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Hawaii 2022

May - June 2022
A 15-day adventure by Juliet Sinclair's Trips Read more
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  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 14

    Day 14: Honolulu - Pearl Harbor

    June 10, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today was the final day of our amazing Hawaii vacation, and we devoted today to Pearl Harbor.

    We visited Bowfin Submarine and USS Missouri. I tried to make reservations for Arizona Memorial, failed to secure 3 tickets fast enough before all were gone. 😔

    However, the submarine and battleship tours actually took us all day since there were so much to see! It was so impressive that Bowfin sunk 44 Japanese ships! Being on this very ship felt surreal.

    I didn’t know the official surrender of Japan happened on USS Missouri. Standing on the very spot of the signing ceremony made me emotional.

    My mother’s family had suffered a lot during WWII in the hands of Japanese army. Her father was killed by Japanese air raid early in the war. Her mother re-married a few years later and then died. Her stepfather sent her to live with her uncle. She was abused by that family, treated like a servant. When she broke a tea cup one time, they made her kneel on the broken pieces. She still has those scars more 70 years later. The uncle then sent my mom to an orphanage, where she actually was treated better. Then just before the city was liberated by the Communist army, the adults of the orphanage fled, left the entire school of kids to fend themselves. The kids were starved for 3 days before the Communists soldiers saved them, gave them candies and food. Then new Communist government sent my mother to school, gave her proper education all the way to college, where she met my father.

    War is cruel and common people suffer. I often wonder how she had survive so much sufferings and still always smiling and happy. She is the kindest and most selfless person I know (Steve is too). I don’t know why, but standing on the spot of Japan’s surrender made me miss my mother.

    The final dinner in Hawaii was at a restaurant called Aloha Table. The food was absolutely amazing!! A fitting end to our trip!

    We have to get up at 4 AM tomorrow to catch our flight. 😬    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 13

    Day 13: Kona to Honolulu

    June 9, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Woke up and got a text from my friend about helicopter crash in Hawaii, asking if I was still alive. Immediately found the news article, and realized we actually passed by some helicopters on our way to the mountains yesterday, wondering if we should do a tour to the volcano site. Good thing we didn’t!!

    We were traveling to Honolulu today and the flight was not eventful at all.

    This was actually the first time for us to visit Honolulu properly. Last time we completed skipped this island. Now I am here, to be honest, it’s a bit too metropolitan for me.

    After a very satisfying dinner at the famous Roy’s restaurant, we took a stroll on the Waikiki Beach, just in time for a beautiful sunset. Passed by an outdoor Luau, and stayed for a couple shows. Free Luau! 😂

    Tomorrow is our final day in Hawaii. Honestly, I am ready to go home. I miss my own bed. ☺️    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 12

    Day 12: The Big Island of Hawaii - Kona

    June 8, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Sea turtles! We saw a dozen sea turtles this morning in a nearby state park. We just love these gentle creatures!

    We then drove to a lovely town called Waimea and had a great lunch there. Along the way, the landscape kept changing, from volcanic wasteland with few goats, to lush English pastures with many cattle and horses, ended with rainforest jungle of Waipio Valley. I do think the big island of Hawaii is the most interesting island in Hawaii!

    After a great dinner at a fancy Japanese restaurant, we headed back to Mauna Kea mountain to look at the stars. The an hour and half drive towards the mountain was nerve racking because when we started, there was heavy rain and many clouds. I was really worried that we would waste 3 hours of back and forth driving not seeing any stars. However, there is a reason the scientists built the most cutting-edge observatories at the summit here, because this mountain top seems always above the clouds.

    As we jumped out of our car, the sky was full of stars! Unfortunately the half moon made some of them less visible, but it was still amazing!!

    We are heading back to Honolulu tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 11

    Day 11: The Big Island of Hawaii - Kona

    June 7, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Sadly we have to say goodbye to one of the best Airbnb we’ve ever stayed in. This cliff side beach house is amazing! This tiny gecko seemed visit us every morning; we named him Alfred. Bye Alfred!

