Hawaii is
dangerous. DANGEROUS, I tell you! Yet, people flock there like moths to the flame. What in the world am I talking about? Cautionary signs dot the island. For every breathtaking view or mind-blowing experience, you have to pass by warnings of doom and gloom. But we persevered and pushed forward, keeping a clear head and common sense as we made our way around.
Yes, I do imagine that a coconut falling on your noggin could cause quite a headache. And yet...
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Sure honey, go ahead and play right under that coconut tree.
Mokuola (Coconut Island), Hilo, The Big Island |
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If you are scared away by all this...
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| Curse you Inadequate Footwear! |
you'll never have a chance to see...
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Lava flowing down a volcano as night begins to fall
End of Highway 130 in Puna, The Big Island |
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In Volcanoes National Park, Sulphur Banks is quite a sight. Staying on the trail is easy since it's a wooden boardwalk with railings. You'd have to be a fool to climb through it and take off into the smoldering, yellow- and rust-stained landscape.
If you're good on the trail, you'll be rewarded by the contrast of beautiful flowers against a stinky, hellish backdrop. If you
don't obey the signs, you'll fall through a crack in the earth's crust never to be seen again.
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See the steam rising up from the rocks behind the ohia flowers? How do they survive in all that malodorous gas?
Sulphur Banks, Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island |
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At some places, one sign wasn't enough. Tons of danger abounded everywhere. A few miles north of Hilo, we journeyed through the lush Pepe'ekeo Scenic Drive. At Onomea Bay, we parked our car by these.
What a view! It almost makes you want to do the 20-minute hike to the water's edge, dodge falling rocks, jump in the current, and brave a flash flood. Actually, this was a long driving day, so we just hopped right back in the car after taking a picture. No, we are not cowards — merely in a hurry.
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That detached rock was part of a sea arch until it collapsed in a 1956 earthquake.
Onomea Bay on the east side of The Big Island |
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Akaka Falls State Park is a great place to stop... IF YOU DARE.
Keeping back is actually good advice since it's a loooooooong way straight down. When taking that picture, be sure not to step too close to the edge.
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| 442 feet down to the bottom of Akaka Falls |
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I wonder how many fools have visited The Seven Sacred Pools (a.k.a. Oheo Gulch) on the east side of Maui, south of Hana. Perhaps one crazy person too many prompted officials to post this sign.
Oheo Gulch is such an invigorating place all by itself. How about just climbing on rocks and swimming under the falls instead of leaping from bridges and cliffs?
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How could someone think jumping from that bridge is a good idea?
Oheo Gulch, Maui |
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Sometimes, the danger that you need to fear is human. (Just think of Bambi's poor mom.)
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| Apparently, it's a non-stop, hunters paradise here. |
Have we stumbled into a Hunger Games arena? When we were here, it was 8 years past the posted End date, so we stayed on the trail and continued onward. We were rewarded by climbing the non-native, towering trees of a failed attempt to establish a timber industry on Maui. The trail loops through this alien forest and emerges into native shrubland.
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| Alien trees at Hosmer Grove, Haleakala National Park, Maui |
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Other times, the danger came from the fierce creatures that surround Hawaii. No, not sharks.
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| I don't understand why this requires 2 different signs. |
We couldn't resist the black stone beach of Wai'anapanapa State Park. No one else seemed to be getting stung, so we blissfully splashed in the water without fear. At the end of our visit, we even saw some locals doing net fishing.
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Wai'anapanapa State Park's beaches are covered with black pebbles, not fine white sand.
No stingers here! |
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My favorite sign was the one that reminded us to reflect on the moment and immerse ourselves in the peacefulness of nature.
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| Along the Waikamoi Nature Trail, The Road to Hana |
Take time to smell the roses (hibiscus in Hawaii?) and examine the tree bark.
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| The perfectly named Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree |
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Are the people of Hawaii being overly cautious popping up these warning signs everywhere? I don't know. There's something about island life that makes your worries and your common sense drift away. They need to bring you back to reality every now and then.
For instance, we were eating lunch outside in Maui at high noon when I noticed a perfectly circular rainbow around the overhead sun. "Look at the sun!" I exclaimed. This was quickly followed by "No! No! Do NOT look at the sun! Never look directly at the sun!" My family thought I was bonkers to say the least. So, I took this photo instead and let them enjoy it on the camera screen.
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The rainbow colors were a lot more distinct in real life, but you would have burned your retinas while staring at it.
Consider yourself warned. |
Related Post:
U.S. National Park Week: Part 2
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