Posted By RichC on August 17, 2006
Two days, two different volcanic summits. The first was on the ‘big island’ of Hawai’i and rises from the seafloor some 33000 feet of which 13,796 feet as see from the geological marker. Its the first time I’ve climbed to that altitude and was amazed at how thin the air is hiking at that level. (we drove the majority of the way but the summit is only accessable on foot) We were warned to have oxygen available and our guide thankfully had it in the van … just in case. Nevertheless it does take a turbocharged vehicle of sufficient displacement to scale the road up to the 12 observatories that are second only to the Hubble at making deep space discoveries.
One of the more famous is the Keck observatory. Photo of Taylor, Alex and Katelyn with steaming breath ‘in Hawaii’
🙂
Category: Personal, Photos, Recreation, Travel |
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Tags: 2006 vacation, cruise, hawaii, ncl
Posted By RichC on August 16, 2006
By the time you read this, you will realize we did not have Sprint EVDO service on Hilo, Hawai’i so yesterday’s quick messages were sent this morning at Maui. It is a beautiful morning sitting on the deck of the NCL ship ‘Pride of Hawaii’ eating breakfast. Last nights sail an view of the lava flows into the sea were unbealieveable. I eventualy edit these posts and post those pictures. (take with better camera) Aloha!
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Tags: 2006 vacation, cruise, hawaii, ncl
Posted By RichC on August 16, 2006
Outside Hilo, Hawai’i we stopped for photos at the Rainbow Falls on our way up the 14796 foot Mt. Mauna Kea. We enjoyed hiking except the final distance from the observatories on top of the volcanic mountain. Beautiful and cold at the summit. (photos of observatories to come.)
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Tags: 2006 vacation, cruise, hawaii, ncl
Posted By RichC on August 16, 2006
As we continued our day trip up the 12 astronomical observatories on Mauna Kea on ‘the big island,’ we came across an alter used by some traditional Hawaiians in worship to their gods in this volcanic land. The views along this unbelievable climb from sea level to the Summit at 14796 feet were unusual. From
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Tags: 2006 vacation, cruise, hawaii, ncl
Posted By RichC on August 14, 2006
Beautiful day to arrive in Hawaii. Great flight for one that last 9.5 hours and changes 6 time zones! In the bus and checking out EVDO cellphone service. Hopefully the direct to blog is working?
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Tags: 2006 vacation, cruise, hawaii, ncl
Posted By RichC on August 14, 2006
By the time you read this post, my family and I should be on our way to Hawaii. My daughter completed her undergrad schooling this past month (graduating summa cum laude — proud dad here), so as a graduation gift to all … we’re celebrating together. I’ll not be posting the regular daily ‘desultory posts,’ but intend on using my Palm Treo and its ‘limited’ cell phone camera to post a few photos to the blog as long as Sprint provides a connection. Check in if you are interested, otherwise I’ll be back to normal posts next week if all goes well. (vacations Palm Treo posts will be under the catagory call “Cellphones.”)
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Tags: 2006 vacation, cruise, hawaii, ncl
Posted By RichC on August 13, 2006
A friend of mine sent me an article in Wired Magazine’s blog section on a mild hybrids, but the link that caught my eye was the BMW 2007 X5 preview article in Edmonds. I suppose I’m just dreaming that someday such vehicle with a diesel will be in the US? From what I’ve heard, RL, GL and M-class Mercedes will be here next year so it would sure be nice to have a diesel SUV entry from BMW too. The new 2007 X5 is a BMW at heart, and is said to handle “with all the precision of the critically acclaimed first-generation X5” … even fitted with run-flat tires. According the the Edmonds article, a BMW executive suggests that “It’s not the most comfortable in the class, but we’re confident the handling is as good as, or better than, the outgoing model.” Those who have driven a BMW “know” that is one of the reasons one purchases one is the legendary handling. They are without a doubt the finest driving car I have ever driven. In my opinion, they exihibit the perfect balance of comfort and handling.
The current diesel option is a 231 hp in common-rail diesel and should provide decent fuel efficiency for the upsized X5. Speaking of upsized, the new 2007 X5 is longer and 7.5 inches longer and 2.5 inches wider than the previous X5. Frankly I think it looks better in the photos although styling has changed little. To keep weight down, BMW said the uses more lightweight materials including aluminum in the suspension. One of the key features that will improve the already excellent sales in the US is the addition of a 3rd row seat to keep up with the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. Unfortunately like all SUVs with a 3rd row, one questions the comfort and how to actually pack a bag? Actually luggage capacity goes from 21.9 cubic feet to 7.1 cubic feet.
Over all, the new BMW X5 sounds great and I’ll really get excited if the diesel option comes to the US.
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Tags: 35d, BMW, diesel, x5
Posted By RichC on August 12, 2006
According to an Associated Press article forwarded to me from the Northwest Florida Daily News, Ford has indicated that it intends to eliminate the gas cap. The first model that will receive the ‘pressure flap’ will be the 2008 Lincoln MKS model according to an announcement made at a Michigan automotive conference. Eventually all Ford models will receive this new ‘flap’ that will seal itself preventing fumes from escaping.
According to Mark Fields, Ford executive vice president and president of the Americas, “It eliminates the inconvenience of forgetting to put your gas cap back on after refueling.” This new cap comes from Ford’s NASCAR racing and has been used on the Ford GT sports car. Company spokesman Said Deep indicated that there is no timetable when all cars will have the new flap.
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Posted By RichC on August 11, 2006
I recently read that the responsibility for inspecting rides at amusement parks and fairs in Ohio falls on the Department of Agriculture. This surprised me when reading about a recent popular roller coaster accident at Kings Island Amusement Park. (outside of Cincinnati, Ohio) Hmm … been there a few times.
See Cincinnati Enquirer story.
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Posted By RichC on August 11, 2006
Although I heard about this when it happened, it wasn’t until I saw the photo above (click it for full size) taken by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird made me want to include the bit of history in my blog. I grew up with a secret desire to be a Naval officer and would dream about both the sea and aviation. (I sort of still do — although the dreams are a bit more realistic) The one aircraft that stood apart was the F-14 Tomcat. Maybe it was just movies like “Top Gun” where Tom “Maverick” Cruise flew an F-14 … but then I’m not that young.
Late last month while completing Joint Task Force Exercises, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71) along with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) launched the last of the F-14 fighters. A F-14D Tomcat (number 112) assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) was the last F-14 catapulted from the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt on July 28, 2006. Although this is the last scheduled launch, the Navy won’t officially retire the F-14 until September 2006. The F-14 Fighter has had 32 years of exceptional service. I would be remise to not offer a ‘thank you’ to all who had a hand in designing, maintaining and flying this tremendous aircraft; thank you for your service.
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