Day 8 - Goodby Hawaii, Hello Kauai!!

Not much to say about today. We left the Big Island of Hawaii and headed to my favorite, Kauai!  Here are some pictures as we flew in. Just gorgeous.

We took the students to the grosery store and we went to eat at the Mermaid restaurant. Very yummy Ahi Tacos with black beans. 

Day 7 - VNP Sign, Thurston Lava Tube, Jagger Museum, KipukapuauluTrail, and the Fern Forest

Finally, we stop and take our group picture. It is a good looking bunch!!

A little botany on our way down to the Thurston Lava tubes. 

Lava Tubes. Something about lava, draining...tube. 

Lunch and then the Jagger Museum during the day. 

We went to a new place that is called Bird Island. Not really an island off the island, but aparently the lava went around this area so it is a more mature forest. A lot of birds and a native hibiscus that is curved to match the honeycreepers. 

The final stop on the Big Island of Hawaii was a fern forest. This is a pristine rainforest next to a cattle ranch. Here is the difference. 

One more meal at Ken's. I had a turkey/Thanksgiving meal. 

Day 6 - Lava Trees, Sea Arch, Jagger Museum (night viewing)

Back into Volcanoes National Park to see more lava and plants. We first went on a walk to see a mix of the two...lava trees! As a non-geologist, I think lava trees are quite fantastic! Lava over a tree, the lava settles, the tree remains, and you have your lava tree!

On in a little and we stop to see 'a'a lava (top and jagged) and Pahoehoe lava (bottom and smooth). 

We keep in going and we go to a new place by the ocean. This is a lava flow that has gone out to the ocean. Apparently, one day it will bend and crack causing a tsunami. 

Here is a USGS "benchmark" so that they can measure the movement of the ground. 

We then go see a Sea Arch. I've never seen a sea arch. Dr. K said he was surprised that it was still standing.

On down the road, the lava had covered the road. 

And ironically...

Back up the mountain we went. We stopped at a fault line and crater. 

And then headed to the Jagger Museum to see the lava glow. It was definitely brighter than last year, but it was also not raining. 

There were some low hanging clouds that created an eerie glow above the crater. 

And good night!

Day 5 - Volcanoes National Park, Orchid Gardens, Mauna Kea

We started with a VNP Visitors Center Introduction with a park ranger and then we walked to the Volcano House to see the crater. He talked about the 5 different volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawaii.

The crater is behind my head. 

Students taking pictures of the crater. 

A view of the crater from the Volcano House. 

Here is the Sulfer Banks. Look carefully and you can see yellow = Sulfer. 

Down the mountain we stopped at the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens. Beautiful orchids everywhere!!  I seriously thought about buying a grow your own at home hit, but decided it was going to be too much work.  but they were gorgeous!.

 

Star gazing atop Mauna Kea has been a complete wash the last two years. We thought it was going to be this year, but the sky's cleared and there was a new moon. The view was spectacular!!! There were so many stars I lost sight of the main constalations like the dipper. I'm not sure which one I saw. 

Here is one of the telescopes. 

We were above the cloud line. Here is a tiny glimpse at the sunset. 

Day 4 - Keauhou Bird Conservation Center and Night Snorkel

Keauhou Bird Conservation Center day! Iwikauikaua met us and brought us into the center. There was an elementary group there also, and we got to hear them ask for permission to enter the land. 

After lunch, we planted 4 year old Metrosideros polymorpha  to help restore cattle land to natural land. This is "my" tree that I planted. I sent a lot if positive thoughts so that it would grow big and strong. This was a group effort.  I had two studetns helping me dig a hole in the ground.  The ground was tough and there were some pieces of Lava along the way.  

Here is our group after the planting. A lot if hard work but always worth it. It feels good to give back to the land and community. I would really like to see the hillside where we replanted native plants last year.  Iwikau is supposed to send a picture.

Iwikauikaua was given a present from Texas....a little piece if Texas left in Hawaii. Such a wonderful person that we get to encounter in Hawaii!!

A little art on the back of the van. Team Dojet. Apparently, this is my alter ego...

Day 3 - The Big Island, Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, Akaka Falls,

Our day started off by visiting a new museum. I'm eating a mountain apple. Not too bad. We then watched a video about Darwin's work. I had to listen to most of it. It was way too 3-D and swoopy. We then got a guided tour through the museum.

We stopped at the King Kamehameha statue. About a week ago was King Kamehameha day do there were some leis and flowers around it. 

Next stop. Akaka Falls. Nice trail and beautiful waterfalls. 

Dinner at Kens. Yummy!  I got a grilled chicken sandwich.  Nothing exciting, but good.  The fries were really good.

And then to sleep!!! A good first day on the Big Island. 

Day 2 - Coconut Island and the Waikiki Aquarium

Oh yes. And a random stop! There is always a random stop... Nu'uanu Pali lookout.

Coconut Island is a research facility and not open to the public. Cool research going on.

Here they are growing coral, stressing them out with CO2 to make the water more acidic. They then take the offspring to see if they are more or less affected by the pH.

On to the Waikiki Aquarium. Here is a Hawaiian Monk Seal relaxing in the water. 

A lecture on the grass. Some biology and some geology.  

Finally, sunset pictures on Waikiki Beach. 

  Finally dinner at Shore Birds. Yummy!

Day 1 - The Early Morning Flight and Waikiki Beach

So what do I look like at 4 AM.  This just about says it all. Well, the picture on the left is at 4 AM and the picture on the right is at noon Hawaii time....just in case you could not see that I was more awake in the second picture.

So, what happens when your airplane breaks down and about 3/4 of the students are moved to the 4 PM (San Francisco time) flight...well, a few of us were lucky enough to get to Hawaii on schedule and be at the hotel by noon, so we had lunch and went to the beach!  Poor Prof. Dempsey (and poor students).  He was with the rest of the group sitting in the San Francisco for hours!

So, beach here we come!

Here is Kate's attempt to take a picture of me in the water.  This look on my face is because the currents were so strong, they were puling me backwards!  The second picture is better.  It was so nice out on the beach and in the water.

The sad part about the delayed flight is that we were not able to go to Hanauma Bay.  But, this also means that the Biologists will take over on the Big Island and do some snorkeling there :-)

Tomorrow will be our last day in Oahu.  We are going to go to Coconut Island and then to the Aquarium.  I have no doubt that we will have at least one random stop along the way.