Big Island Enchantment

[Kim]

Did you ever wake up in the morning, walk outside, and behold a scene like this? Some of you have, I know.

You rise early because of the time change and the excitement and anticipation of being somewhere new; you might walk uphill along a strangely quiet road, to encounter scenes like this:

Steve and I have returned from a recent visit to Hawaii, the Big Island, and in this thread I will share with you as best I can the feel of being there. Most of the gardens we visited have been shown on the forums again and again, thus I will make no attempt to document the vast array of palm species, though you will get your fill of palm photos. My aim is to convey the sense of standing on a large volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where palms grow effortlessly, rain is part of a normal day, people are welcoming with their aloha spirit, and all seems right with the world.

[Kim]

Steve was tossed into a sea of palms on this trip, and it was sink or swim. He managed to keep his head above water, and after a few days could be heard muttering multi-syllabic words like 'Bismarckia' and 'Chambeyronia' with some degree of certainty. Our kind host Dean persuaded his C. macrocarpa to put on a show for us:

A welcoming committee arrived and unpacked a moveable feast which was a delight to the eye, served in baskets lined with palm and philodendron leaves, island style. This was followed by a ramble among the palms and much discussion of horticultural requirements, and just a tiny bit of whining about the rapid growth rate of certain weeds and vines.

Group photo....................................................... Fluffy cycad, mmm, uuhhh, can't remember the name.... (Mod Edit: Cycas debaoensis)

Licuala mapu (or similar) with velvety aroid leaf.............................Angela and Bob

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Finally! I have been waitin for this thread!

Ok, I shhhh again....

[Kim]

Pagoda plant....................................Tim (realarch) looking photogenic among the cordyline

Angela's garden

[Kim]

Hey William. You've seen all this, old stuff for you.

The accommodations were splendid and comfortable. The flower arrangements were so perfect I nearly wondered if they were real, but quickly dismissed the idea of fake flowers in such a garden paradise.

[Kim]

We spent a couple of days snorkeling at Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach, did a night dive to watch the manta rays feed (absolutely spectacular!!!), and slowed down our pace to Hawaiian time.

Snaps from our last evening at Deans:

Tiki version of Dean?....................................Cordyline 'Miss Andrea'

Ohi'a tree over Neoveitchia storckii at sunset.......................sunset light on the Ohi'a forest.................the hale at sunset.

[ariscott]

Anymore pics of Dean's collection beside palms?? I know he has some

Regards, Ari

[Dypsisdean]

Steve and Kim were excellent house guests. So feel safe to offer them any hospitality if they are ever traveling in your neighborhood.

Ari, one of these days (soon) I'll try and get together some up to date photos of the garden. I want to do a slideshow and some Palmoramas, but I can never seem to get it "tidied up" enough for that.

[ariscott]

The thing about big garden, Dean... it doesn't have to be immaculate.... Who has time to clean big garden?? I like natural look garden, and that is how mine will look.. because I certainly don't have time to keep it immaculate.

So Kim... Darwin in 2011??

Regards, Ari

Edited November 6, 2009 by ariscott

[Gbarce]

Kim - Your photos are excellent! Hope there are lots more pics-- palm and non-palm.

[freakypalmguy]

Really nice shots Kim, look forward to the rest. Are you using any special setting on your camera? Looking at the pic with Angela in it, there's a lot of depth to it, almost a 3D feel.

Matt

[Kim]

Ari - On this trip I put more emphasis on enjoying the moment rather than attempting to capture everything on digital. The camera spent entire days tucked away in a bag, but I will look tonight to see what else might interest you from Dean's garden. Darwin 2011? We'll see. Maybe swing by there on our way back from Nepal?

Dean - Thanks again for putting us up in style and making us feel welcome. I still feel guilty that I didn't dig five holes a day, like you asked. Next time...

Gene - thanks! Yes, many more pics to come. It takes time to sort through and re-size everything, and I'm slow...

Matt, thanks! The special setting is Hawaii. I have always bugged Dean with questions about his camera settings, and he usually shoots on 'Auto' mode! Something about Hawaii makes the greens greener, the reds more red, the depth of field deeper. I mess around with my camera settings all the time, but it's more about experimentation than any special knowledge. I'll give you a few examples later.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Wonderful photos Kim. Thanks for posting them.

