Hawaii.........the BIG island.........Hilo.......

The island of Hawaii, in the chain of the Hawaiian islands, is the eastern and southern most of all the islands. It is larger than all the other islands in the chain, with an area of 4028 square miles. It is the largest island in the United States. Hawaii was built by five shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially. Kilauea and Mauna Loa are the two volcanoes that are still active and are part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

 

The capital city is Hilo..
Among the sites that we visited within the eastern half of the island were Akaka Falls, Kilauea, and my favorite, The Black Sand Beach.

Akaka Falls was beautiful, if only viewed from a distance.....The trail was breathtaking and we all enjoyed the beautiful plant life, along the way........

Kilauea was magnificent! Kīlauea is the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. Hawaiian chants and oral traditions tell in veiled form of many eruptions fomented by an angry Pele before the first European, the missionary Rev. William Ellis, saw the summit in 1823. The caldera was the site of nearly continuous activity during the 19th century and the early part of this century. Since 1952 there have been 34 eruptions, and since January 1983 eruptive activity has been continuous along the east rift zone. All told, Kīlauea ranks among the world's most active volcanoes and may even top the list.

Nearby, there is a trail that begins as just an ordinary trail, with many black lava stones....This was the trail where the volcano erupted  and destroyed the village of  Kalapana, in 1990. Over 100 homes were destroyed. But, the black lava stones continued on for some time, as we walked through time. We began to see small, green plants.......These were palm trees, coming back to life.....and, at the end of the trail, was the Pacific Ocean. What a site!







This concludes the eastern side of Hawaii........Next up......Kona........

Oahu.......Part 2

One of the most visited sites on Oahu is the Polynesian Cultural Center. Located in Laie, Oahu, about an hour’s scenic drive from Waikiki — is the top paid Hawaii attraction and a “must see” Hawaii activity.
    As early as 1844, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (popularly called the Mormons) were working among the Polynesians in Tahiti and surrounding islands.Missionaries arrived in the Sandwich Islands (Hawai'i) in 1850. By 1865, the LDS Church had purchased the 6,000-acre plantation that encompasses all of Laie.The LDS Temple in Laie — started in 1915 and dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1919 — attracted more islanders from throughout the South Pacific.
    By the 1920s, LDS Church missionaries had carried their Christian teachings to all the major island groups of Polynesia, by living among the people and speaking their languages. In 1921, Matthew Cowley was finishing his first round of missionary service in New Zealand. There, he developed a deep love for the Maori people and other Polynesians. In time, he also became another important LDS leader who was concerned with the erosion of traditional island cultures. 
  In a speech Cowley delivered in Honolulu, he said he hoped "...to see the day when my Maori people down there in New Zealand will have a little village there at Laie with a beautiful carved house...the Tongans will have a village too, and the Tahitians and Samoans and all those islanders of the sea.

 http://polynesianculturalcenter.com

 This is a reality today and we highly recommend this side trip, as it will prepare you for the culture and history of the other islands.

Pearl Harbor was an experience which none of us will ever forget. It is a tribute to all the fallen heroes that fateful day on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked the military base at Oahu. The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. This was especially poignant for the members of our group who had served in the military......a photo of my brother, who is a Gulf War veteran.......




 Before we leave Oahu, here are some random photos of the city of Honolulu and the surrounding areas......

Next stop: The Big Island of Hawaii!!!!

Oahu

Hawaii has long been a destination for marriages, honeymoons, vacations, and many other various getaways. The island of Oahu, in particular, is the jumping off point, if you will, for many travelers who seek to enjoy the serenity and relaxation that Hawaii has to offer.

Here is a map, showing our travels in Oahu......Greg made one of these for each of the islands:

None of our party had ever been to any of the islands of Hawaii, so stepping out of the airport to investigate and begin our adventure was thrilling to each of us. The anticipation of surfers, leis, luaus,  and pineapple filled our heads with visions which we had conjured throughout our long journey from the mainland.

Oahu is home to Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki Beach,  and of course, one of the main attractions these days: The LOST filming venues! Yes, LOST.....the series on tv that was so popular a few years back. That was one of our challenges.....we wanted to find places where they shot Lost and perhaps get a glimpse of Sawyer or Kate! Thanks to Greg's mapping and research, we were able to see a few of the places where our beloved series was filmed but alas, did not see any of the stars. Here is a photo of the Buddhist Temple and Dharmaville, where some of the scenes were held:

One of the places that practically everyone visits is the Dole Pineapple plantation. We learned that several types of pineapples exist and they grow close to the ground.......This was a beautiful site and set the tone for our week long adventure:  Tune in for more from Oahu!!!!

In 2010, a group of us went to Hawaii. The trip started out being a celebration for Greg and me for our 20th wedding anniversary and for my brother and his wife to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.  We planned the trip two years in advance and since it was a cruise, had plenty of time to discuss and get ready for many excursions. As many of you may already know, I am a recruiter by heart. I love to recruit students, businesses, people,......whatever.......Anyway, needless to say, the small, two couple cruise turned into a cruise with about 12 persons. We had a great group from southern Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, and East Tennessee! Here we are, getting ready to explore Hawaii!

Some of you also know that one of my favorite vacations is a cruise. That is because I have time to rest and get the best sleep EVER with the rocking of the ship. I can also control what Greg does, as far as how many hours per day he can lead me to various parts of the country. It is not one of Greg's favorite vacations, but this particular cruise did not disappoint either one of us. We were both happy and now I would like to share some of our adventures in paradise.......

By flying to Hawaii and boarding the cruise ship, we were able to experience several islands instead of just one or two. We didn't have to move our luggage every night and we were served a scrumptious breakfast and dinner, while eating our lunches on the islands. Here are the islands we visited: Hawaii, Maui,Oahu, and  Kauai,  My favorite was Maui and Greg's favorite was Kauai.

I future posts, I will concentrate on one island and relate our adventures on each one......But here is a start.........

Enjoy!!!!