Friday, July 27, 2018

Why I love traveling with Sherry

Yesterday's adventures were mostly sites that were on Sherry's to-do list. And they were awesome.

Our path for the day
Here was our basic itinerary.

1) See a Black Sand Beach. I expected this to be intriguing, though it proved to be a little bit more intrigued than I expected. We brought swim suits in case the swimming was good, but the skies were overcast and the surf quite rough (I noticed only one family braving it). It was lifeguarded, however. Rather than swim, we let our feet get wet and took in the wildlife and scenery, which didn't disappoint.

crabs

sea turtle
We all enjoyed seeing these critters, including several sea turtles swimming near the beach.

Caroline along the beach.

The sand were like fine little marbles. Grains were bigger than sand we see on the East Coast.

It's okay for sculpting, but not great. 

Caroline's feet.
I don't regret our decision not to swim. Too much good stuff to see anyway. Sherry was happy.

Good choice: Parks Canada shirt on a tropical isle.
2) Visit a National Park (and get a stamp). Kiluea's eruption means most of the park is closed. There's one small unit of it, Kahuku, that's open. It's probably the sort of stop we wouldn't have made had the main park been open. But this was a little gem. A very manageable but steep climb took us to the top of a cinder cone overgrown with grass. Erosion and mining meant it was only 100 feet high, not 200. Sam really liked the remnants of the quarry inside.

Climbing the cinder cone.

Sam views the quarry.

Sam explores the quarry.


It seemed improbable that near this grassy area would be a rugged lava flow field from 1868. Walking it was one of the eerier things I've done. Though rock, it's more porous and therefore lighter than one would think. Often it would crunch or shift beneath your feet. There were several lava tubes (almost like little dens) and tree holes, where the lava surrounded a large tree and hardened around it.




Sam explores depth of a tree hole.

Sam near a lava tube.

It looked like the moon, but badly paved.


I feebly offered to the ranger that we had something like this back in PA: Centralia. Boulder Field, too. Remember, I said "feebly."

3) Visit southernmost point in U.S. This underwhelmed us a little bit. Lots of folks there. Many going to nearby green sand beach which we thought was a little sketchy for a family with an 10- and 12-year-old. So we were satisfied with seeing the southernmost edge of our nation.

Nothing but Pacific behind us.


And then there was after dinner.



4) See the lava flow. A Park Ranger advised that we could go to the town of Pahoa and see the lava flow. As we drove to it, it looked at first like a sunset, but the moon was high above the red light and we were driving south-southeast. We parked at Sacred Heart Church there and walked about 1/8 of a mile to slightly elevated patch of land to get a close view.

Above the treeline from Pahoa.

From Pahoa.

From Pahoa.

Pretty good day. And our least expensive since coming to Hawaii (even with gasoline at $3.96/gal.).

The Big Island: A Jarring Place

I'm behind on updating here, aren't I? Sorry. I'll get up to speed once we get off the Big Island.

It took me about a day to get used to the Big Island after a week in Waikiki. Please don't accept that as a criticism of either Waikiki or the Big Island. Waikiki was a beach resort town, but in the size of a city. It was a jaw-dropping outpost of American commercialism (oh, the brands) jutting thousands of miles into the pacific aside a picturesque beach.

Then there's the Big Island, which after two days of driving it now strikes me like a tropical version of the American West. It's not just that the Big Island is different from Oahu, one portion of the Big Island is different from another that might be 100 yards away.

At Kahuku Unit of Volcanoes National Park

Sam in that lava flow field. 

Sherry and Caroline, approximately 100 yards from the spot where I took Sam's photo above.

Go another 200 yards and one can walk up this beautiful, grassy cone. Please note the new member of the family in Caroline's arms: Ollie. 
Getting to this gorgeous, diverse place involved approximately 40 minutes of driving from our inn in Volcano. Along the drive, we went from more than 4,000 feet in elevation to less than 500 (a brief trip to the black sand beach took us to sea level), went in and out of radio reception, and through two or three towns.

