As the Brothers Unite blog turns the corner on its 2nd Birthday, I decided pay tribute to one of the all-time greatest Unites: our Hawaii family vacation. Dave was just coming off a semester of traveling and camping in the American West (which he somehow got college credit for) and we'd barely heard from him in months. We picked him up in snowy Walla Walla and then headed further west to visit Uncle Steve and Aunt Ellie at their home in Wailuku, Maui.
It was great spending time with our geographically distant relatives. A major highlight was getting to experience firsthand Uncle Steve's greatest passion...astronomy. He spends countless nights at the observatory on top of Maui's 10,000ft volcano Haleakalā. We joined him on a clear night to watch the most theatrical meteor shower I've ever seen.
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| Mom and Dad arrive first...in style. |
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| Dave and I make it (somehow) a few days later...also in style. |
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| We quickly learn that Hawaiians dress like the scenery behind them, so as to keep a lower profile. We did our best to blend in. |
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| Dave was noticeably more barbate than the last time we'd seen him. |
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| McGaughey Brothers Unite! |
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| Big cousin Lala and little cousin Hoku Lani come over from the Big Island! |
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| Exploring the rugged Hāna Highway on the eastern tip of Maui island. |
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| With its verdant landscapes |
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| ...seaside cliffs |
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| ...and black sand beaches with igneous outcrops (yup, geology). |
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| The brothers and stoic Steve |
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| The sun rises behind the Haleakalā observatory after a frigid, starry night. |
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| Steve works as a pilot and tour guide on a tourist submarine (runs in the family) |
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| Dave ponders schools. |
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| Happy 2nd birthday Brothers Unite! On to the next one... |
