Electricity whine May 10, 2010
It was windy on Saturday night, and the power went out while we were watching something on our already-full DVR.  With a certain tone in my voice, I said, "How are we supposed to catch up on our shows if the power is out?"  A White Whine indeed. #science
Big Island trip review May 10, 2010
You know the drill.  First, recap; now, review: 

Highlights.  Hawaii is a tropical volcanic island paradise in the absolute middle of nowhere, so it's hard not to like everything.  But I would say the highlights of the trip were (1) hiking through arid grasslands down to a "beach" in Volcanoes and encountering a sea turtle in a tide pool, (2) snorkeling up close with sea turtles and all kinds of colorful fish (and even seeing and hearing a couple of spinner dolphins), (3) stargazing atop Mauna Kea and seeing an unimaginable amount of stars and even the rings on Saturn (through a telescope). 

Weather.  The temperatures were in the low 80s everyday, and sun was out for only about half the days we were there, which made for not-so-great picture-taking at times, but which worked out well for my easily-sunburned skin.  The elevation of Volcanoes National Park was somewhere around 4000 feet, so the temperatures were in the 70s during the day, and probably the 50s at night.  The elevation of the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station was a little over 9000 feet, so the temperatures were in the 60s when the sun was up, but quickly dropped into the 40s.  After snorkeling earlier in the day, it was a small shock to gain 9000 feet in elevation and lose 30-40 degrees in temperature.  But we brought some slightly warm clothes. 

Camping.  To make the trip cheap, we camped most nights for under $10.  This means we had to bring a tent and sleeping bags, which means we had to pay to check a bag at the airport, but it was worth it.  But the penalty for cheapness is dirtiness, which builds up faster when you do things like hike up and down volcanoes and eat onion-filled sandwiches.  Wendy reached her limit at about the third night of camping, but we still had one more night before we stayed in a hotel.  In the future, I'll try to do a better job of planning by interspersing more hotel stays with campground stays.  Perhaps I should add one more highlight to the list above:  (4) taking a shower at a resort after camping and sweating for four straight days.  It was a truly magical experience. 

Regions.  Since the Big Island is such a "big" place, it was interesting to see all the different microclimates.  Of course there were the humid areas on the coast, but there were also extremely windy regions with rough waves crashing on rocks, dry regions with sparse vegetation and fire danger, regions with flowing or newly-dried lava, mountainous regions with occasional snow, green pastureland full of cattle and sheep, and regions with lush vegetation like a rain forest. 

Hawaiians.  The people of Hawaii are cool people.  They're nice, they let you do what you want, and they like to tell you about their cultural history and their beautiful island.  But a few patterns I noticed were that (1) many Hawaiians lacked a full set (or even a half set) of teeth, (2) coughing was a widespread problem, and (3) everyone had tattoos.  The teeth thing didn't bother me, but being woken up at a campsite by a Hawaiian coughing up a lung and then spitting it on the ground was unpleasant.  Smoking pot was also a common activity among pretty much everyone (and pretty much anywhere), and I have to wonder if the coughing had something to do with that, or if perhaps the sulfur in the volcanic fumes could've been a factor.  Tattooing was so common, I started to get used to seeing old people with entire limbs covered in tribal markings.  It was kinda cool. 

Transportation.  The island was really easy to drive around.  I saw a public bus once or twice, but I doubt that's a good way to get around.  The main loop road was fabulously uncrowded and had a comfortably high speed limit.  There was a significant dearth of traffic cops, which made driving even less stressful.  My one and only complaint about driving was that Hawaiians had a habit of sort of cutting you off and then going slow.  But honestly, what's the rush? 

Food.  It was a really nice treat to eat lots of fresh tropical fruits and trendy little wraps and sandwiches that were actually healthy.  Smoothies were quite common, as was "shave ice" a.k.a. juice-flavored ice shavings.  There was a winery in the town of Volcano, and there was a brewery in Kailua Kona.  Coffee is becoming a major crop for the island, and there were many places to get a cup whose beans were grown in the backyard.  There was also a surprising amount of cattle farming, and I would imagine at least some of that meat ended up on my plate because of the high cost of importing. 

