Our blogs each year, for the most part, are based on our wandering ways. We kicked off 2025 with a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii where we stayed in a VRBO 30 miles outside of Hilo for a month, rented a car, and explored the island. Spring and summer found us wandering through the Southwestern US for five months, pulling a small trailer behind our truck, and visiting national parks and monuments. In October/November, we left the trailer behind at our home base in Virginia and traveled for three weeks through New England admiring the beautiful fall colors.
Our next three posts will be devoted to doing our yearly wrap-up of our travels— based on our annual calendar. Each year we select 13 photos from among what we consider our best travel photos for use in a calendar we create for our extended family. This year we created three: one for each of the areas we visited. Family members got to choose which calendar they wanted. The photos for today’s post were selected for our Hawaii Calendar. The orchid above is one of numerous different species found at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden just outside of Hilo. We highly recommend a visit if you travel to the Big Island. Over 2000 tropical plants are found in the garden.
Big leaves are expected whenever one travels in tropical rainforests. Having served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in tropical Africa for two years, I can speak to this personally. Peggy and I were particularly impressed by the beauty, size, and importance of taro leaves to native Hawaiians. Served as a food staple thoughout the islands, Taro is also important in Hawaiian mythology where Taro is regarded as the ‘Elder Brother’ of humankind.If you are a crossword buff, you will know the name of this bird: Meet nene, the native goose of Hawaii.While we photographed a number of birds, as always, we found this slender golden plover particularly attractive. It hardly looks like it is up to a 3000 mile journey to get here each year, but it is. Breeding and raising its chicks in the arctic each summer, it makes the 3000 mile journey to Hawaii each August/September where it will live and feed until April/May when it will make its return journey to the far north. A couple of other facts we found interesting: It often flies non-stop and it always returns to the same location. We would likely find this same bird here if we traveled back to the Big Island this year!Any discussion of the wild birds of Hawaii almost always includes chickens which arrived in the Hawaiian Islands with the Polynesians around 1200 AD, went wild, and have since interbred with modern chickens brought over in the 19th and 20th centuries. We found this gorgeous fellow wandering around in the forest near us.The anole is another interesting member of the Hawaiian wildlife. We had been shopping at a local supermarket when we came out and found the colorful lizard on the hood of our rental car. I suggested that it might want to relocate but it refused, even when we were driving 50 miles per hour down the road. Turns out that anole lizards have specialized toe pads covered with millions of tiny, microscopic hairs that create molecular attraction with slick surfaces. They are related to the iguanas I featured three weeks ago and even come with dewlaps.We were fortunate to find the Kīlauea Volcano active during our visit in February. We watched as it spewed lava 300-400 feet into the air. By November, it was shooting lava as high as 1500 feet!Isaac Hale State Park was located 15 minutes away from where we were staying south of Hilo in the small development of Seaview on the coast. The park was the end of the road for us. No sign was required. An eruption of a side vent on the lower east rift zone of Kīlauea sent lava spreading out over 14 square miles in 2018, destroying 700 homes, blocking several several roads, and covering a portion of the state park before reaching the ocean. Residents of Seaview watched in fear at the time, hoping that the lava flowing a mile away wouldn’t reach their development. They lucked out.Having destroyed homes and blocked roads, the lava finally plunged into the ocean, sending steam high into the air and adding new land to the island. This is what it looks like today off of Isaac Hale State Park as waves from the Pacific Ocean roll in.With Hilo, Hawaii receiving over 100 inches of rain a year, it isn’t surprising that there are a number of waterfalls in the surrounding country. Rainbow Falls is actually located in the town.Coconut trees are a common sight in Hawaii.As are Banyan trees. This one was located in downtown Hilo.While we spent the majority of our time on the Hilo side of the Big Island, we did take a day to drive over to the Kona side, which is where most of the tourists hang out. We went to check out a petroglyph site we had been to before and visit the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, or Place of Refuge. Ancient Hawaiians who broke sacred laws could flee to the site and find safety instead of death. A number of wooden carvings like these represent the Hawaiian gods that once protected the sanctuary.
That’s the overview for our trip to Hawaii. Next up is the Southwest.Our trip though the Southwest took us to three national parks and five national monuments. This photo is from Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona.
I want to give a special thanks today to Lauren Scott at baydreamerwrites.com who did a great review of my book, The Bush Devil Ate Sam. Lauren is a published poet and author of a children’s book. Her most recent works include King Copper and Cora’s Quest. King Copper is a touching collection of poems about her dog, a chocolate lab, that recently passed away. Cora’s Quest is a children’s book that follows a young fawn as she goes on a delightful journey of exploration through the woods with her parents— until she gets lost.(Don’t worry, the book has a good ending.) You can learn more about both books by visiting Lauren’s site listed above.
What I like most about Lauren is her humanity— her warm sense of caring. Here’s what she says about her writing: So, whatever genre I share with you, whether poetry, personal stories, fiction, or kid-lit, I hope you’ll discover a piece of writing that evokes a special memory or acts as a reminder that you are not alone living with your emotions. Maybe you’ll get a good laugh, after all, we know laughter is the best medicine. Or perhaps you’ll experience an ‘aha’ moment.
