Our AirBnB reminded me of my Aunt Linda’s cabin except Hawaii style… perfect place to call home base.
Kaumana caves were recommended to Jess by a friend. We worked our way back up to Hilo and to the caves in the morning.
I was wondering what would be so special compared to Thurston Lava Tube, but it turns out it was soooo cool! There were two caves, one left and one right. That hole looks small, I might’ve had to duck to get through but it was such a long cave that it’s a lot bigger than it looks.
The inside had fascinating geological features… really smooth rock from water flow and really uneven loose rock from lava flow. Eventually the cave opens up from the top and it’s so pretty! Those things hanging down are roots.
It opened up again a little further down, and we chose to exit that way back through the park above the cave so we didn’t have to climb over loose rock again. The trail was not cleared… but having pants made it relatively easy to get back.
Next stop, rainbow falls! There is sometimes a rainbow due to the mist, but we didn’t see on that day. It’s pretty much viewable from the parking lot so thankfully not a lot of walking.
Lava rock contains numerous varieties of rocks and minerals, one of which is ovaline. If the the conditions are just right, nature breaks down the rocks and leaves just the green tinted ovaline behind creating a green sand beach.
This was an adventure I regret taking for multiple reasons, and maybe I’ll post the details for a different day or save this for my offline life…but we essentially hiked 2.5 miles to get there just barely before sunset. We did not walk all the way down to the beach.
I ended up traveling 14.5 miles on foot total that day and I have the battle wounds to prove it (looking at you huge blisters).
Once we got back from this we went to see the lava again. Talk about tired! I can also say I’ve truly visited the southernmost point in the US (Florida Keys, you lie!!)
Saturday morning was spent exploring volcano’s national park. I had heard during my first trip to Big Island you could spend days here… and it’s absolutely true. We started with the Kilauea Iki Trail and Crater Rim Trail, which is a trail that brings you around the crater rim and down into the floor of a (hopefully) inactive crater. We went counter clockwise as advised by reviews, so we went along the rim of the crater and toward the back. It’s mostly wooded and had some peek a boo spots of the crater.
To give you an idea of how huge this is, you can see two tiny people if you use a magnifying glass in the next picture.
So we journey our way down to the crater floor, crossed it, and then made our way back up to the rim.
We eventually made our way back up the other side and through the jungle again to get to the Thurston Lava Tube. A lava tube is formed when the top and bottom layers of lava cool enough to harden but the middle keeps flowing. Eventually the middle drains out and leaves a tube.
Next we took a drive down chain of craters road, which is exactly as it sounds… a road with craters on the left and right. We stopped at a couple craters, one I showed them a tree casting (when a tree gets surrounded by lava it turns to ash but not before leaving a mold).
We ended up with a Mustang rental car… 10/10 do not recommend. But it makes for photogenic photos! Here we’re still on chain of craters road approaching the sea. The surroundings are all lava rocks.
Here you can see strips of newer lava over miles of old lava flows.
Our final destination was the coast where we saw a sea arch.
We saw all different type of lava flow geometric patterns along the way.
We also saw an oasis popping up and a nene, the Hawaii state bird.
We decided we had time to take a walk to the Petroglyphs (a stop along the way we bypassed). They were really neat.
We could’ve spent a whole other day exploring around volcanoes… but instead we went back to our AirBnB and relaxed for a short few minutes and then went on our way to another adventure.
My friend Jess and I really wanted to visit Big Island (aka Hawaii Island) to see the volcano erupting so we planned a trip together. There’s no telling if the volcano will actually be erupting or not, so we planned to do a lot of other adventures along the way and hoped to see the lava. Both of us were afraid to look at the eruption status all week; we were holding our breaths. Then, Jess checked the morning of our trip and saw a report that it had stopped… boy, were we disappointed. We decided to put it in the schedule anyway.
We checked in to our AirBnB which was about fifteen minutes from the prime viewing point. We headed there around 9:15pm. The viewing point was down a little path off what was crater rim drive. Crater rim drive closed in 2008 during eruptions. It’s mainly intact on the part we walked aside from a big crack. This is the sky as you get closer to the crater… we were trying not to get our hopes up but it was hard not to!
We’re getting closer…
And then you see the lava and you’re completely in awe of it. It’s the most surreal thing I’ve ever experienced… like you’re in a museum or a movie. You can hear the cracking sounds the volcano makes.
I’ve been asked if you can feel the warmth. I will clarify that we are actually really far away… thankfully. The pictures above are zoomed and cropped.