All in all, it was a really cool trip.  We stayed busy most of the time, so by the end, I was pretty tired and ready to go home.  And thankfully, we came back to New Jersey when it was 70 and sunny so it wasn't too much of a shock to our systems.  The cats were happy to see us; the rabbits didn't notice we were gone. #travel
Big Island trip recap May 6, 2010
Wendy and I just spent nine days on the Big Island of Hawaii.  It's called the Big Island because it's the biggest Hawaiian island.  I'm not making this up.  Anyway, we rented a car and drove all over the place, camping most nights and spending the days hiking, snorkeling, and sightseeing.  We had actually been to Hawaii once before, but it was on a cruise, so we didn't have as much time to explore any of the islands.  This trip changed that. 

Quick Facts:
Miles driven:  1073
Nights spent in a hotel:  3 out of 9
Travel time to Hawaii:  18 hours
Shark attacks:  0
Minimum elevation:  -4 feet (snorkel dive!)
Maximum elevation:  9200 feet
Tattoo sightings:  1.7 quadrillion
Sunburns:  2
Sea turtle sightings:  A lot

Daily Recap:
Day 1 - Flew into Hilo via Honolulu via Denver via Newark; stayed at a hotel.

Day 2 - Drove to Volcanoes National Park to get a campsite; walked around Lava Tree State Park; visited the Cape Kumukahi lighthouse; swam in the Kapoho Tide Pools; ate at Lava Rock Cafe; camped at Volcanoes.

Day 3 - Drove around the Chain of Craters Road in Volcanoes; hiked to the Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs and the sea arch; camped at Volcanoes.

Day 4 - Hiked down to a little beach at Ka'a in Volcanoes; ate lunch at the Volcano Golf Club; tasted wine at the Volcano Winery; checked out the black sand at Punalu'u Beach; camped at Whittington Beach Park.

Day 5 - Stopped at the Punalu'u Bake Shop; went back to Punalu'u Beach and saw sea turtles; checked out the green sand at Papakolea Beach; drove to the southernmost point at Ka Lae; camped at Ho'okena Beach Park.

Day 6 - Kayaked and snorkeled in Kealakekua Bay; got lunch at The Coffee Shack; visited the Place of Refuge and snorkeled nearby (and saw spinner dolphins); stayed at a Marriott resort (!).

Day 7 - Checked out Waikoloa Petroglyphs; ate lunch at Kona Brew Pub; snorkeled at Kunalu'u Beach; camped at Spencer Beach Park.

Day 8 - Visited Pu'ukohola Heiau; snorkeled at Mahukona Beach; hiked down to Pololu Valley and Honokane Nui Valley; got lunch at the Snack Shack in Kapaau; stargazed at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station; stayed in a cheap motel in Kamuela.

Day 9 - Drove along Scenic Highway 19; stopped at Laupahoehoe Park; drove into Hilo for some lunch at Bueno Burrito; headed back north to Akaka Falls; ate at What's Shakin'; camped at Kolekole Beach Park.

Day 10 - Drove up to Pe'epe'e Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Kaumana Caves; got lunch at the Hilo Coffee Mill; walked around Hilo; saw the Queen Liliuokalani Gardens and nearby Coconut Island; headed to the airport to fly to Newark via Denver via Honolulu.

Pictures:

