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Cougs in Hawaii and Touring Oahu and the Big Island

Surprise encounter with Anna Liotta, who was speaking in Honolulu.

Wear a Cougar-logo hat and you find lots of other folks from the PAC-12 and Washington in Hawaii. People rolled down car windows and shouted, “Go Cougs!” when they spotted the WSU logo. This brought further introductions, and even Huskies say “Go Cougs!” when far from Seattle. Some even have friends in Colfax and asked to have greetings relayed.

Strolling through Hilton Hawaiian Village, a large placard bearing the picture of Colfax native Anna Liotta appeared, followed by Anna herself. She was in Honolulu speaking to a business convention about inter-generational communication, her area of research and expertise.

Next to folks who know Cougars were Vandals in paradise. Ron and Capi Myklebust own Unison Shirt Shop in Kailua-Kona, and he is a Hawaiian Ironman enthusiast. Ron was born in LaCrosse and graduated from the University of Idaho. Across the mall is Big Island Jewelry, and Mr. Carpenter is also a Vandal.

Most of the people who shared hometown information were gleefully warm in Hawaii instead of cold or freezing in the Northern Tier of the United States or the Canadian provinces. Late January-early February temperatures were highs of 80 and lows about 70 degrees.

The range of activities available is mind-boggling, and it’s an easy decision to take the Memorials of Valor tour or hike up to the top of Diamond Head on Oahu. The information on the signs and the exclusive video shown in the theater at the memorials tour were incredible.

The utter quiet and reverence on the motor launch to, at and from the Arizona Memorial were emotional and moving. The structure itself sits across the midsection of the capsized battleship. Information is shared on the walls, and one end wall lists the 1,177 men who lost their lives on Dec. 7, 1941.

The superstructure of the Arizona was cut off after the attack to use to repair other ships damaged by the attack on Pearl Harbor. The remainder of the ship remains in place, and oil still leaks from her giant tanks. This leaking will probably continue at least another 45 years. The base of one gun turret is above water at high tide. Veterans of the Arizona are able to have their ashes interred in the ship with the rest of their shipmates.

In bold contrast to the loss of ships and lives is the USS Missouri, built during the war, which saw action at the very end of World War II and was the site of the signing of the treaty with Japan in 1945. The Missouri is docked very near the Arizona Memorial. The photos and displays chronicle the treaty signing parties and what was said and done. General Douglas MacArthur signed as Supreme Commander of the Pacific Theater, and other allies followed. Then the Japanese delegation signed for their government. This officially ended World War II in the Pacific Theater.

Hawaii offers wonderful snorkeling, whale watching, zip lining, hiking, surfing and other active sports. There are other tours and museums that highlight the cultural heritage of the islands, and Hawaii Island has wonderful volcano tours, by bus or flying nearby in helicopters or fixed wing aircraft.

Most islands have island circle tours that are led by knowledgable guides. The circle tour of Hawaii Island started on the Kona side, took 12 hours and included several stops. At Royal Kona Coffee, tourists sample their brews, and they view recent (1950s and 1980s) lava flows on the southern Kona coast, followed by lunch at the Volcano House with views of Kilauea Caldera. After lunch, the tour visits the volcano museum, which includes an amazing variety of types of lava.

The next stop was a walk through a lava tube, which is a tunnel in the lava formed during a lava flow. This tube was large enough for two or three people to walk abreast through the passage. By this time, the tour is in moister territory, with Kona being the drier side of Hawaii with 20 to 40 inches of rain each year. Hilo receives 150 or more inches yearly. The vegetation is lush an green, with many flowers and birds.

The Big Island has active volcanoes and is still growing land mass. Mauna Kea is dormant, and Kohala is extinct. A huge part of Kohala slid off into the Pacific long ago. Hualalai is active, while Mauna Loa and Kilauea are both active. Mauna Loa is partly within Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, as is Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since 1983.

In Hilo, the tour bus stop is at a candy company, which is deceptive, since the cookies and ice cream are so incredible. Sweet treats with chocolate and macadamia nuts fill the store, except for the large ice cream counter. Their samples were quite generous.

Just north of Hilo is Rainbow Falls, which is a beautiful waterfall when the weather has been dry. It carries a mammoth amount of water when there are heavy rains. The north coast of the Big Island has the best surfing waves, but the lava rock beaches discourage surfing there.

There are deep valleys on the north side that have no improved roads. They are served by dirt roads accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles, and these were closed to only local traffic due to dengue fever.

The north central and northwest areas of Hawaii Island are cowboy country. The Parker Ranch was once the largest cattle operation in the United States. It is no longer, but there are a number of cattle ranches in the area. Since Hawaiians were unfamiliar with western US cattle practices, Mr. Parker brought Latin American cowboys over to work on the ranch. Their impact is visible in towns like Waimea.

On the coast are several new resorts. The Waikoloa Resort features huge hotels, shopping areas and villas for rent. All of this was in the middle of huge black lava fields, freshly covered in the 1800’s. In order to plant landscaping, lava is leveled and plants are nestled in mulch and planted. Amazing green grass, shrubs, flowers and palm trees rose up out of the lava, quite a sight.

Several people recommended the sea horse farm tour. It takes a little over an hour, and the biologist-guide explained the importance of domestic sea horse production for people who want them in their home aquariums. The organization sells to individuals only. Seahorses plucked from the ocean do very poorly away from their mates and the ocean. Holding a seahorse was the highlight at the end of the tour.

As most travelers know, restaurants at resort areas are pricy. Leaving the hotel grounds and exploring gives some variety for a lower cost. In Kailua-Kona, there were many small restaurants and no chains. Spam and rice are readily available, but more people prefer French toast made with sweet Hawaiian bread, topped with strawberries, shredded coconut and macadamia nuts.

Many of the beachside restaurants have live music on weekends, and outside or nearly outside seating is the rule. All in all, visiting Hawaii in the winter is a great getaway.