    We decided to drive the shorter route to Kona through the inland highway. As we were admiring the Mauna Kea mountain in the horizon, I realized we would’ve arrived in Kona too early for the check in time, so I said since it’s such a beautiful sunny day, why not go to the mountains!

    So we set our new destination to the mountain peak, and made the right turn. The higher the car climbed, the better the view. Pretty soon the clouds were under us. By the time we made to the visitor center, we could see the entire half of the island. We decided not to drive to the summit since our rental car was struggling to reach here already.

    A short walk into the garden area, we passed a group of ladies who were looking for Silver Sword Plant, telling us it’s endangered species. Sure enough we found 3 of them in various stage of growth. Turns out this type of plant only grow on Mauna Kea Mountain in Hawaii, and only 40 of them left in the world right now.

    Hiking on the mountain wasn’t easy due to its high altitude, but we made it to the top of the hill. The view at every direction was breathtaking!

    We will be back here tomorrow night for star gazing.

    We usually have a rule when we are traveling: eat local food as much as possible. So we almost never eat at chain restaurants or fast food places. However, we had to make an exception for dinner today. We needed to make our Manta Ray Viewing at Night tour by 6:45, as we headed out for dinner, many places were already closed. The couple places were open all claimed they were short staffed, so the wait would be long. Therefore, for the first time in years, we went to McDonalds. We made it just in time before they were closed. For a touristy area, they sure close early here.

    Now, I have to describe what’s like to see those Manta Rays since I don’t have any photos to show you. First of all, the background story. 50 years ago, a hotel nearby lighted up the ocean water, which attracted the planktons. The planktons then attracted the Manta Rays. So the tourist companies started a unique way to allow us to see the rays up close. They use the custom built boards with lights underneath, so the planktons would be grouped around it. The boards have railings around them so we could hold on to them. With our faces underwater with snorkeling masks on, we could see the rays coming up feeding on the planktons.

    What a magical experience!! The Manta Rays came up close to us, really close to us! So close that they bumped into us. I don’t think I’ve ever be this close to so many wild animals before! They were so elegant and graceful! With their mouths open, they we’re gliding and swallowing planktons right underneath us. A Ray named Amanda was especially friendly(or just hungry), she came up to us over and over, bumped into Evan’s shoulder, brushed my fingers. It was great!!

    Really have to thank my friend Christine for recommending this tour to me. Otherwise I would’ve missed this once in lifetime experience!!    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 10

    Day 10: The Big Island of Hawaii - Hilo

    June 6, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Evan turned 17 today! Happy birthday to our amazing son! He has brought nothing but joy in the past 17 years, being an intelligent and considerate boy. We are lucky to have him as our son; and he often says we are the best parents in the world! ☺️

    When asked what he wanted for his birthday breakfast, he said baked potatoes. Realizing he wasn’t joking, we bought potatoes from the store and baked them this morning. He was very happy eating his potatoes and cupcakes as his first meal as a 17 year old.

    Today’s main event was a 4 hour visit in the longest and deepest lava tube in the world. The Kazumura Lava Tube is 40 miles long and 3,461 feet deep and is also one of the longest caves in the world. The only way to see it is to purchase a tour from Harry.

    Harry bought a property near the cave in 1990s. During the land survey, they told him of an entrance of this cave is on his property, therefore allowed some ownership to him according to some Hawaii law. For the next 20 years, he made this cave his life’s mission. He explored and studied the cave, learning everything he could about lava and volcano, working with other scientists in the world, coming up with scientific explanations for the formations of many structures in the cave, and then started giving tours to people. He is extremely serious about keeping the cave exactly as it was, only giving tours to very small groups and making sure no one touches the walls or otherwise affect the cave’s natural environment in any way.

