Pacific Paradise

I apologize for neglecting you, oh blog o' mine. It's been a busy few weeks, with travel, a graduation, moving, and now wedding planning. I've got a few minutes now to share some pictures from my trip to Hawaii. My eldest kid aka Wisdomie graduated from UH-Manoa, and we spent a week on the island of Moloka'i. It's the smallest of the so-called 'major islands' (~38 x 10 miles) and was once home to a notorious leper colony—about which more later. Yeah, so if miles of perfect, deserted beaches and moderate to moderately strenuous hiking through tropical rainforest or on the world's highest sea cliffs and scuba diving on absolutely pristine reefs isn't your thing, then maybe Moloka'i isn't for you. Oh, and there's not a single stoplight on the entire island.

After a 9-hour flight, 6 of which was over water, Honolulu is a welcome sight! (Note the banking of the clouds above the mountains. That's a recurring image on the islands.)

You know you're in Hawaii when...

A day on the North Shore of Oahu at the iconic Waimea Bay—Eddie, apparently, had already gone. Alas.

Lava rock arch. Haleiwa—aka the World Capital of Surfing.

Marukame Noodle House where they make the noodles while you wait. Double Nikutama Bukkake Udon (probably shouldn't Google that)

Summa! (w/ lei) And on to marriage and grad school in Oceanographic Science.

On the 1:10 island hopper to Molokai

See those empty beaches? That's where we're staying!

Coral & three miles of perfect empty beach

Lava rock jetty with clouds banking above Maui across the strait

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Maui Wowee!

Adventure time on the Valley Isle (click pics to embiggen slide show):

Old Japanese cemetery—but why on a sand dune?

Sunset in Lahaina

Hiking in the West Maui mountains: Waihee Ridge Trail. Yes, it's a sheer drop on either side

The footing was, to say the least, tricky

You can't be afraid to get your feet wet or use your hands to scramble

But, wowee! Worth it it was: OVER the rainbow, volcano, + ocean. Yes, OVER the rainbow

Then turn 180º for this paradisal view as the clouds lifted: We counted 14 waterfalls from this vantage, many over 1000'. Magical Maui!

Post-hike. Sore feet.

View on the Hana Road

Muddy Bamboo Forest hike past Hana

Can't even see the top!

Don't like wet hiking? Try a caldera in an extinct volcano above the clouds

Silver Sword—a plant unique to Haleakala at 10,000' 

Selfie with trail across the volcano visible. Approx. 11 miles across (for scale)

!!!!!!

That's all uphill on the way back

A rainbow 'round the sun!

"Slow down, Daddy. There's a turn up ahead you don't want to miss!" "Doesn't anyone want to play 'Thelma & Louise?'"

"Y'know, I think that's where all our information is stored now." "Really, Daddy? Really?"

Maui sunset from our friends' lanai in Kula at 3000'

Does your Thai restaurant menu look like this? It should!

Big Island Adventure, More Pics

Ruins on a Kona Coffee Plantation

Kona Sunset

The tip of Mauna Loa from Mauna Kea Observatory area @ sunset

More from Mauna Kea. That's the top of Maui on the horizon

Sulfur Vents on the shoulder of Kilauea

Jim H and fam hiking across Kilauea Iki Crater

A-Bay Waikoloa: Tidal Pools, Volcano rising in the misty distance

Akaka Falls

Rainbow Falls, Hilo

Anaehoomalu Bay Sunset (aka A-Bay, Waikoloa)

Big Island Adventure: Mineral

Sulfur crystallizing around a steam vent on Kilauea

Ditto: Close-up

Kilauea Iki, across which we hiked. Big Kilauea erupting in the background

Lava Trees

Black = Lava; White = Bleached Coral @ A-Bay

Mauna Loa from Mauna Kea @ 14,000 ft. @ sunset

Lava field on the shoulder of Mauna Kea. Pahoehoe lava, not A'a lava

Lava Tube through which we hiked

Sea Arch

Petroglyphs

Mountain above Kailua, Oahu

Embarking on the hike across Kilauea Iki

Iconic Hawaiian vista