All of the islands of Hawaii are gorgeous in their own right. But, here I want to focus on what is called the Big Island, the island of Hawaii itself. It is the most undeveloped of the various islands, and perhaps the least populated. Plus, it is home to 3 of the 4 volcanoes that are still listed as being active (as newscasts in April-May 2018 can testify). These are Maua Loa , Kilauea, and Hualalai (which sits above Kona). The fourth is Haleakala on Maui. We have traveled to the islands often, but most of the time we have found ourselves on the big island, with its abundant beauty.
One of the amazing views near the beach in Waikaloa, taken in the early morning before the sun had risen too far. The nearer lagoon is somewhat detached from the ocean and swimming in it is discouraged do to the presence of some non-friendly fish. Another view is shown below, where the beach is beyond the line of palm trees.
A nice coastal spot in a state park between Kona and Waikaloa. Here, we are looking back toward Mauna Kea.
Just north of Hilo is a very nice botanical garden. This lovely stream was cascading down the mountainside to the ocean, providing a very relaxing area.
Below is one of the beautiful flowers that can be found in the garden.
The northeast side of the big island is largely unaccessible due to the massive cliffs abutting the ocean. This is the view of the cliffs from the end of the road near Kukuihaele, at the Waipio overlook.
Of course, Hawaii is best enjoyed with friends. Here, we have Steve and Sara Goodnick, and Wolfgang Porod. Steve is a colleague of mine at ASU, and Wolf is a former research associate, who is now a chaired professor at Notre Dame. This picture was takne in 2003.
Sunset in Hawaii. This was taken near the Keauhou beach area, near the abandoned hotel of the same name. We observed one of the most intense green flashes from the bar (overlooking this beach area) when the hotel was still open.
Another of the nice flowers in Hawaii. This one was taken in Kailua-Kona along Alii drive in the town itself.
The main eruptions of Kilauea are occuring from the Pu’u’Oo cone, shown below on the left in 2007. The picture on the right is a rift through which the flowing lava can be seen on its way to the ocean. Of course, since May 2018, the major flow is much larger and through fissure 8 in the Leilani estates in the East Rift Zone.
There are some very restful spots in Kona, where one can watch the waves come ashore. Not all are beaches, but there is no reason that you cannot sit nearby (perhaps in a bar) and observe the breaking of the waves.
On the coast, off a road down to the coast near Captain Cook, lies the national park that highlights the Hawaiian Place of Refuge. Those banished by King Kamehameha could go here to be protected until they could restore the King’s trust in them.
Finally, we have to end with the reason many people go to Hawaii, and that is a beach. This one is Hapuna Beach State Park, on the north end of the Kohala coast on the big island. It is rated one of the best beaches in the entire Hawaiian Islands, and therefore is one of the beaches in the United States.