6 thoughts on “2025: Focus on Hawaii… The Year in Review”
Love your colorful pictures! I think I would enjoy Hawaii and my family has traveled there several times. I especially like that rooster! How proud! Onward to 2026 and good health, good wealth and happiness abound for you two!
We’ve been several times over the years, Wendy. Always enjoy it. Staying for a month was special. And that rooster did look proud! The very best to you in the new year as well!
It’s a neat idea to offer your family the choice of themes for a calendar. What a wonderful life you have that you have so many amazing photos to choose from.
I wonder if the Hawaiian gods depicted still protect the sanctuary? Is there more to the story – I mean, if you know it? My two favourite photos from this outstanding collection are the taro leaves and the golden plover. The perspective of the coconuts from below is my next fave. Well done on all of these, you guys. ❤
Oooh! Also excited to see the review of Bush Devil Ate Sam. I’m still envious that you have a book in print, and I will manage to do that for myself one of these days, too.
There is a correlation between the number of photos we take and having so many good ones, Crystal. Grin. But I do thinking the fact we have taken so many improves our skills.
Among the native Hawaiians it is still considered a sacred site— many of their ancient kings and queens are buried there— but, as far as I know, it no longer serves as a sanctuary. Interestingly, it wasn’t only people who broke the taboos that could find safety there. Enemy soldiers could as well. After the war they could return to their homes without any penalties. There was another interesting requirement for at least some who came there for sanctuary, they had to swim across fairly dangerous waters for a considerable distance. I assume that proved the gods favored you. I don’t know how much the native Hawaiians still believe in the ancient gods. Most are Christian now, if anything. When I was in Liberia, the tribal people kept the Christian God on board while still appealing to the tribal gods. Never can have too much help.
It was nice of Lauren to do a review! As far as writing a book, go for it!
I love your calendar idea, Curt, and we’ve done the same, using photos from the previous year. It’s fun to personalize those tools we still like to use. I like the idea that “Taro is regarded as the ‘Elder Brother’ of humankind.” That little plover is amazing, and I’ve never seen such a gorgeous chicken! As to the lizard, how hilarious that he wanted to ride along with you. Any waterfall is such a sight to see and yours is beautiful. The Banyan trees are unique too. We love Hawaii but have never been to the big island. Hopefully, someday…wonderful photos, and thanks for the shout out, for pitching my books, and for your very kind words at the end. A nice surprise to end the year! I’m so happy you liked my review. Tomorrow will be my last post tomorrow before taking a holiday break. So, if I don’t ‘see’ you, have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 🎄🥳
Wandering through Time and Place 
Love your colorful pictures! I think I would enjoy Hawaii and my family has traveled there several times. I especially like that rooster! How proud! Onward to 2026 and good health, good wealth and happiness abound for you two!
Love,
Wendy Olympia
We’ve been several times over the years, Wendy. Always enjoy it. Staying for a month was special. And that rooster did look proud! The very best to you in the new year as well!
It’s a neat idea to offer your family the choice of themes for a calendar. What a wonderful life you have that you have so many amazing photos to choose from.
I wonder if the Hawaiian gods depicted still protect the sanctuary? Is there more to the story – I mean, if you know it? My two favourite photos from this outstanding collection are the taro leaves and the golden plover. The perspective of the coconuts from below is my next fave. Well done on all of these, you guys. ❤
Oooh! Also excited to see the review of Bush Devil Ate Sam. I’m still envious that you have a book in print, and I will manage to do that for myself one of these days, too.
There is a correlation between the number of photos we take and having so many good ones, Crystal. Grin. But I do thinking the fact we have taken so many improves our skills.
Among the native Hawaiians it is still considered a sacred site— many of their ancient kings and queens are buried there— but, as far as I know, it no longer serves as a sanctuary. Interestingly, it wasn’t only people who broke the taboos that could find safety there. Enemy soldiers could as well. After the war they could return to their homes without any penalties. There was another interesting requirement for at least some who came there for sanctuary, they had to swim across fairly dangerous waters for a considerable distance. I assume that proved the gods favored you. I don’t know how much the native Hawaiians still believe in the ancient gods. Most are Christian now, if anything. When I was in Liberia, the tribal people kept the Christian God on board while still appealing to the tribal gods. Never can have too much help.
It was nice of Lauren to do a review! As far as writing a book, go for it!
Wonderful pics. Hawaii is still on my must-visit list. Maybe for a month during an Australian winter.
I love your calendar idea, Curt, and we’ve done the same, using photos from the previous year. It’s fun to personalize those tools we still like to use. I like the idea that “Taro is regarded as the ‘Elder Brother’ of humankind.” That little plover is amazing, and I’ve never seen such a gorgeous chicken! As to the lizard, how hilarious that he wanted to ride along with you. Any waterfall is such a sight to see and yours is beautiful. The Banyan trees are unique too. We love Hawaii but have never been to the big island. Hopefully, someday…wonderful photos, and thanks for the shout out, for pitching my books, and for your very kind words at the end. A nice surprise to end the year! I’m so happy you liked my review. Tomorrow will be my last post tomorrow before taking a holiday break. So, if I don’t ‘see’ you, have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 🎄🥳