Saturday, December 29, 2012

Another Trip to Kona

As the end of another even-numbered year nears, it was my turn to head to Hawaii for Christmas again.  Hawaii is not my favorite travel destination.  I've been so often that it's not really new and exciting - with only about 200 miles to travel around the entire island I've seen and done most of it in the many years I've been going, plus the weather makes is seem very un-Christmas-like.  With that being said, this year's visit has been very nice.  Fortunately for me, (unfortunately for the island) it's been a fairly dry winter so the 80 degree weather is comfortable with the much lower than normal humidity.  It's been nice getting out of the shower without feeling like I need another shower.

I could pretty much post the same post every other year because each time I visit I take the exact same pictures of the exact same landscapes - which are admittedly so very beautiful.  I did however try to take some shots from a different point of view this time...

Here's my mom's house.





Some sights on my morning walk.





















A visit to Hawi, Kapaau, and Makapala









And some sunsets from the lanai





My trip is coming to an end. With just one more full day, I return to So. Cal. on Friday.

17 comments:

  1. I gave a read up on that area. Seems the recession did a proper number on it.

    Why don't you park your butt on a horse and have him knock some of the kinks out. You must have a pair of jeans and a flat boot. You're not a man so you've not the issue with the seam-cross grinding the gnads to powder so you don't need anything new.
    People have your problem here also, specially Galway. Those that aren't living there but aren't on holiday either. So you have to find something you don't or can't do at home. It a bit like being in a college town in summer. But since I'm at 52 degrees north and the only hope is that the days have gotten noticeably longer so the very thought of someone I know being on Hawaii lights the day a bit.
    I had to look up Lanai also.

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    1. Yah, if I lived here it would be different since my job or "my things" would be here and there'd be plenty to do.
      I sound like such a brat, don't I? No one seems to get my complaints about Hawaii. :). I guess if that's all I have to complain about, then I just need to stop. Regardless, I am looking forward to being home tomorrow night.

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    2. (chuckle) I'd be lying if early on the phrase 'spoilt high maintenance royal Irish princess' didn't flit through my mind. But I lived in Galway city for a good few years and there you had the college and the tourists, so I get that odd disconnect. People think concept or the reality but you are neither in the holiday concept or the living reality.
      The photos are lovely. And it's wicked hard to grasp the sea unless you can shoot along it rather than out. I've yet to be at the coast for sunrise/sunset which the 'body of thought' seems to say are the only times it truly works to shoot out to sea.

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    3. :)
      Argh! I just noticed that the photos are too big for the web version. They resized nicely in the mobile format. Oh well my formatting is limited on the iPad. I think that's what they call first world problems.

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    4. Oh they seem ok on mine. If anything they aren't resizing at all when I right click into a new window. I expect if you have them justified to the left where you have the L_C_R display option, it will solve your problem.

      Is Kona, leeward of anything or only there. And looking at a 3D map, it would seem it's an island in it's cutoffedness with it being beyond Hualalai M-Loa and M-Kea.
      My, I could disappear on that island for weeks on end hiking different lines from coast to coast.
      I tend to forget its just a nipple rising thousands of ft straight up from the ocean floor and that the beach cliff in that photo is about the top 1%. It's a flaming wonder you aren't feeling vertigo.
      Have a good trip home to LA. Tiz hard to know the correct garb for a woman traveling these days, sports slob-casual or smart sophistication a la Chanel twin-set in lace from VS. Since you never know when you might be required to strip to the buff by some judgy HS chick. Must be a ruddy nightmare for you girls.

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    5. Oh good on the pictures.
      The volcanoes are something. My mom's house is on Mauna Loa and we can see Hualalai and Mauna Kea from certain parts of town. We've had some interesting hikes into Kilauea (the very active volcano) especially over the last few years with all its activity. During my first visit to the big island years ago we walked in one of the craters and I burned my leg on a steam vent. That very same crater has now since dropped/fallen and its lava levels are high - the public isn't allowed anywhere near it now. Each time we drive up there, there is less road due to the constant lava flow. As you climb in over the rock you see melted speed limited signs because that's where the road used to be. It's also pretty cool to see the lava flowing into the ocean, literally forming more of the island. However the ocean flow stopped (for now) just last week. It's all pretty incredible.
      I don't understand your question about if Kona is leeward of anything.
      My traveling attire is causing somewhat of a dilemma actually. While it's 80+ here, it's 50ish at home. Too cold to wear shorts and a tshirt when getting off the plane at night in LA, but too hot to wear a sweater and pants while waiting in the outdoor airport in Kona. I'm leaning towards layers. :)

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    6. Aye, layers. You know it's warmer than 50. Not much granted but warmer. Not the same though.

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    7. I was incorrect on the mountain. We're on Hualalai.
      As for the temps at home...50s high/30s low all week. The valley is always hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than LA.

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  2. So sorry you have to suffer in Hawaii :)
    Did you have the special? Interesting :)
    Have a fun rest of your trip!

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    1. I know...such a baby. Thank you, it's been a nice trip. It took me a minute on the special, ha ha ha...totally! ;)

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  3. While it may be ordinary for you it looks stunning to me. I haven't been to Hawaii yet..

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    1. You as a real photographer would love it. It is beautiful.

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  4. On second thought, I cannot design you a t-shirt for not getting out of bed until 2 unless you do it for 40/91 days...that's what the workout t-shirt was for...so let me know if you acheive that....20/90 days=a mug...I can design that one too.
    Happy New Year my friend :)

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    1. Ah man! Today I got up at 8:30 to declutter my bedroom, which I'm still doing at this very moment by the way. So maybe tomorrow I'll try until 2 again...will I have to start over at 1 or will that count as day 2? ;).
      Thank you for the New Year's wishes! Looking forward to 2013!

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  5. Tell your om I'll be her daughter next time you have to go! I've never been to Kaui and she can show me anythng she wants! :)

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