Highlights and trivia from Hawaii

 This blog represents a bit of a creative mix of photo journalism and interesting trivia facts about the Hawaiian Islands that may have escaped your bank of knowledge until now.

A couple weekends ago I experienced the highlight of my time in Maui with an "air-trike ride"--a powered hang glider.  The glider flight was out of the Hana airport, about a 2 hr. drive from here at Kihei, but we got to fly out there on a friend's Cessna 172, taking only 20 minutes.  As we were taxiing out to the runway, I mentioned that I had soloed in a Piper Cub J-3 about 45 years ago and was on quite a few Cessna flights during our 3 year stay with Wycliffe in the Bolivia jungles, and enjoyed all those moments.   My friend said "Well then, you can fly this plane, go ahead and take off!"   After a little resistance he talked me into taking the yoke and with his hand lightly on the left-hand controls I did get to "pull it off".  What fun!  So I got in on a "tufer" flight experience that day.

Click on photo: does Karen "safe and secure" in the back seat? 

Controlled in the air like a hang-glider (by weight-shifting, or pushing on the wing bar),  but being pushed through the air with a motorized propeller, rather that solely depending on wind currents.  We were up for an hour and I got to control it about half of the flight.  The last 5 minutes were with the motor shut off and gliding peacefully down to the airport runway from 4500 feet altitude.

doing a tight spiral over  a 400 ft. waterfall where we had hiked
in to about 5 weeks earlier

Going through a cloud the skilled pilot puts our sun-shadow right in the "bull's-eye"
of a perfect, circle rainbow below

Getting a friendly helicopter "escort" (see just under wing tip
in upper right) for about 60 seconds, by one of the pilot's buddies, running
 a tourist helicopter tour service

Engine shut off for last 5 minute glide to runway below

Hawaii Facts and Trivia from website:    www.50states.com  

1. The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii.
2. Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth. Hawaii is 2,390 miles from California; 3,850 miles from Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 5,280 miles from the Philippines.
3. Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee.
4. More than one-third of the world's commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii.
5. There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.  Vowels: A, E, I, O, U Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W
6. From east to west Hawaii is the widest state in the United States.
7. The Hawaiian Islands are the projecting tops of the biggest mountain range in the world.
8. Under-sea volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago formed the islands of Hawaii.
9. The Hawaiian Archipelago consists of over 130 scattered points of land stretching some 1,600 miles in length from the Kure Atoll in the north to the Island of Hawaii in the south.
10. Hawaii was the 50th state admitted to the union on August 20th, 1959.

11. Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time.) There is no daylight savings time.) The time runs two hours behind Pacific Standard Time and five hours behind Eastern Standard Time.
12. There are four counties in the state of Hawaii (Kauai; city and county of Honolulu; Maui; and Hawaii). Each city has a mayor and council in charge.
13. The wind blows east to west in Hawaii. The highest recorded temperature is 96' F (Honolulu Airport), but temperatures over 92' F generally occur only once or twice a year. The lowest temperature (under 3000 feet altitude) is 56' F. Temperatures under 60' F may occur but rarely more than once a year. Average daytime temp. (July) is 82' F. Average daytime temperature in January is 72' F.
14. There are no racial or ethnic majorities in Hawaii. Everyone is a minority. Caucasians (Haoles) constitute about 34%; Japanese-American about 32%; Filipino-American about 16% and Chinese-American about 5%. It is very difficult to determine racial identification as most of the population has some mixture of ethnicities.
15. ISLAND OF KAUAI

1.       The fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands.

2.       The Waialua River is one of five navigable rivers in Hawaii. It drains off Waialeale Mountain, which averages 488 inches of rain per year and is considered the wettest spot on earth.

14.   ISLAND OF OAHU

1.Honolulu is the largest city in the world -- at least it has the longest borders. According to the state constitution any island (or islet) not named as belonging to a county belongs to Honolulu. This makes all islands within the Hawaiian Archipelago, that stretch to Midway Island (1,500 miles northwest of Hawaii) part of Honolulu. Honolulu is about 1,500 miles long or more distance than halfway across the 48 contiguous states.

2.    More than 100 world-renowned beaches ring Honolulu.

3.        The world's largest wind generator is on the island of Oahu. The windmill has two blades 400 feet long on the top of a tower twenty stories high.  

4.       The island of Oahu draws more visitors than any other to Hawaii. One-third of the state's best surfing beaches are on Oahu.

15.   ISLAND OF MAUI

1.The island is home to many famous attractions including Haleakala Crater, the old whaling town of Lahaina, the road to Hana, and Kaanapali Beach.

2.       Haleakala Crater (Ha-lay-ah-ja-lah), is the world's largest dormant volcano.

16. ISLAND OF MOLOKAI

1.    Molokai is known as the most Hawaiian Isle.

2.       Molokai's east end is a tropical rain forest and part of the island receives 240 inches of rainfall a year.

3.       Molokai Ranch Wildlife Park is home to rare African and Indian animals.

4.       Kalaaupapa was once a leper colony administered by Father Damien.

5.       The island contains the world's highest sea cliffs, Hawaii's longest waterfall, and the largest white sand beach in the state.

17.   ISLAND OF LANAI

1.       The island of Lanai is considered Hawaii's most secluded.

2. The island was once the home of the world's largest pineapple plantations.
3. Hulope Bay is a marine preserve and considered one of the best diving spots in the world.
17. ISLAND OF KAHOOLAWE Once used as a target by the U.S. Navy and Air Force the services are cleaning up unexploded shells. No one is allowed to go ashore without permission. The island consists of an uninhabited area of 45 square miles.
18. THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII The Big Island is Hawaii's largest at 4,038 square miles. It is twice the size of all other Hawaiian Islands combined.
19. The largest contiguous ranch, in the United States, is in Hawaii. The Parker Ranch near Kamuela has about 480,000 acres of land.
20. Ka Lae is the southernmost point in the United States. It is located at 18:54:49 N 155:41:00 W.   There is a constant 27 knots per hour wind blowing east to west, 24 hours per day and 365 days per year.
21. Two of the tallest mountains in the Pacific - Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa - dominate the center of the island.
22. Kilauea Iki is the world's most active and largest volcano.
23. Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world (measured from its base at the ocean floor).
24. The island houses the world's biggest telescope and more scientific observatories in one place than anywhere else in the world.
25. The island is the worldwide leader in harvesting macadamia nuts and orchids.