Hawai'i

A trip to the Big Island, July 2006.

To see the Hawai'i and more of my photos go to Flickr.

Botanical Gardens

On the way to the volcano from Kailua you have two choices - the north road through Waimea and Hamakua to Hilo or the south road through South Kona and South Island. You can take the trunk road but my brother highly advised against this route claiming it's supposedly a bit sketchy. We opted for the northerly route. A beautiful day and uncharacteristically sunny and clear for the north coast and Hilo side which is almost always rainy. The drive along the Hamakua coast is gorgeous. The downside of the all this beautiful sunshine is that it bakes the moisture right out of the ground sending the humidity levels sky high. Sticky indeed.

The Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Gardens is just outside of Hilo on a site of an old Hawaiian village. It winds down through a valley with a small waterfall and then meanders its way through the old stream bed until reaching the ocean on a small promontory called Turtle Point overlooking two small bays and a rock formation called the Two Lovers or something of that nature. I have to say the fifteen bones to enter this place is well worth it, especially if your a plant connoisseur such as my brother. All sorts of gingers, orchids, flowering vines, palms, and the like. Looked like there was a nice little pocket bach on the east cove but there was an ominous sign warning us not to go down there. Private property - the bane of all good beach goers.