Hawaii 2021
Posts from our trip to Hawaii in October and November 2021. We visited Oahu, Hawaii (the Big Island), and Maui. This was our first trip (flying) after the COVID pandemic started in 2020.
As for today, this is a travel day. I’m currently waiting at the Kona airport waiting on my flight to Maui.
Posted on October 26, 2021
Funny story: Someone at Uēkahuna was marveling at the stars and wondering if “the bright one” was the North Star. I told her it was in fact Venus, and I got roped into giving an impromptu star hike, pointing out Venus, Jupiter, and some of the easier to spot constellations. ✨
Posted on October 26, 2021
The night sky on Kilauea is crystal clear, with very little light pollution. I saw more stars there than I have anywhere else, except perhaps the back country of New Mexico. It’s easy to see why they put the telescope on Mauna Kea nearby. (Volcano, HI)
Posted on October 26, 2021
Finally, we headed back to the Uēkahuna overlook to see the glow of the lava lake at night. Kilauea was impressive by day, but it was stunning by night. I just can’t fathom the power of a volcano. It’s no wonder they were worshiped as gods by some people. (Volcano, HI)
Posted on October 26, 2021
After visiting the caldera of Kilauea, we went to the Thurston Lava Tubes, where we were able to walk through giant tubes of rock formed when lava flows crusted over like a freezing river in the winter. (Volcano, HI)
Posted on October 26, 2021
Kīlauea was really impressive. The caldera billowed up clouds of steam and sulphur which stains the rock. From the Uēkahuna overlook, we could see the lava lake at the bottom of the caldera which skimmed over with silvery cooled lava. (Volcano, HI)
Posted on October 26, 2021
Next off to see volcanoes! To get there, we drove the “Saddle Road” which goes over the pass between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. There’s nothing on that road but a military base and scrub. But the view of Mauna Loa is nice. (Waiki‘i, HI)
Posted on October 26, 2021
For second lunch (yes second lunch—don’t judge me) we headed down the road to Shaka Tacoz which got rave reviews from locals. They are technically a food truck, but they rent a building without a kitchen so they can offer indoor seating. Delicious! (Captain Cook, HI)
