I must be crazy–I choose to drive to the windward side of the island where it’s dumping rain and hail–instead of laying on warm, sunny beaches of the leeward side. I hope this is the best botanical garden I’ve seen.
Continue reading Plantus exoticus: Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens
Entering this place is like landing on another planet. I’d seen pictures but nothing prepared me for reality. Primary colors lined up in nature like a color wheel. Cerulean. Mustard. Rust. Charcoal. Ivory. Chartreuse. Shapes of elephant feet. Squashed clay. Mammalian protuberances. Faces. Yeah. All that. Looking like a watercolor swatch of a giant. Continue reading Painted Hills: geology gone psychedelic
First time I saw a bear I was 5. It was getting into a garbage can at dusk–about 25′ away from our parked van with us in it. It was a dark, blurry object clattering around. Rangers eventually had to chase it off. That was at Cougar Rock campground, Mount Rainier National Park. I hadn’t seen a bear at Rainier since. Until today. Continue reading A bear at Sunrise, Mt. Rainier
I’ve hiked only a few times on Oahu, Hawaii. The terrain is deceptively challenging due to constant assault from the elements: heat, humidity, aridity, slippery mud, sharp lava rock, vertigo-inducing heights, and serious elevation change. The conditions can change drastically in a heartbeat. Add that I’m not on-island for long–just a few days around my birthday. And, I’m wearing sandals instead of hiking boots. But I want a serious hike–I want something apropos for my birth day. Continue reading Hiking to the sky: Kuliouou Ridge Trail
When the Bloedels passed away and left their estate in trust, no one knew what would happen. Mr. Bloedel did. He planned gardens on a monumental scale. Today, we are all the beneficiaries. Continue reading Paradise Found: the Bloedel Reserve
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