Big Island of Hawai'i

One of the premier astronomical observing site in the world is on Mauna Kea, HI. And thus, some of the biggest telescopes in the world, including the twin Keck telescopes, are found there. Caltech has a sizable fraction of both Keck telescopes, and I volunteered to observe three nights (with a few free days in between). Typically we observe single nights remotely from Pasadena, but it's a lot better to be in Hawai'i. We actually never observe from the summit itself. Instead, it's done remote from the northern part of the island in Waimea.

Although a good portion of my trip was observing, I did have some time to look around, both on land and in the ocean (there is amazing snorkeling there). And I drove up to the summit of Mauna Kea itself, which is just a surreal place. Almost like Mars, except with breathable (if thin) air and telescopes. The Keck telescopes themselves are amazing, with almost perfect 10-m diameter mirrors.

Air travel into/out of Hawai'i is also interesting. The airport at Honolulu is modern, but open air. The airport in Kona is somewhat antiquated, with no jetways, meaning Boeing 767's are boarded via stairs. I don't think I've seen that anywhere else.

Here's the main album, with links to the specific sub-albums: Kona and Waimea, Mauna Kea, snorkeling, travelling, and the Keck Observatory.