Hawaii

A Visit to Volcanoes, Beaches, and Rainforests!
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Heading to our rainforest room.
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Hanhan thought these were fake, until she felt them.

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Hard to believe this is the way to the office at our hotel!

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Breakfast is served! All tropical fruits, fresh of course! Papaya boat was the best.
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The first National Park on the trip.
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What a welcome sign!
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This flower only grows in a high sulpher area.

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Steam vent, time to warm my hands a bit.

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On the path to the sulpher bank. Rotten eggs anyone?

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Looks prehistoric here with all the ferns. This is how they grow.

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The volcano was very active when we visited.
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How lava is reclaimed by vegetation.
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Hanhan and the warning sign about volcanic hazards.
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The last time I'd be dry and warm all day.
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Very eerie landscape here.

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Big chunk of lava that was thrown during an eruption.
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Buddhists were having a service just to my right.
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This plant only flowers once every 10 years, then dies.
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The entire valley is filled with sulpher fumes and steam vents.
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Beautiful trails inside the park.
The sulpher banks, notice all the sulpher deposits.
This is an experiment to see how the sulpher builds up and how it disintegrates the lava.
Intrepid expolrer Hanhan packing down the trail.
Starting down to the lava lake.

An alien lanscape to be sure.

Holding lava from 1958!

What's down this trail?

The collapsed crust of the laval lake.

The steam is still scorching hot after almost 60 years!

See how far the surface of the lake collapsed?
The lava is surprisingly light.
The piles of lava are the trail markers through the lave lake.
The shield on the side of the volcano is where lava spewed out in 1958.
This shows a divider between new and old lava. Those rocks floated on top of molten rock.
Going up from the lava lake takes you back into the lush rainforest.
Entering the Thurston lava tube.
Walking through the lava tube, you wonder what it would be like with lava flowing. Then, you run!
Hawaiian geese (Nene) by the sea.
A silly goose (Hanhan) by the sea!
Explorer Gary finds signs of life.
A little windy by the ocean.
Just a cool shot of the back of the sea arch.
The sea arch is just lava eaten away by the ocean. It may last 1000 years. It may be gone tomrorrow.
It's dangerous just past the rope.
But, who cares?

Where lava meets the sea.

Shiny lava pancakes as far as the eye can see. Pahoehoe lava.
The lava just cooled into this pattern. Mesmerizing.
It looks like it is still actively flowing here.
Just amazing how the lava flowed and cooled into these shapes.
Creation of new land.
This is a'a lava.
Along Chain of Craters road.
Birds on a date.
The crater at night. You could hear a low rumble in the distance. Very cool and awesome.

Surfboard parking lot at Waikiki.

Diamondhead from Waikiki Beach.

Enjoying Wakiki Beach. Golden sand, blue sky, turquoise water.
Deadly seawall...

Hanhan and her Hawaiian shaved ice!
Life is good!
Shaved ice finished, water time!

It must have required lots of effort to drink through a straw!

Pearl Harbor
Arizona's anchor. The memorial is in the background.
The Missouri guarding the Arizona
USS Bowfin. She even sank a bus!
Submariners Memorial. Every lost sub and their crews are here. "On Eternal Patrol"
All ships sunk at Pearl Harbor have a memorial here.
Reflecting on history.
Banyan tree.
Look how banyan trees grow.
Far above Honolulu.
Hanhan learning how to be a luau performer.
Spanking the drum.
Palm leaf headband.
Hula show.
Learning to hula!
Hanhan and a hula dancer.
Luau food. Poi and roasted piggy!
The show.
Signature dance
Fire dancer.

Lyon's Arboretum. This plant reflects ultraviolet light to attract insects.

This means you!

The greatest Hawaiian King
The royal palace.
The royal palace.
Guilty, get a rope!
Halo-halo at Max's Restaurant. Hanhan LOVED it!

A typical Wakiki Beach scene.

Our resort.
A Hawaiian beauty!
Beautiful beach!
At the surf statue. None for me though.
These torches are lighted at night.
Have to visit the police. By choice of course!

Tropical fruit stand on the North Shore.

Hanhan was surprised that this one didn't taste like the rum filled one the night before.

Look at the ridges in the background. Imagine the violent forces at work here.
This 'finger' jutted out of the ocean at a state park along the road.
Gary, hula. Need I say more?
Note the scuba diver in the water. They were fishing here.