Big Island.....Day 2

Today started out great! We filled our bellies with an awesome breakfast and then headed out for our 5 mile hike around a small crater and onto the volcano floor. We had awesome views and traveled through lush rain forest and hard black lava. Steam seeped from the rock and you could feel the heat. This is an awesome hike and we both really enjoyed it. After the hike we walked through a lava tube which was really cool.



After the hike we got cleaned up and headed to Hilo for some lunch. We stopped at Coconuts Grill and had a wonderful lunch with a wonderful view of the ocean. While on the Big Island you tend to forget about "everything" and are truly relaxed. After lunch we drove to see Akaka Falls which is a 420 foot drop from the top. It's off the main road and through this small town. Once you get to the park it's a small circular hike along a paved path with some stairs. It's a very small hike for such a beautiful view.



We left the falls and drove to Laupahoehoe Point. To many on the Big Island, this park is associated with tragedy. In April, 1946, twenty-one children and three adults were swept away to their death by a tsunami. There is a memorial and many articles from this tragic day. The beach here is rugged and can get a bit rough. The town has moved further up the hill. The lives lost here will not be forgotten.




Our last sight seeing stop for the day was Mauna Kea, which means White Mountain. The summit reaches 13,796 feet and the visitor center sits at 9,000 feet. We drove to the visitor center and watched the sun disappear behind the mountain and you could see a blanket of clouds below you. You truly feel like you are on top of the world. There were many telescopes to view many things such as the moon! It was about 49 degrees and I was very cold! My uncle had a wonderful time and got to ask many questions.

Big Island....Day 1

My uncle Greg flew to Hawaii,from Houston, TX Saturday afternoon for his second visit to Oahu. I thought a trip to the Big Island would interest him, especially to see the active volcano.Waking up bright and early we arrived to the Big Island Sunday morning around 9:15. We flew on a very small plane which is always exciting when flying over large amounts of water ie the Pacific Ocean! I also love how you walk to the plane and use the stairs. I told Uncle Greg I would snap a photo of him on the stairs and he could wave and act like the President. We both chuckled!

We arrived, got the luggage and rent car and off we drove seeking out breakfast. We ate at Ken's in Hilo which is a favorite for the local people. Breakfast was fantastic and our bellies were now happy. We forgot rain jackets back home so I was happy to hit a Ross where he found his jacket and Wal-Mart where I found mine. He needed a new jacket and hey I could use more than one moving to Seattle area.

We finally made it to Volcano National Park and checked into the cozy little cabin. The temp here is awesome. In the sixties during the day and low fifties at night. We went to the visitor center, Jagger museum and checked out all the amenities that the cabin had to offer. The cabins are operated by the army. They have a general store, post office, bowling lanes, lounge, fitness center, activity center with video games, pool tables and air hockey. Quite the hook-up for being in a National Park!

We had lunch and then headed down Crater Dr which much lava was visible and could be hiked on. Further down the road were spectacular views of the ocean. We were at three thousand feet and drove all the way down to the ocean. Its a feeling of being on the moon at times, the way the lava looks and the mass quantity of it. He hiked about six hundred yards to wherwe the lava covered the road back in 2003. It was amazing! We headed back to the cabin and was near dinner time. I went to the gym for a bit and he went to the lounge for a couple cold ones. Later we met and went to the cafe and enjoyed a nice hot meal. It was getting late so we watched a little TV and then off to bed!

Swimming

Triathlons consist of swimming, biking and running. I love the bike and have gotten quite good at it, especially the hills. Running I can do and working on my speed. Swimming is also an enjoyment and I'm getting better at it as well. It's like this meditation state; in which you glide through the water and the sound is only the water, your own breath and your very own thoughts. I feel very traquil at times while doing my laps.

I can remember back in college when I first started to swim, for racing, that is was rather difficult. I could only swim a few hundred yards and had to stop. One of my professors that trained "Super Man" for an iron man taught me how to swim whithout getting so tired so quickly. Ever since then I have enjoyed swimming. I have had several people along the way coach me in how to get better and faster. I want to get faster but the tranquil emotions take over at times and I just swim back and forth.