[gallery /img/2010/05/p0425104132.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0425104132-150x150.jpg:::Our campsite in Volcanoes National Park.:::/img/2010/05/p0425171036.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0425171036-150x150.jpg:::Houses built on top of fairly new lava.:::/img/2010/05/p0425171205.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0425171205-150x150.jpg:::A sign for some beautiful beachfront property.  Probably pretty cheap.  Also about half a mile from currently flowing lava.:::/img/2010/05/p0425181150.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0425181150-150x150.jpg:::A moonrise over the volcano.:::/img/2010/05/p0425183329.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0425183329-150x150.jpg:::Destruction!  Notice the tree on fire in the background.:::/img/2010/05/p0425184505.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0425184505-150x150.jpg:::The lava glowed pretty bright as the sun went down.:::/img/2010/05/p0426110339.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426110339-150x150.jpg:::Wendy ate some spicy food.:::/img/2010/05/p0426112850.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426112850-150x150.jpg:::The earth is polluting itself.:::/img/2010/05/p0426121110.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426121110-150x150.jpg:::I have a lot of respect for this tree.  Growing in the middle of nowhere, on solid rock.  You go, tree.:::/img/2010/05/p0426122040.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426122040-150x150.jpg:::A view of the coastline.  The black parts are fairly recent lava flows.:::/img/2010/05/p0426124211.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426124211-150x150.jpg:::The lava monster ate the road.:::/img/2010/05/p0426125507.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426125507-150x150.jpg:::The understatement of the lifetime.  We were on a sheer cliff like 40 feet above the water, and it was hard to even stand up with all the wind and salty water spray.:::/img/2010/05/p0426125638.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426125638-150x150.jpg:::A giant sea arch.:::/img/2010/05/p0426125659.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426125659-150x150.jpg:::A view of the wave-battered coast.:::/img/2010/05/p0426130349.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426130349-150x150.jpg:::This bird seemed to have no problem flying through the strong winds and over the swelling waves, occasionally stopping in a nest on the side of the cliffs.:::/img/2010/05/p0426134502.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426134502-150x150.jpg:::Some artsy fartsy dead tree thing.:::/img/2010/05/p0426135057.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426135057-150x150.jpg:::A real live petroglyph in Volcanoes.:::/img/2010/05/p0426135421.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426135421-150x150.jpg:::A "honu" (turtle) petroglyph in Volcanoes.:::/img/2010/05/p0426140751.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426140751-150x150.jpg:::This is me taking shelter in a lava cave, getting a break from the relentless dry wind.:::/img/2010/05/p0426150150.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426150150-150x150.jpg:::Wendy peers down a lava hole.:::/img/2010/05/p0426150712.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426150712-150x150.jpg:::Dead trees sticking out of the lava.:::/img/2010/05/p0426151656.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426151656-150x150.jpg:::The lava monster tried to cross the road but got tired and gave up.:::/img/2010/05/p0426161712.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426161712-150x150.jpg:::A view of the arid grasslands to the south of the volcano.:::/img/2010/05/p0426162042.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0426162042-150x150.jpg:::Hey let's hike down to that beach (part 1 of 7).:::/img/2010/05/p0427085026.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427085026-150x150.jpg:::I'm the guy from The Gladiator (part 2 of 7).:::/img/2010/05/p0427091854.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427091854-150x150.jpg:::Well that clears things up (part 3 of 7).:::/img/2010/05/p0427092317.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427092317-150x150.jpg:::Wendy looks tiny with that 800-foot hill behind her (part 4 of 7).:::/img/2010/05/p0427100435.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427100435-150x150.jpg:::We made it! (part 5 of 7):::/img/2010/05/p0427101934.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427101934-150x150.jpg:::We came from up there (part 6 of 7).:::/img/2010/05/p0427102535.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427102535-150x150.jpg:::Our reward for hiking 7 miles roundtrip was this friendly sea turtle (part 7 of 7).:::/img/2010/05/p0427191227.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0427191227-150x150.jpg:::A moonrise over a beach.:::/img/2010/05/p0428061855.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428061855-150x150.jpg:::A sunrise over the same beach.:::/img/2010/05/p0428061943.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428061943-150x150.jpg:::Waves crashing on an old dock.:::/img/2010/05/p0428063844.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428063844-150x150.jpg:::This birdie was nice enough to hop up on our picnic table and let me take his picture.:::/img/2010/05/p0428072230.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428072230-150x150.jpg:::Wendy stands near our campsite, which was comfortably tucked under a big monkey pod tree and overlooked the ocean.  Not bad.:::/img/2010/05/p0428084405.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428084405-150x150.jpg:::The waves are pounding that poor old dock again.:::/img/2010/05/p0428090023.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428090023-150x150.jpg:::A camera-friendly yellow bird.:::/img/2010/05/p0428090849.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428090849-150x150.jpg:::Not exactly a swimming beach.:::/img/2010/05/p0428095445.