Blogs from Big Island, Hawaii, United States, North America - page 8

Our third day in Hawaii and it was another early morning wake up. Today's adventures would bring us into the northern part of the Big Island near the town of Kaaau to ride some ATVs. It was about an hour's drive to ATV Outfitters Hawaii. Although we arrived a bit late, we quickly signed the required forms, got our helmets, goggles, and gloves and were on our way. We had to go through a rather long introduction on safety and usage of the ATVs. Once our guides determined that everyone was ready, we set off through the Kohala Ditch Trail making our way up to the coastline of North Kohala. We rode along well marked trails through private ranchlands and pastures until we arrived at a very scenic spot along the coastline overlooking Keawaeli Bay. Taking ... read more

A few months prior, my friend and co-worker Lisa, approached me about visiting Hawaii's Big Island. Her family owned a condominium just outside of Kailua-Kona and would be selling it this year. So for one last hurrah, she asked both Kevin and I to join her for a quick weekend trip. Of course not having to spend any money on lodging, I jumped at the chance. We had an evening flight on Delta out of LAX with 5 hours of flying time ahead of us. Arrving in Kailua-Kona just after 9pm, we quickly retrieved our bags and hailed a taxi to take us to Lisa's nearby condo. After settling in and figuring out our sleeping arrangements, we headed out in search of someplace for a late dinner and to pick up some snacks and food for ... read more

Got up and going after G had had a surf. Traveled south in search of Captain Cook's last resting point. We actually didn't get there. The road was closed off. But we went to the bay he arrived in. Gorgeous scenery.. We then went on a random road and ended up at some historic site (technical term huh?) Taj : Look Mum, I am holding a big lava rock Kai : Look I have one too... Mum : Hold on Kai, what's that! Yours has poo on it!!! (Only Kai could find the ONE rock on the beach that someone has pooed on!!) We had a stroll, boys had a swim & looked around and then took off to find food. We had lunch at Sam Choys - a typical Hawaiian restaurant with a bit of ... read more

Aloha, The original human settlers in Hawaii were a peaceful bunch. They believed in sharing and living in harmony. That worked until the Tahitans arrived. They established a caste system: the chief, the priests, the warriors, the teachers, the common folks and the slaves. They also developed a system called "Kapu"--think "taboo". Rules were arbitrary and were based on 20% protection of resources and 80% need for power. The penalties for breaking a rule--eating the wrong food at the wrong time, etc.--were harsh. It could involve loss of a body part or even death. There was, however a loop hold. If they could get to the Place of Refuge, or pu'uhonua, they could reflect on their sins and be pardoned by the priest. After a few days, they could go home. This system of control continued ... read more

Aloha, Our first stop was the Island of Hawai'i. It was formed many centuries ago by volcanic eruption. This is the largest land mass on earth that was created by a volcano. It is said that when the Goddess Pele is angered, a volcano erupts. The island sinks about three inches per year because of the weight of the lava. So much of the island is vast expanses of grey, however vegetation grows back quickly--the 100 plus inches of rainfall each year makes that possible. The Island of Hawai'i boasts eleven of the thirteen weather systems from snow on mountain tops to rain forests. The only two missing are full Saharan and Arctic. Sugar cane was the main crop for many years, but now they grow only enough for their own use. The Dole plant closed ... read more