Aloha! It's hard to believe that anyone could be interested in my boring travel pictures, but hey--I'm glad you've stopped by. Feel free to send me an e-mail message and let me know what you think!
The pictures in this collection came from several trips to the islands and are all real pictures, taken by yours truly. If you're interested in knowing the equipment I used, click here. By the way, if these pictures look a bit grainy to you, don't blame me!!!
Before leaving for our tour of the island you might
check the fridge for something to drink. I'll be on the lanai
drinking mine . . . while in Hawaii most mornings for me began
with eating breakfast here. Not a bad way
to start one's day! Here's a another view or
two, including one overlooking the
Ala Wai Yacht Harbor.
Here's a view of Waikiki from the lanai of my hotel.
Can you spot the rainbow? One day a bird
decided to pay my lanai a visit--here's my feathered friend with some
Waikiki high-rise buildings in the background. If high rises aren't
your thing, here's a look out my window facing
south with the beach in the background. This one shows the
reverse angle--a view from the beach,
looking back at the famous Rainbow Tower.
Well you just never know who you're going to run into while in Hawaii.
Some fish near a small
waterfall look almost as happy as the
penguins and sea turtles. The flamingos
probably could escape if they wanted, but why would they want to?
If you're a fish living in Hawaii, here's a
popular hang-out.
Here's my obligatory picture of Diamond Head
taken from the beach, along with a less-common shot, taken from high
in the hills. Here's a look to the
side. A trip to the top of
Diamond Head is well worth the view, but it
does involve climbing a step or two! A lighthouse
below can be seen from this view.
Hawaii is a place of many contrasts. For those who work here it is a
busy metropolis; for those who relax here one seems
close to nature, even in a parking lot;
for those who vacation here, sunny hideaways are
never far away.
Traffic into and out of the city can be quite a challenge depending
on which way you are going. In the morning, traffic is predominantly
eastbound, as everyone pours into Honolulu. In the afternoon,
most of the traffic is ewa-bound (that's "westbound" for all you
haoles.) But don't just take my word for it--here's a
snapshot of the morning commute for those
of us fortunate enough to be heading west and a glimpse at what the
rest of the world has to deal with. The carpool
lane is not to bad either!
For a much more scenic drive, try a drive up the Pali. Along the way you'll
find a wonderful, albeit windy, view from atop the Pali
Lookout. Driving down the opposite side of the Pali are several places
where you can enjoy views such as this.
Up the western coast are many great views of small islands
including Coconut Isle, from which the backdrop shots for "Gilligan's Island"
were filmed. Along the way are many other great sights such as
Chinaman's Hat, and the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of a 900 year-old temple
in Uji, Japan. Don't forget to stop along the way for some
warm water and some great beaches!
An hour or so North off of H-2 is the beautiful North Shore.
Here's a secluded beach just off the main road.
I had lunch at a great restaurant just across the street overlooking
this view. Here's a look to the
right.
Here's a couple of well-known points of interest: the
Aloha Tower and just down the street
a bit, Iolani Palace, the only official royal
palace on U.S. soil. Just across the street lies
another impressive landmark, the King
Kamehameha Statue Here's a close-up
of the King himself. While you're here you might as well see the
nearby State Capitol building. Moving out of the
city up H-2 is the Dole Pineapple Visitor's
Center. where I happily sipped several cups of pineapple
juice!
On a more somber note, another important stop is a visit to the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known
as Punchbowl. This memorial honors the many soldiers who gave their
lives in service to our country. I was fortunate enough to be present
in Hawaii during the 50th anniversary of the end of the War in the Pacific
(WWII). In a special ceremony to commemorate the occasion,
American flags were placed in front of every grave to honor those who
had made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. On a lighter note, those
of us civilians present at the ceremony were given an introductory lesson
in military camouflaging techniques. I took this picture so you could test
your skills as well--see if you can you spot the outhouse!
The sunset depicted in this picture was much
more impressive in person than my camera could reproduce. This picture,
taken from atop Tantalus, shows a better view.
Sunsets in Hawaii can be quite captivating. They
serve as a perfect finish to a great Hawaiian
day--even when viewed from one's lanai.
Ah, a well-deserved rest on a sunny Saturday
afternoon. Well as long as I'm this far away from land I might as
well take another look at Diamond Head. As
evening approaches, it's time to kick back, relax
and enjoy another great sunset.
Ah ha!! I always wondered how the beaches could stay so smooth
after tourists wreaked havoc on it day in and day out.
So that's how it's done!! Hey,
who says the beaches are crowded during spring break?? Head out
there at 6:30 AM like I did and you can have the
whole place to yourself!!
Day has turned to dusk at the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor.
With a glance back toward Waikiki Beach and a look
back at the Rainbow Tower, it's time to sit back
and enjoy a perfect Hawaiian sunset.
As the sun begins to drop below the horizon, the passing of a day and the
promise of a new tomorrow finds itself brilliantly depicted on the canvas
of the sky above.
Well enough of this island, off to a Bigger one! If you're flying in from
the mainland, you can do it on a single-aisle plane
such as this 757, but I wouldn't recommend it! (Unless of course, you
like flying sardine-style.) Well, let's cross over the
bridge and head over to the pool--don't miss the
waterfall!. Here's a look at
Hapuna Beach--not a bad place to go when it's nice out! Here's another
typical Hawaiian sunset, as seen from a hotel room I
recently occupied. Here's the view from there during the
day. And, lest you think my vacations are all play and no work, here is a
shot of yours truly keeping in shape with a little indoor
mountain climbing! Stay tuned . . . more pics from the
Big Island as they develop!
Hey, what's this? How did we wind up here?!?
It can't be time to go, we only got here! Say this
garden here at the airport looks pretty nice,
maybe I could stay here for a while. What? The plane
is leaving? Ah well, I guess this is it . . . aloha!!
