BMW M6 Individual with koa wood interior

Best Hilo Tsunami Video Footage

Not overly dramatic, but this high quality video says it all.

The Last Maui Pineapple Truck

With the demise of commercial pineapple farming on Maui, 300 workers will be laid off. And those ubiquitous yellow Maui pineapple trucks will be gone too. I took these pics after taking the last tour ever offered on the plantation. This example was tucked away in a gated yard. As soon as I got there and took my camera out, a couple of tough looking teamster-types started walking up to me. No doubt they thought I was some kind of agitator, as tensions must be high. So I took a couple of pictures and hightailed it out of there.

These, I believe, will be the last pictures taken of the fabled yellow Maui pineapple trucks.

Contrasting Towers

Pioneer Mill Smokestack; Lahaina, Hawaii

Emin Minaret; Turpan, Xinjiang

Carspotting (22): Mercedes W108 280S

Taken in Makawao, a paniolo (cowboy) town on Maui.

No More Maui Pineapples

It's official. As of the end of the year, Maui Land will stop producing pineapples on Maui. This means that hundreds of locals will lose their livelihood. The yellow pineapple trucks will disappear too. I just hope that Kapalua doesn't absorb the land and create more golf courses. If you're going to be on Maui before year's end, go on a tour and see a disappearing aspect of Hawaii.

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Father Damien of Molokai Leper Colony Fame Made A Saint

Even as a non-Catholic, I have to celebrate this decision.

Here is a blog retrospective:

Link to a link of a NYT article.

My trip to Molokai, part 1 of my trip.

My trek down to the colony, part 2 of my trip.

5 King Kamehameha Statues

1. Kapa'au, Big Island. This is my favorite. It is near the King's birthplace. This was supposed to stand in front of Iolani Palace but was lost off of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) while in transit. By the time this statue was recovered, its replacement was already on Oahu. So this one ended up in the North Kohala district of the Big Island.

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2. Honolulu, Oahu. This is the most iconic Kamehameha statue and is the replacement of the statue just discussed above.

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3. Washington, DC. This one is in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. The other statue representing the State of Hawaii is that of Father Damien.

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4. Hilo, Big Island. This one has an interesting background as well. It was supposed to grace the Princeville Resort on Kauai. But because Kamehameha never took over Kauai, the locals wanted nothing to do with it. So it was donated to Hilo.

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5. Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, Maui. I want to check this one out. It is supposed to be the most accurate representation of the King.

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Musavi Versus Musubi

Not to make light of the situation in Iran, but every time I hear the name of the opposition candidate, Musavi,

I think of delicious musubi.

CKY

Captain Cook Tour: Hawaii Edition

During a conversation with a historian friend, the subject of Captain Cook and Hawaii came up. Here are the must see places in Hawaii:

1. Cook landing site (Kauai): This is where Cook first landed on the Hawaiian (nee Sandwich) Islands in January 1778. It's at the present site of the town of Waimea. The spot is on the west side of the Waimea River at Lucy Wright Park.

The river in the foreground is the Waimea. The island in the background is Niihau. This picture was taken from Russian Fort Elizabeth.

2. Cook statue (Kauai): While you're in Waimea, stop by the Captain Cook statue. It's along the main street of town (Kaumuali'i Highway) on the mauka (inland) side.

3. Cook's Last Stand (Big Island): This is where Captain Cook was killed in February 1779. There are a number of ways to get to the site on the South Kona Coast, where an obelisk sits on a small plot of land that is technically British territory. You can hike down from Highway 11 along the rough Captain Cook Monument Trail, you can drive to Manini Beach and kayak over, or you can take a snorkeling tour that stops at Kealakekua Bay.

Picture taken from Manini Beach. White obelisk is in the middle of the photograph, in the distance.

4. The town of Captain Cook (Big Island): After your tour, stop off at Captain Cook, a town of about 3,200 people. It is one of the few places in the state with an Anglo name. The Manago Restaurant inside Hotel Manago serves great pork chops.


CKY