Some people don't swim for several reasons: scared of the water, can't swim, can't swim with their head under water etc. I highly recommend swimming because it's low impact on the joints, great exercise and can put you in pure relaxation. Swimming in open water (ocean) is also enjoyable. The marine life is such a pleasure to view while swimming. Especially if you are swimming in waters you can see through, unlike Galveston where it is brown!

The "Bike Path" in Hawaii

To answer the question of the last blog, yes, I did go get my French Onion Soup that night. I was a very happy woman!

There is a bike path here in Hawaii that is about 8 miles long and only allows bikes, walkers and runners. No motorized vehicles! Yes, we have bike lanes but this is a "special" bike path. Brian and i use this bike path when heading to Pearl Harbor. Along these 8 miles are some very interesting views and smells.

When entering the bike path you suddenly feel as though you have just arrived to the Philippines. On the left side of this path is a muddy creek in which houses live on and some are not quite houses, more like shanies. I am very thankful not to be living in them and fishing from this so called creek. Moving along on the right is a beautiful view of the decommissioned Naval ships in the harbor. These ships are also referred to as the "moth ball fleet". They are rather close and seeing the actual size up close is rather intriguing. After the ships there really isn't much to see except the path, shrubs and trees.

There are a few parts that smell of human waste and urine, yes, I'm still talking about Hawaii. Hawaii is considered paradise but there are some hidden places that I would call something else. Every city has its beauty and it's homeless! Hawaii has a huge homeless problem but hey, where else would someone want to be homeless? It's never cold, running water and bathrooms at the beach! To top it off you have ocean front property for FREE! So along the bike path there are homeless especially along Blaisdell Park. It's a nice park but along the side of it are many tents lined up or should I say a community of tents. Along the other side of the path is still the harbor. What else could you ask for? Yes, I know....electricity! No they have no power!

Other portions of the path are through subdivisions, along schools, businesses etc. This eight miles is not the most beautiful bike ride but it is eight miles off the main road. I believe Hawaii has a vehicle sport to see how many bikers they can hit. Many bikers have been hit so each day I ride I say a prayer. Why do I ride then? Well I believe you have to live and live your passion. If you don't; then one day when you are old, you may wonder what it would be like to live your passion. Life is very short so we must take this time to live it to the fullest and never hold back!If you live in Hawaii and haven't been on the bike path, well you are not missing much but it has been quite the experience.

In training and can't sleep?

I'm currently finishing the first week of my second month of training. This week has been so much better than the last week. I feel stronger and full of energy. Well the energy is usually a given for me. So yesterday, I ran 5 miles and taught my 1 hour spinning class (burning a total of 1300 calories). I got home around 8:00pm and ate a small dinner (chicken pecan spinach quiche), had a glass of wine and read a magazine (Runners World)for a few moments and began to feel very sleepy. Well here comes 2am and I wake up craving French Onion Soup. What in the heck?

I get on-line and search any restaurant on the island that serves it. I find these two fancy ones which are in hotels in Waikiki and they just don't appeal to me ($$$ cha-ching). I was considering going just to satisfy the craving when I thought of Yard House. Yard House is Brian's favorite restaurant and I enjoy it as well. After searching for about an hour I realize one of our favorite restaurants serve it. I know where we will be dining this evening.

I'm not sure about this 4.5 hour sleep deal but I'm sure it will catch up to me sometime today. Isn't it when you get older the less sleep you get? Come on, I'm only 35!! I'm an early riser but this is ridiculous. Oh well, thank goodness for the blog!

Today is Friday and I will be meeting some friends to zumba (a work-out at the gym done in a class setting where you salsa, shake your butt and have a great time), eat breakfast (maybe they will serve my soup!), swim and maybe sneak in a nap before dinner.