Hawaii Spring Break Trip

March 7

So we got lucky on the LA to Honolulu portion of the flight and were in business class.  That meant a real meal and wine. Yeah. However Sidney ate the spinach from her pasta, I ate the pasta with her Parmesan and she ate ice cream. Oh, and of course she ate my and her tomato. So my child ate tomato, spinach and ice cream for lunch. Oh well. It is vacation!

We stayed at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach resort the first night, taking a taxi to get there. We stayed there because the volcano tour company tomorrow picks up very early there. The resort looked very nice but as we were checking in, the wind and rain came in and it got quite cool. So all we did was check in and go to the noodle place to grab some dinner.  We were in bed at 6 local time but that was 10 pm Houston time.

March 8

Rainbow Falls - Big Island

Today started early which was OK because we are still on Houston time. Sidney was up at 4 am. We had to be up and moving by 4:30 am to get dressed, check out and drop off our bag for the 5 am pick up. We caught a small plane at 7 am over to the big island. We were met by a bus and our driver, Steve. Our first stop was a general store. Sidney and I had eaten small donuts for breakfast but we were still hungry. So we shopped and bought dried octopus and dried cuttlefish. Never go shopping when you are hungry. The octopus snacks were yummy and we haven't tried the cuttlefish yet because they stink.

The big island of Hawaii is made of five volcanoes, one which is extinct, one which is dormant and three which are active. One has been erupting since 1983. Because of volcanic activity, the big island has grown over 500 acres in 20 Years. Some of the newest real estate on earth and with an ocean front view, if you can stand the heat.

After the store we drove along Banyan Drive in Hilo. Banyan trees send roots down from their limbs. The banyan is also a fig or ficus and is similar to the strangle fig that we have described before. Seeds germinate in a host tree rather than on the ground and send roots to the ground. They also usually kill the host tree because of strain and pressure. The banyans on Banyan Drive were planted in the 1930's through late 1940's and bear the names of many celebrities of the time or people who planted or funded the planting, like Amelia Earhart. 50 trees survive today with most having survived at least two devastating tsunamis which wiped out the town of Hilo. Much of Hilo is now above, or beyond the reach of tsunamis and hotels along the water are built to withstand them. Hawaii is snake free and was mammal free (except for bats) until humans settled the islands and Polynesians brought four legged mammals like pigs and dogs. Many other diseases and invasive animals, plants and insects have been brought to the islands by humans. 

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle

Banyan Tree

We stopped at several parks including Rainbow Falls and Richardson Ocean Park. Here we found ourselves delighted by finding a Hawaiian green sea turtle. We watched the turtle for quite a while. I don't think I have seen a wild sea turtle before. The black sand on the beach comes from the degraded volcanic rock. All of Hawaiian islands are made from volcanoes. White sand beaches on the islands are from coral sand washed in from the sea. 

Kilauea

After a tasty lunch of fish and chips, we made for Hawaii volcanoes national park. The two active volcanoes in the park are part of only 5% of the volcanoes on earth which are slow and gentle erupting and can be fairly safely visited. The park is also home to some of the few remaining Hawaii state birds, the Nene. Nene are a Hawaiianized Canadian goose. Because Hawaii did not have predators until humans arrived, birds on Hawaiian islands started nesting on the ground and sometimes not flying. Now one of the most common pests, mongoose, destroy nest and eat eggs. There are fewer than 1000 wild Nene. We did see a red honey creeper which is one of the more rare birds. 

Entrance to Lava Tube

The two volcanoes in Volcanoes national park are Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Side note, if you have ever wondered about why there are so many vowels in Hawaiian language is that the language has only twelve letters total but all the vowels of English. We started our visit in the park at Jaggar  Museum named after scientist Thomas Jaggar. The museum had a huge variety of different types of lava that form under different conditions. These include lava that formed into fine strands and some that had many more air pockets that you would expect and resembled bubbles. There was a seismograph for kids to test and many pictures of and facts about the park. This is also where we got our first view of the Kilauea Caldera and it's smoking. You used to be able to go down almost into the caldera but that is severely restricted now due to sulfuric gas exposure concerns.

