In August of 2007 I visited the big island of Hawaii. I have to say that the big island is my favorite of the Hawaiian islands, followed closely by Maui. The big island has crystal clear water, and some amazing beaches, including Maniniowali, my personal favorite. You can often see turtles swimming around the rocks in the water, right near the white sandy beach and shore-break. And there aren't many people here. Sometimes there might be a small crowd, but the parking lot is never full, and it's not even a very large parking lot.

Since there are fewer beaches, and more rocky shoreline, the snorkling on the big island is better than the other islands. You can see tons of varieties of fish and other wild life only meters from the shoreline, and often they are not afraid of humans swimming near them. The spinner dolphins are always fun to see, and although you aren't legally allowed to approach them or disturb them, they do not follow the same laws as we do, and will approach you curiously and cautiously.

The sunsets in Hawaii are fantastic, no matter where you go, but I have found the best ones occur off the coast of the big island. There is a clear shot from the island to the horizon, with no other islands inhibiting the view. It allows you, if your eyes are quick, to see a " green flash." It is a truely spectacular sight to behold.

On top of the volcanoes, it's like a different environment. As you head over the Saddle road, the landscape goes from pine tree forest to volcanic desert and back down to tropical. If you go up to the top of Mauna Kea, you can see the observatory set up with a clear view of the sky for telescopes of all varieties. It is cooler up here, even in summer time, and in the winter time, they sometimes report snow! Amazing considering people flock to Hawaii in the winter time to beat the cold.

The best pictures from this trip: