Molten lava, billowing white steam, the creation of new land – this is Hawaii!

The ride in the no tiny no door helicopter over the volcano Kilauea, was fantastic. Having been cancelled the day before, the pilot was glad that we were able to see a lot more activity than had been going on for months. This is one of the most active volcanoes in the world having begun its current activity in January of 1983! The new shiny silvery lava is amazing, covering much of the area around the open crater. The crater itself has a molten lake filling its interior. While there, we witnessed a large sheet of solid lave tilt and dissolve into the molten interior. With the doors off, we could feel the heat from the volcano. An amazing experience!

Before my fantastic voyage over the volcanoes, I donned flippers and mask and went on a snorkel tour of the Kona area seas. Magnificent! I have been to the Caribbean many times but I have to say I prefer Hawaii. It really felt like I was swimming in the saltwater tank I used to keep. Schools of Yellow Tang, Long-nosed Butterfly Fish, elegant Angelfish, large Parrotfish and of course the Huma Trigger Fish just to name a few. The tour I was on traveled to four different spots and our guide Manu gave us a great tour of the coastline history and lore. A great way to spend a morning in Hawai’i!

The next day I boarded the plane for Maui, my last island stop. On this lush island, I stayed a small upstairs bungalow using Airbnb. The place was a beautiful hidaway on the northern tier of the island. Once afternoon, I climbed down through the jungle to the shoreline. The beach was not a black beach, it was a boulder beach. No sand here. Huge boulders filled the beach – all round and weathered by surf and wind. It was beautiful. A creek flowed past the beach opening up into the bay.

My time in Maui began with my persuit of visiting as many national parks as possible. Maui features the Haleakalā National Park, This park includes the massive Haleakalā Volcano summit (at 10,000 ft) and below, its massive erosion Crater, the the famous Haleakalā Crater. It is huge: 6.99 miles across, 2.0 mi wide, and some 2,600 ft deep. The interior of the crater is dotted by numerous volcanic features, including large cinder cones thousands of years old the last eruption was between 1480 and 1600 AD. It is interesting that the summit visitors center closes around noon due to the heavy clouds that move into the crater almost every afternoon. The summit is usually sunny but is ringed by a crown of clouds, much like the two volcanoes on the big island. I have included an amazing panorama shot of the crater to give you a great idea as to what I saw while sitting on the summit.

On Maui, one of the premier trips is the Road to Hana. This road is a twisty, often single lane passageway cut out of the cliffs that border the Northern Seacoast of Maui. It seemed like every road in Maui was laid out using a snake. My question is, “Where did they get the snake? There are no snakes in Hawaii!”

Although treacherous, this road is absolutely beautiful. It traverses the undulating coastline; 52 miles through lush rainforest, crossing 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one lane wide. There are 620 curves along this highway with many of them almost 360º turnes that make you think you are going back to whence you came! Around every curve you can expect beautiful vistas of the Pacific Ocean or the flash of a hidden falls in the lush ravines that are carved out of the side of the Maui volcanoes. Or you could meet another car – then it is time to decide who has to back up to let the other one through!

On my journey on the road to Hana, I stopped when saw the flash of a falls high on the mountainside. I had bypassed Twin Falls because it seemed like half the tourist population of Maui was there. I parked my car near a couple of others and started the trek up the creek bed. After passing a few smaller falls, I came upon a beautiful 50+ foot falls with an asian girl enjoying its cool water pool. She and I were the only visitors at the falls. We talked for awhile and then she consented to a few pics. A beautiful setting for portraits – giving me an opportunity to practice the other side of my photography business – that of on location portraiture (Not that many of my clients in Missouri or Kansas will have a waterfalls like this for a background!) Look Mom – no photoshop!

After visiting other waterfalls and gorgeous vistas on the Road to Hana, I stopped in Hana for lunch with a wonderful view and then continued my way around the other side of the island. Seeing yet another wonderful waterfalls (sans model) and a beautiful rocky coastline.

The next day, I left my little hideaway and ventured up the coast to do a swing around the northern bulb of Maui. This road was just as treacherous as the Road to Hana and just as winding! However, instead of lush rainforests, this coastline featured grasslands and bare rocky shorelines. A beautiful drive that ended in Lahaina at a very nice restaurant called Frida’s, named after the beautiful Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, known for her self portraits. (She is also known for the tumultuous marriage to muralist Diego Rivera.) The restaurant sits along the bay and features very good Mexican food. My delicious burrito was accompanied by a beautiful view of the ocean and the sounds of the surf hitting the sea wall in front of me, sending a fine mist that cooled the very warm day.

After a great meal, I slowly made it down the Western coast of Maui and settling in at the Wahikuli State Park beach to relax and catch my final Hawaiian sunset. I will post these pics later

Stay tuned!