Tree Cone Lava Formation

After the museum we stopped for our first short hike. The hike was through some of the rain forest and through a lava tube. Lava flow above ground is not very efficient due to cooling of the lava so much of the flow is below the surface in these tubes. Most are not very large but this tube is longer than a football field and tall enough to walk through. It is very wet inside and I thought it was interesting that plants were trying to grow beside the lights in the tube. It was a fun short walk.

Really?

We could never see Mauna Loa because the cloudy weather but we were lucky to not have rain all day. After the lava tube we went down the chain of craters road to the coast. We stopped at one place in the way down to view the virtual moon scape. The volcanoes are in a rain forest so you can drive from forest in one instant to lava flow area in the next. It is amazing to see the variety of lava types in road cuts and in the lava flows. It was also interesting to see the differences in progress to Mother Nature reforesting lava flow areas. Older areas had obviously more plants and more mature plants. It will take 500 years to reforest a lava flow and most we drive through were 10 to 50 years old. 

The bottom of the Chain of Craters road ends abruptly be the ocean. The road used to go back to Hilo but a lava flow ended that and the road won't reopen until a vent on the side of Kilauea closes. We stopped for our second hike. This hike was on the road up to the point where the lava came over the road. At times lava still flows here out to the sea and expanding the island. When this happens, the park attracts a lot of attention with people coming to see the lava meet the sea. After we reached where the lava closed the road (see the sign), we turned and went out to the edge where the lava cliffs are. They were beautiful. 

Glow

We returned the bus hot and exhausted. We also looked at a sea arch near the end of the road. After the sea arches in Tasmania this arch wasn't as impressive but still beautiful. We stopped at several points on the way back up the drive including to view the caldera from several points. At one stop we also saw a lovely little honey creeper. We also stopped at the tree cone area. The lava here flowed around the trees but was not hot enough to burn the trees immediately so the lava has tree shaped centers where the tree did later die but left a cone with a hollow center where it had been. Some cones still had the dead bit if tree in the cone. It was pretty cool. The lava also has a variety of colors depending on the minerals. We saw a lot of brown and orange but also white, blue, green and red. 

We stopped at the visitors center and volcano house. The volcano house is the only restaurant and hotel in a national park. It also provides views of the caldera. We stopped for dinner at the military camp which used to be a military base but now is a retreat for military members and their family. You could stay in the old individual barracks and enjoy the amenities there. Anyone can eat at the canteen though and the food is good and reasonably priced. Sidney and I ate potato bar with salad bar, drinks and ice cream for $20. That is a good deal in Hawaii. 

Glow

Finally we reached the best part of the day. It was time to see the glow. You can't see the lava ever unless it is flowing but at dusk and after dark you can see the glow of the lava in the caldera. It was amazing and topped off the day. After enjoying the glow for 30 minutes we had to catch our flight back to Oahu. I had to get a rental car in Oahu, pick up our bags and navigate across the island to our cottage. It was midnight before we got to the cottage. As soon as we got on the bus after the glow, it started to rain and didn't stop until after we went to bed. But it was perfect for our volcano day.  We arranged this tour through Discover Hawaii Tours. 

We still had several hours until we got home.  We had to get our rental car and our luggage and drive over to the other side of the island.  It was midnight before we reached our home for the next few days, the Lanikai Surf Hale in Kailua.  The Hale was a nice little detached bungalow and a perfect jumping off point for the rest of the week.

March 9

We tried to sleep in a bit but hunger and time zone still had us up a bit early. We got cleaned up and headed for food and coffee. We stopped at a nice little coffee house and bistro where I had a bagel and lox and Sidney had pancakes. With our batteries recharged we headed to the store to stock up for the week. We spent probably twice as much on groceries as we would have for the same stuff at home. That is to be expected though. 

Likeke Falls

After unloading we headed out in our first adventure if the day. We headed for Likeke Falls. There are two ways to get to the falls. The short way and the long way. We aimed for the short way by parking at a golf course, Ko'olau Golf Course. and taking a shorter path from there. However, we missed a turn and went a long way out of our way, turned around and then found the right path. This was all good except we spent about 2 hours out in the pouring rain. We were so muddy but getting to and into the falls was worth it. Did I say muddy?

