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| Waipio Valley |
After an extremely full day on the previous day, we didn't push ourselves to an early start on Day 3 of our
Hawaiian trip. In fact, we had arrived back at the villa just past mid-night, after a most memorable
star-gazing trip at Mauna Kea. Still, with a fair amount of driving being in store for the day, we intended to leave Kona before lunch.
The nice
Kona villa where we had spent two nights was a perfect holiday home, and it would have been nice if we could stay longer. But holidays are very much a microcosm of one's life journey, and often in life there are times when one inevitably needs to move on. While a beautiful place often has to be left behind for the journey to continue, there are fond memories to be taken with you. One is spurred on by the soothing thought and anticipation that there are many more beautiful places to be explored in the journey ahead.
Our plan for this day was to drive from Kona on the west coast (or the 'leeward side') of the Big Island to Hilo, which is the main city on the east coast (or 'windward side') of the island, going on a route round the north with a few stops, including the famous Waipio Valley Lookout and Akaka Falls.
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| Road map for Day 3 --- from West to East on the Big Island |
We started the day by going to the Kailua-Kona city for brunch. We had enjoyed the food and view of the coast offered by the Daylight Mind Coffee Company restaurant,
where we had brunch the day before, so much that we went there for a second time!
Located just about mid-way towards Hilo, Waimea was a reasonable place to take a break in driving. In reality, we picked Waimea as a stopping point because we had wanted to pay a visit to the W.M. Keck Observatory headquarters. The headquarters took the form of a cluster of unassuming bungalows. Apparently, the Keck I and II telescopes can be operated remotely from here. While we did not know anyone at the headquarters to be given a demonstration, there was a Visitor Center open to the public. It was only when we arrived that we found the Visitor Center to open till 2pm, which meant we were just in time by about 15 minutes.
The Visitor Center itself was somewhat smaller than I had expected, occupying the space of a ground floor foyer. Hexagons were a centre theme in the design of the Visitor Center, including the shape of the big windows and the posters on one of the walls featuring notable discoveries credited with the Keck Telescopes. The hexagons were a reference to the structure of the primary mirrors of the
Keck Telescopes, each of which are made up of 36 hexagonal segments that work together as a single unit. The most prominent exhibits at the Visitor Center were of course meticulous models of the Keck I and II Telescopes.
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| W.M. Keck Observatory headquarters, Waimea |
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| W.M. Keck Observatory headquarters, Waimea |
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| W.M. Keck Observatory headquarters, Waimea |
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| W.M. Keck Observatory Visitor Center |
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| W.M. Keck Observatory Visitor Center |
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| An early instrument on the Keck I Telescope --- NIRC (Near Infra Red Camera) on display in W.M. Keck Observatory Visitor Center |
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| Keck Telescope model |
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| Models of Keck I and II Telescopes |
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| W.M. Keck Observatory Visitor Center |
After the brief stop in Waimea, we continued to the next one --- the popular Waipio Valley Lookout. The Lookout offers a stunning view of he Waipio Valley below. It is also much easier to get to than the bottom of the valley below.
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| Waipio Valley |
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| Waipio Valley Lookout |
Our next stop was Akaka Falls State Park on the east coast of the Big Island, on the way towards Hilo. A nice and easy circular trail in the Park led up to the Falls. As a slight drizzle was starting, we hurried along the trail, amidst the lush green forest with plentiful tall trees and wild flowers. The 135m tall Akaka Falls itself was spectacular.
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| Akaka Falls State Park |
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| Akaka Falls State Park |
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| Akaka Falls State Park |
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| Akaka Falls State Park |
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| Akaka Falls State Park |
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| Native flower, Akaka Falls State Park |
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| Spectacular Akaka Falls |
We then headed to Hilo, where we would be staying for two nights. Our hotel was located right by the coast. Following dinner at the Hula Hulas restaurant in the hotel, we ended the day by leaning on a deckchair facing the ocean, sipping a complimentary drink, catching the evening breeze and watching the stars in the night sky above.
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| Hotel by the sea, Hilo |
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| Breaking waves at Hilo |
Overview: 9 days in Hawaii
Previous: Hawaii Day 2
Next: Hawaii Day 4
Label:
2019 USA --- Hawaii
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