Sometimes we need to put the camera away in order to truly relax and enjoy a vacation.

That said, I still hope you find a few more to post. I never get tired of looking at your photos.

[Peter]

Great photos Kim! Look forward to any more you can find

[Jeff Searle]

Kim,

It looks like you had a beautful trip out there and your pictures are as usual......very good. It's nice to present some of these from a non-palm angle . Your not thinking about buying a small lot out there are you? Are we going to loose you too? Look forward to more photos. And it was nice to see the "Miss Andrea".

Jeff

[bgl]

Kim, as always, I thoroughly enjoy your excellent photos and insightful commentary. Looking forward to more...! I'm sure I'll be adding a few more comments at that point!

And Jeff, have to let you know that thanks to Kim we have now have our own "Miss Andrea" in our garden. Came from the Pahoa Farmers' Market!

Bo-Göran

[Dypsisdean]

I'm sure not everyone knows that the 'Miss Andrea Ti" was named after Jeff's wife. And not only is it one of my favorites, it has to be one of the best Ti Plants in the world due to it's overall form, and how easy, fast, and trouble free it grows - it is also incredibly beautiful, just like it's namesake.

[freakypalmguy]

Matt, thanks! The special setting is Hawaii. I have always bugged Dean with questions about his camera settings, and he usually shoots on 'Auto' mode! Something about Hawaii makes the greens greener, the reds more red, the depth of field deeper. I mess around with my camera settings all the time, but it's more about experimentation than any special knowledge. I'll give you a few examples later.

Cool, thank you Kim.

Matt

[Gbarce]

Kim - yeah-resizing is sucha chore. You could always just NOT resize them-- we love all teh detail in teh large pictures anyway. What I do lately is open about 10 tabs (if you are using windows explorer) on Palmtalk and post 1 picture each. I eventually find a rhythm to it--as I finish typing the text on one post the others would have finished uploading the picture and ready for my typing or even sending.--Hehe

[Urban Rainforest]

Kim, It looks like you and Steve had an awesome vacation! I remember our first trip to the big island and it was love at first sight. Deano's place is lookin good and those Clino's really blew up since I last saw them! Looking forward to more pics .

Stevo

[DoomsDave]

Kim, what's-his-name the photog, ain't got nothin' on you . . .

[Walter John]

more pics please Kim, any diving shots ?

[realarch]

Hi Kim, it was a great day. Good friends, good food, wonderful garden, and a warm day full of hearty laughs and easy smiles.

It was a pleasure for Bob and I spending time with you, Steve, Dean, Angela, and Lee and Mike.

Tim

[Kim]

Thanks Jeff in CR, Peter, Jeff S., and Bo! The 'Miss Andrea' ti has become a favorite of mine, so gorgeous, and it's fun to have met the real Andrea behind the ti plant. Someday I'd like to hear the story behind that.

Gene - None of my photos will upload without resizing -- each individual photo is 2 - 3 MB. Great for when I want to see them on a big screen, but more labor-intensive for posting. C'est la vie.

Thanks Steve and Dave, more pics coming your way momentarily. Wal, I did not take my camera on the manta ray dive -- we were diving at night and I don't have the proper strobe set up. The divemaster took video, which shows these 12-ft span manta rays doing loop de loops within inches of my facemask while feeding, totally awesome. Check this link for similar video: http://www.mantapacific.org/mantapacific/e...tion/video.html (Don't look at Goodbye China, too sad.)

Tim, I agree, it was a great day.

Ari -- Dean will have to take photos of the things you want to see -- my folder for that day is rather thin, sorry to disappoint!

[Kim]

Leaving Dean's place, we moved north along the coast to the Kohala area and checked into the Hilton Waikoloa Village for the full tourist experience. Coconut heads, this place is for you!

This place is so huge, it took 15 minutes to walk from the lobby to our room. It's really 3 separate very large hotel buildings on one property with additional buildings for meeting rooms, wedding facilities, several restaurants, ballroom, dolphin pools, and so on. There are also trains and boats to navigate the property, but we found it faster to walk. The public areas are packed with art, mostly asian, and the gardens, bridges, paths, and pools fill the space between the buildings. The whole thing is wrapped around a natural lava-encrusted lagoon. If you can imagine part Disneyland, part Las Vegas, shake it up with Hawaiian tourism, that's the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Having spent most of the day visiting friends, we arrived late afternoon and had a sandwich and a couple of mai tais, then walked around the grounds. (Note to self: 2 mai tais is 1 too many.)

