Riding the rail

3 08 2023

My friend Louise asked me if I had ridden the rail yet, and, if not, would I like to go with her sometime. She was talking about the Skyline, the name for the long-awaited Honolulu mass transit. She had the week off from teaching, so I said how about Thursday, meaning today. It was an adventure for us who live on the other side of Oʻahu. At first we couldn’t find the terminus at Hālawa near the Aloha Stadium, but a kind gentleman on a speaker at the entrance to the stadium (not where we wanted to go) pointed us in the right direction.

Louise drove to the correct parking lot (not the “Kiss and Ride” 10-minute spots for drivers just dropping somebody off). Never mind, there wasn’t anybody in the parking lot so we had our pick of free space on the asphalt. The train was, shall I say, “Empty.” But because there were no other passengers, we had unobstructed views from the Waianae Mountains to the Ewa plain and beyond. The view was from a higher viewpoint than the view from a car on the highway.

We rode from one terminus to the other and back again—a round trip. We could have gotten off at Pearlridge shopping center or in Waipahu, a town we hardly ever get to, but we just wanted to experience the ride.

The fare? You have to buy a Holo card which is a card on which you load money to pay for your fare, and it’s good for TheBus as well. Cash or credit, either way, and then like the trains and other subway systems in the country, just tap your card at the turnstile and you go. I hope the Skyline sees more riders. It does stop at Leeward Community College and near Pearlridge shopping center.

Here is my photo album:

Be well.

~Rebekah


Comments : Comments Off on Riding the rail
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Travel

Holoholo to Volcano

1 11 2018

Kīlauea Caldera with Mauna Loa beyond

A fast overnight trip from Oʻahu to Hawaiʻi island this week reminded me of how easy it is to get away from it all. I accompanied my friend and high school classmate Martha Noyes to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park where she gave an interesting talk on cultural astronomy.

At the Kīlauea Visitor Center we met dedicated park rangers who provided us with maps and the lay of the land before we checked in to our cabin at Kīlauea Military Camp, five minutes away in our rental car.

This was my first time staying at KMC. One can rent very reasonably priced accommodations here, even 3-bedroom cabins, with sponsorship from a military veteran. I thought, hmm, maybe for the next family reunion?

The cabins are rustic yet clean and furnished with enough creature comforts for your stay, including flashlights! A cafeteria, bar/lounge, and bowling alley are nearby.

Row of one-bedroom cabins at Kīlauea Military Camp. Cabin window below.

Exploring is what one would normally do at a national park. Hawai’i Volcanoes is now reopened since the volcano eruption subsided. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Park. But Martha and I preferred to sleep in late and catch up with conversation while drinking coffee.

Nēnē geese, the Hawaiʻi state bird, outside our cabin

ʻŌhia lehua leaves. We wondered if the black stuff was a symptom of rapid ʻōhiʻa death.

Sulfur steam vent

Top: ʻōhiʻa lehua.
Bottom, l to r: laukahi, hinahina moss, orange-colored trunk, uluhe fern.

Panorama view of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater from Volcano House. Click for a larger view.

To get there: Turn left when you exit Hilo Airport onto Highway 11 and continue until you reach the park entrance about 28 miles away (40 minutes).

Martha Noyes, author

Martha Noyes’s next talk is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., December 7, 2018, in the Kanaina Building on the Iolani Palace grounds in Honolulu.


Comments : Comments Off on Holoholo to Volcano
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Friends & Family, Hawaiian, Travel