Lagoon Near Pele's Chair

Jumping Log

Pele's Chair

We headed for the cottage and refilled ourselves with lunch. Then we headed for some swim time for Sidney. We parked at the Makapu'u Lighthouse and headed away from the lighthouse to Pele's chair and to a swimming lagoon with jumping log. The hike to the lagoon was maybe 20 minutes easy and flat. Sidney walked out onto the log but then decided against the jump. She swam around in the lagoon with some other kids for about an hour before we ran out of steam and headed for home. Pele's chair is a sacred site where Pele sat after she made Oahu. She sat in the chair and looked out over the waters and thought this is where she would start creating her next island.

We ate a simple pasta dinner and then crashed. It was a fun relaxing day. 

March 10

Wayde and Sidney

Waydes Day.  Wayde Fishman and Wayde's World offer tours in Hawaii.  Wayde owns Wayde's World Poor Man's Guide to Hawaii. Wayde also offers suggested tours you can do your self on his Facebook Page.  Just look for Wayde's World. We started the day back at the lighthouse mentioned yesterday. It is a nice walk up to the lighthouse but we got sidetracked along the way by whales. Tons of them breaching, blowing and slapping. It was amazing. They will stay in Hawaii for 6 months mating and birthing and not eating. 

We did eventually make it to the lighthouse overlook. This lighthouse has the largest lens of any lighthouse in the US. You can't get to the lighthouse but the views are spectacular and the walk pretty easy. It was hot and sunny. There is a lot of military leftovers as well like pill boxes. The hikes is 2 miles overall but we took it super easy and watched a lot of whales. There are also many locks of love at the lookout. These are locks that couples have left to celebrate engagements, weddings and anniversaries. 

Panorama from Makapu'u Lighthouse

After our hike, we were hungry. We stopped at a roadside food shack/grill/restaurant and grabbed food to take to the beach. Sidney got coconut shrimp which she ate a few of before she had to get wet. I had amazing chicken and marinated beef. Then Sidney spent an hour or so playing on the beach. The first of many beach stops in the day. 

Sign Post at Nut Farm

Hawaiian Finch

We also stopped at a coffee and macadamia nut farm and Laie Point on the North Shore. We drank some tasty coffee and tried several different prepared macadamia nuts including coffee coated and onion and garlic. We also were able to crack a few nuts ourselves which Sidney loved. Later we stopped at a roadside fruit stand where Sidney got a fried banana and a coconut. I got pork rinds.  Real tasty ones. She loved her banana and coconut. We found another huge banyan where several movies have been shot. Sidney crawled through this one. We ended the day with a shaved ice covered pineapple ice cream treat. My small child needing many calories made a nice dent in it. It was a long drive home but after eating dinner, Sidney was out in about a minute. Oh and we spent all day in an open sided jeep. We were windburned but happy.

Makapu'u Lighthouse

China Man's Hat

March 11

Lyon Arboretum

We headed out early, still affected by the time zone change. Our aim this morning was a different waterfall, Manoa Falls. The hike was touted to be difficult and muddy but there has been a lot of work on the trail and it was really only slippery. The day was beautiful a and sew were early so we had most of the trail to ourselves. It looked really busy later. The falls were nice and worth the walk. From there we walked around the corner to Lyon Arboretum. Lyon Arboretum has many trails and points of interest. There are various gardens, monuments and a small waterfall at the end of the park. We also saw several of the wild cockatoos that live in the arboretum. They could give Kiwi a run for his money on noise. You could spend a whole day there exploring but we only spent a few hours because Sidney was getting carried away by mosquitoes. She won't forgive me for forgetting mosquito repellent. 

