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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Hawaii 2016: The Big Island
Baja Angel has never been to Hawaii, so for her vacation, this was the year. My last time was over 25 years ago, so it was mostly new, for me, too. I
have a friend with homes in Kona and near Hilo which allowed us to spend time on both sides of the Big Island. Mahalo (Thank you)!
We saw botanical gardens, vanilla and chocolate (Cacao) groves, coffee, bananas and more. We enjoyed time on both white and black sand beaches, saw
the volcano erupting, waterfalls, the observatories at nearly 14,000 feet elevation, and more.
Here are a few photos:
At nearly 14,000 feet above sea level (and the world's largest mountain if measured from the sea floor) are some of the observatories on Mauna Kea
mountain, and Maui Island in the background:
This is the shadow of Mauna Kea over the Pacific Ocean, at sundown.
Vanilla:
Cacao (Chocolate):
Atemoya and Rambutan for breakfast:
There are more... but this was a sample to share. Any location questions, just ask!
[Edited on 11-19-2016 by David K]
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DENNIS
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Great shots, David. A little HDR here and there?
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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o3dave
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Those photos sucked me in. I gotta go. Thanks for sharing.
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fishbuck
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Very cool... except for the volcano which is of course very hot! 
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Thanks!
What is HDR?
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fishbuck
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Hawaii Downtime Relaxation?
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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David K
Honored Nomad
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We tried to get close to where the lava is pouring into the ocean (and growing the island)... but this was the end of the road... in the 2011 lava
flow:
From that point, here is the steam from the lava hitting the water. They rent bikes or you can walk the two miles from the road block to the lava
observation:
Another option is to take a boat ride or a helicopter to see it.
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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I need a map please 
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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High Dynamic Range....a photo enhancement technique. It says a lot about your pictures that you don't use it. They have spectacular clarity.
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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motoged
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Good for you guys....Big Island is a great place....if you do it again, Kauai is a cool island too....
Don't believe everything you think....
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LancairDriver
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Your spoiled Howard.
[Edited on 11-20-2016 by LancairDriver]
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David K
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I placed circles around some of the locations we visited during the 10 days. We spent 8 nights at the Kailua-Kona house and 2 nights at the Akaka
Falls house, which is a vacation rental:
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David K
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Quote: Originally posted by DENNIS  |
High Dynamic Range....a photo enhancement technique. It says a lot about your pictures that you don't use it. They have spectacular clarity.
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Thanks Dennis, just me and my Cannon! On Photobucket, I did do a color enhancement which brightened them a little.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Quote: Originally posted by DENNIS |
High Dynamic Range....a photo enhancement technique. It says a lot about your pictures that you don't use it. They have spectacular clarity.
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Thanks Dennis, just me and my Cannon! On Photobucket, I did do a color enhancement which brightened them a little. |
aaaahaaaaaaa........thought I saw something there. 
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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Thanks for the map!
All is now good in the world, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west and David has posted a map. I knew it wouldn't take too much prodding!
Enjoy your trip!
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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Udo
Elite Nomad
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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Thanks for sharing, David!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Lobsterman
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Thanks for talking the time to share the beautiful photos you took of the Big Island of Hawaii. Currently we are just finishing up on the 1st week of
a 3-week Thanksgiving vacation mainly in Hilo with a couple of days in Kailua-Kona for the boat snorkeling tour. I worked in Hilo for 2 months last
year and had to come back on vacation to share the many sites with the family as you have so elegantly depicted with your photos.
I noticed that you went to the top of the Mauna Kea volcano and observatory with a non 4-wheel drive car. The rental car agency and all literature I
have read said not to attempt such a feat with a 2-wheel drive vehicle. If in an accident the insurance would not cover it. I rented a large SUV
Buick. Do you think I'll be able to easily traverse the gravel road up to the summit? Yesterday was the 1st day here where I could see the summit
from Hilo. It has rained every day in various places while tranversing the island like you did with the sun peeking out many times a day between
showers. Weather highs of 78 with little noticeable humidity. No a/c needed.
Also did you stop and try Donna's Cookies a few miles up the road from your Akaka Falls turnoff on RT19? You must have passed it many times going to
the vanilla farm and northern lookout. It's just a little shack on the side of the road with no customer service booth. They make 18,000 cookies a day
in a little workshop no bigger than a living room. They are to die for.
The Road of Craters at the closed end inside the Volcano Nat'l Park to me was the most breathtaking in that you thought you had just landed on Mars.
At its closed end you could see the plumes of steam coming up from the hot lava hitting the surf. Today we are going to the same lava flow at Kalapana
on the other side of the closed Road of Craters road above. The lava boat tours are currently closed due to high winds and surf.
Please post more pics of places you visited to give me more ideas of places to visit with the family. Especially if you have any white sand beaches
and/or snorkeling beaches in the Kona area and north of there. That's on our Kailua-Kona stay agenda.
Update: It's raining cats-and-dogs just as I pushed the post button. I love the rain!
Update: it stopped raining 5 minutes later and the sun is shining between the puffy clouds. Typical start of a day in Hilo.
[Edited on 11-20-2016 by Lobsterman]
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David K
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Hi Lobsterman,
I am leaving the house soon, but will answer more of your questions today.
The rental we had had no warning about unpaved roads. Another we looked at that was cheaper did, however. Our friends told us the road up was a piece
of cake and did not tell us it was signed for 4WD only where the pavement ended at the observatory museum (at 9,200'). I was surprised that such a
huge complex did not have a paved road with so much equipment and travelers using it. The unpaved part lasted only 4 miles, and the final 3 were again
paved. So weird!
It was no problem for me to drive in the Hyundai. Having gone so far, I wasn't going to turn around at 9,200'. We easily made it to the 13,700'
telescopes and there were many vans (tour buses) up there at sundown. Another surprise is they allow visitors until 10 pm! I would think the light
pollution from headlights would mess up observations!
I will give you the details on how to find the greatest little sand beach... about 6 miles north of Kona Airport!
Stay tuned!
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David K
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Ok, so the nice little beach we went to, twice is at/ near Kuki'o Bay. It is south of the Four Seasons Hotel. Turn off Hwy. 19 by Mile 88, go directly
to the entrance guard station and ask the guard for a pass to the beach. There are a limited number of parking spots available. If not full, he will
have you U-Turn around their guard station, give you a pass, and directions (just a right turn at the first cross street heading back towards Hwy.
19). You will buzz for a gate to open and continue to the beach parking. Once parked, you take a paved path towards the north to a nice bathroom/
shower building and the beach is just beyond. There is shade from coconut and other trees and no waves thanks to the protecting lava reef. Open to
dusk.
Sound complicated, but it was easy and they were very nice. Maybe that keeps it not busy?
Here are my photos there, other than a bunch I took of the sun setting:
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David K
Honored Nomad
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No, did not notice Donna's cookies... We often were with or following our friends going places. There is just so much to see and do... We were only on
the Hilo side Thursday and Friday nights. On Friday, all of us went to Pahoa, had lunch at a Thai place, drove to the end of the road on the 2011 lava
flow (where many homes were lost to the lava).
Here are photos of our Thai food and the lava flow area. The steam of where the current flow is entering the ocean is in the background of some of my
photos. Also, the smoke over the underground lava river coming down the mountain towards the ocean is in three of my photos:
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