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428095445-150x150.jpg:::Wendy's feet in black sand.  There were about 10,000 other tourists on this same beach who took this same exact picture.  That didn't stop me.:::/img/2010/05/p0428114454.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428114454-150x150.jpg:::A dead poisonous centipede, Hawaii's only negative thing besides the volcano (which is really only negative if you're in the wrong place).:::/img/2010/05/p0428122202.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428122202-150x150.jpg:::Green sand.:::/img/2010/05/p0428122734.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0428122734-150x150.jpg:::Behold the sandwich made with sweet bread!  Mine had a ludicrous amount of onions, which greatly exacerbated my already dangerous body odor problem (day 3 without a shower).:::/img/2010/05/p0429095735.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0429095735-150x150.jpg:::Wendy gets her stuff ready for snorkeling.  The water was about 50 feet deep and crystal clear, with huge coral formations as far as the eye could see.:::/img/2010/05/p0429100426.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0429100426-150x150.jpg:::A Longfin Bannerfish (I think).:::/img/2010/05/p0429101108.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0429101108-150x150.jpg:::A Red Slate Pencil Urchin.:::/img/2010/05/p0429111020.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0429111020-150x150.jpg:::This brown blob of goo is actually a White-Spotted Sea Cucumber, contrary to its strong resemblance to fecal matter.:::/img/2010/05/p0429113722.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0429113722-150x150.jpg:::A blue-hued Black Triggerfish, next to a regular Black Triggerfish, a.k.a. Humuhumu'ele'ele, which is quite fun to say.:::/img/2010/05/p0429131954.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0429131954-150x150.jpg:::This gecko was one of several who were licking some stuff out of a little container left out on a railing at The Coffee Shack.:::/img/2010/05/p0430123447.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0430123447-150x150.jpg:::I have come to believe that it's impossible to have a bad time at a brew pub.:::/img/2010/05/p0430151857.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0430151857-150x150.jpg:::Sea turtles are awesome.:::/img/2010/05/p0501091421.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501091421-150x150.jpg:::This is a bee decal in a urinal, which has been proven to reduce, uh, aimer error.  I realize I broke a major rule here by taking a picture in a bathroom, but I was the only person there.:::/img/2010/05/p0501104332.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501104332-150x150.jpg:::This thing was stuck on a rock by the ocean.  I have no idea what it is, but I'm lead to believe it's a sea creature of sorts.:::/img/2010/05/p0501114412.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501114412-150x150.jpg:::A view from atop the Pololu Valley, which we hiked to the bottom of.:::/img/2010/05/p0501123456.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501123456-150x150.jpg:::This giant squishy lump was lodged in the sand on a beach and was in the process of being burned, which leads me to believe it's some sort of sea creature's carcass, possibly a whale.  It was gross, but fascinating.:::/img/2010/05/p0501123942.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501123942-150x150.jpg:::A view from the bottom of the Pololu Valley.:::/img/2010/05/p0501132147.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501132147-150x150.jpg:::Some sort of pine tree, which was amazingly green.:::/img/2010/05/p0501132640.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501132640-150x150.jpg:::That's me thinking about taking a fruit from a tree.  It looked like a pineapple, but it turned out to be a hala, a.k.a. a "tourist pineapple.":::/img/2010/05/p0501173307.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501173307-150x150.jpg:::On the way up to Mauna Kea, we were pretty literally in the clouds.:::/img/2010/05/p0501174942.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501174942-150x150.jpg:::And now we're above the clouds.:::/img/2010/05/p0501192529.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0501192529-150x150.jpg:::This isn't a fabulous picture, but you get the idea.  It's Venus rising over Mauna Kea, just after sunset.:::/img/2010/05/p0502153344.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0502153344-150x150.jpg:::Akaka Falls.:::/img/2010/05/p0503064547.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0503064547-150x150.jpg:::Our final camping spot, which was right next to a rain forest, which contained many flying bugs, which were attracted to the street light above our tent, but which the frogs took care of, only occasionally jumping onto our tent.  That was a unique experience.:::/img/2010/05/p0503092826.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0503092826-150x150.jpg:::If someone can please tell me when I'll be too old to think this is funny, that'd be great.:::/img/2010/05/p0503102256.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0503102256-150x150.jpg:::The most common bird in Hawaii (a Common Myna) takes flight.:::/img/2010/05/p0503114135.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0503114135-150x150.jpg:::Unripe coffee beans.:::/img/2010/05/p0503133907.jpg:::/img/2010/05/p0503133907-150x150.jpg:::The Palace Theater in Hilo.:::]
#travel
Starbucks VIA (3) May 5, 2010
First off, it's a well-known fact that I don't like Starbucks coffee (well-known to me and about 1.5 other people).  It's strong and burnt and makes my stomach feel like it's full of acid.  Regardless, I gave their VIA instant coffee a try and came to a frighteningly quick conclusion:  It sucks.  It's awful.  It tastes like dirt.  And not because it tastes like Starbucks coffee.  Because it tastes like bad coffee. #food