    We hiked into the cave for about 1.5 miles, going up and down ladders, and climbing over many piles of breakdown. The cave was completely dark with our flashlights as the only light source. Besides a tiny, almost translucent cave cricket we saw, the cave seemed lifeless and completely silent. Harry stopped often to show us all the interesting things in the cave. He asked us if he was giving us too much information. I assured him that we loved learning new things. I told him I called Steve “a know it all” guy, and Evan “a know it more” guy. Neither one of them knew much about lava tube so they were happily soaking in all the new knowledge about it for 4 hours!

    I also told Harry how much I appreciated his efforts to keep this cave as natural as possible. He successfully foiled a neighbor’s attempt to expand the tourism of the cave, thereby preventing bus loads of people from coming in. He told us that many years ago, a guy who didn’t speak any English wiped some crystallized minerals from the wall, erased 500 years of growth! He still sounded pained when he talked about it.

    We walked deeper and deeper into the cave, and saw many interesting lava formations. At one point, Harry told us to walk forward one by one, and we would see something unusual. Sure enough, we saw a large hole in the ground. I could imagine how scary it must’ve been for Harry when he saw it for the first time 20 years ago. Fortunately the hole wasn’t deep. He called this room the Pit Room. To continue exploration would require rock climbing skills to scale a tall lava fall. Since we don’t have such a skill, here was our turnaround point. Harry asked if we want to experience total darkness, and we said yes. So all lights were off, and we stood in total darkness and silence. The last time we experienced something like this was in Australia Outback. But here, being so deep underground and miles away from civilization, the void was more complete…like death?

    The hiking back to the entrance took about an hour. To my surprise, exited into the sunlight wasn’t too shocking to our sense, thanks to the lush vegetations by the entrance.

    We skipped lunch today since we were deep underground at the time. It was already 3 pm by the time we got back to our Airbnb. After a bit break, we headed out to dinner at a local restaurant famous for its Laulau, a dish involving wrapping some proteins in taro leafs. It was delicious!

    Tonight’s moon was only half full; few clouds in the sky allowed us to see more stars.

    We are heading to Kona tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 9

    Day 9: Big Island of Hawaii - Hilo

    June 5, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    22 years ago, Steve and I almost died on this island. OK, maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but it’s absolutely true.

    From May to November of 2000, the lava from the Hawaii volcano flowed into the ocean. When we were here in September, we were told we could hike to the lava flow site which was 3 miles from where we were. Not knowing what did it mean to hike 3 miles one way in 90 degrees weather under the sun and walking on uneven lava field, with one bottle of water, we set off.

    The hike was treacherous because the lava field was very hard to walk on. But we made it to the flow of lava, it was indeed very cool to see up close. I didn’t think I ever got close to something hotter than this over 2,000 degrees lava before. It was thick and bright red, like a river of red molasses, flowing slowly towards the sea. I felt so hot standing near it that my inside was heating up.

    Then a park ranger walked towards us, told us:”you have 15 minutes to get out.” Confused and alarmed, we asked what’s that mean. She said there was another flow of lava coming down towards the ocean behind us, we had 15 minutes to race it so we wouldn’t be cut off from exit and be trapped. She then turned around and started to hike back herself.

    I remembered there was a Japanese couple ahead of us when we hiked. Realizing the park ranger didn’t know about them, I frantically started looking for them. Then I saw them and started screaming “hello” at them. They finally turned around and looked at me. I waved “coming back this way” at them over and over. They hesitated and then stated to walk back towards us. To this day, I bet they had no idea I save their lives.

    We walked as fast as we could and reached a safer area. I wanted to see the spectacular scene of lava hitting the ocean water. So I stepped on a rock and leaned over towards the ocean. Sure enough, when fire met water, it was so cool! I turned around and told Steve to come see as well. Then I noticed how pale his face was. I had never seen him looking so scared before. I asked what’s wrong. He was clearly trying to remain calm and he whispered:”get back here.” I was confused but complied. He held my hand and walked away from where I stood as fast as he could.

