Recent Trips
Hawaii
I spent another week in Hawaii, although on this trip I spent much less time looking around and more time working. But, I did go over to the eastern (rainy) side of the island. Specifically, to Akaka Falls. They're extraordinarily beautiful, and definitely worth the visit. On the way back, we stopped by Laupahoehoe Point which, as with most places in Hawaii, was also beautiful.
England - Yorkshire Moors
For the second hike of my visit to England, I decided to go into the Yorkshire Moors. I found a hike/walk around the village of Goathland where, just like in the Peak District, there are many, many more sheep than people (and almost as many pubs as people). Also, like in the rest of England, there are trains everywhere, and so goats and trains seem to make up a disproportionately large number of my photos.
The moors are beautiful, with lots of heather growing everywhere. The sheep here seemed to be a bit more aggressive than in the Peak District - one tried to chase me over a bridge. But it was definitely a fun hike.
England - The Peak District
The Peak District is a beautiful, somewhat mountainous (at least by English stands) area just east of Yorkshire. A decent number of people live there and even more sheep. I stayed in Sheffield, which is a somewhat industrial city just outside of the Peak District and took the train to the village of Hope for my day in the district itself.
Hiking in England is called "walking" and typically involves small paths through the countryside, often with a stop at a pub or two. For the first walk of my trip to England, I went from Hope to Castleton, then up through some dales and to Mam Tor. From there, I went along the Great Ridge back to Hope, to finish off a full day's hike.
England - London, York, Oxford, and the Coast
I went to England for a week long conference in Oxford and decided to spend a few more days in England before the conference. I had to spend a day and a half in London, but decided to go to Yorkshire for most of my time. I spent two days hiking (or walking, as the English call it), and those are two separate posts (the Peak District and the Yorkshire Moors).
In London, I had to visit the Greenwich Observatory and Buckingham Palace. London was a wonderful city, but too international for me. I got a lot more of the British culture when I headed north. Sheffield was not much to write home about, but York (particularly the minster) is beautiful, as is the surrounding country side and coast. The cliffs over the North Sea are amazing, and, of course, the fish and chips there were great. And I had to stop at a proper tea room and have some tea.
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.
