While friends shiver in the Vermont chilly air and snow, Peter and I take our annual 2 month hiatus and explore new American sights and cultures.
Chapter 1 Hawaii
"Garden Island", Kauai with four close friends
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| Early Hawaiian settlers. We learned a lot about how the US sugar cane plantation owners orchestrated the demise of the Hawaiian political structure and cultural norms in the late 1800s. |
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| Occasionally those who want Hawaii to be independent from the US make their views known |
Signage says a lot:
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| Tsunami alert towers |
Animals (with wild chickens the dominant species):
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| Monk seals often found snoozing on the beaches and heavily protected by local volunteers |
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| Brazilian cardinal |
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Food and drink favorites:
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| Shaved ice |
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| Musubi: Seaweed wrapped spam and rice. Very popular for breakfast and lunch |
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| Mai Tai par excellence! |
Hikes of many varieties:
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| Waimea Canyon |
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| Mahogany plantation |
The view from our condo in Kauai was not shabby either!
Flowers to warm the heart:
Preserving the hula dancing in a non tourist style
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| Each week these folks from the senior center perform the dances in the downtown pavilion | | |
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| The six of us relaxing in the Hawaiian sunset |
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On to the Big Island (officially named Hawaii)
The famous Mauna Kea, is the highest mountain on the island at 14,000 feet. It was snow covered during our time there. There are 11 observatories from various nations around the world.
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| Just to demonstrate that it was 20 degrees and very windy at the summit of the mountain! |
Hikes galore
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| This is a 23 mile shoot down a steep mountain at the northern end of the island. | Historically it was created to bring water down to the sugar plantations |
Volcano damage and after effects from the recent eruption in October 2018
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| This is a two story high wall of lava rock. The lava flow displaced 1700 people but no deaths |
Rocks from older volcanoes demonstrate the power of nature pushing through the rocks
Can't forget to share some food and drink
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| Kava, a traditional Hawaiian root drink that Peter had to try |
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| Lots of Japanese culture. This is the annual cherry blossom festival and these folks are making some gooey candy |
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| Malasadas are Hawaiian fried dough balls with cream filling |
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| Our spot to watch the Super Bowl. It was nice to view it at 1:30 in the afternoon!!! |
Scenic shots
The Hilo Botanical Gardens are truly amazing. Recommend this stop for anyone in the area.
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| Rainbow bark tree |
Two funny photos
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| This is a famous Sumo wrestler (with David) who was born in Hawaii and gained his fame in Japan. |
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| Another Japanese influence. This toilet can warm your bottom, and control the bidet flow of water |
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Lots of great memories of the Big Island
A quick stop in Honolulu
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| The famous hike up Diamond Head Mountain with hundreds of other hikers! |
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| All the alleyways leading to the Waikiki Beach are lined with people's surf boards |
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| This is the memorial to the USS Arizona, sunk on December 7, 1941 in PEARL HARBOR |
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| Young residents needing to wear gas masks to school after the fallout |
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| As Hawaii is comprised of a majority Japanese citizens, they experienced incredible hardships |
Sunset to complete our gratifying time in Hawaii
Chapter Two: Arizona/New Mexico
From Sedona and the red rocks (with more snow than usual) ........
......to the contrasting faces of Santa Fe area
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| Native American town about 20 minutes from Santa Fe |
Inside the city of Santa Fe
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| A second amendment rights rally at the State Capital Building |
On to the south rim of the Grand Canyon via Navajo Nation
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| Vietnam veterans cemetery | |
A small drive along the famous Rt. 66
Buying some jerky on the highway and you know when you are back in Nevada!
Chapter Three: Joining with my sisters and husbands to tour southern California
Doing some hiking in state and national parks plus a canyon
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| Joshua Tree National Park. These trees are hundreds of years old |
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| Shows what a little water can do to the desert terrain |
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| The number and length of trains in the west is amazing |
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| Art in the middle of the desert made of grocery carts |
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| Toilet bowl art |
The flowers we expected to see turned out to be a "super bloom" season that was fabulous.
Below is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Walker Canyon was so mind blowing that a week after our visit they had to close the canyon due to the traffic jams and rattle snake bites.
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| Humorous message to remind people to bring water on the hike! |
We spent a few days on the coast at Imperial Beach, just south of San Diego. Great old time California beach town.
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| The border wall to Mexico |
Chapter Four: The really big hype of Las Vegas
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| Celine Dion gave a wonderful concert |
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| Of course, special effects like this water fall for the finale |
In conclusion:
Best thing we saw for free was the "Lake of Dreams" light show at the Wynn Hotel. Free and very cool every 15 minutes.
Back in Vermont with a new appreciation for what a diverse and remarkable country we live in.
Thanks for sharing your blog spot. Now that I've seen your Slovenia blog I've put it high on our "must visit" list. Paul might never get to Prague if I keep waylaying him to lesser visited countries!
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