Steve enjoys a mai tai while watching the boats go by -- note the palm shaped swizzle sticks!

Art aficionados -- please explain this pig-headed figure, possibly Chinese.

[ariscott]

It is ok, Kim... I am the same... I don't take many photos when I go and visit the garden. I usually leave that up to Scott... I just enjoy my surrounding. Besides, photos can't really show the whole picture... At least you had a good time . Yes, do stop by on your back from Nepal.

Regards, Ari

[Kim]

Coconut laced sunset was followed by coconut smattered sunrise.

Going............................................. going........................................... gone.

But early next morning just outside our window, the rosy dawn...

(The animals are part of the art collection -- statues.)

[Kim]

The art collection is worth a look. If you know your gods and goddesses (I don't), they can be identified by their poses -- position of legs and arms -- and by clothing or what they are holding. A few samples:

......................................................Note the stretched palms in this shady open-air atrium:

[Kim]

Painting of paradise......................... Did I mention the live birds?

Just kidding... .................. Nicely detailed foo dog and pup:

This is my favorite garden art shot:

[Kim]

In the lobby you'll find these oversized Chinese urns. I was taken with this languid Hawaiian landscape, particularly the vignette in the lower right of the young Hawaiian maiden happily stringing leis with plumeria flowers (carefree youth), wrapped in white (purity), contrasted with her older relative, mother or grandmother, dressed in a darker, more somber color (older age), fading into the shadows as she weaves a palm leaf basket (work and practical necessity). Very sweet.

This part of the island is low lying stark fields of lava, in particular the sharp, jagged clinker form called " 'a'a ". As we left the area, we caught sight of the Lavasaurus, still roaming the seemingly post-apocalyptic landscape :

[Kim]

We ranged as far north as Hawi and beyond to the Pololu Beach trail. We did not attempt to descend the wind-whipped muddy trail, merely viewed the steep cliffs and treacherous surf from above.

Later we passed through high and dry Waimea, which could have doubled for ranchland in parts of California or Oregon, except for the visible outline of the hulking volcano in the distance. Reaching the coast again, we turned northwest on the Hamakua Coast highway toward the small town of Honoka'a and on to Waipi'o Valley. You will undoubtedly recognize this oft-photographed scene of a tiny farmed emerald green river valley embraced by steep cliffs and a stony beach. I asked a friend if she ever surfs there. With a slight smile and a sideways glance, she said, "No, too sharky." Maybe that's on the other side of the board with all the warnings!

Yes, it's windy.......................................the small private farms

Storefronts in Honoka'a

[Kim]

One last glance at the points of land receding into the distance at Waipi'o Valley...

Friends suggested we make a stop at Laupahoehoe Town, a tiny inlet below steep cliffs with a sad history. In 1946 the school here was swallowed up by a tsunami, and many students and teachers lost their lives. There is a small monument to their memory and a large display of news articles from the event. If you know anyone who was living in Hawaii at the time, this is an event etched in their memories; I'm told long time Hawaiians are unlikely to live in low-lying areas near the water because of this memory.

The water is ferocious on the rocks here.

As the highway curves southward, we take a diversion to visit Akaka Falls, where the water plunges 420 feet off a cliff into a misty pool below.

[Kim]

After a fine lunch of ahi sandwiches and kona coffee ice cream, we found our way to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden situated above Onomea Bay. The road here had a familiar look to it; I'm almost certain I visited scenic Onomea Bay on my first trip to Hawaii in 1971, before the Botanical Garden existed. Today there is a Visitor Center, nicely planted out with bromeliads and dracaenae. Steve poses at the entrance, and an old bell from the original property marks the beginning of the trail.

The boardwalk descends into a canyon filled with palms (one doing gymnastics on the hillside), gingers, and other tropical delights. I was captivated by this plant, Cat's Whiskers, or Orthosiphon staminea.

[Kim]

An usual coloration for a Hibiscus; Heliconia longissima proves true to its name, some were more than 8 ft. in length; this small heliconia flower was a common but bright and cheery sight:

Vertical enough for you? Philodendron climbing Archontophoenix alexandrae...

