Category Archives: Parks

The Numbers Game #35

A gold dust day gecko drinks from a bird of paradise flower.
A Gold Dust Day Gecko drinks from a Bird of Paradise flower.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 156. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Kolekole Gulch Park and bridge

The bridge passing above Kolekole beach park in Hawaii

The main road on the island’s Hāmākua Coast traverses land corrugated by river gullies. For the wider gullies, the road winds down one side and up the other. But gullies that are narrower and steep sided are spanned by bridges. Several of these bridges started life supporting the railroad that ran along this coast. When that closed, they were repurposed as highway bridges. This was back in 1953, which means they’re old and suffering under the demands of modern traffic.

The bridge over Kolekole Gulch has been getting some renovations that were recently completed. Below the bridge is Kolekole Gulch Park, which has also been recently renovated, except for one small detail. One issue at the park has yet to be dealt with, and that’s lead contamination in the soil. The lead comes from the bridge, the result of 50 years of lead paint being applied, and then flaking off it.

It’s been more than 7 years since the problem was identified, but not much has been done, except for fencing off some of the worst areas and not allowing camping at the park. In the meantime, you can walk on the grass, but don’t eat the soil!

The Numbers Game #34

A whirlpool in a tide pool.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 155. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

The Numbers Game #33

One of the beaches at Kekaha Kai Park.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 154. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Two Nenes establish the pecking order (Original post here).

View from the bench on 1871 Trail

View from a bench on 1871 trail on the South Kona coast in Hawaii.

This is the view from the bench at the top of the Alakaha ramp on the 1871 Trail, which heads south from Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. There was big surf on this day and the trail was getting regular clouds of spray from the breaking waves.

The bench though, sits above all that and also offers some shade. What’s not to like!

A bench on 1871 trail on the South Kona coast in Hawaii.

Photos afloat

A tug and barge enter Kawaihae Harbor in Hawaii
A tug and barge enter Kawaihae Harbor in the early morning hours.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Afloat.’ See more responses here. Let’s start with boats.

But they’re not the only floating things.