Regardless, as we walked back to the car we felt it get about ten degrees cooler. When we were watching the lava, I don’t remember feeling cool, but at the car I did.
Next time, I’ll remember my actual zoom lens (I grabbed the wrong one, face palm!), my tripod, and a chair. I’d love to video the people walking down and their reactions… it’s priceless, especially the children. We completely lucked out. I took a series of videos which you can watch on my playlist below. I haven’t watched them all, skip to 47 seconds in of the first video. I’m still working on my videoing skills, ha! The second video is pretty neat as well, just let the first plat to the end. Definitely could use a tripod.
We went back the next day and it wasn’t as “explosive” should I say. However, still worth the effort. It would’ve been considered amazing had we not seen day one, but now I guess I’m spoiled!
Man, I’m not sure any travel adventure will ever top this.
I did get nervous at some points… like what if this really did blow up big time? But it’s one of those things I guess you just look past. I could’ve sat with a bag of popcorn for forever watching it. If the pictures worth a thousand words, being there is worth a million.
Manoa Falls is a very touristy waterfall hike. It was closed for a bit and redone to try to prevent erosion. It’s really easily accessible, not much of an incline, and beautiful. However, definitely not as breathtaking as one that you’d find buried deep in the jungle like the last one I went to, Waipulani falls. I think the touristy feel takes some of the awe away. None the less, great little adventure to get some fresh air after what felt like weeks of rain.
OK, I take it back, you do feel a bit like you’re walking through the jungle…
But the path is mostly gravel and well kept bridges.
As you get closer you can only see the bottom tier.
In some of the pictures you can see people at the base swimming… you can, but swim at your own risk of infection with whatever diseases… I’ll take a pass. There are signs saying you shouldn’t, and with all the heavy rains I especially wouldn’t.
Parking is $4 for Kama’aina or military. The parking lot is small, but there was an additional one further. This trail connects to a large network of trails in the Tantalus area that I’ve yet to check out. Total was 1.7 miles round trip and 400 ft elevation. I think for a quick hit up of a waterfall without getting too dirty, it’s great. If it were me, I’d choose Likeke or Waipulani or even Waimea before I came to this one.
I wish I had taken more pictures… I know, I know, the photographer didn’t take a lot of pictures!
Overall I think my parents had a great time (or so they said). I guess it’s hard not to here… but they only got a couple beach days and we had the luau and Pearl Harbor trolley tour cancelled because of COVID. I think they most liked the warm water, turtles, and beauty of Hawaii.
We picked them up from the airport and gave them the proper greeting with a couple of leis and of course rainbows on the drive home as we planned (ha). We ate a take out meal for Christmas that was decent. Then the next day my friend had an 8 hour layover coming home from Australia, so we all hung out at the beach after eating breakfast and then got lunch. I don’t think we did much after that, except maybe watch Moana later in the day.
Dad joined me for my sunrise walks, and was treated to two really good ones. He met all my friends.
Tuesday we were supposed to go to on the trolley tour. Instead I brought them to a few places at Pearl Harbor. There’s a big park on the harbor that has a lot of displays, they could see the Arizona Memorial. I brought them to the USS Utah wreckage (not talked a lot about, it’s on the opposite side of Ford Island). And to the USS Oklahoma Memorial. We then visited Brian at the boat and brought him dinner since he was on duty.
Wednesday we went driving around to a few lookouts and the halona blow hole. Halona blow hole parking was a shit show… Brian didn’t even get out of the car and was a little bummed… but we will go back so he can see it at a quieter time. At night we went to the Show Aloha lights. It’s a drive through Christmas light show with a little walking section. It was very cute. I’m glad we went after Christmas, it was quiet.
Thursday we played golf at the Klipper golf course on the Marine Corps Base. It ended up being a perfect day because it was overcast but not raining, and it wasn’t hot. There was a nice breeze. This ended up being my highlight of the trip. It was something active, I hit the ball well just not in the right direction. I think it was enjoyable for all, and my parents took home some golf balls with the shaka and aloha on them.
Here’s us at the end of their famous hole 13.
Friday was one last sunrise walk and then packing and cleaning and head to the airport!
Anyway, I think they’ll be back. Glad to have some peace and quiet again though!
Brian and I took a trip to Hawaii (Big Island) for three nights. A lot of it was a logistical nightmare… there was a cancelled snorkeling tour and we lost our go pro. Midday during one of the days I lost it and sobbed in the hotel for an hour. I will eventually post about it, but I’m just not feeling up for rehashing it yet. So here’s a quick happier update from after that trip.
