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Aloha Hawai’i

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  We are home so this is the final installment. It’s not a recap but rather a mish-mash of leftovers and experiences. Abandoned and vandalized vehicles are not uncommon but we only saw one of these. Hualalai is technically still an active volcano but all of Kona is betting it won’t erupt again. This was early in the morning before it clouded over. Mauna Loa from the slopes of Mauna Kea We went carefully off trail (in a National Park!) to try and find a particular petroglyph. We were not successful but we did find this friendly fellow. Managed to get a good photo since the gecko did not think the phone was a threat. Clearly watching it though. End of another day. We usually do more selfies when traveling; this might be the only one from this trip. As Serena was exploring where to look for petroglyphs she noticed a new (to us) access road for Kua Bay. This beach is known for excellent boogie boarding which is not our sport but we decided to check it out anyway. Pretty sure this is wh...
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Flora & Fauna

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  Serena spotted signage for a heiau we hadn’t yet visited. Visually it is just ruins but culturally it is fascinating that there were Canoe Blessing Temples. And this heiau shared the parking lot with a small educational and free botanical garden. We were pretty lucky to be there when these Turquoise Jade Vines were in full flower. Do not adjust your monitor; this coloration is legit. Really unusual color hibiscus at the Sadie Seymour Botanical Garden. Giant Philodendron (and a very large spider) Great Mullein Plant on the slopes of Mauna Kea Lots of Yellow Tang and one Orange Band Surgeonfish Ring Tail Surgeonfish Parrotfish These are one of Serena’s favorites and not just because of their bright colors. If you pay attention you can hear when it takes a bite of algae off the reef. Lots of different kinds of Parrotfish and they change coloration at will and/or as they age so they are difficult to identify. But this is actually a Wrasse. Snowflake Moray Eel (juvenile) Honu (Hawaiia...
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Big Island Hiking x2

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  Sunday, November 8 Completely different trail experience hiking in the Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Soft, springy grass underfoot the entire time. We are hiking on Mauna Loa (foreground) and can see Mauna Loa (background). View to the south. Though we are not as far south as we can go on this most-southerly Hawai’ian island, we are farther south than anywhere mainland US. Mature Ohia-Lehua tree The lush ferns, mature forest, and exuberant grasses show that this is a wet part of the island. We anticipated getting some rain on our hike but actually we had only a few light sprinkles off and on. Very breezy and not too warm; it was great weather for hiking. The ferns in front were nearly as tall as us. Destination for this hike is a forested pit crater. It’s too far across and much too deep to photograph easily. Serena took this panoramic shot.  Jeff took this wide-angle picture. Those are the tops of mature trees and they come nowhere near the rim. This photo...
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