Alisa and Bill went back to the big island of Hawai’i to film the credits for 59 before 18 The Movie. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park was the focus. The Hawai’i Volcanoes Halema’uma’u Crater Glow during the night sky and the changing of colors during sunrise were just some of the highlights.
On the big island of Hawai’i there is not only Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, but Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau. It is a National Historical Park (not one of the 59, but still very special).
Living on the Earth many years ago in some places of the world it was very different. If you broke the sacred laws your punishment was death. Your only chance of survival was to elude your pursuers and reach the Pu’uhonua, a place of refuge. The Pu’uhonua protected the forsaken. No physical harm could come to those who reached the boundaries of the Pu’uhonua. There was peace, forgiveness and reconsilation here.
As a sign of respect there is no snorkeling permitted in Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau. Therefore, Alisa dove deep into the tropical wildlife nearbye.
The film credits are also a sign of redemtion. When Alisa, Bill, Luke and Winston explored Hawai’i Vocanoes National Park some years back, they failed to summit Mauna Loa. They started late, got lost, and got tired. Bill got angry and yelled. He sent Alisa, Luke and Winston back down the mountain. When he reached a national park sign he sat down realized that he was all alone. Nothing but hardened lava and the strong winds surrounded him. He was the failure, not the hike. This time, he found his way.
A day trip to the summit of Mauna Loa is not easy. Weather, altitude sickness, and fatigue as just some of the issues that a man or woman need to be prepare to face. The views are spectactular and the journey takes patience. During the hike you concentrate on the moment and then find yourself reflecting, connecting, and day dreaming.
If you believe that lava makes Earth and God made man, then hiking up to the summit of Mauna Loa as husband and wife would be a spiritual conquest. Not only did the mountain, in Bill’s mind, beat him, but he was literally back for a victory. Sometimes it’s the advesity in life that changes you to become a better man.
59 before 18 is an American family national park adventure.
An adventurous true story about an extraordinary quest.
