Now for something a little different, after all the Halibut Cove posts.

Hawaii and Alaska seem to be polar (so to speak) opposites.   Even on a good day, most Alaskans wear more clothes than any Hawaiians wear on a bad day.   When we see steep driveways in Hawaii, we can't help but momentarily wonder - before reality catches up - how drivers climb them on a snowy day.  There are no snow shovels or studded tires in Hawaii.  Maybe no mittens.  No plowing services.  Tire chains are reserved for mud and sandy beaches.

But the differences aren't merely physical.  There seems to be a difference in attitude as well as atmosphere.  For Alaskans, Hawaii has always been a place of almost mythical ease and relaxation.  A place where you can stare at the ocean, wear short-sleeved shirts, or no shirts, where it is relaxing and comfortable to stand in the water.   And where your greatest worries are about applying the right amount of sun tan lotion, but not too much, and getting all the sand out of toes and swimwear.

Waikiki was the original beach magnet for Alaskans.  Easily accessible by the 1950s in a DC-7 or Boeing Stratocruiser.  Only about 12 vibrating hours of flying time from Anchorage or Juneau.   Things are even easier now, and it is easy for Alaskans to be on a sunny beach, looking prominently pale, only five hours after leaving the North.

These images look fondly at Waikiki with admiration and pleasure.

Fresh off the plane

There is a backstory, surely.

This might have been the only reader on Waikiki on a beautiful late afternoon.

Surfrider, collecting sand

Man with his dog

Dog (with his man, behind)

The unicorn takes a walk.  And natural selection is still a force in Waikiki.