Manoa Falls

After our hiking, we headed for Waikiki for our surf lesson. We started the surf lesson at the Kai Salls Surf School through Pro Surf School Hawaii in Waikiki. We learned how to paddle the board and how to stand up. After that, we headed for the beach. Sidney needed a bit of a tow to get out to the starting spot. The water there was about 4 feet deep so most people could stand. Sidney was the first person pushed into the wave and was on her feet surfing. We would have to go fetch her back out as she doesn't have strong paddling arms. But she managed to surf several times before she got too cold to continue. I managed to get up on my first go but crashed on the following three tries. Then I had to go in with Sidney. The next day my rib cage hurt from being in contact with the board or face planting, or both. And my arms were super sore the next two days.

Sidney Surfing

We stopped at Pali lookout off if the Pali Highway between where we were staying and Honolulu. The look out gives a wonderful view of the area we were staying. The lookout can get trade winds that are hurricane force because it sits in a sort of wind tunnel. We again returned home tired and happy. Dinner at home again and recharge for the next day. 

Kimber Wiping Out

March 12

Brazilian Cardinals

We started our morning at a nature preserve, Hanauma Bay that had great snorkeling. Unfortunately Sidney was not into the snorkeling and I didn't get enough. This 
disadvantage of traveling alone with her is when she is done, she is done and you can't change it. So we headed home and cleaned up deciding to hike Diamond Head at Diamond Head State Monument. Diamond head is a tuft cone formed from ash cemented together forming the cone. Most plants found in the crater today are not native to Hawaii and include a relative of mesquite as the climate is semi-arid. The name Diamond Head originates from western explores mistaking the calcite crystals in the rocks for Diamonds in the late 1700's. There is a lengthy military history at Diamond head due to its prominent location. There are many tunnels as well as the remnants of a fire control station which was an engineering marvel in the early 1900's. The fire control station was used to direct artillery fire for several batteries from all around the tuft and beyond. The trail is steep but not difficult. There are numerous stairways and points of interest along the hike. 

Hanauma Bay

Diamond Head from Pu'u Ualakaa Park

Luau

We had some time after Diamond Head so we drove along Round Top drive and Tantalus Drive. These roads are close to Honolulu but totally in the jungle. There were almost no houses and some amazing views of Honolulu and Waikiki. We stopped at Pu'u Ualakaa Park for a spectacular view. The park was completely empty but amazing. We could also see where we had been over at Diamond Head as well as the runway at the Honolulu airport that hangs out in the ocean. 

Luau

Then we were off to our Luau at Paradise Cove Resort. We had VIP tickets so we got really nice lays and good seats. After we were escorted in, we could do some activities. Sidney choose canoe riding and bracelet making. She also chose to hold some birds. We took a picture of the red parrot laying upside down in Sidney's hands to show Kiwi what a good bird could do. Sidney loved holding the birds. At almost 7 they start a few group activities demonstrating native Hawaiian culture. These included how to wear the clothes, climb trees, and fish. This ended with some Hula dancing and the unveiling of the roasted pig. 

What a good bird

Dinner included several types of salad, Hawaiian sweet roles as well as rolls made with Poi or Taro root, fish, chicken, corn, rice and of course roasted pork. There were also three deserts.  Sidney ate all of the desserts. She is developing a sweet tooth. The evening ended with about an hour of a variety of dances including of course a fire dancer. That was the highlight of Sidney's evening.

March 13

Landing spot at Moke Islands

We weren't sure we could have a better day than the ones we had already done but this might have been the best day. It started in the town we were staying. We booked a guided Kayak tour with Two Good Kayaks. Andrew was our guide and because it was Sidney and I, he suggested we ride with him. He was one of the best guides we have had. He led the whole group, seven kayaks out to the Moke Islands. First though we were shown where we would be going, the route and instructed on how to paddle, pack our things, and stay safe. This side of the island is not allowed to be commercialized. As such one of the participants had to drive the truck with the kayaks over to the beach and everyone had to load and unload their own kayaks. Since Sidney and I were with Andrew in his kayak, all we had to do was drive to the beach and get in. In addition to loading and unloading, everyone had to carry the kayaks several hundred yards to the canal and then float them to the launch point.

