Monday, October 17, 2011

Hawaii Trip... Something a little different.


So... Here is a small (kinda) selection of pics from our Hawaii trip. All in all it was a pretty great time, and something I'm glad we finally did. We saw a LOT of stuff over the course of two weeks, and pretty much got our fill of swimming in the 80+ degree ocean. Photos don't do justice to how much time we spent just floating around, and really don't do justice to a lot of other stuff we did (like snorkling, binging on shave ice, a luau, rainforests, lots of tasty food, and beaches beaches beaches). I just got tired of flipping through them all so this is what I figured I'd share. Enjoy!


The first beach (Gillian or something) on the S. end of Kauai


The first place we stayed at had a great view... And tons of roosters!


End of the longest beach on the island and start of the Nepali coast.


Waimaia canyon on a showery afternoon.


Overlook of the Nepali coast and Kalalau beach, where we'd be staying later in the trip.


Hiking down to some waterfall in Waimai. Cool arches.


One of the few shots we are both in.


Amazing sunrise at our first rental.


Incredible trees at the National Tropical Botanical Garden


Neat bamboo bride.


More cool stuff at the garden...


We had the place mostly to ourselves and there was tons of stuff to see.


Sunset at the second place we stayed.


We dubbed this the "hippy house". This was our home for three days.


These things were EVERYWHERE! And they'd tee off every morning around 3:30...


This is pretty much what we did all week. I don't remember what beach this was...


The narrow part of the Kalalau trail


Don't fall!


Looking back NE along the coast.


The second half of the trail is pretty open and exposed to the (HOT) sun.


More of the amazing trail.


Wow...


More


This is the beach that sits at the end of the trail (later in the day)


That evening was one of the coolest sunsets I think I've ever seen. The clouds on the horizon were casting shadows across the sky making the "beams" you can see


The evening view from our campsite, just back from the beach.


The next morning we explored some sea caves.


...pretty neat!


Early morning cruise on Kalalau beach.


This is the waterfall that we got water from (and showered in)


This is pretty much what we did all day.


Talk about an amazing setting. This is around sunset on our second night at Kalalau.


After the backpacking trip we stayed at the Marriot in Lihue. Interesting contrast!!!


And then in the Sheraton...


Each one of these flowers represented a Mai tai. And that was before it got dark...


Now over to the Big Island: this is the glow of lava in the crater at Kilauea.


Seeing the sights in Volcanos Park.


Pretty amazing. Quite a contrast from Kauai (which was also amazing, just different).


Neat to walk across the lava flows.


Sea arch near where the road is closed.


Me demonstrating how a tree becomes a lava cast...


These is where the lava cooled around trees. Trees rot leaving a cool rock tower.


There was a whole mess of these things together in one place, pretty neat.


This is the place we stayed in Hawi town... Probably our favorite.


North part of the island, real close to where we stayed at the end of the trip.


The rainshadow of Mauna Kai/Loa made some awesome open vistas. Could see Maui from here.


More north shore stuff.


Neat little geko. Supposedly they eat the cockroaches, and this little guy was wicked fast!


Mookini Heaiu, one of the temples where the polynesians first settled.


This rock has some major history...


Last sunset!

PS. I didn't "post-process" any of these pictures... That's actually the color of the water there. Pretty crazy, huh!?