Diamond Head Crater...

One of the great things about Hawaii is that it offers many opportunities to go hiking.  I personally love to go on long walks and explore new terrain.  Early this morning we set out to go to Diamond Head Crater.  At first, walking up from the basin of the crater was pretty easy with lots of interesting birds and spiky flora.  But it progressively became trickier and the walk steeper, including spiral staircases, slippery rocks, and dark tunnels.  Azalea managed to walk up all the way to the top by herself and even got a certificate to prove it.  Everyone passing kept saying, "WOW!  She made it up this far by herself?  She must be a future athlete!"  In the words of my recently departed grandma when she first met Azalea, "It's small, but it's stout!"

Here's a picture of Cynthia with an iron grip on the railing with a skeptical look on her face.  Part way up, after hiking for an hour, she decided that she didn't need to see the very top.  

To left is a cute little picture of Azalea at the observation deck at the top of the crater.  The observation decks that scatter the rim of the crater used to house canons for military defense of the island.  In the picture, she looks wore out.  I don't blame her.  It was a pretty far walk for us adults and her legs are half the size, but I think she had fun on what some of the locals refer to as the "Hawaiian Stair-Master."

Above is a view from the top of the crater.  It doesn't really do it justice.  The picture is a sliver of a slice from a vast panorama that's really breathtaking.