Musings
Last Adventurer
#preservethegood

As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” 

#preservethegood
Hiking, State Parks
Last Adventurer
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

Geminid Meteor Shower 2012

2012 Geminid Meteor Shower, December 13-15th 2012

As I always say with all these astral phenomena, unless you've been living on the moon, you know that something is going on in the sky. This week, it’s the Geminid Meteor Shower, which according to all reports, is particularly strong and visible this year - perhaps even more so than its predecessors, the Leonid and then Orionid Showers. In fact, according to all of my internet sources – the Geminid Meteor Shower may indeed be the best meteor shower of all of 2012! (Information here, here, here, and here).

The Geminid Meteor Shower will be peaking on the night of December 13, 2012, and the early morning hours of December 14, 2012. According to Earthsky.org, and various other sources, the best time to view the Geminids is from midnight to two (2) a.m., irrespective of where you are located. For a list of tips on how to view the Geminids, check out Earthsky’s page HERE. And, if you don’t feel like staying up late – or waking up early on Thursday night, the good news is that the shower will linger into the evening of Friday, December 14, 2012, and the early morning hours of December 15, 2012.

It’s worth noting that the shower should be particularly visible this year, as it coincides with a new moon, which will set well before the shower is at its peak time, so if you have clear skies and if you’re away from any sources of light pollution (city lights), you should be able to see quite a few meteors. As a general rule, the Geminid Shower is always my favorite meteor shower of the year, and since the world is ending just a week later, it is your last chance to view a meteor shower before whatever the Mayans did or did not predict happens! And, if you're interested in science, help NASA out, and check out this app here to record what meteors you can. Also, if you’re a hard science believer like me, here’s a solid list of reasons why 2012 isn’t real, and why I’ll be here blogging well after the world purportedly ends next week – but until then – keep your eye on the sky!