I take fewer photos since I started bike commuting more. So, to help remedy this, I started getting back into group photography today by joining my buddy Nathan in a stroll up Rainier Ave.

Though Connie and I chose not to stay at Mahukona our first night on the Kohala Coast we headed there this morning on multiple local's words the whale watching there is good. It was.

Today we slowed things down a bit with less driving. Connie and I started out at Kua Bay beach park for some sun and relaxation.

It was hard to get over how beautiful our camping spot at Laupahoehoe really was this morning. Connie and I enjoyed watching the sunrise and surf for a while before we had a fruity breakfast then set out.

Our lazy morning started out with a dip in a small, volcanically-heated pool in the very campground we were staying. Connie and I shared the pool with a family of kids who were eager to show off for my underwater camera.

Connie and I awoke in our second campground of the trip to beautiful sunshine and surfers. Turns out the beach here at Isaac Hale, though not at all sandy, have waves which are magnets for those who want to ride them.

Morning's light woke Connie and me today where we parked our tent/van at Ho'okena Beach Park. I watched the ocean and enjoyed dawn over the broad, gentle, basalt slopes of the mighty Mauna Loa in the distance.

After a smooth walk, light rail, and two plane hops Connie and I were on the Big Island of Hawaii. The folks from Lost Campers picked us up, briefed us on our awesome van, then we hit the road towards our first campground.

A brief note on Twitter alerted me that I should get my camera as close to the Highway 16 Nalley Valley viaduct as possible this afternoon. Turns out, a large piece of the former road bed support structure being torn down came crashing down onto South Tacoma Way.

It was my first New Years Eve in Seattle and we made it count. We rode the light rail from our place into downtown where we walked up to Capitol Hill.

Connie and I got to spend some time with Toni and David today before they set off for their home of Scotland. We headed into downtown Seattle to enjoy a bit of touristing and shopping.