can see. We stumbled upon a grove of rainbow eucalyptus trees.  We found Hawaii's first cidery on our way back to Honolulu and had a delicious kahlua pork and flatbread pizza from a food truck.  It was a fantastic final day in Hawaii.  Now, it's time to head back home and back to work.  We've had a wonderful two weeks in paradise.  Our last day in photos:

Waikiki Beach

Gorgeous Coastline

Byodo-In Temple

Sea Arch

Fields of Pineapple

Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree

Paradise Ciders

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

In our life quest to visit all 50 states, we also want to visit all 50 state capitals.  This was the main reason for coming to Honolulu.  While Honolulu is well known for Waikiki Beach, it is a large city with over a million people living in the metropolitan area.  Once you get away from the ocean, driving around Honolulu is like being in many other large cities....traffic, congestion, people, etc.  I don't mean that as a criticism, but more as an observation.  We love visiting big cities and seeing the diversity of cultures, food, and architecture, and Honolulu has been great.  However, if you're wanting a tropical beach vacation, different places on Oahu or the other islands are where you want to be.

After the capitol, the other reason we wanted to come here was to visit Pearl Harbor and see the USS Arizona Memorial.  The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the US Navy. Pearl Harbor is still an active military base and remains the headquarters for the Navy's Pacific Fleet.

The USS Arizona Memorial is both a monument and a graveyard to the 1,177 sailors who were killed in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.  Active duty naval personnel pilot the boat from the visitor center across the harbor to the Arizona.  It is a very somber and moving memorial and a reminder of the devastation that occurred here. In addition to the sailors who died in the atack whose remains are forever entombed on the ship, a number of survivors chose to have a burial at sea and have their remains interred here with their shipmates.

After visiting the memorial, we took a shuttle bus to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum located on Ford Island.  We had the added bonus of meeting our long-time college friends Kim and Mark who live in Honolulu. We haven't seen them since graduating over 30 years ago. Mark retired from the Navy and now works at the Aviaton Museum managing their capital projects.  Kim is the associate minister at First United Methodist Church in Honolulu. We were so fortunate that Mark was able to give us not only a great behind the scenes tour of the museum, but they also drove us to other spots on Ford Island that most of the public don't get to see since military ID is needed to be on this part of the base.

USS Utah

We were able to see the USS Utah Memorial where part of the ship is still exposed above the water.  We saw bullet strafing in the concrete next to the float plane ramp and the original memorial marker that still stands even after the current Arizona memorial was constructed.  We drove past some of the houses where active duty families live, with a blue sign identifying the current residents and a black and white sign that identifies the residents from December 1941.

After our visit, we went to a local brewery with Kim, Mark, and their daughter Ashleigh to catch up on the past 30 years.  It was a wonderful conclusion to a great day of learning and reflection.

With our friends Kim and Mark

On to Oahu

After a fabulous day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, our time on the Big Island has come to an end and we've travelled to Oahu for the final two days of our trip.  Oahu is home to Honolulu and is the most populated island in the state. Honolulu is also the state capital, so our first stop after arriving was to visit the capitol building.

Hawaii is our 50th state and its capitol reflects both the recency of its statehood as well as pays homage architecturally to heritage and culture. There's no large rotunda or marble statues here.  It has a more modern design with one strikingly unique feature -- it is an open-air building surrounding an interior courtyard.  When you walk into the courtyard and look up, you see the sky.  Office doors open to the outside walkways on each floor, and on the top floor there are openings with views towards the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.  

Hawaii has a part-time legislature and they have adjourned for the year.  As a reult, the house and senate chambers weren't open.  We asked in the Senate Clerk's office if we could see inside, and the Sergeant at Arms unlocked the doors for a private tour.  She told us about the symbolism of the building, and how certain features represent volcanoes, canoes, and other cultural icons of Hawaii. The sentate chamber has a moon theme, as evidenced by the chandelier, and the house chamber honors the sun.  She's worked at the capitol for 36 years, and was very proud of her history.

