big_island  |   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9


Click on a thumbnail to see the original.

Move your mouse over a thumbnail to see the picture and the caption.

Here\'s an open lychee fruit. Once you got past the looks, they are quite good.

IMG_0240

Our first real stop of the day was Bay View Farm Coffees. We took a tour of the farm, and their coffee processing operation. This is a view from the main building (and later where we had a picnic lunch!).

IMG_0241

This is a view of the processing facilities of Bay View Farms Coffee. Yes, lots of the processing facilities looked pretty old and run down- but they got the job done. And, we learned quite a bit about coffee, for instance, there are 2 main varieties: arabica and robusta. Kona coffee and Jamaican Blue Mountain are both from the same bean - Arabica - the difference is in their growing conditions. We also learned that \'\'Hawaiian Coffee\'\' means essentially everthing-else-that\'s-leftover-after-picking-out-the-quality-beans. So, we were sure to stear clear of that!

IMG_0244

As we left Bay View Farms, we saw hillsides covered with old lava flows - and contributors to the unique growing soil. Kona has rich volcanic soil that drains well, with warm mornings and (up near the top of the hills) afternoon cloud cover. This makes it one of the few areas that has perfect conditions for growing arabica coffee plants. The more common one is robusta, which is easier to cultivate, produces more coffee, and can be machine picked. Robusta is more labor intensive and harder to grow (usually due to the environmental conditions).

IMG_0248

The view of the road heading north, just south of the main area of Kona.

IMG_0252

For our second day, we decided to go see Volcanoes National Park. We learned why the island of Hawaii is known as the Big Island. It\'s bigger than Connecticut. The trip to reach the park from Kona took about 2+ hours plus and took us through several climate changes. This is the view heading north over the volcano of Hualalai, the one on which Kona rests. This is the lava is from the 1801 eruption.

IMG_0255

Another view of the 1801 lava flow. Off in the distance is Kohala, another of the 5 volcanoes that comprise the Big Island. Kohala is the only one that is extinct (e.g. will not erupt any more), the others are still active - some more than others. Hualalai, the one near Kona, is expected to erupt within the next 100 years.

IMG_0257

More views of the Hualalai lava flows and the dry desert-like surrounding conditions. Aside from the climate changes, driving around the Big Island involves lots of elevation changes from the volcanoes- we\'re several thousand feet up (and a lot cooler).

IMG_0258

More views of the lava flows.

IMG_0260

A look over at the peak of Hualalai.

IMG_0261

Looking back down the road we just drove, on the lava flows of Hualalai north of Kona. The Big Island has amazingly diverse environments, and this is just a few miles north of the lush beach pictures of Kona.

IMG_0262

Looking north to Kohala, and the common rain in light of the constant winds (which bring with them moist ocean air).

IMG_0267

A look out towards Mauna Kea, which is another volcano of Hawaii. It is the tallest point in Hawaii, and home to numerous observatories (high altitude, close to the equator, and no light pollution). Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on earth, measured from its base over 30,000 feet below sea level. It also is a dormant volcano, and is likely to one day send lava towards Hilo, on the east side of the mountain.

IMG_0269

We had to snap a picture of this odd-looking random hill we spotted while driving. It just looked so out of place. You can just make out the outline of Mauna Kea behind it in the distance.

IMG_0271

One of Jen\'s favorite views from the trips - Overlooking the Waipio Valley, towards the north of end of the Big Island. This area is known as the valley of the kings, and is a sacred area because the cliffs are where the kings and chiefs of Hawaii were entombed. A lucky volunteer would be lowered by ropes from the top, and place the chief\'s bones in caves and openings on the cliffs. When finished, said volunteer would signal by tugging on the rope. The rope would be cut, and the volunreer would fall to a noble death. In this tradition, the location of the deceased leader\'s body would remain anonymous and unknown. It was a great honor to die placing the leader\'s body in the cliffs.

IMG_0273

Owen & Jen taking a quick picture... very cold and windy there!

IMG_0276

A closeup of the cliffs, and the black sand beach. It\'s possible to drive down to the valley, or ride horses down there. The horseback riding tours were very popular and booked up. We plan to add a horseback riding tour to our next trip!

IMG_0277

Another closer picture of the cliffs.

IMG_0278
Here#s an open lychee fruit. Once you got past the looks, they are quite good.

JAlbum 7.0 | saratogateen.com