Some random observations

There's a shooting range in Waikiki. I didn't think much of it when the guys in pasteboards tried to give us brochures. I mean, shooting range, right? They exist, big deal. Then we walked past it and I saw the sign, which was pretty much "Shoot guns here!" Japan has strict gun control laws; Americans are well known for having lots of guns. There are many Japanese tourists here (so many that the convenience stores take yen). It must be a touristy thing to do: Go to America! Shoot a gun!

Our tour guide on the Big Island pointed out many of the trees and flowers. I liked that, because I always wonder what they are.

Bland macaroni salad may be as or more (modern) Hawaiian than kalua pig.

"Henry's Place" on Beachwalk is an unassuming little fruit store with awesome homeade sorbets. Well, the pineapple was awesome. I assume the others, and the ice creams, were also awesome.

Lava tubes are immensely cool.

My presentation seemed to go well, but the real win was the chance encounter in the Ladies' Room with the AIAA Congressional lobbyist who knew about the project I was on and said she'd supported it back in the 2005 timeframe, and would be happy to see what she could do to keep it alive now.

No actual lava was seen, regrettably.

Snorkeling!

I have found my Favorite Thing this trip: snorkeling in Hanauma Bay (or Hana'uma Bay, as it's alternately called). Wow. Fish. Beautiful fish a foot from your face. So many kinds of them! I saw several of Hawai'i's state fish, the Humuhumukununukuapua, which is really cute. I saw varieties of surgeonfish, tang, and parrotfish. Some looked as big as a serving platter, or bigger, and some were small enough to look at home in an aquarium.

The water was a bit wind-blown and the waves could be powerful. I'm a decent swimmer, and they were at least driving to shore instead of away from it, but I didn't feel to safe being knocked about a foot and a half above a coral reef. So I eventually hauled it in. (The reef is mostly dead, but I did see some colorful live corals making a return.)

And there are surfing pictures!

( Cut to save you from accidental exposure to more of telerib than you ever wanted to see. )