One final note about the open-air concept.  We've noticed this is a very common design feature in Hawaii.  My assumption is that because the temperatures stay fairly consistent year-round and there's always a breeze, that this is a way to save on energy and construction costs.  Both of the airports in Kauai and Hilo were open air.  The check-in counters and baggage claim were essentially outdoors.  Many of the post offices we passed on the islands had their individual PO boxes outside as well.  No need to go inside a building to retrieve your mail.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

My new favorite highway sign

One of the main reasons we wanted to visit the Big Island was to see volcanoes.  Kilauea is the most active volcano in the world, and for the past few months has been having intermittent eruptions.  We were hoping the timing would work out for our visit and that we would see one.  Spoiler alert -- we did not.  Nevertheless, it was a fantastic visit.

View from Devastation Point

We drove along the rim of the calderra and stopped at various lookouts over the landscape. Even though there was no eruption, we saw steam vents throughout the park giving us a gentle reminder of what was boiling beneath the surface. Our best view was at the aptly named Devastation Point, where we walked about a mile from the parking area to a lookout directly across from the active steam vents in the calderra.  

The most scenic drive in the park is called the Chain of Craters road, a 19-mile road that takes you from the calderra all the way to the ocean.  We drove through lush tropical forest near the top of the drive as well as through lava fields that looked as though we were driving on the moon.

Not far from the ocean was an area with thousands of petroglyphs carved into the lava rock.  We had to hike about 1.5 miles round trip across a lava field in order to see them. Ancient Hawaiian culture did not have a written language, so these petroglyphs provide a glimpse into the lives of this ancient culture.  We recognized human forms and animals such as the sea turtle, while others were more abstract.  The National Park Service has mapped over 23,000 of these rock carvings in this area.

We met a Bulgarian couple who had been camping along the coast for a week.  They were in search of a ride back up to the calderra and had been waiting for over three hours without any luck when we met them. After hiking to the petroglyphs, they were still in search of a ride so they hopped in the car with us.  We drove down to the ocean to see a sea arch that was still standing before driving them back to the campground where they were spending the night next to the calderra.  They are ski instructors in Switzerland who spend their summers traveling to various locales across the world. Even though we only spent about an hour with them, conversation flowed easily.  It was a nice reminder that we have much more in common with others around the world than we do differences.

Sea Arch

Luau Time

We capped our Tuesday evening attending a luau at the Royal Kona Resort.  I didn't realize just how popular luaus are and that they sell out in advance. Our original plan was to book one in Kauai, but the entire island -- both north and south shores -- were sold out.  We then booked ahead for the Big Island but had to travel to the west side to Kona.  While I'm sure these luaus cater to tourists, the music and dance are very much rooted in Hawaiian culture and tradition as well as the larger Polynesian culture. We saw dances from Tahiti and the Maori people of New Zealand as well as Hawaii.  We had great seats up front, a delicious meal, and wonderful music and dancing.  A fantastic way to cap off our day.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

During yesterday's Hamakua Coast scenic drive, we stopped and toured the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.  Recommended by a friend as the most beautiful spot on Hawaii, we had to pay a visit since it was just outside of Hilo.  It was not only visually stunning, but a testament to one man's vision.

Dan Lutkenhouse Sr. discovered the Onomea Valley on the Big Island while vacationing in 1977.  In the process of retiring from his trucking company in California, he and his wife decided this is where they wanted to retire and spend the rest of their lives.  They bought a 17-acre parcel, and once Dan started exploring the land, he decided he wanted to build a botanical garden in order to preserve the beauty of this valley.  What he saw was an area overgrown and choked with invasive species, weeds, and thorn thickets.  What he envisioned was a beautiful sanctuary of tropical plants.

Every day of the week for seven years (!!), Dan and his assistant Terry worked with cane knives, sickles, shovels, and other hand tools to clear paths through this jungle landscape.  No heavy machinery was used.  Without any formal botanical training, but a love of nature, the Garden opened in 1984.  It is a colorful tropical paradise with plants from around the world, including a section filled entirely with orchids.

We probably stayed close to two hours wandering through the garden, walking all the way down to the ocean and back. Reflecting back on the time we spent there, I keep returning to this concept of having a vision and making it reality.  It's difficult to fathom that two people spent every day for seven years doing heavy manual labor to make his vision come to fruition. Perseverance.  Determination.  Stamina. The result is a thing of beauty and a legacy his children now carry forward in his memory.

