Hawai’i, One More Time?

Classic sunset over the ocean

I first visited Hawaii in December 1966.  At that time, Don Ho was singing the song “Tiny Bubbles at a club on Waikiki Beach, and the XO on our ship also sang that same song when on duty on the bridge deck of our ship, USS Askari, which was in port at Pearl Harbor.  Our specially modified ship was on its way to Vietnam to be the mother ship for a Riverine flotilla in the Mekong Delta.  Off duty, I would walk down the gangplank with a paper bag holding my civilian clothes.  Arriving at Waikiki Beach, I would switch into my ‘civies’ at a public bathroom, then stash the bag (with my uniform) in nearby thick bushes.  Then, I was free from the Navy for the day!

Almost sixty years later, and after many more visits, we are back in the Hawaiian Islands for perhaps the last time.

Hawaiian scenery: sand, surf, blue seas, and black volcanic rock.

Spotted eagle ray in shallow water

Six months ago, I booked a short trip to the island of Hawai’i to serve as a relief to winter’s cold in Colorado.  Hilton was offering us a discounted condominium at Waikoloa Beach if we would listen to their time share presentation.  We really enjoyed the beautiful resort, but the share presentation left us unconvinced for our preferences. We had been to this resort once before, about 25 years ago and really enjoyed it then.  In fact, we never left the resort grounds on that visit.  This time, we had a rental car allowing us to explore further.

Does anyone remember the Western TV series 'Gunsmoke'?  This catamaran was previously owned by James Arness, the star of that show; thus, the name, "Seasmoke".

With a rental car, we have been able to explore more widely.  Driving to Hilo, we stopped at Rainbow Falls.  We paid about $22 for parking and admission then later realized that if we had parked only a half block away, this visit would have been free!  A nice stop but not amazing.  Later, we came across a botanical garden: $35 per person admission, more than we have ever paid.

Place of Refuge,  during conflicts if you were able to get here, you were safe.

Rainbow Falls, near Hilo

Waipio Valley

On another day, we drove to Waipio Valley Lookout.  The scene is a deep, narrow valley on the island’s north shore.  In 1946 this valley was struck by a tsunami with disastrous results so that now few people live there, although crops are still tended there today.  Hilo has also been affected by tsunamis.

View from our Marriott hotel room.

After five days at Waikoloa we shifted to the Marriott in Kailua-Kona, a different experience.  Instead of an all-encompassing resort atmosphere, we were located on the city harbor surrounded by stores, restaurants, and competing accommodation choices.  Unfortunately, the weather also changed.  Our sunny Hawaiian weather was replaced by clouds and intermittent rain.

Directly adjacent to the Marriott were grounds of a previous Hawaiian king and also a theater where Luaus were held.

Many stalls, and stores, for the tourists at Kailua-Kona

To escape the clouds, we drove to Volcanos National Park on the east side of the island.  Along the way we stopped at an unimpressive “Black Sand Beach”. When the coarse volcanic sand doesn’t extend to the water’s edge, is that still a "sand beach"?  At the volcano, the clouds returned.  Looking out across the broad caldera (2 by 3 miles across) the steaming fissures were obscured by clouds and fog with a sprinkle of rain, worthwhile to observe but difficult to capture in a meaningful photograph.  Continuing our trip, a drive around the entire island would take about five hours without stops.

Terrible weather for our visit to the volcanos.  At times a cloud would drift past and completely obscure our view.

This volcano is still actively erupting (about every two weeks); at such times it can spew red hot lava a thousand feet in the air, attracting a large crowd of spectators with resulting heavy traffic.

Our most satisfying site was Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Park, also called the Place of Refuge".  Due to predicted heavy surf accompanying the rainy, windy weather, all the State beaches were closed, but this federal park was kept open, resulting in a crowd at this beach area.  But the park has other attractions: ponds, palm trees, a theater, a coastal walking trail, and ruins of early dwellings.  (The heavy surf never occurred).

An Indian mongoose.  Originally imported to help control rats.  Unfortunately, the mongoose is a daytime hunter, and the rat is a night-time nuisance.  The mongoose preys more on native birds and their eggs.

A green sea turtle. They are highly protected, but this one does not look healthy.

Early Hawaiian structures.  The path you see follows the coast for many miles connecting small native gatherings.

Relaxing in shade on a sunny day at Waikoloa.