Hawai'i - Big Island

Early Morning

A tropical paradise along Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii.

Buddha Point

Hilton Waikola Village Resort in the later afternoon

Scrub & Ocean

Looking towards the Pacific from the Akoni Pule Hwy. Such a contrast between the deep blue water and the desert like topography. This is the leeward or "dry side" of the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Hawaiian Desert

One of the really strange things about the Kona side of the Big Island is how dry and desert like it can be. Interestingly, Kona in Hawaiian mean leeward.

Kohala Mountain Road

Looking across the dry hills above Kona with Mauna Kea (closest) and Mauna Loa (furthest) in the distance. Mauna Loa is the world's largest active volcano at 13,680 feet above sea level.

Pololu Valley Lookout

This is one of those extemely beautiful sights on the Big Island. The imensity of the cliffs just can't be captured in an image. The valley is part of the Kohala Volcano and is the oldest of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island. It last eruputed 120,000 years ago and is now considered extinct.

Big Island Rainforest

This is typical of the lush tropical vegetation and rainforest on the (Windward) eastern side of Hawaii's Big Island.

Shipman House

The Shipman House Bed & Breakfast is where we spent our honeymoon in Hilo. The house is located on Reed's Island, an historic neighborhood just across a wooden bridge from Historic Downtown Hilo. A rainforest of bamboo, palms and mango trees separates the inn from town and Hilo Bay, yet just a ten-minute walk takes you to restaurants, museums and the Farmers Market downtown. Rocking chairs beckon you to the lanai (veranda) for a good read, a chat or a snooze. Hear the birds twittering and calling nearby and across the gulch below, singing for a mate or just enjoying the day. When it rains, grab one of the inn's umbrellas and go for a walk...it's a warm rain, and could be over in minutes. You may be surprised at how raindrops sound on huge tropical leaves!

Shipman House spread

Kilauea Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Sulfur Dioxide steam rises from the center of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The crater sits in the middle of Kilauea's caldera. Vapor also seeps out of the sides of the crater into the trees and grass from vents that dot the area. This picture was taken from the Crater Rim Trail that circles the steep cliffs of Kilauea.

Halemaumau Crater

Big Island, Hawaii

Halemaumau Crater

Hot water vapor and acidic gases rise from Kilauea Caldera, Volcano's National Park, Big Island, Hawaii

Kilauea Caldera

Looking down the rim of the Kilauea Caldera you will notice a small blue dot. That dot was part of a USGS monitoring station. I don't believe it's there anymore. Either destroyed or dismantled before the latest eruption.

Halemaumau Crater at Night

Smoke and vapor provide an eerie scene at night. Halemaumau crater, Big Island, Hawaii.

Fern Frond

A frond pushes through fern leaves along a trail in Lava Tree State Monument, Hawaii

Lava Trees

The stone like pillars in this image are called Lava Trees. They are formed when fast moving lava flows around a tree. The cool and moist trunk causes the lava to crust around the tree. When the flow is short lived, it drains off leaving behind standing lava trees. Lava Tree State Park, Kapoho, HI

Lava Tree

A closeup of a lava tree. These strange columns are formed when a rush of molten lava makes its way through a forest. Rather than knocking down all the trees in its path, the lava's sudden contact with the tree's trunk allows a thin layer of lava to cool around it. After the initial rush of lava passes and the "tide" goes down, the semi-cooled lava that has accumulated around the doomed tree trunks remains.

Creating a Lava Tree Mold

Lava Tree State Park, Big Island, HI

ʻAʻĀ LAVA

There are two different types of solidified lava on the Big Island. pāhoehoe (pronounced ‘paw hoey hoey’) and ʻaʻā (pronounced ‘ah ah’). The surface of aʻā lava is sharp and rough, while Pāhoehoe lava has a more smooth crust.

ʻAʻĀ LAVA

Here is a field of ʻaʻā (pronounced ‘ah ah’) lava as far as the eye can see. Small bushes are begining to grow. Interesting fact from the U.S. National Park Service: "According to Native Hawaiian tradition, molten lava is the manifestation of Pele— the volcanic deity and creator of new lands. She is a rejeuvenating and creative force, reshaping the landscape with each eruption. Indeed, molten lava that reaches the surface during volcanic eruptions is still adding mass to the island of Hawaiʻi. The island itself is made up of flows that have built upon one another over many thousands of years."

Punaluu's Black Sand Beach

The beach is located on the southeastern Kau coast and is one of the most famous black sand beaches in Hawaii. The black sand is made of basalt and created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. This is truly a very peaceful place.