Last week, I didn’t hook up to any link parties or place my endcap book promotion out of respect for the dead. I still can’t stop thinking about the terror on Maui.
But the trip down memory lane inspired me to post about my experience on the other two islands. I don’t have any prize-winning photos. We traveled there before I owned a digital camera, so the images must have been scanned from paper, the old-fashioned way. Look how young I look, sitting in front of a red-hot lava flow at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! How exciting to hike to an active lava field, over rolling, blackened crust, to find molten lava. On the return, we held flashlights in a steely grip as we backtracked in the dark, witnessing strips of oozing red streaks snaking down the distant volcano.
The Big Island was my favorite between Kauai and Maui. We never had a chance to visit Oahu before we ventured to Central America and never looked back. The Big Island was incredibly diverse. Where else can you snorkel in shallow waters with sea turtles and ski down a snow-packed volcano later that day? (We didn’t do any skiing.) But we sea kayaked to The Captain Cook Monument for snorkeling.
The green olivine sand at the southernmost point at Papakolea Beach was so exotic. The highlights of the Big Island are often off-limits to travelers unless you take a tour. We rented a jeep, so miles of lava crust or long remote hikes weren’t an issue. We did it all!
We saw whales breach the waters of Hilo from our outdoor breakfast table, and wild pigs were our companions on upcountry hikes. The steep descent into Waipi’o Valley didn’t stop our intrepid red jeep. Neither did a boulder the size of a minivan that had fallen into the road. Oh, how I wanted to stop and take a photo, but when you find a boulder taking up a whole lane on a twisty road, you don’t linger long enough for another to smash you into a mac nut pancake with lilikoi butter on top.
High elevations on the Big Island can resemble a hobbit fairyland full of mossy trees and ethereal fog. The scenic vista and verdant valley hikes are pure, bamboo-filled nirvana. Lava tubes are spooky. The sand resembles Gaia’s watercolor tray.
We never, not once, attended a luau. We must go back. Stay tuned for Kauai.
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Hard to fathom having a town decimated like that. How very tragic for those who lost loved ones and homes.
Thank you for sharing your memories at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-foggy-morning-on-kanawha-river-in.html
Hello,
Great memories and photos from your trip to the Big Island. I found each island to have their own special sights to see. My hubby loved snorkeling on the Kona coast and at Captain Cook’s Monument. The Sea turtles are always a treat to see. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a wonderful week!
It’s is so horrible to see photos of the devastation in Hawaii. You have shared beautiful memories of the 2 islands.
It sounds like you had a good time when you were there.
The destruction is heartbreaking.
Glad you have wonderful pictures and memories from your trip to the Big Island.
Happy Tuesday, Sharon.
I adored Big Island. I saw my first whale there – just by accident. And spinner dolphins jumped (spinning) over our heads….wonderful place and great people.
I have really fond memories of the Big Island. Like you said… Incredibly diverse and beautiful!
You have a way with words. I loved the big island and wished we had spent more time on it. That goes true for all the islands really.
Sounds like you had a memorable trip to the Big Island. Enjoy the day.
Hiking back down over a lava field in the dark with a flashlight… hard to top that bit of excitement. Sounds like something I would do when I was younger and a bit more flexible 🙂