Macrine and I at the Maui Ocean Center and Aquaruim
Macrine and I had visited four out of the seven inhabited islands in the Hawaiian Chain of Islands. This was made possible through our International Interval(II) Vacation Exchange Program. We stayed for one week each in the Big Island, Maui, and Kaua'i and one day in O'ahu. We have stopped at the Honolulu Airport a number of times as a connecting airport during our annual trip to the Philippines from the US. We loved Hawaii, since it reminds us of Marinduque, Philippines. Our first trip was in the summer 1979 where we stayed at Kona Village Resort, Kaupulehu, Kona, the Big Island for one week. This resort was nestled on the fabulous secluded Kona Coast away from the big crowds. This was my treat to Macrine for passing her Nursing Board Exam to practice nursing in the State of California. The second one was our one week stay in Maui through our exchange Program via II in the mid 1998. Our third visit was one week stay in Kauai in September 2003 also via II. We stayed at Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville. Our two bedroom suite has the view of the Bali Hai Mountain made famous by the broadway musical, South Pacific. In this vacation, we were joined by Ditas and Nick and their baby, Carenna, only about five months old. The latest Hawaiian visit we had was in Honolulu, O'ahu just last year just for one day on our way to the Philippines.
The eight main Hawaiian islands (also known as the Hawaiian Windward Islands) are listed here from east to west. All except Kahoʻolawe are inhabited
1.Hawaiʻi often times called as The Big Island
2. Maui also known as The Valley Isle
3. Kahoʻolawe also known as The Target Isle( not inhabited)
4. Lānaʻi also known as The Pineapple Isle because of the pineapple plantations
5. Molokaʻi also called The Friendly Isle
6. Oʻahu also called The Gathering Place where Honolulu is located
7. Kauaʻi is also called The Garden Isle
8. Niʻihau known also as The Forbidden Isle
Photo of Fish from the Maui Aquaruim and Marine Center
Hawaii is tropical but it experiences many different climates, depending on altitude and weather. The islands receive most rainfall from the trade winds on their north and east flanks (the windward side) as a result of orthographic precipitation. Coastal areas in general and especially the south and west flanks or leeward sides, tend to be drier.
In general, the Hawaiian Islands receive most of their precipitation during the winter months (October to April). Drier conditions generally prevail from May to September, but the warmer temperatures increase the risk of hurricanes.
Rainbow as viewed from our 6th floor Condo in Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii
Temperatures at sea level generally range from highs of 85-90 °F (29-32 °C) during the summer months to 79-83 °F (26-28 °C) during the winter months. Rarely does the temperature rise above 90 °F (32 °C) or drop below 60 °F (16 °C) at lower elevations. Temperatures are lower at higher altitudes; in fact, the three highest mountains of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakala often receive snowfall during the winter.
Here's a video of the sights and sounds of this Tropical Paradise
One distinctive feature of Hawaii’s climate is the small annual variation in temperature range. This is because there is only a slight variation in length of night and day from one part of Hawaii to another because all its islands lie within a narrow latitude band. The small variations in the length of the daylight period, together with the smaller annual variations in the altitude of the sun above the horizon, result in relatively small variations in the amount of incoming solar energy from one time of the year to another. The surface waters of the open ocean around Hawaii range from 77 °F (25 °C) between late February and early April, to a maximum of 83 °F (28 °C) in late September or early October. With water temperatures this mild for hundreds of miles around, the air that reaches Hawaii is neither very hot nor very cold. Temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) and above are quite uncommon (with the exception of dry, leeward areas). In the leeward areas, temperatures may reach into the low 90’s several days during the year, but temperatures higher than these are unusual.
The other reason for the small variation in air temperature is the nearly constant flow of fresh ocean air across the islands. Just as the temperature of the ocean surface varies comparatively little from season to season, so also does the temperature of air that has moved great distances across the ocean; the air brings with it to the land the mild temperature regime characteristic of the surrounding ocean. In the central North Pacific, the trade winds represent the outflow of air from the great region of high pressure, the North Pacific High, typically located well north and east of the Hawaiian Islands. The Pacific High, and with it the trade-wind zone, moves north and south with changing angle of the sun, so that it reaches its northernmost position in the summer. This brings trade winds during the period of May through September, when they are prevalent 80 to 95 percent of the time. From October through April, the heart of the trade winds moves south of Hawaii; however, the winds still blow much of the time. They provide a system of natural year-long ventilation throughout the islands and bring mild temperatures characteristic of air that has moved great distances across tropical waters.
Note: This is No.27 (Part 1) of a series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited in the US since 1960.
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