http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Hawaii , Big Island en-us Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:15:16 +0000 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:15:16 +0000 Lava by definition molten rock expelled by volcano during eruption.Lava and volcano are definitely not the vocabulary I need to use in my daily life. Growing up in Taiwan I am quite familiar with dead volcano. Now living in a metropolitan area of Houston lava and volcano seem so distant impossible unimaginable. Until my trip to Big Island where I accumulated many many of the once in a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-439942.html Today is actually our second day on the ldquobig islandrdquo but we are on the other side of the island. We are in Kona today. This is much more of a tourist location than Hilo despite what our guide said yesterday. We had to use the lifeboats to get to shore since the water is to shallow for the ship to dock they anchor and then ferry people back and forth to shore. Conversely Hilo ha http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-439919.html Now this is what I called a real adventure.Standing on the Green Sand beach two miles from Ka Lae South Point admiring its rare beauty I can't believe we made it here. Twenty four hours ago I didn't even know the existence of such thing green sand beach. See I am one of those people who just don't have time and quite lazy to have a planned itinerary. I devoured the entire book of Bi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-439915.html Auch wenn ihr uns vermutlich Schreibfaulheit unterstellt und damit vermutlich sogar gar nicht mal Unrecht habt waren wir die letzten 3 Tage doch gut genug beschftigthellipund WLAN gabs auch nicht daher hier eine kurze Zusammenfassung . Seit Donnerstagmorgen sind wir auf Big Island oder Hawairsquoi unterwegs. Wie der Name schon sagt ist diese Insel gro ziemlich gro sogar. Fr den erste http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Hilo/blog-438062.html I am blessed to say that this was my THIRD trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. My parents are big lovers of Hawaii and have been there even more times than I have. I use to say they were just obsessed but I think I may be too Now that one of the most important and romantic days of my life happened there it will always hold a very special place in my heart.We stayed at the Kona Coast Resorts just http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-436896.html My fiancee Mathieu and I were due to get married on May 8th in Mexico. We took just over a year to plan this blessed event and had everything from the flowers to the photographers picked out. Thirty four of us were due to leave in a matter of days for an exciting two weeks of sun surf and sand we couldnt waitBut then... SWINE flu happened. We hoped that it was just the media blowing everything http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-436891.html Hawaii Trip April 2009Weds Apr. 1April foolrsquos day I kind of got fooled this day. Set out to go south from Kailua Wersquore actually staying in Kailua not Kona. There is a Kona but Kona is a designation of the area as well as a town. The island was divided by the natives into mokus or districts. Kona was one of those districts. The larger town into which everyone flies and in wh http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-433004.html friday morning we left the beautiful arnott's lodge for the road up the coast to the north to the waipi'o valley. we start off the day by taking highway 19 north passing by the 4mile scenic route at onomea where the lush foliage of the rainforest brushed against the car and where the views were absolutely amazing. we also did a quick detour to the akaka falls near honomu off of highway 220. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-429123.html on a bright thursday morning we woke up at 7am to begin our long day of driving and exploring the south side of the island. we first drove northwest of hilo and visited the rainbow falls which are literally right beside the parking lot no hike required of course because of its proximity to the parking lot it tends to be engulfed by gynormous tour buses filled with the type of tourists th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-428021.html the four of us adventurers dorinda dave helen and me left maui this morning at 9am for bigger better things on the big island. arriving in hilo helen had already reserved a car and we were quickly on our way to arnott's lodge the hostel recommended to us where we were fortunate enough to see our first geckos of the trip after checking in to the deserted hostel we went to the weekly fa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Hilo/blog-425236.html After a wonderful winter of mucking out hot tubs for skiers at Killington Ski Area in VT I was able to complete my purchase of an acre of rough lava ohia and scrub in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates in the Ka'u District of the Big Island. Knowing there would be much work to be done and remembering my travel partner's need for a hot shower I decided to get us a place a bit more on the civilized http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-421176.html Since 1986 when I first visited the Big Island of Hawaii I have been captivated by Pele's song. Unlike other large rocks I have encountered the Big Island is alive. It breathes it strecthes it coughs it sometimes wakes with a start from a nap and like all living things it is unpredictable. Buying a chunk of the Big Island is a bit dicey either you're a millionaire or you're in a lava zon http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-421122.html Kona Day 4 62209 We had a casual day and rested most of the morning having to catch up on laundry and do some swimming at the resort pool. We decided early on that we should go on a dinner cruise having enjoyed them in the past with historical perspectives being offered as part of the trip. Now when I called and booked this dinner I was met with the following Its Gay Pride night bu http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-413040.html Mehr Bilder More PicturesSorry dass es jetzt wieder einige Zeit gedauert hat fuer neue BilderAlso an meinem Geburtstag diesen Monat war ich wieder einmal auf Big Island mit Hoku und wir hatten eine wirklich BOMBASTISCHE zeit Hier sind einige Bilder als Beweis... mehr werden folgen http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-412363.html Day Three on the Big Island 62009Day three was awesome We spent most of the morning driving down state highway 11 stopping several times on our way to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. We found South Point the southern most location in the United States. South point is referred to as Ka Lae and a barren land covered by dried grass lands cattle and an old wind farm that is not really http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-410922.html Day 2 Kona We spend the day traveling to the east side of the island. Waterfalls and rain forests filled the morning with a visit to Akaka Falls State Park. The waterfall is over 400 feet After the stroll through the waterfall trails paved with stair rails we ventured to the World Botannical Gardens. This used to be a sugar cane field but is now complete with a water fall with three d http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-410388.html Welcome to the AMAZING Island of Hawai'i or The Big Island My friend Krista and I had a fantastic adventure that started at 4 am on Sunday morning... The things we do to travel to paradise After a 45 minute flight from Honolulu to Hilo we picked up our jeep and were on our way at 7am.. hehe. First thing on our list was to go waterfall chasing. We set my Garmin new Garth to Rainbow Falls and we http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-410367.html Day 1 61809 We arrived in Kona at about 130 PM which is about 530 PM in Wyoming. We are staying at the Royal Kona Resort right on the ocean. The room is on the 6th floor with a room facing the ocean After a nice late lunch we strolled around the local area finding a Banyan Tree. Banyan trees have roots that grow from the top down into the ground. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Kailua-Kona/blog-410022.html The last stop on the Big Island was Ziplining in North Kohala. The Eco Adventure Tour took us and 8 other people out on a 6 wheeler into the middle of the forest to zip on 8 ziplines. Zip lines 16 progressively get higher and faster the guides do a good job of slowly working you up to the last two zips which are the most epic. At Zip line 6 the group stopped to snack on granola bars made from http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/blog-393344.html From the Green Sand Beach we decided to keep going to the other side of the island to the Volcano National Park. We stayed in a cute little cottage in the rain forest it was probably one of the most amazing places I've ever stayed. We had fresh fruit milk oj eggs and more delivered to our door each morning there was a hot tub hidden in a little hut with candles everywhere and the cottage itse http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Hawaii/Big-Island/Hilo/blog-393343.html