Hint: it’s not just beautiful beaches.
True, the first image that comes to mind when you think about Hawaii is usually one of crashing surf, soft sand and shockingly blue water in every direction. But if such things were all Hawaii had to offer most of us could find perfectly serviceable alternatives closer to home.
Hawaii may be many things, but conveniently located is not one of them. It’s at least a 2,000 mile trip from just about anywhere on earth. What is it that keeps drawing us back to this remote location in the middle of the Pacific?
One answer is that just a few miles from those iconic beaches you find things like Waimea Canyon. Every Hawaiian island we’ve visited has something uniquely remarkable about it. For Kauai, it’s the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. This 3,000 foot deep crevasse carved into the western side of Kauai is so vast it’s impossible to believe it even exists on an island. It’s just too big. For a long while we felt like we weren’t on Hawaii at all but somewhere in the desert southwest.
And then, just a few hours later, we were sipping Mai Tais beneath palm trees on one of those beautiful beaches remarking how completely awesome Hawaii is and how glad we were to be back.
Everywhere Once 
I went to 7th grade in Hawaii. Your pictures remind me how it was a very hard place to leave.
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Hard to get to and even harder to leave. For sure.
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I’ve only visited the island of O’Ahu I enjoyed it, but wouldn’t make a second trip there. Hopefully someday, I’ll get to some of the other islands! Have a Mai Tai for me 😉
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The other islands are definitely worth a return trip.
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Fantastic shots. Maui is the only part I visited. Haleakala Crater was pretty awe inspiring.
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When I wrote the line “every Hawaiian Island we’ve visited has something uniquely remarkable about it” I had Haleakala in mind. 🙂
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Do I sense a move to Hawaii in your future? This is how my wife and I feel about Vegas. No more dreary northern living.
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We’re always trying places on for size and Hawaii has a lot going for it.
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Reblogged this on digger666 and commented:
Given nearly everything goes through the docks and airports, I’ve always thought of Hawaii as harbouring corruption on a scale to rival anything you might find elsewhere in the country. Perhaps I’ve always been wrong…I don’t know, but Shannon and Brian certainly do a great job of selling the place.
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Don’t know that Hawaii is any more corrupt than anywhere else in the U.S. I certainly haven’t ever experienced any when we’ve traveled there.
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We went to Hawaii when we were living in Seattle. There was something about leaving that dark, oppressive gray weather and stepping into the sweet, fresh, ocean air of Hawaii. Magical. I wish it wasn’t so faaaarrrrr…..
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We agree. Closer would be better. But it’s definitely worth the trip.
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It’s isolation is what sets it apart . . . literally and figuratively. Having been born and raised on Oahu, I definitely agree that each island is unique and offers visitors a different experience.
I went backpacking through eight countries in 15 months from 2011-2012, am currently in Australia for a year and will be visiting many more countries when I leave. However, Hawaii still calls to me and I still call it home.
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