View from Moke Islands

Helmet Urchin

The Moke islands are bird sanctuary for wedge-tailed shearwater. Birds in Hawaii have adapted to drinking salt water by developing desalinization glands. That is why there are no seagulls in Hawaii, they don't have the gland. Unfortunately pigeons have adapted. One island is strictly a reserve and can't be landed on. The other has a small section of beach and trail area. That was our intended destination. I say intended because we had 15 to 20 mph head winds which make not only the paddling tough but the landing treacherous. The route is 2.5 miles one way, staying close the coast and away from the reef and rougher water. Then you turn and make as straight as possible of a shot to the island. The difficulty on approaching the island is the the large waves hit the windy far side of the island, then wrap around and meet chaotically at the beach where we land. While we were deciding to approach, we saw several kayaks swamp trying to land. But several landed successfully although roughly. Thanks to Andrew, we made the first attempt to land and were successful. Sidney bore the brunt of a pretty good wave but did great. Andrew helped everyone land and none of our group swamped. I will say it was wild and fun to watch. I was completely adrenaline high. 

We walked around the island for a while learning about the birds. Andrew also found us some spiny sea urchins and a helmet urchin. We looked at some tide pools and just enjoyed the island. But after an hour and 20 minutes of paddling, we were all hungry and scarfed our lunches. 

After lunch we headed to the Lanikai beach to snorkel. Sidney hung out on the beach with Andrew and I finally got to enjoy the snorkeling. It was super. I have to have seen over 50 types of fish. I came out only with kicking and screaming. We finally had to head for home. The trip back took less time because we had a tail wind. But I was wiped out. I also didn't get a picture but we saw a sea turtle even closer than the one on the Big Island. It was right by our boat taking in some air. A perfect ending to our trip. 



Sidney and I cleaned up and packed and the walked to dinner at The Grove. We were there in time for Shady hour (Happy Hour). So we ate mostly appetizers. I ordered clams, edamamme and fries with salami, prosciutto, and Parmesan. Sidney ordered two cheese orzo. Of course she ate half my clams, half my edamame and some of my fries. I ate half her orzo. Then she devoured a fresh chocolate chip cookie, saving two for Kirk. The food and atmosphere were fabulous and the added bonus was they had a bunch of owl stickers and gave Sidney a stack of them

We walked home and went to bed. We had to get up at 4 am in the morning to catch our flight home.

March 14
Time to go home. Our flight was supposed to leave at 6:25 am. However, the day before, they changed planes which meant 40 people didn't have a seat. It was a complete disaster. Sidney and I weren't sitting together and the guy we needed to switch with was more than grumpy. The plane did finally get off the ground and we made it San Francisco on time. But then our Houston flight was late getting to SFO. After we were all on the plane, they found a part missing. Then they found a replacement but it would take 4 hours to repair. However, they had a spare plane in the hangar and two hours after we were supposed to leave, we were finally on our way. Poor Kirk had to pick us up at midnight Houston time which was only 7 pm Hawaii time. 

So we have Christina Garcia to thank for such a successful trip. I worked with Christina's husband Jay at the Texas City refinery many years ago and have kept up with them through Facebook. I knew they went to Hawaii a lot and asked them for advice. Christina helped me locate places to stay and provide our itinerary which we stuck to pretty closely. Then I booked everything. We added Diamond Head and didn't make SUP (stand up paddling) because of timing. We also got worn out on lava on the big island so we skipped that on Oahu. But we did everything else. Thank you so much for all of your help, we could not have done it without you Christina!

Farewell Sunset

We had a wonderful time and even if I am not a beach person, I would try to surf again, love to try to SUP, and snorkel till I froze. We would do all the hikes and more. We also could spend more than one day at volcanoes. The hiking there looked fabulous. Another successful mother/daughter spring break trip. 

Finally, for those who don't know, we will be moving from Houston to San Antonio. I have taken a supervisor position in the Eagle Ford operation. The job will be hard and demanding but we are looking forward to an otherwise more relaxed life style. Kirk is also fortunately able to transfer to UT San Antonio, so will continue doing similar work to his current position.  We hope to have Sidney out of before and after school care entirely and will both have shorter commutes as the office is close to the medical center and there is good housing and schools. The next weeks of selling, buying, packing and saying until we meet again will be rough but we are looking forward to a positive change. So as usual, come see us!