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IT WAS THE MOST SPECTACULAR NIGHT SKY WE HAVE EVER SEEN.
What Hawaiians have to do if they want a white Christmas. We saw a couple of people taking truck loads of s**w off the mountain.
In case I have not mentioned it before, the weather in Hawaii is the absolute best we have ever experienced. This was the only day we had to wear long pants during our two week stay. The tour included winter parkas as it was very windy and in the 30's at the top. I guess they have the reflective strips so they can find you if the clouds roll in. You can see four of the 13 observatories from several countries that are at the summit. The Big Island has the nations strictest light pollution laws to keep the night skies clear for the astronomers.
One thing the tour promotes is the sunset at the top. Ours was just OK as there was one big cloud that blocked the sun from the top of the clouds we were looking down on. It was still great being on top of the highest mountain on Earth as measured from its base on the ocean floor and raising over 32,000 feet.
I am hanging loose at the highest spot in Polynesia. It is Hawaii so it is always t-shirt weather. You can see in the background how much of the s**w had already melted. When the s**w accumulates you can ski down the mountain about 2 1/2 miles.
Beautiful 442 foot Akaka Falls, one of many on the windward, rainy, side of the island. There was a neat little path through the rain forest to get to the falls.
Just a few of the many beautiful flowers we saw along the path to the falls. I don't know what they are but I still loved seeing such a great variety in such a small area.
One of the most unusual was the flower on the banana tree. All the fruit we had was wonderful. It was all the sweetest we have ever eaten.
A small falls at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, another windward side attraction that is a great place to see native flora. The garden is in a steep, stream carved valley that runs down to the ocean. The water level was high with all the rain they have been getting.
WOW what a giant leaf. Many of the green plants were the peace lilies, zebra plants, philodendron and many others that we had as house plants in our stix and brix. The impatiens grown on the island like weeds.
A really high point was the orchid garden. The variety of colors in these beautiful flowers was unbelievable. The botanical garden should be on your must do list when you get to the Big Island.
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People often ask what we are going to do when we stop full timing and so far we have always said we do not have an exit plan. That may have changed with this trip. If weather is a big part of our decision on what we will do, then Hawaii would be a great place to settle down some time in the future.
Finally, to all our family and friends a big Hawaiian
Mele Kalikimaka!!!!!
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