Big Island Adventures

Rainbow Falls

After a wonderful week on Kauai, we're now on the Big Island also called Hawaii.  Its nickname reflects the fact that this is the largest of the Hawaiian islands.  We're staying in Hilo on the east side.  Monday was our travel day between islands so we didn't do or see a lot; however, yesterday was chockablock full of adventure.

We started off visiting Rainbow Falls.  Frequently, the sun shining on these falls creates rainbows, but our day began with overcast skies so no sunlight to refract.  Still a lovely double falls only 10 minutes from our house.

Akaka Falls

After the falls, we started driving the scenic drive along the Hamakua Coast north of Hilo. Sections of the drive meander through the middle of lush topical forest.  For much of the route, you are seeing the ocean, and there were multiple viewpoints to stop and admire the views.  We took a brief detour from the scenic drive to visit Akaka Falls, a 422-foot waterfall that is the most famous on the Big Island.  We were fortunate to nab a parking space right by the trailhead for the short hike down to the overlook.  The waterfall is the centerpiece of Akaka Falls State Park, another area of lush tropical forest.

We then finished our drive up the Hamakua Coast and headed across the island to the west coast.  What a stark contrast!  The west side is much drier as evidenced by a lack of vegetation and the landscape is dominated by lava fields.  There are oases of green and trees scattered throughout the section of the west coast we visited, but the predominant view was that of old lava fields.

We visited two National Historic Sites -- Kaloko-Honokōhau and Pu'ukohola Heiau.  These two sites are along the 175-mile Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail along the west and south coasts of the Big Island.  It was created in 2000 to protect and interpret traditional Hawaiian culture and natural resources.  Here we learned about King Kamehameha I who consolidated all of the Hawaiian island chiefdoms under one rule, as well as how they managed to survive and thrive in such a harsh volcanic landscape.

After all the sightseeing, we attended a traditional luau which I will post about separately. We finished our adventures with a gorgeous Hawaiian sunset before our 90-minute drive back to Hilo.  A beautiful end to a fantastic day.

Hiking the Kalalau Trail

This morning was our big hiking adventure along the Kalalau Trail.  Originally built in the late 1800s, this popular hike is one of the only ways to access the Napali Coast via land.  The total trail stretches 11 miles along this rugged coastline, but we only hiked the first two miles to Hanakapi’ai Beach.

The trailhead is located in Hā’ena State Park and we had to catch an early morning shuttle to get there.  The state limits both the number of cars and the number of people into the park each day.  You have to purchase online, and they only release tickets 30 days in advance.  I didn't realize just how fast they get scooped up, so I was pleased there was still availability when I checked about three weeks before we left.

This was a gorgeous hike with great views of the turquoise-blue waters of this part of the Pacific Ocean.  We passed through lush tropical forest as well as exposed cliffsides, with a total elevation change of about 1,200 feet for the four-mile round trip.  We experienced several different rain showers which made the trail quite slick and muddy in places.  We got soaked and then the sun came out and we dried out.  We repeated this rain - drying process several times during the day.

Hanakapi’ai Beach wasn't very large. It was completely surrounded with sheer lava rock cliffs and a lush tropical valley that lead inland to a waterfall which was another two miles.  Our original plan was to hike all the way to the waterfall, but given the rain and slick conditions of the trail, we decided to return after our beach stop.  There were several sea caves in the rock face, one of which was large enough to go into and lose sight of the ocean.

Even with the rain showers, this was a wonderful hike and a great way to spend our morning.  Perhaps we can make it to the waterfall the next time we visit.

Feral Chickens

Feral cats are a term many of us are familiar with, but how about feral chickens?  Kauai is full of them.  You see (and hear!!) roosters all during the day as well as their hens. We've also seen complete family units with Mom, Dad, and several chicks in tow.  

Apparently, the population of these birds started exploding after Hurricanes Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992 caused the release of thousands of domestic chickens into the wild.  These chickens then interbred with red junglefowl, which are predecessors to modern-day chickens and were introduced to the island by Polynesians many centuries ago.  The result are very colorful -- and vocal -- roosters. For better or worse, they've become a cultural symbol of Kauai and you see their likeness on all sorts of products being sold here.