A day of seeing sites by car helped me get acclimated to this strange land, stranger than anything I've ever seen on the mainland, but still American.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Hawaii: First Impressions



I'm eager for Sherry and the kids to arrive Saturday. Primarily because I miss them. But also, I can't wait to see what they think of this place. Waikiki, I think, was designed for Caroline. Though I think Sherry and Sam will like it here, too, this is a Caroline destination if I've ever seen one.

My best way of wording it is this: If you forget where you are, you think you're anywhere else in the U.S. (with one big exception . . . keep reading). I'm sitting here beside the pool: the chatter, sounds, money, food . . . all seems like anywhere else in America. Then you look around and you realize that the line between outside and inside is blurred. Heck, there's really no front door at this hotel. One just walks in the lobby, which is more like a big porch. Then you see the palm trees. Then you realize there's something different.

At today's workshop I found myself engrossed in an excellent lecture. The conference room, the language, the colleagues . . . could have been Plymouth Meeting for all I knew. But then I walk outside to go to Hangar 79 and . . . volcanic mountains and Hickam Field.

Hickam Field. 

In Hangar 79. You may note bullet holes in the glass panes, bullet holes left by Japanese aircraft. 
Other than the palm trees and perfect weather, the biggest difference I note is the diversities of people. This is an amazing crossroads of people, visitors and residents alike. I don't think I've ever seen this varied of a group of people in one place, ever.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Today's Trip (annotated)


So, this was a somewhat interesting itinerary for a Friday in July.

Seriously, it was sun glare, not indigestion.

We began with breakfast, sneaking in a visit to a somewhat new restaurant on the way to the Orthodontist.

Look, Dad, no metal. 


Then there was the Orthodontist, where Caroline provided proof that, yes, all hardware was out of her mouth.

Sam and I pose with the Phanatic's ATV. Weird observation: his ATV has passenger car tires, not the rugged treads one normally sees on an ATV.  

After the Orthodontist we joined friends in South Philly for a tour of the Phillies' ballpark. It may be 14 years old, but it remains my favorite in the Major Leagues. I just wish it was located closer to Center City.

Selfie at City Hall.

Whoo Hoo! 
Up and back, we walked about 3 miles. 

That's all right, though, we spent the afternoon engaging in a Scavenger Hunt up near the museums along the Ben Franklin Parkway.

All three of today's destinations exceeded expectations. I didn't realize how happy Caroline would be with her new smile. The Phillies didn't disappoint, providing a tour that was nearly 2 hours long, showing us much more of the ballpark than I expected. And the scavenger hunt, well, I was lucky enough to get teamed up with Caroline and two of her friends, and spending a day running around center city with a trio of ten-year-olds . . . collecting clues that were mostly historical as well as cultural . . . was about the best way for a dad to enjoy a Friday afternoon.

Best Photos of the Week

I enjoyed a fun, full week with Sam and Caroline. Lots of good photo opportunities, too. Here are the two best.

Sam on Independence Day. 
I was wondering why Sam was down along Easton Road for so long before the start of the parade. When he came back, he told me he had gotten to talking with a World War II veteran. Enjoying the tales of that man's service. It looks like he is getting into the family business, history. 


Caroline today in Lansdale.
Before our trip to the city, Caroline had an appointment at the Orthodontist. I didn't realize how big of a deal this was. She had her braces and pallet expander removed (currently she is enjoying popcorn on the couch . . . we'll temporarily suspend our standards regarding snacks in the living room). Her new smile looks so good it seems she's always had it. When her doctor showed me the "before" pictures (back when she was, in her dentist's expensive phraseology, a "candidate for orthodonture) I had a hard time believing that that was her.

Caroline's picture captures pure joy.

The reprieve is temporary: braces are on the way again in about two years.