You've waited long enough
Well folks, you've been patient enough with me, so it's time I pay up.
From the 1500 pictures we took while on the family trip to Hawai'i, I've put up the best 300 or so on my flickr account.
The main premise for the trip was that my Dad and I were going to Pacifichem 2005, where my dad actually presented a poster, and I was just a lowly observer. My mom and brother got to tag along. It should be noted that our family is not much of the "lay around on the beach and tan" type: we'd rather be out hiking and exploring, especially because my dad is an avid birdwatcher, always on the lookout for new birds to add to his life list.
Our first week in the state was spent on the island of Oahu, the biggest draw being Waikiki Beach, a small district of the capital city of Honolulu. This is the typical tourist place, with beautiful, long white sand beaches, full of tourists tanning, swimming and taking beginner surfing lessons. We spent about a day on the beach, while the rest of our time was spent exploring the rest of the island. Among the highlights of Oahu are Diamond Head, a crater left over from a volcano; the North Shore, with the best waves in the world during the winter (there was a series of World Cups on while we were there); and some beautiful botanical gardens throughout Honolulu and the island, yielding some great pictures of beautiful and unusual birds and flowers.
The next week, we flew to the island of Hawai'i, more commonly known as the Big Island. While here, we spent the first few days (including Christmas) on the East coast, in Hilo. We used this as our basecamp while exploring the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and along the Saddle Road to the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy. The second half of the week was spent in Kailua Kona, on the very dry West coast of the island. If you've heard of Kona, then you've heard of the incredible coffee grown there. We made sure to stop by and sample the brew at no les than 4 estates, and also made sure to head to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut plantation for some treats. Though I'm not a fan of most nuts (I don't gag on them, however), "mac nuts" were a surprise hit with me, and I brought back a few packages of them, consumed all too quickly. Good thing they ship worldwide!
Our final week was spent on the island of Kaua'i, known as the Garden Island. This island has been made famous through scores of movies being filmed in the exotic locations on the Na Pali Coast, as a stand-in for undiscovered lands worldwide (Jurassic Park being its most famous). While there, we also spent some time hiking beside the Waimea Canyon. Nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", this breathtaking landscape is impossible to restrict to only one picture, so you'll notice many shots in series in an attempt to do it justice. Our final night was capped by an entertaining and exhilirating luau, complete with beautiful women, and an incredible fire dancer. Flickr can't handle videos yet, so click here to grab the best of the bunch.
Hopefully the pictures I've got help to showcase the incredibly beautiful and rugged landscape of the islands. They've been uploaded in two sets: one taken by my brother Andrew, and the other taken by my dad and I on his camera. Hopefully there aren't too many overlaps. Feel free to throw up a question or comment here if you've like an explanation. Enjoy, and aloha!
ps. Let's hope this posting becomes more routine, and I post gold like this every couple of days. :) OR, write a chapter. Either way, at least I'll be accomplshing something.
From the 1500 pictures we took while on the family trip to Hawai'i, I've put up the best 300 or so on my flickr account.
The main premise for the trip was that my Dad and I were going to Pacifichem 2005, where my dad actually presented a poster, and I was just a lowly observer. My mom and brother got to tag along. It should be noted that our family is not much of the "lay around on the beach and tan" type: we'd rather be out hiking and exploring, especially because my dad is an avid birdwatcher, always on the lookout for new birds to add to his life list.
Our first week in the state was spent on the island of Oahu, the biggest draw being Waikiki Beach, a small district of the capital city of Honolulu. This is the typical tourist place, with beautiful, long white sand beaches, full of tourists tanning, swimming and taking beginner surfing lessons. We spent about a day on the beach, while the rest of our time was spent exploring the rest of the island. Among the highlights of Oahu are Diamond Head, a crater left over from a volcano; the North Shore, with the best waves in the world during the winter (there was a series of World Cups on while we were there); and some beautiful botanical gardens throughout Honolulu and the island, yielding some great pictures of beautiful and unusual birds and flowers.
The next week, we flew to the island of Hawai'i, more commonly known as the Big Island. While here, we spent the first few days (including Christmas) on the East coast, in Hilo. We used this as our basecamp while exploring the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and along the Saddle Road to the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy. The second half of the week was spent in Kailua Kona, on the very dry West coast of the island. If you've heard of Kona, then you've heard of the incredible coffee grown there. We made sure to stop by and sample the brew at no les than 4 estates, and also made sure to head to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut plantation for some treats. Though I'm not a fan of most nuts (I don't gag on them, however), "mac nuts" were a surprise hit with me, and I brought back a few packages of them, consumed all too quickly. Good thing they ship worldwide!
Our final week was spent on the island of Kaua'i, known as the Garden Island. This island has been made famous through scores of movies being filmed in the exotic locations on the Na Pali Coast, as a stand-in for undiscovered lands worldwide (Jurassic Park being its most famous). While there, we also spent some time hiking beside the Waimea Canyon. Nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", this breathtaking landscape is impossible to restrict to only one picture, so you'll notice many shots in series in an attempt to do it justice. Our final night was capped by an entertaining and exhilirating luau, complete with beautiful women, and an incredible fire dancer. Flickr can't handle videos yet, so click here to grab the best of the bunch.
Hopefully the pictures I've got help to showcase the incredibly beautiful and rugged landscape of the islands. They've been uploaded in two sets: one taken by my brother Andrew, and the other taken by my dad and I on his camera. Hopefully there aren't too many overlaps. Feel free to throw up a question or comment here if you've like an explanation. Enjoy, and aloha!
ps. Let's hope this posting becomes more routine, and I post gold like this every couple of days. :) OR, write a chapter. Either way, at least I'll be accomplshing something.
posted by CMac at 8:19 PM
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