As you explore the Big Island, several names keep coming up. Kamehameha the Great, the king who united the Hawaiian archipelago, and Ka’ahumanu, his formidable queen, are the island’s most dominant mortal protagonists. Among gods, two sisters lead the way: Poli’ahu, the goddess of ice and snow, and her perpetual nemesis, Pele, the goddess of fire, a pretty big deal on terrain … Continue reading
I love this week’s travel challenge by Ailsa: Waves. So many memories come to mind, but here are five favorites. Smooth waves of petrified sand at Antelope Canyon, with its neighbors Owl and Rattlesnake Canyons easily the most breathtaking landscape I’ve explored, ageless and intimate 2. Sinuous streaks of lava on Hawaii’s Big Island — … Continue reading
When you think “Las Vegas,” what comes to mind? I bet neon signs — “spectaculars” as the largest of them are called — will be high on the list. They flourished in this desert town as it grew from a dusty railroad outpost in 1913 to the flashy, decadent oasis it is today. With LED and LCD lighting now leading … Continue reading
I first saw Griffith Observatory as we pushed our way through the wall of Los Angeles traffic: It looks down on the city from the slopes of Mount Hollywood. Climbing up there was a must. The observatory is a spectacular public space, built expressly to bring the heavens to the unwashed masses. Come here on a clear night and enjoy … Continue reading
When all is said and done, and I look back on my life, I think I will remember that evening: watching the sun set over Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s dormant volcano and the highest point in the Pacific Basin. At over 13,700 feet (4,200 m) above the sea level, we were giddy from altitude and the view. An ocean … Continue reading
Our home base on the Monterey Peninsula was Carmel-by-the-Sea, a town so storybook cute I had to remind myself that this was not, after all, a realm of wealthy hobbits. I mean, just look at it: These Epcot-village views aside, the town is a venerable old lady, by American standards. A Carlmelite friar claimed this area … Continue reading
When geologist and poet Clarence Dutton first came upon the hoodoos of Bryce Canon, he perceived them as “the work of giant hands, a race of genie once rearing temples of rock.” The view does inspire quiet, stunned astonishment. From northern Arizona with its bewitching slot canyons and other geologic wonders, we rushed to catch the sunset … Continue reading
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