Stunning Surf Video Shot with a Drone and GoPro at Pipeline and more

Because I am having such a hard time going through all my photos to create a slide show, I have scoured the net to select good vids which show what my Hawaii experience was like.
If you are interested in Hawaii view my half hour Hawaii PLAY LIST consisting of 9 vids, as 12/16/14. Choose "Play All" and watch in full screen. Or select vids individually. The first one, "Kauai 2014", only 3 1/2 minutes long is my favorite. It is so perfect technically (the videographer is a real pro). Following are more short very good drone vids. There are extra vids which are not included on the playlist. Two vids feature vacationers on Oahu and on Big Island. They are longer and are not rated as high, but are still worth watching for good scenery and for glimpses on what it is like to vacation in Hawaii. I added short surf vids (my passion) and bird vids (Bruce's passion). Note: occasionally short ads pop up during play list. See details on vids listed below.

List Vids on Eileen's Hawaii Play List (total = half hour)

1. Kauai 2014 best of the best. Short 3 1/2 minutes of exquisite footage from Scott Hui.  IMHO technically perfect.
2. "Flight" Exploring Hawaiian Islands with a drone from the tops of mountains down into the valleys; Jimmy Wilkinson, published on Nov 11, 2014
3. Oahu Oahu coast, Hawaii by Ross Finlayson
4. Oahu "Exploring Oahu with a Drone" 4 1/2 minute compilation of 2 months of filming over Oahu with a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ drone. Published July 13, 2014 by Jimmy Wilkinson.
5. Oahu "Drone over Flat Island - SUP Surfing" 2 1/2 minutes footage of surfing and paddleboarding using a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ drone. Published June 28, 2014 by Jimmy Wilkinson.
6. Oahu John John Florence Pipe Perfect 10 1 3/4 minutes of excellent footage of one of my favorite pro surfers, John John Florence, on the famous Banzai Pipe on the North Shore of Oahu.
7. Hawaii Big Island 2013 by Rick Tiller, 7 1/2 minute long vid done with a DJI Quad copter and shot with a GoPro Hero3 Black. Features group vacationers who smile and wave.
8. Iiwi - 22 second glimpse of this magnificent small honeycreeper.
9. Hawaii Big Island Iiwi filmed at the top of Mauna Loa Rd. Hawai'i Island by Timothy Bryan
10. "John John Florence with Matt Meola Surfing Aerial Show" is 3 3/4 minutes of very impressive big wave surfing.

Extra Vids Not on Eileen's Play List

1. Oahu "UNREAL HAWAII GOPRO" by Martina Germano, 9 1/2 minutes features very attractive Italian girl. We follow Martina as she snorkels from a cruise boat, swims with turtles and dolphins, hikes, struts on the beaches, jumps off cliffs at Wimea Bay, rides horse at the Kualoa Ranch, and much more. Martina put up a second video on Kauai which is not on my playlist yet. If you enjoy her on Oahu, see Martina's K'AUAI 5 3/4 min.
2. "HAWAII ATLAS - Discovery/Travel/Tourism (documentary)" excellent full-length vid from LifeAndDiscovery 43 1/2 min.
Birds "The Birds and Other Wildlife of Hawaii", 2011 by Natura Tours, consists of footage of the wildlife on Kauai, Hawaii and Oahu, including an I'iwi, Hawaiian Hawks and endemic wetland species.

3. "Diamond Head Crater Hike / Waikiki from the Sky - DJI Phantom 2 and Hero 4" from Sean O'Brien at https://vimeo.com/109358930 accessed December 16, 2014

More about drones plus link to a super vid at Banzai Pipeline

Kauai by Drone

http://travelbydrone.com/play/4502

Mighty Mo

Watching vids on the Missouri, after visiting "the surrender deck".

Pearl Harbor read all about it

I have a hard time visiting the Arizona without tears. Spry and proud vet shares his story. I have my own autographed copy of Herb's book "Counting My Blessings" which I am happy to lend out. See more about Herb at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcA8ZzkZ10c.

Crime in Honolulu

Hey, it can't be so bad with these guys in charge ..

School near Honolulu

Malama i Ke Kai means Take Care of the Ocean in Hawaiian.

Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu

I was there on a scheduled  on test day. Unfortunately, because of wind, it was rescheduled for tomorrow. Was thrilled to see some of the pros out practicing.

http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/vansworldcupofsurfing2014/video-view/this-is-the-north-shore

They Said Avoid Oahu

I am so happy I ignored that advice. So far Honolulu and Oahu is the best for me. Beaches, sun, surf, beautiful outlets plus everything else, like good restaurants and fantastic shopping, and much more. Waikiki alone is worth the trip. Like South Miami Beach on steroids. Just gorgeous. I can see why Beach Boy "Duke" loved it here.

Oahu - Maili Beach

It just never ends. Kauai is supposedly the best island for the beaches, but Oahu is great too. Maili Beach, not too far from Honolulu, a public beach with free parking and free showers. Way to go Hawaii!

One is not enough

Gorgeous azure blue water, invariably perfect for surfing, and a tropical mountain background. But heed the signs. Swimming in Hawaii can be a life-ending experience. Hawaii warns you with two signs!

"We do a lot of rescues and we use it all."

is what the handsome young life guard told me when I remarked on the vast array of equipment he had, including surf board and jet ski and EMT gear. They guard the beaches 365 days a year (exc leap years when it's 366 ;-)  They are professionals, rather than college kids.  They have no life guard games. Too bad. I bet it would be an event to watch. I wish they could send a team to Rhode Island. I bet they would beat Narragansett!

View at the end of Kuhio Road

If you lived here, you'd be at the beach now. And there is an absolutely splendid home here on this point on the northern tip of Kauai with private surf beach and scenery from Bali Hai. 

Nearby is a Hawaii state beach. And you can, with permit, camp in this idyllic spot. Not half bad! Bravo Hawaii!

Hawaii has its own Grand Canyon

Waimea Canyon Overlook in Kauai is impressive indeed. Yesterday we met a man from Kansas, recently widowed, who is in Kalaleo, Kauai house hunting! He hasn't even toured yet!  Everyone suggested he rent for a spell before selling his house in Kansas. I suggested that he additionally consider that his new home will be on a small island (smaller than Rhode Island) with BEACHES and BEAUTIFUL views and not much else.

Baby Endangered Wedge - tailed Shearwater

At the Kilauea Lighthouse on the northern coast of Kauai this little guy is ready to fledge. He will be gone tomorrow.

Not many boats

Hawaii has magnificent coast line so there are lots of boats. WRONG! Hardly any boats. The rough seas make for a very bumpy wet ride. Not many swimmers either. We took the catamaran to see the land of Bali Hai.

Kauai thinks it's Key West ... with desolate beaches

The minute we got off the plane I spotted the chickens. They were begging for food outside the car rental office. I knew they would be all over the island and that roosters would be crowing at 5 AM. The only other place I ever saw over run with worthless feral chickens was Key West. Such a nuisance with their pre-dawn crowing. In Kauai it is actually good to be wakened early so you can walk beautiful desolate beaches, as we did today.

Beautiful

Hawaii lives up to its reputation as beautiful. Cliffs overlook inaccessible beaches.

Surfers - the reason I came here

I love watching surf videos and I am so happy to be be seeing the real thing. It never gets better than at Ho'okena Beach in Maui.

Maui Volcano

It's cold up on volcano rims. Wear sweaters and fleeces.

Most of Maui

We hear about the strips of luxury resorts. Desolation, inaccessible coastline, coffee / macadamia  farms, and cattle ranches comprise the real Maui.

Maui

Everything they say it  is: exquisite and expensive. Surfers love it here. Plus sunsets end with a green flash.

Munching on a Handfull of Macadamia Nuts

Hawaii is Macadamia nuts, and a great way to start the day is to be out early munching on Macadamia nuts while taking in all the wide green landscapes with jet black cattle grazing in the fields. Hawaii has huge ranches. Some overlook steep cliffs.
Hawaii is also McDonalds, Subways, Ace Hardware and tourist strips that could be Newport, Key West, or Galveston.

Not just beaches, Mai Tai and hula

Hawaii is desolate ranch lands and it is where the southern most point of the USA is located. When we finally got there we found campers in vans and tents.

Like Iceland

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is like Iceland or the Galapagos. Lava fields are hard and sharp and not very inviting. It is impressive.

Drive SLOW, be polite and see Volcanos too.

Hawaii is undoubtedly the only state where virtually EVERYONE has in state license plates. I have not seen one out of state plate. I guess that is a no brainer, but it is weird. And they are the slowest, most polite drivers we have ever encountered. No one blows a horn. I like it, but you know who is going insane. It is considered outrageously rude here to toot or be inconsiderate of other drivers.

They have noisy frogs. They have pretty cool volcanos too. Or should I say hot?

