I arrived on Kauai last Saturday after saying goodbye to PJ (nephew), Jamie and baby Jack. Kauai is the last island stop on my adventure that started April 17th in Makaha O’ahu.
O’ahu-Hawaii (Big Island)-Maui-O’ahu return-Kauai. Every island is different and every island the same. I have enjoyed every day! Looking at a map of the islands to me O’ahu looks like a conch shell, Hawaii looks like a bull’s head, Maui looks like a silhouette of a man’s upper body (head and torso) with his arms full, Kauai? Not yet sure. My last entry was 5 weeks ago and just before Laura and Eric arrived for 5 days with me on the Big Island. They were followed by Finn and Joyce for a week split between the Big Island, where we were joined by Dave and Anne, and Maui. After leaving Finn and Joyce at the airport on Maui it was only a couple of hours until Patrick’s arrival. He and I explored Maui over 4 days before moving on to O’ahu and Honolulu. The following week we were joined by Gussy and the 3 of us, over the next 12 days, split our time between Honolulu and the North Shore at Turtle Bay. I hope my photo diary that follows in this post tells some of the story of the wonderful times I had with my family and friends. I love Hawaii and am grateful for the company that kindly let me share many of the beautiful places I have visited.
July 13th Laura (cousin) and Eric arrive to spend 5 days with me on the Big Island.
View from the lanai condo in Keahou, Kailua 
Makuala O’Oma trail – Kailua-Kona
Laura and Eric
Trail head 
Sunset view from the lanai
Akaka Falls 
July 15th Laura, Eric and I make the Big Island all day trip: Kailua-Hilo-Volcanoes Park-Ocean View.
Punaluu Black Sand Beach
White Sands Beach – 8′ waves! 
Staying upright.
One of many shops on the boardwalk at the Kona Inn. 
In front of Hulihe’e Palace 
View of Kailua 
Dinner at the Kona Inn 
Sunset Kailua Bay
Honaunau Bay – The Place of Refuge
July 19th Laura and Eric continue their vacation on O’ahu. I’m joined by Finn (brother) and Joyce as well as Dave (nephew) and Anne.
Dave and Fin 
Joyce and Anne at Akaka Falls 
Snack shack ocean side, Chain of Craters Road, Volcanoes Park
Luau, Hilton Waikoloa Beach Resort 
Hilton buddha 
One last look at the ocean from the Big Island 
Transportation to Maui. Fin, Joyce and I go on together. 
1st Class seats! 
Big Island – North Kohala
Maui – Haleakala 
Wailea condo 
Ulua Beach – Wailea 
Keawala’i Church – Makena
Founded 1832
http://www.keawalai.org/history.html
Fin’s lunch treat – mahalo nui loa!
https://www.mamasfishhouse.com/
Afternoon siesta at Mama’s beach.
Lahaina – oldest living banyan tree on the old courthouse grounds. 
Flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Moloka’i – 8 miles 
canoe practice 
Maalea Bay overlook 
Ulua Beach sunset
July 26th Finn and Joyce depart, I’m soon joined by Patrick on Maui.
Patrick – Kahului Bay 
Maui “catching” the sun
His mother said: “Are you strong enough for this work?” He said, ‘Yes.” Then she gave him fifteen strands of well-twisted fiber and told him to go to his grandmother, who lived in the great crater of Haleakala, for the rest of the things in his conflict with the sun. She said: “You must climb the mountain to the place where a large wiliwili tree is standing. There you will find the place where the sun stops to eat cooked bananas prepared by your grandmother. http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/maui/maui07.htm
Kula Botanical Garden – Maui 
Front Street Lahaina 
Baldwin Home – http://lahainarestoration.org/baldwin-home-museum/ 
On the road to Hana 
Hamoa Beach
Iao Needle 
Iao Valley 
July 30th Patrick and I fly into Honolulu. Later in the week, August 2nd, Gussy joins us.
1902 Liliha Street Honolulu – O’ahu 
Looking down into Diamond Head Crater 
Waikiki Beach 
Discarded plastic water bottles at the top of the crater. I just don’t get it.
Makaha Beach – shifted sands from a storm surge 2 weeks earlier changed the appearance of the beach from when I first stayed at Dawn’s place Apr-May. 
Patrick catching sun at Halona Point, O’ahu 
Misty spray from the Halona Point blowhole. 
Waimanalo Beach – Waimanalo Bay, O’ahu 
Plastic “krill” – Waimanalo Beach
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/30/plastic-debris-killing-sperm-whales
Manoa Falls 
Trail to Manoa falls 
Kapena Falls 
O’ahu Cemetery 
Queen’s Beach 
‘Iolani Palace 
Waikiki Beach 
Honolulu 
Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts
http://alohashirts.com/
‘Iolani Palace 
Palace grounds 
Banyan tree “roots” 
Throne room 
Punch Bowl – National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific 
Punch Bowl Memorial 
Mosaic of WWII Okinawa battle 
Mosaic of WWII Philippines battle 
Sentry’s 
Lei Maker 
Honolulu Museum of Art 
Georgia O’Keefe – Waterfall, ‘Iao Valley Maui 
Kailua-Kona 1852 (Hawaii Island)
Spalding House Sculpture Garden 
Turtle Bay – O’ahu (Thank you!) 
Pill Box – Turtle Bay is on the site where the radar that first detected the attack on Pearl Harbor was located.
Polynesian Cultural Center – Laia O’ahu 
“Shaka” 
August 14th, Honolulu Airport. Aloha!
August 15th-17th North Shore visit with PJ (nephew), Jamie and their son Jack (3 month’s). Jamie tells Jack I’m “Great Uncle Dave” – “GUD Uncle” Dave, hah, hah! Before leaving O’ahu I decide to find out where and why I took the wrong turn on my 11 1/2 mile hike back in May. So before PJ and family arrive I return to the trail and this time go in reverse. Along the way I notice some of the check points mentioned in a review I had read the first time I walked the trail. There are a few vistas and when I get to the one that overlooks the wind farm at Waimea Valley it jars my memory and I realize then where I went wrong. The foot path through the jungle meets up with a gravel road, this road intersects a hard surface road that travels over the mountain from the wind farm through the army camp to Kamehameha Highway. When I first walked this coming the other way (clockwise) and at the intersection of the 2 roads I see the windmills and think if I turn right (clockwise) I will end up at the wind farm so the correct way must be left. My surveyor skills and critical thinking left me when I decide to turn left, counter-clockwise. Ignoring the logic that the correct way is to continue my clockwise path and ignore what my eyes where interpreting. This reverse hike brought me back to my car in the correct time Dawn had suggested last May (2 1/2 hours). Lessons learned (I hope!). First: know where you are, make a copy of a map that shows important features (I know this but didn’t do it!). Second: on line research helps with other hiker reviews, jot those down! (I didn’t!). 3rd: take enough water and snacks (I only took one bottle thinking I would only be gone for the shorter time). That was the one thing that worried me when after 4 1/2 hours and walking under a blazing sun I decided to break the law and hitch hike to Foodland.
Shark’s Cove Sunset – O’ahu 
Shark’s Cove Sunrise – Looking toward Ka’ena Point 
Reversing Kaunala Trail – I am determined to find out where I went wrong. 
Jack – (John Finley Ransone) in a turban 
Kawela Bay baptism 
Sunset Beach – O’ahu (last night on the island – moving on – almost the end.)
Honolulu Airport – 1 dog for all flights, I was prepared for this! 
My greeting at Princeville, Kaua’i 
The view from my lanai – Quiet, alone in my quad unit.
Dave's Hawaii Blog 