Canada is too darn cold! I wish I was in Hawaii!

This morning my husband called his business partner and you'll never guess where he was. HAWAII! He's on the Big Island, where Dave and I spent our honeymoon. Tonight he's going to the top of Mauna Kea to star gaze! What a lucky bum!!! I think he's had his fair share of Hawaii, after all, he lived there for 2 years while he attended BYU Hawaii. Any way that's not the point... back to Mauna Kea.

Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano and it's the highest point in Hawaii. The summit is above the cloud line - an amazing site to behold. It's probably the only place in Hawaii where you'll see snow and ice. Dave and I drove to the top of Mauna Kea and it was incredible. As you drive up Mountain Rd. the oxygen levels begin to drop. The engine in our car began to struggle as it needs oxygen to run properly. They actually recommend only driving a 4x4 up the mountain, but we didn't listen. There's also warning sings all over telling the elderly, pregnant, anyone with respiratory problems not to go. Just running around for less than 30 seconds makes you feel out of breath. There's even emergency oxygen tanks in the gift shop. When we were at the very top we were above the cloud line. It's like being in an air plane, or like being a Care Bear. We also saw some of the worlds best observatories. The Big Island is perfectly set up for optimal star gazing and space observation, because there is little light pollution. The main highway that goes all the way around the island is free of street lights. Instead, there's a bunch of reflectors on the road itself that reflect the headlights of your car. It's really quite effective. We stayed atop Mauna Kea to watch the sunset, then we headed back down to the gift shop where they had a few large telescopes. We all took turns looking in the telescopes and I saw the planet Saturn!

Ah the memories! Ah the jealousy I have for my friend who is experiencing this tonight! Ok, really, I'm happy for him. I hope he loves it as much as I did. If you ever go to Hawaii, I highly recommend putting Mauna Kea on you itinerary.

For two months after Dave and I left Hawaii, I had a dream almost every night that we were back there. Maybe after writing this post, I'll dream about it tonight!

Me Ka Aloha! (With Love)
- Elisabeth

To learn more about Mauna Kea visit:
University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy
Hawaii the Island of Aloha