Exploring the Big Island of Hawaii
Photo by Diane M. Dresback
(Part of the On the Move blog series)
WATCH the video associated with this blog: Exploring the Big Island of Hawaii
2023 brought some unexpected yet much appreciated time spent in Hawaii. I have stayed on other islands over the years, but not the big island.
My husband and I accomplished a lot of work and also did a lot of exploring. Our good friends Kimber and Richard are lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Aptly named, the big island is by far the most expansive of all the Hawaiian islands at over 4,000 square miles while the population remains less than 187,000.
Fascinating is the fact that there are 8 independent climate zones on one island—from tropical to arid to polar. And with no streetlights, the dark night sky (except for full moon nights) made the view of the stars gorgeous.
The big island holds special treasures, several that Rick and I visited. Lava rock makes up much of the visible landscape offering almost an eerie feel at times.
We went to as many beaches as possible, since we don’t have those in Phoenix (haha), and found it easy to stand for hours watching the waves smash onto the rocks. Mesmerizing.
One day we went to the Mauna Kea Observatory which required a 4-wheel vehicle to drive to the very top. At 13,796 feet, we stood above the clouds. It felt like being on a different planet!
Another day we went to one of the 5 volcanoes on the island. We hiked the full Kilauea Iki 5.2 mile trail through a lava tube, down into a collapsed part of the volcano, all the way across, and up the other side. Phew!
A few miles away, hot steam billowed up from several places reminding everyone that it was still an active volcano.
Goats are all over the place along with other wildlife including brightly colored geckos many with re-growing tails!
Of course, we could not get enough of those breathtaking Hawaiian sunsets.
The big island is well worth visiting during a trip to the 50th state in America. I did assemble a new travel video to share some of the sights we witnessed.
Here’s the link to the video: Exploring the Big Island of Hawaii
Thanks for watching!
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Find easy links to other blog posts about my travels in the On the Move blog series: On the Move
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Find details about my books at dianedresback.com and my filmmaking at mindclover.com.