We're here!

After 3 flights we are in our hotel on Big Island where we will see the volcano.  Hawaii is definitely the floral paradise it is known for. It is also hot and humid so there's lots of mold. Reminds me of home hee hee.

Traveling light

After about 12 hours of flight time - i.e. actual time in the air - we landed in Honolulu. Hot, humid, but pleasant. They actually do say "aloha".

No rest for the weary

Back from Oklahoma on Sunday and on the way to Hawaii Tuesday morning. I pack light with my net gym bag plus my soft cooler which holds my purse and my healthy lunch. I packed my snorkeling gear, so no frills. 

Is it done microwaving?

America's most spoiled cat awaits his breakfast.

Ladies at the Rehearsal Dinner at Willie G's

My friend Cynthia's bevy of gals celebrate their newest member, Allison (lower right). One obvious requisite for membership to this group is rather extraordinary beauty.

Getting ready for the rehearsal dìnner

We are at Cynthia and Jim's - eating fish and shrimp tacos - and getting ready for the rehearsal dinner tonight.

OMG We must be in Texas!

Hotel is spotless, but I found a huge cricket when I went in to take a shower this morning in Mount Pleasant, Texas, not far from the Oklahoma border. And I am in my shorts! It is warm here.

Where the Buffalo Roam

At the Wichita Mountain Buffalo Refuge in Oklahoma, the nation's first wildlife refuge. LOVE Oklahoma!

Adding to the Genealogy in Oklahoma

Such a fun visit with cousin Bernie and his wife Lea. In the photo are my uncles Johnnie and Andy.

Oklahoma O.K. !

Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain ....
We know we belong to the land
And the land we belong to is grand ....
You're doing fine, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! O.K. !   [music]

National Archives and National Gallery

Washington DC never fails to be wonderful. Excellent food, museums, my favorite zoo, plus the National Archives where we started the day by examining and copying original records of Bruce's ancestor who fought in the Civil War.

We spent the rest of the day in our National Gallery. Among the exhibitions is "The Dying Gaul" on loan from the Capitoline Museums in Rome.  See more at their site.  See good photographs of this masterpiece.

I was happy to see "Second Beach, Newport" which reminds me that summer will soon be here. See more about this picture.

Tomorrow we will be back home - a day early - because of the snow. Tonight we will go to our favorite DC area restaurant, Astor, for another Mediterranean feast complete with rice pudding. A good ending to a very nice trip.

"Second Beach, Newport" in the National Gallery

Planes and Rockets and Heroes

Bruce is passionate about anything that flies like birds and planes so a visit to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center was a priority. This companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, located at Dulles Airport, consists of enormous hangars filled with planes and rockets dating from the early days of air travel. See more at their web site.

P-40 Warhawk "Lope's Hope" with full Flying Tiger paint job

There are rockets too. And the Space Shuttle.

Tours by volunteers leave every half hour. I had a private tour led a retired Pan American mechanic. He looked a lot younger than he was because he had served in WW II, He had loved planes all his life. I learned a lot from.


We ended the day with a trip to Arlington Cemetery.

Arlington Cemetery

Changing of the Guard at the Unknown Soldier Grave

We finished the day with an excellent Mediterranean dinner. Food in DC is GOOD. It is a sunny day in Washington DC. and we are off to the National Archives.

Hurrah! Hurrah! We Won!

The highlight of today was seeing Yorktown where, on October 19, 1781, the Brits surrendered and the Revolutionary War was over. The story is a good one. See Wikipedia Siege of Yorktown.

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown

Yorktown Surrender Field Today

Afterwards we visited Williamsburg. Although most of the buildings are reproductions rather than originals, it was a great experience. Visiting Williamsburg is like going back to colonial times. No cars, no ads. You walk around and it is like being there. The best part though for me is discovering that Williamsburg has some fine gems of authentic colonial architecture such as the court house and the Capitol Building 1753-1779 where Patrick Henry railed against the Stamp Act. See more at Wikipedia Colonial Williamsburg.
Caution is in order regarding learning about the Revolution from movies or books. For a one-sided somewhat inaccurate version, see "The Patriot" For a more accurate view of what really happened, see "Rebels & Redcoats - How Britain Lost America". This  PBS documentary (2004) can borrowed from your local library (MLN) or seen for free on line at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1IE66hqlk. 

