Hawaii

Stopped in Hawaii on the Big Island on the way home to help break up that long flight from Australia to LA.  The Big Island means the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  We were here many years ago, in 1995, and the park is different now, not unexpected considering the volcanoes are active ones.  Then, we were able to drive around the crater rim of the Kilauea caldera.  Now the visitor enter on the far said and part of the road have fallen into the crater.  We also saw lava flowing into the ocean back then but that stopped 2 yrs ago as other outlets for the lava have been created.  There is still an awful lot to see there and it is always interesting.

Thurston Lava Tube

Viewed more waterfalls including Akaka Falls.

This is the Kawaiahao Church which is made out of coral.  Early European missionaries "persuaded" locals to dive, cut, and carry up the coral pieces.   Each piece could weigh 1,000 lbs or more and be 10-20 feet under water.  Don't even know how they could have accomplished this but they did.  Done in 1837 and was known as The Stone Church.



We also went over to Oahu for a day and visited our final state capital.  We have now toured all 50 state capitals.  Not sure what the next big bucket list item will be.

While we were on Oahu, we went by the Aliiolani Hale Judicial Building.  You might recognize this as the one they use on Hawaii 5-0 with the statue of King Kamehameha in front.  They actually were filming a scene for the show while we were there but it was a background scene with a minor actor, no one we recognized.  Kind of cool, though.

Leave for Calif tomorrow and then a few days to get home.  Was a wonderful trip but looking forward to my own bed again.