TRIP

Rangers Lead the Way !

Pointe du Hoc Normandy

With Laura Mayfield Fink

Laura introduced Mary Ann Squires, from Austin, to the sacred sites of Kilauea volcano, Kukao`o heiau, Kawaiaha`o Church,and the Church cemetery for Congregationalist missionaries & their descendants.

Tour Guide Laura and Driver Bruce Fink's next stop south of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii was the National Historic Park of Pu`uhonua o Honaunau, "City of Refuge." Kapu breakers had chance of a reprieve from the death sentence if they reached the heiau. Behind Laura and Bruce is the reconstructed Hale o Keawe, which once held the `iwi (bones) of twenty-three ali`i (chiefs). Pa Pu`uohonua (the massive wall) was built in the 1500s and is 950'+ long, 12' tall, and 18' thick. It is a fabulous example of dry-stack masonry (no mortar). No visit is complete without a photograph of the wood ki`i.

Tour Guide Laura and Driver Bruce Fink took Texas friends to "The Painted Church" south of Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. 1899-1904 Belgian priest Fr. Velge (St. Damien was also a Belgian priest) disassembled St. Benedict's church, moved it up the hillside; and, after reassembling it, painted the inside with Biblical scenes.

The wind blew off Laura's U.H. rainbows visor; but, thankfully, not into the water. Tour guide Laura took visitors to Pearl Harbor two days in a row and will take more visitors tomorrow.

June 11 marks King Kamehameha Day, but it looked different this year.

The traditional festivities like the highly anticipated floral parade didn't happen this year because of the pandemic.

However, our intrepid guide was there to record the event at the Honolulu King Kamehameha statue