These Alexander palms have naturalized in the area, filling many of the rivermouth canyons with their airy crowns. The little people in the photo give you an idea of their cathedral-like soaring height. Onomea falls tumbles down toward the ocean...

[Kim]

The garden was thick with blooming orchids and vivid heliconias:

[Kim]

Eventually the trail wound its way down to the ocean. Some old graves were discovered while the HTBG people were clearing the area. Blow hole in lava formation spitting...

I believe this pose is becoming something of a Palmtalk tradition.

More Cat's Whiskers and a mixed bouquet.

[Kim]

Walking back up toward the exit I was astonished by the sight of 3 enormous Metroxylon amicarum -- somehow we had walked right past them on the way down, oblivious! These really wowed me -- my new favorite palm! Another fine example of Cordyline 'Miss Andrea' -- she's everywhere! And back to the glorious bromeliad garden.

We stayed in Hilo and managed to find a restaurant recommended by friends. A couple of foodie shots... unfortunately they were out of the baby abalone, but the mussels were tasty!

More to come; we're only 5 days into the journey at this point!

[bgl]

Kim,

Thanks for all the additional excellent photos. Makes me appreciate this great island even more! For instance, I don't know how I ever missed the Lavasaurus! And about the lack of response to your question in Post #25 (about the pig-headed figure) - I can only assume that art aficionados are frequenting a different forum!

Maybe more photos later today?

Bo-Göran

[Kim]

Kim,

Thanks for all the additional excellent photos. Makes me appreciate this great island even more! For instance, I don't know how I ever missed the Lavasaurus! And about the lack of response to your question in Post #25 (about the pig-headed figure) - I can only assume that art aficionados are frequenting a different forum!

Maybe more photos later today?

Bo-Göran

You must be sharp-eyed to capture a glimpse of the Lavasaurus, Bo. Okay, well I hope I didn't put everyone to sleep with the art... The next installment involves a lot of lava. Oh, and a nude beach, that will keep them checking back...

We stayed in Hilo in a hotel that was under renovation -- to the degree that we weren't certain the place was even open. Construction equipment blocked the main entry, the public areas were deserted and beat looking, but the lone clerk at the front desk confirmed our reservation and passed us a key. It turned out our room had already been renovated. They were going for a modern look, and I couldn't complain about the views. (That orange fencing in the 4th photo gives you a hint that things are falling apart here.)

We had errands to run, meetings to make, a bit of shopping to do. We visited the farmer's market, a wonderful guitar and ukelele store, and a surf shop where we made arrangements to take a stand up paddle lesson the next day. The day went by too quickly.

Some of the things I didn't buy:

Later in the afternoon we found our way to Honoli'i Beach Park and watched the locals navigate the surf. There were all levels of ability and all ages in the water, and high school kids dashed past us down to the water after school to squeek in a session before dark.

After sunset we drove through featureless darkness to find a fish restaurant outside of town, Seaside Restaurant. Had we known the serving sizes, we'd have split a plate! Foodie pic:

[Kim]

In the morning we went to Just Chillin', the red and white coffee hut on Kilauea Ave. to meet our stand up paddle instructor. It was the first 'Furlough Friday', one of 2 Fridays a month with no school due to budget cuts. It was a hot topic at the coffee hut. The economy has hit Hawaii rather hard. Eventually Juan arrived with the boards, and we started in the lagoon. After we got the hang of it, Juan led us out into Hilo Bay and we paddled to Coconut Island. It was quite easy, but of course, we were not in the surf line -- that would have been an entirely different story.

Just Chillin' Coffee....... Steve practices negotiating a turn, Mauna Loa in the background.... Juan and his daughter with Steve

Later that day we drove south of Hilo to Leilani Estates to see Bo-Göran and Karolyn Lundkvist. They greeted us warmly and we went for a walk in the garden. I know you won't believe it, but I didn't take my camera. No worries -- it was not the only tour of the garden!! Just to tide you over, here is a shot of the view from the living room sofa. Bo and Karolyn are wonderful hosts, and were very happy to take the time to show us around their part of the island. This was a great chance for us to get to know them better.

Next morning Bo and Karolyn took us to the farmer's market up the highway toward Kea'au. The boys indulged in some fancy breakfast crepes:

The orchids caught my attention, $5 each! What a steal... and lots of other pretty pretty plants for sale.