    “So what’s that about?” I demanded to know.

    “Well, I didn’t want to tell you then so you don’t panic. Where you stood on was a splinter of dried lava that’s already leaning towards the ocean. It could break off any second!”

    So yeah, I was at the brink of death at that moment.

    Last night, Steve found this recording of the event we experienced. https://volcano.si.edu/ShowReport.cfm?doi=10.54…

    It’s unnerving to read about the 2 bodies they found weeks later around this area. It could be us!

    Alright, story time is over and on to my travel journal for today.

    We reached the Hawaii Volcano Park in the rain. Most times it was just misty, but sometimes there were big rain drops. I was actually kind of glad that it wasn’t another hot day like last time.

    Kilauea lki trail is a 3 mile hike through a large crater that was erupted in 1959. It’s surreal to hike on a crater with a landscape seems so alien and out worldly. We had a great time hiking all the way to the other side of the crater. We also checked out a lava tube along the way. A bit shorter than we expected. We have arranged a tour to visit a much longer one tomorrow.

    Lunch was at a restaurant called The Rim. We ate here 22 years ago and the food was fancier and better back then.

    After lunch, Steve and I were excited to see the lava flow again! So we drove and hiked to the viewing location. Instead of uneven lava field we walked on paved road; Instead seeing the lava close we were viewing the eruption site from 2 miles away. Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed. We had no idea how lucky we were to be allowed to see the lava up close!

    We then drove down Chains of Craters road towards the ocean, finally saw some sunshine when we reached the Sea Arch site.

    Dinner was at a restaurant called the Pesto. I really enjoyed the local specialty called Loco Moco. After hiking about 7 miles today, we definitely need some quality calories.    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 8

    Day 8: Kauai to Big Island of Hawaii

    June 4, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Travel day today! Nothing was remarkable of the trip except my lunch at Honolulu airport: the $15 turkey sandwich was the worst sandwich I’ve ever had!

    Of all the Airbnb I booked, I looked forward to this one the most. A gay couple bought this property and made the guest house on the cliff an Airbnb, while they live on the main house with their 2 dogs.

    The guest house was right by the water, and it’s amazing!! Everything inside was perfectly decorated and had the quietest AC in all AirB&Bs we stayed. All the amenities were in 5 star hotel standards. The comfy chairs on the massive deck will be utilized to their full potentials in the coming days!

    After the terrible airport lunch, we went to a fantastic Japanese restaurant for dinner. To our delight, Evan started to enjoying raw fish, so we ordered rolls and sushi. I was so happy to see how much he enjoyed the food!

    We are heading to the Volcano National Park tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 7

    Day 7: Kauai - Koloa

    June 3, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    22 years ago, when Steve and I were in our honeymoon, we went on this kayaking/hiking/swimming tour to the Secret Falls of Kauai. This trip has left an almost mythical impression on my mind that the river we kayaked on has been my “happy place” for over 20 years! Many years ago I experienced a severe case of insomnia that I had to see a psychiatrist for it. He told me to close my eyes, go to the most peaceful and happy place in my mind. So I came here, on this river in Kauai. Early morning mist hovering the water, red flowers falling on the surface, so quiet that the only sound I heard was our paddles. With the psychiatrist’s guidance, I fell into slumber for the first time for a long time.

    When we were deciding which islands to visit, I insisted coming to Kauai, because I wanted to visit this river again.

    So this morning, that’s what we did. We went on the exact same tour as before. Kayaking/hiking/swimming to the Secret Falls. Except the falls are no longer a secret. By the time we got into our kayak, there were many people already on the river. It was hard to re-live my memory, so I was a bit disappointed. Knowing my desire, Steve paddled hard so we were ahead of our group. At one turn, we didn’t see anyone ahead, and we were far enough from others. For a brief moment, we were alone on a stretch of quiet river, with only red flowers on the water around us.