Capitol Building

Williamsburg is also the home of the headquarters of the Sons of the Revolution so of course I snapped a photo of it along with my favorite son :-)

Don't Go to Danville on a Monday

Revolutionary War

We started the day at Guilford Courthouse where the Patriots outwitted the Brits. Hip Hip Hooray! We watched the movie and saw all the monuments in the park. I was especially interested in the very elaborate monument to our guy, Nathaniel Greene, who was born in Rhode Island. After the Revolutionary War he retired in Savannah where he died very young of heat stroke.

"Greene is as dangerous as Washington. I never feel secure when encamped in his neighborhood. He is vigilant, enterprising, and full of resources."
British General Charles Cornwallis

"It is with a pleasure which friendship only is susceptible of, I congratulate you on the glorious end you have put to hostilities in the Southern States; the honor and advantage of it, I hope, and trust, you will live long to enjoy."
Letter to Major General Nathanael Greene from George Washington

Civil War Site
Located at 721 Lee Street in Danville, Virginia is the Danville National Cemetery. Among the burials are Union soldiers who died at the infamous Confederate Danville Prison. We came here to find the grave of a very distant relative. He was there. I took photographs to send to one of his relatives in New Hampshire.
The caretaker gave us directions to his favorite BBQ restaurant. What a pleasant surprise. For very little money we had some of the best bbq of the trip at Checkered Pig. My ribs were fantastic. Bruce's pulled pork was good too. Don't ever go to Danville on Monday because Checkered Pig is closed!

Succulent Ribs at Checkered Pig

Per usual we are enjoying the beauty of rural south. Virginia is lovely with rolling fields, such as the one below with the sorghum crop.

Along Route 903 Hendricks Hill Road in Ebony, Virginia

We definitely felt a chill in the air by the time we arrived at the Quality Inn in Emporia.
 

Greensboro, North Carolina = Barbecue and Battlefields

It's Barbecue and Battlefields all through the South. We will leave Greensboro, North Carolina this morning to see Guilford Courthouse and then on to Emporia, Virginia where we will visit the Danville Miitary Cemetery. And we will seek out the good barbecue. It's all good. The sauces change ---- vinegar, then mustard ---- I wonder what would happen if I google mapped "bbq sauces".

Battlefields - Thank You Hill Billies!

The Revolutionary War was started by elite New Englanders, specifically Bostonians, but it was fought and won in the South. The equally elite Thomas Jefferson was a Virginian. General George Washington too, but the real heroes who can take the most credit for our indepence are not the elites, nor the French, but a group most of us do not know well. The southern hill billies were so enraged by the treachery of British General Tarleton who mercilessly slaughtered surrendering soldiers and by British threats to come after them. The Brits should have known better than take on the Over the Mountain Men of the Carolinas and Tennessee.

Battle of Kings Mountain

The Battle of Kings Mountain took place October 7, 1780, in rural South Carolina. It was a very decisive battle where the Patriot militia defeated the Loyalist militia commanded by British Major Patrick Ferguson. 

Battle of Kings Mountain

Battle of Cowpens

The Battle of Cowpens, a turning point in the Revolutionary War, took place on January 17, 1781.

On to victory at Yorktown!

Monument at Kings Mountain

More later.

Gaffney, South Carolina

Georgia may be the Peach State, but the largest peach is undoubtedly in South Carolina. We stayed in Gaffney SC because it is close to the location of a famous battlefield.

Water Tower in Gaffney, South Carolina
(See photographer Ken Thomas page)

Favorite American Heros in Atlanta

The city of Atlanta where to be to learn a lot about two great American heros.

We went to  Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. After seeing the exhibits and Dr. King's boyhood home, we attended service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church where he had served as pastor. The original church is no longer used and the congregation meets in a new larger church across the street at the King Center. They had a tribute to Nelson Mandela. Natosha Reid Rice delivered the sermon. The Men's Choir and visiting Bahamian group, Legends Marching Band, provided music. Needless to say it was good. And I must say that I have never been in any group which made everyone feel so welcome.

Mural outside Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

Martin Luther King was born in this house in 1929

At the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum  I enjoyed talking to the lady who sold tickets. She sees Jimmy often. She told us that he gives a great Christmas for all the employees. A dream job which she loves.

So much to see; so little time.

There is much more in Atlanta than I can every describe. I could have spent days and days there. Next time I want to see the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.  For more about Atlanta, see Wikipedia Atlanta. and City of Atlanta's Visitor Page.  
By mid-afternoon we were back on the local roads savoring the gentle landscape of the American South.

On the road from Atlanta to South Carolina