View from Diamond Head Lookout Looking at Diamond Head Lighthouse
One of Hawaii’s most iconic and recognized landmarks is the arching slope of Diamond Head which has graced countless postcards and been the infamous backdrop in numerous media. At the Diamond Head State Monument, visitors can hike a trail to the top of the mountain to take in the view from the lookout point at the end.
Diamond Head is the remnants of a single explosion from a volcanic tuft cone that has eroded over the years into the signature profile that so many people now associate with Hawaii. Many residents and tourists each year have hiked the trail to Diamond Head Lookout to experience the scenic points along the path and the picturesque vision that can be captured at the summit. The trail to the top is an 0.8 mile trek that allows visitors to ascend 560 feet up from the crater floor. Along the way, a series of stairs—74, 99, 52, and 54, in order of occurrence—and dimly lit, winding tunnels that allow visitors to move up through and along the mountain fairly easily. The pinnacle of Diamond Head once served as a strategic military point, as emphasized by remnants of abandoned artillery bunkers. The clear view of the surround areas led the military to develop a defense system on the slopes in the early 1900s.
In recent years, the Department of Land and Natural Resources has imposed an entrance fee to experience the Diamond Head State Monument. This modest fee ($5 for cars or $1 per pedestrian that enters) applies to both residents and tourists and goes towards the upkeep of the state park. DLNR has expressed wishes to remove the fee for residents within the next few years if funds allow in order to promote locals to access the facilities on a more regular basis.
Took my Olympus Stylus 1030S waterproof camera out today and took another panoramic shot from the water. Light Kona winds made for clear skies and pretty clean conditions. As always, feel free to download the full sized image by clicking on the thumbnail above. Aloha!
The weather today was phenomenal for the east side of Oahu. Our trade winds, which normally makes the ocean choppy, was non-existent and replaced by Kona winds making for smooth conditions. We paddled out on our longboards to the Twin Islands (also known as the Mokulua’s) for a fun surf session. I also managed to take a panoramic of Lanikai halfway to the ‘Mokes’.
Panoramic photo taken with a Olympus Stylus 1030S waterproof pocket camera. More info on Canon’s waterproof Stylus pocket camera:
The 2009 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational ran for only the 8th time in its twenty four year history. Waves of 20-25+ feet (Hawaiian scale) rumbled through world famous Waimea Bay on Oahu’s north shore. With perfect offshore winds and clean conditions, the 29 of the best big wave surfers in the world put on a show for the 30,000 fans that lined the Bay. Enjoy the photos below and stay tuned for video from the event.
A while back I had a request from one of our viewers of the site (from Germany none the less) ask if they could print one of our photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. I obliged as all of our photos are free for download and the only thing I requested was to see a photo of the finished product. Well they recently emailed a photo of it hanging on their wall and I must say it looks great! (Thanks for the photo Florian)
Photo courtesy: Florian from Germany
I haven’t put as much time into this site as I want to because of all the other projects I’m involved in but it’s cool that these photos are of value to some people. Feel free to download the full sized images!
Hey gang, sorry I’ve been so bad at adding photos…yesterday was actually the 1st day I’ve used my camera since my trip to San Francisco. Anyway, I only had a few minutes to take some photos…most of these aren’t that great but I thought I’d share anyway.
Took a few photos of the Golden Gate Bridge from the look out at Twin Peaks. Super cool vantage point from there…you should check it out if you’re in San Francisco.
