Coconuts, swaying palm trees and sunny beaches are usually the first thoughts that come to mind whenever Hawaii is mentioned.

Vegetables and a pig are removed from tea leaves in a special ceremony before a Hawaiian luau at a resort outside Kona. Luau celebrations are held year-round in Hawaii and give visitors the chance to experience traditional dance and food common to the Hawaiian culture. Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states and the only state made up entirely of islands. It takes a 14-hour flight from the East Coast to reach the capital of Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

Two-thirds of the state's population lives on Oahu. The less populated islands like Maui and Hawaii – often called the Big Island – are reachable only by taking an inter-island flight.

Gaffney Ledger staff writer Scott Powell journeyed to Hawaii on Nov. 13-22 with his parents. The vacation served as an early Christmas present and the completion of Scott's dream to set foot in all 50 states.

A native Hawaiian scales a coconut palm in one of several programs at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. The following is a narrative on some of the sights and sounds Scott uncovered on his travels on Oahu and the Big Island.

Friday, Nov. 13

Five hour time change. I feel like a zombie. It's five hours earlier in Hawaii than here in Gaffney.

Bleary-eyed, I walk downstairs with my parents to the hotel lobby where a band is playing Hawaiian music and a couple of young girls are performing native dances on an open air stage outside the hotel.

My 28-year-old cousin Blake lives in Honolulu and meets us in the hotel lobby for dinner. The streets on Waikiki Beach are buzzing with the sounds of street musicians and tourists taking in the island sights.

LEFT: Gaffney Ledger staff writer Scott Powell and his parents sit atop a rock pile inside the Pua Po'o Lava Tube. TOP: Scott stands in a lava bed in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Blake takes us to a nice sushi and steakhouse restaurant called D.J.'s, where we eat the best sushi I have ever had in my life. We are served sushi featuring fresh fish called ahi, blue dolphin, opa and butter fish.

After sleeping for a couple hours, I am wide awake at 2 a.m. in Hawaii.

It is time to wake up back home, where my brain is telling me it's 7 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 14

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is being held on the north shore of Oahu, a coastline made famous in surfing terms for its clockwork winter swells which can reach 50 feet in height. The Triple Crown is considered one of the ultimate tests for a surfer's ability to master the big waves.

The Triple Crown competition is scheduled for Nov. 12-24. My dad, who grew up in Orange County, Calif., is hopeful we can spend part of the day watching the surfing competition.

While eating breakfast in a McDonald's, we learn the Triple Crown has been postponed while event organizers wait for bigger surf to hit.

A GPS system for Hawaii purchased at one of the airport rental car companies proves a smart investment. The satellite system helps guide us towards the northern coast where we find the Banzai Pipeline.

The Pipeline is a surf break notorious for the huge waves breaking in shallow water just before its sharp reef. This creates large, hollow water tubes that surfers can surf inside.

A roadside produce stand provided an interesting way to enjoy locally grown fruits and vegetables while watching surfers attempt to navigate the waves. I ate warm sweet corn and dragon fruit, a purple cactus fruit which reminded me of a pomegranate.

We spent the afternoon visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Polynesians are believed to be among the first settlers in Hawaii. The cultural center provided a look at how native Hawaiians make fire with a stick, scale coconut trees, and make coconut milk.

Hawaii runs on island time. People walk and drive at a leisurely pace with posted speed limits never exceeding 45 miles an hour.

Even at this slower pace, it takes only an hour to drive around the entire island of Oahu.

The day ends with a great meal at The Village House, a locally run noodle restaurant found in Chinatown with the help of the GPS. The restaurant comes recommended by the ever-present "The Big Island" guidebook written by a year-round resident of Kona, Hawaii.

Sunday, Nov. 15

We eat a hearty breakfast at Duke's, a beachfront restaurant named after the father of international surfing.

The breakfast provides the energy needed for a rigorous hike to the top of Diamond Head for a view overlooking Honolulu's resort hotels and beaches.

The 0.75 mile hike is not for the faint of heart.

Although not a long distance, the unpaved trail winds along uneven rocks in a canyon and goes up 74 steps. The most difficult part of the hike involves climbing 99 steps to a tunnel. This leads to a couple of spiral staircases to reach the access point for a spectacular view of Honolulu.

Diamond Head is a landmark known worldwide from the Hawaiian Islands.

Fans of the "Lost" television series will recognize Diamond Head as the black mountain featured in the show.

The afternoon is spent snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, a protected nature preserve along the shoreline of Oahu.

We see plenty of colorful fishes in aqua blue salt water. We come within inches of running into a giant green sea turtle.

After several nice views along the coast, we are nearly blown off the mountain at Pali.

Evening ends with another outing with Blake. This time to a local seafood restaurant with a $10 lobster special and a name which added unintentional humor to the evening.

Food is not going to be cheap this trip. It's rapidly becoming an early Christmas present from my parents.

Monday, Nov. 16

The Pearl Harbor Memorial is one thing everyone must do in Hawaii.

The memorial provides a poignant reminder of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which brings the United States into World War II.

The museum is filled with interesting stories about the heroism of World War II submarine fighters and officers who led daring raids to sink the Japanese fleet in the Pacific.

A tour of the Bowfin allows visitors to see what it is like working in the cramped confines of a World War II submarine. Listening to stories from World War II veterans recorded on an audiotape brings chills down my spine as this history is brought to life.

U.S. Navy personnel take people in boats to see the USS Arizona Memorial.

Pieces of other ships are spread out along the ocean, giving an idea where ships were sunk by the Japanese.

It's interesting to see the large number of Japanese visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial and living in Hawaii.

Tuesday, Nov. 17- Friday, Nov. 19

These three days were spent in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

Highlights included hiking the Kilauea Iki Trail across a giant volcano crater, a six-mile hike through a secret underground lava tube, Devastation Trail, and walking in the dark to view lava steaming from an erupting volcano.

It rains virtually nonstop while hiking on uneven rock surfaces and marveling at being able to walk on top of an active volcano.

I won't go into further detail about my adventures in the volcano. This portion of the trip is adequately summarized in last Friday's column.

I do need to mention there is an excellent pizza restaurant in the Volcano Village, where you can eat a great meal following a day of wandering.

Thursday, Nov. 19- Sunday, Nov. 22

The Big Island has a rainy side and a dry side.

After being rained on for three days, it is a treat to shed the rain jacket for the sunny 80 degree weather in Kona.

Kona is a seaside resort renown for its coffee.

We take time out Friday morning for a tour of a coffee farm.

The short 20-minute tour provides an overview of how coffee beans are picked, dried and milled in a coffee house. After sampling the Kona coffee farm's product, my parents and I bring back some coffee for a souvenir.

A favorite breakfast stop for Kona coffee is the Island Java Cafe. It is located a couple of miles from the start of the world's Ironman Triatholon, where world class athletes run a marathon, swim 2.5 miles and bike 112 miles in one day in mid-October.

The evenings are spent watching brilliant sunsets at Don the Beachcomber's, sampling Mai- Tais and thinking this would be a really nice place to retire.

We attend a Hawaiian luau Friday evening at a private resort. Entertainment is a hula dance, blending elements from Polynesian and ancient Hawaiian culture.

The vacation ends with a treacherous mile drive Saturday afternoon on a bumpy road once torn apart by lava. The drive ends at a secluded beach for an afternoon of snorkeling and swimming.

It strikes me several times during this trip I am 2,500 miles from the nearest land mass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. At one point, I find myself at the South Point — the southernmost part of the United States.