    Something has changed from before. A board walk has been added to the hiking section of the trip; there were way more people all around. Something has not changed, the turkey sandwich the tour company provided was exactly same as I remembered; the trip was still amazing and the falls was still magnificent.

    Having Evan with us this time also made the tour special. This is still my “happy place”!

    Dinner today was at a restaurant called Merriman. They had specialized Hawaii regional cuisine for many decades. Happy to say everything we had here was fantastic!

    After dinner, we played some games at the courtyard. Steve and Evan engaged fierce battles of Connect Four with them each winning one game. Steve however lost the game of Jenga. A stroll by the ocean one more time allowed us to say goodbye to Kauai.

    We are heading to the Big Island of Hawaii tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 6

    Day 6: Kauai - Koloa

    June 2, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Woke up to a beautiful sunny day! The waves seemed calmer as well.

    Today’s main event is our helicopter tour of the island. 22 years ago, Steve and I took a helicopter tour. Our first time being on a helicopter and the experience wasn’t exactly pleasant for me. Since I got motion sickness easily, and they assigned me a middle seat. Our pilot was a Vietnam veteran, and he flew the helicopter like a stunt job. Even though we did get very close to some waterfalls, his twists and turns made my inside upside down. I tried very hard not to throwing up.

    So this time, I did hesitate to book this tour. The price has increased substantially as well. Considering this will be Evan’s first helicopter ride, I went ahead and booked it.

    The difference was night and day! Our pilot was Kate, and she made the ride as smoothly as possible! I hardly felt any rocking! Unlike the last time, we were actually given some safety training. The entire operation was very streamlined and professional. All the staff was very pleasant as well.

    I asked and granted a window seat. Evan got the chance to sit right next to the pilot, so he was very happy. Steve, always the most considerate one, got the middle seat of the flight. While the older couple we flew with both got window seats.

    With the absence of dizziness, I enjoyed this flight so much more! The stunning beauty of Kauai couldn’t be described properly with words. The towering mountains, born in volcano shaped by water, are magnificent and elegant. Waterfalls were thin and long, like white ribbons flowing down the mountain goddess’ green dress; and the white sand beaches, dotted along the coast, are the raffles at the bottom of the dress. Yes! I think Kauai is the most beautiful goddess on earth!

    After lunch, we went on a short hike on Maha’ulepu trail. The trail follows the coast line and passes a golf course. I did read a one star review of the trail when the woman’s husband got hit by a golf ball. Not sure the trail deserves the one star review though… I think this trail deserves a solid 5 star! Probably one the most beautiful trail I’ve ever hiked on.

    The Thai food we had for dinner however only deserves 3 stars.    Read more

  • TravelerHawaii 2022
    Day 5

    Day 5: Kauai - Koloa

    June 1, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After 2 beautiful sunny days, our luck has run out. Rain has arrived in Kauai. Although the mist on the water has its own charm.

    We were traveling to the south side of the island today. It took more than 2 hours to drive from Princeville to Waimea Canyon State park. Along the way, we passed Tree Tunnel, a lone stretch of road covered by towering trees.

    When Steve and I were here 22 years ago on our honeymoon, we really enjoyed our trip to the Waimea Canyon. I was so happy to be back here with Evan! Unfortunately our planned hike was cut short by a downpour, and the rain had shrouded the canyon in thick fog. We had to leave the canyon earlier than planned.

    Seeking lunch options, we went to a nice little historical town called Hanapepe. The plaques on buildings often told the stories of Chinese immigrants contributions to this area. It was so nice to read them and feeling proud. There were many art studios in this town with some very cool and unique art pieces.

    It’s finally the time to check into our new Airbnb. I thought the last place was close to ocean, this place is even closer! LOL! This side of the island was experiencing some high waves. Some waves were so high that I thought I could taste the water from the balcony!

    Dinner was at a fancy restaurant called Red Salt. The dishes were really well made and decorated beautifully. It was cool to see the sunset and sea turtles on our walk back to our apartment.    Read more

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