So many Naked Boobies

We finished our Thursday by driving to the end of a local road with a great view of the Kilauea Lighthouse.  It was a spectacular scene.  What was totally unexpected was seeing so many naked boobies!  We were elevated above the beach below, but even from this vantage point, it was clear I was seeing more boobies in one place than I've ever seen before.  Mona didn't want to show her boobies, which is totally understandable since I'm not talking about female breasts.....I'm talking about the Red-Footed Booby which nests on the cliffs here.  Get your mind out of the gutter 😁.  In addition to its distinctive red feet, this Booby has a turquoise beak which also sets it apart.

Red-Footed Booby

Besides the great view of the lighthouse, what's actually at the end of this road is the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.  This is also the northernmnost point of the Hawaiian islands.  This refuge protects the nesting areas of numerous sea birds that call this home.  In addition to the Booby, we also saw Red-Tailed Tropicbirds, Great Frigatebirds, and the endangered Hawaiian Goose which the locals call Nēnē. The Laysan Alabtross is another bird that lives here, and we saw a pair resting on the adjacent cliffside through a spotting scope set up by the staff.

The lighthouse isn't open for touring, but it still makes for a great photo.  It was built in 1913 and has guided mariners for over a century.  We were here for an hour at most as the public access portion of the refuge is fairly small.  It was mesmerizing watching all of the birds as they dove towards the water in search of their next meal.  I took way too many photos trying to capture the various birds in flight.  These are some of my best shots.

Red-tailed Tropicbird

Evidence that the Booby's feet are indeed red

Great Frigatebird, whose wingspan can reach seven feet

Swimming with Honu

One of the bucket list hopes of this trip is to snorkel with sea turtles.  The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is called Honu in Hawaiian, and there are multiple places throughout the islands where they will come out of the water and rest on the beach in the evenings.  Poipu Beach is one of those spots and is only a 10-minute walk from our AirBnB.

We went both nights we stayed in Poipu and watched numerous honu slowly come up out the water and rest on the beach. There are a cadre of volunteers that come out every evening to watch over them as they rest on the beach, ensuring an adequate perimeter is maintained from the tourists who would likely try to pet them if they could. Mona learned from one of the volunteers that these turtles have an internal GPS and return to the exact same spot on the sand every time.  

The bucket list hope came true this morning!  We've moved from Poipu on the south shore to Princeville on the north shore where we will spend our remaining nights on Kauai.  We went to Anini Beach which has large tidal pools with small coral reefs in them, and the waves stay quite a bit away from the shore.  The lack of waves made snorkeling easier, but the shallow water depths sometimes made navigating the coral tricky since you aren't supposed to come in contact with it.

Mona and I ended up snorkeling in opposite directions, but both of us had great turtle encounters.  Mona saw two different honu, and I saw a total of four including three that were fairly close to one another.  They seem quite graceful underwater as they glide through using their front flippers to propel them.  They come to the surface to breathe and then dive back down as they continue their journey, pausing at coral areas to eat.

The honu continues to be sacred to many Hawaiian families today.  For some in Hawaii, honu are ‘aumākua, or spiritual guardians.  After watching them on both land and underwater, I understand why.

Cruising the Napali Coast

Kauai Coffee Plantation

After checking out of our AirBnB in Poipu, we headed west again towards Waimea.  We made a brief stop at the Kauai Coffee Plantation to get some drone footage of the neatly lined rows of coffee trees in its vast orchards.  At over 4,000 acres, this is the largest coffee farm in the United States.  For decades, this property was a sugarcane plantation before the first coffee trees were planted in the late 1980s.  We also made a brief stop in Hanapepe to see and walk across the swinging pedestrian bridge over the Hanapepe River.

Hanapepe Swinging Bridge

The big activity of the day was a four hour cruise along the Napali Coast.  The only way to see the Napali Coast is from the water.  Most of the Naopali Coast is inaccessible by vehicle -- only hiking -- and large sections of the coastline are cliffs hundreds of feet in height that drop straight down into the water.  Unlike yesterday when we went to Koke'e State Park but couldn't really see any of the coast because of the cloud cover, today's weather was gorgeous.  Lots of bright sun illuminating the coastline and no significant cloud cover to get in the way of the spectacular views.  We saw spinner dolphins, snorkled amongst a coral reef and colorful fish, ventured into a couple of sea caves, and soaked up the spectacular scenery.  This was a wonderful way to finish up our stay on the south shore.

Jagged spires along the Napali Coast

Afternoon light illuminating a small waterfall in one of the sea caves