Brian and I hosted a few friends for Christmas brunch. We had waffles, quiche, fresh fruit, and POG (passionfruit orange guava) mimosas. We then played ticket to ride, a game where we compete to build train routes. My shirt says “Deck the palms” and it’s from Brian’s parents, I love it!
We had a phone call with Brian’s family, including his aunt and uncle who are visiting his parents currently and of course his parents and his sister.
Then we went to pick up my parents from the airport! I didn’t get a picture of them in their leis, I’m kinda upset with myself, but Dad has one. I got a very special Pierogi delivery, I AM SO HAPPY! They are loving Hawaii. Dad joined me the next morning for a sunrise walk and met a couple of my “sunrise walk usuals” friends.
Another friend who visited previously, Erin, had a 9 hour layover between Australia and NYC. So we all got some breakfast, sunshine, and lunch together.
Merry Christmas from us to you! Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
I might not post every time I re-do hikes, but we wanted to try to get to a sunrise on this hike. It was pretty cloudy and there was a wall of rain coming at us, but we’re glad we did it. This was Jess’ first time so I told her to come back.
We must’ve seen at least six rainbows this day from all the rain.
This was by far my favorite Hawaii hike so far. I almost got too nervous to do it based on the reviews… many say it’s not well marked, and you lose GPS, and it’s muddy… but I decided with Brian and Jess along the worst that happens is we get a little lost and use our heads to get back home. I’m SO happy we chose to do it. The pictures don’t do it justice, but the waterfalls were amazing, and the journey there was awesome.
You start by having to go across a manmade concrete ditch, that was actually a bit tricky but do able obviously. There was a lot of downed trees and brush, but there were pink tree tags often enough you can find your way. Pretty quickly you get to this amazing bamboo forest.
Eventually you get to a split and can go left or right. Definitely go left. Somewhere along the way you hit a pine forest.
I was joking with them that this is nature’s botanical garden. Finally, we started getting close to a stream and more jungle-y scenery. The path had a lot of mud puddles. I wear spikes on my shoes, it makes me so much faster. They are supposed to go on boots, but I wear them on these because they clean easier. I just need to start wearing my boots even though they won’t stay clean.
Anyway, after only about 620ft elevation and a mile (which in Hawaiian mud turns out to take 50 minutes, seriously! It’s crazy) you get to this AMAZING waterfall. The pictures don’t do the height justice until you put a person in them.
These were sooo beautiful. And the sound they make!! So peaceful. There’s also a cave you can explore, but I thought I heard that it can be disrespectful to the land, but maybe I’m making that up. Anyway, you had to kinda rope climb to get up, and I wasn’t up for it. So I let Brian and Jess explore a bit and just snapped away.
This was such a great hike. There was parking at the pali lookout. Barely any steep scrambling. With my crampons I felt very safe. It took us a little under 2 hours, which isn’t overwhelming but not easy either. The navigating by following the flagged trees was easy. Bamboo forest was beautiful. I can’t say enough good about this hike. Love love loved it.
KOSC hosted a cookie swap. This has to be one of my favorite Christmas events. So many cookies and so little baking. I made Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies. They taste delicious, but the texture is not quite right. I am also trying to figure out my oven, it doesn’t quite bake right with cookies on both shelves… so I think I’ll just start cooking one sheet at a time.
I’m not often in pictures so one of the members I’ve taught to take pictures took my camera and took one of me. It’s really dark in the house and at night, so things look a bit blurry due to my camera settings I have to work with.
The sugar cookies come from another sub spouse who moonlighted doing cookie baking for the White House Christmas (I think I mentioned she came over to bake cookies for homecoming). She’s a great decorator! She actually baked them at my house again because her oven part didn’t come in.
Anyway, I wasn’t originally going to go to this. I had another holiday party schedules at the same time with the submarine officer spouse group. I had to pay $40 to reserve my spot, and it it’s one of those fancy parties at the Camp Smith Sunset Lanai. I really only wanted to go to experience the Sunset Lanai… everything else I was not looking forward to. Dressing up, driving far, being there for a long time, having to lie about how Brian’s doing (word gets around and it can get around to the wrong people)… the cookie swap was way more my style. Less people, less being fake, way more fun and cookies. I do not regret making that decision, but it felt hard to make at the time.
I also tried this garlic bread tree recipe. I think display was 10/10. Taste was 7/10. Needed more garlic and the bread was meh. Didn’t stop me from eating it for breakfast the next morning. Also pictured is my friend’s spinach dip recipe which is my fave and I request all the time.
Glad to be around people I’m comfortable with in a comfortable outfit and get to take a container full of a million types of cookies. Win win.
