Author Archives: noconbach
Hawaii’s climate zones – just how many are there?
The Big Island is over 4,000 square miles in area and rises from sea level to an elevation of 13,803 feet. The significance of these statistics is that Hawaii has many climates. In fact, it has 8 to 11 (depending on interpretation) of 13 recognized … Continue reading
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Tagged beach, Big Island, climate, Hawaii, lava, Mauna Kea, volcano
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Hawaii in Bloom, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (January 2015)
The whole island of Hawaii is formed of volcanic rock. You might expect a desert wasteland. Not so. We found a lush, peaceful tropical garden just north of Hilo. Interestingly, nearly all the plants here are imported from other lands: … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged bird, epiphyte, flowers, Hawaii, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Hilo, Onomea waterfall, waterfall
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The lava flow has stalled… (January 2015)
We came to Hawaii to see volcanoes. (That’s one of the reasons for the visit.) First volcano stop is Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. You can’t get close enough to see the red hot magma inside the crater, but you can see … Continue reading
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Tagged chicken, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, lava, Pahoa, volcano
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Humuhumunukunukuapua’a and more (January 2015)
We’ve found our favorite snorkeling spot in Hawaii, south of Kona at Honaunau Bay. Locals call it Two-Step Bay because the lava formed two easy steps for a snorkeler’s launch into the ocean along the otherwise rough shoreline. We swam among … Continue reading
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Tagged fish, Hawaii, humuhumunukukuapua'a, Kona, snorkeling
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Edible Hawaii (January 2015)
Coming from northern states with a three-month growing season, we are impressed with the bountiful year-round harvest in Hawaii. (Actually as we write this it is 80F in Hawaii and -26F in Wisconsin, more than a 100-degree difference!) First stop, in … Continue reading
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Tagged chameleon, chicken, chocolate, coffee, food, fruit, Greenwell, Gypsea Gelato, Hawaii, lilikoi, macadamia nut, Mauna Loa, Original Hawaiian Coffee Factory, passion fruit
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Aloha to Hawaii (January 2015)
Aloha! Here’s a riddle: How could we have visited Hawaii before, but never been to Hawaii? Answer: On other trips to the state of Hawaii we visited the islands of Kauai and Oahu, but this time we are on the … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged beach, cows, Hawaii, Kona beer, lava, Mauna Kea, snorkeling
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Tahoe (December 2014)
We spent the whole month of December in Truckee California, near Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake, and Donner Pass. More friends and family, good food, good wine, and some skiing at Squaw and Alpine Meadows. The Oregon Trail, which we visited … Continue reading
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Tagged Alpine Meadows, bicycling, California, Donner, Lake Tahoe, skiing
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Sayonara SONOMA!! (November 2014)
The month in Sonoma has passed with a whirlwind of activities with family and friends (and wineries). Here are a few more tidbits from the trip. And so we say goodbye to Sonoma…until next time.
The cold war according to Dr. Seuss
Those of us who are baby boomers remember the Cold War scare in the ‘50s and ‘60s, with the US and USSR, the world’s two superpowers, manning up in a “Mine’s bigger than yours” battle of nuclear arm strength. The … Continue reading
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Tagged Cold War, Dr. Seuss, missiles, planes, Plattsburgh, South Dakota Air and Space Museum, The Butter Battle Book
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The Headlands – end of October and start of November
On Marcia’s last day with us on the West Coast, we dipped down toward San Francisco in the Marin County area just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. This area includes Sausalito and Tiburon on the water and Mt. Tamalpais … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged California, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, oystering, San Francisco, Sausalito, Tomales Bay
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Finger Lakes to Lavender Fields 