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THE COMPASS

Hawaii

PHOTOGRAPH BY JONATHAN KINGSTON

Rushing waterfalls and soaring volcanic peaks, fascinating heritage and stunning beaches—Hawaii is the ultimate tropical paradise. Join us this week as we learn why the U.S. once bombed an active volcano, commemorate a long-lost internment camp for Japanese Americans, and discover a national park that was once an isolated quarantine zone.

Let's explore Hawaii.

SCIENCE

An aerial view shows a bomb detonating on Mauna Loa during a 1935 eruption. The U.S. Army dropped 20 600-pound bombs on the lava flow that December morning to divert the molten rock from reaching the town of Hilo.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARMY AIR CORPS,
11TH PHOTO SECTION

Why the U.S. once bombed an erupting volcano

Can using explosives to divert volcanic destruction actually work? The first try in Hawaii set the stage for more attempts, but conditions for success are extremely rare.

Steam rises as lava pours into the Pacific Ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASON WILDE /
ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Hawaii volcanoes, explained

Over millions of years, volcanic eruptions have not only built the Hawaiian archipelago, they continually transform its landscape.

HISTORY & CULTURE

The Honouliuli Internment and POW Camp on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is pictured during World War II. Japanese Americans were wrongly imprisoned here during the early 1940s, and it’s one of multiple nearly forgotten sites around the islands related to this shameful, racist era in United States history.

PHOTOGRAPH BY R. H. LODGE. COURTESY OF JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER OF HAWAI‘I (JCCH)

Restoring Hawaii's forgotten World War II internment sites

Commemorating a long-lost internment camp for Japanese Americans highlights hidden stories of heroism and persecution.

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An aerial view of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument reveals an outline of the sunken U.S.S. Arizona. The surprise attack on December 7, 1941, killed 1,177 of the ship's officers and men.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID DOUBILET,
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Pearl Harbor survivors forgive—but can't forget

On December 7, 1941, Japan’s deadly attack catalyzed a nation, shattering America’s sense of invincibility and pulling the country into war. Today the site is a symbol of service, science, and healing.

Carolann Carl, a Pohnpeian storyteller, poses in the halls of Washington Middle School in Honolulu.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARIE ERIEL HOBRO

Hawai'i is not the multicultural paradise some say it is

The islands still struggle with the legacy of colonialism and the divisions intentionally sown between ethnic groups.

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A choose-your-own-adventure section of Kipuka Kanohina splits into three tunnels, which will narrow as cavers go deeper. Navigating lava rock can be perilous. “The texture,” says one caver, “is like Velcro,” capable of tearing clothing and cutting skin. There are also dangers overhead: Chunks of sharp lava can break off and fall from the ceiling.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CARSTEN PETER

Inside the deep caves carved by lava

Centuries of eruptions on the Big Island have created hidden networks of passages
beneath volcanoes.

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TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

For a century, Kalaupapa, on Hawaii’s Molokai island, served as the quarantine site for people afflicted with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy. The tropical site is now a national park.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JONATHAN KINGSTON

This national park in paradise was once an isolated quarantine zone

In Hawaii, a unique historical site sheds light on a story of prejudice, resilience—and aloha.

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A hiker explores the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast of Kauai, Hawaii.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID STUBBS, AURORA

Discover the best of Kauai

Plan your Hawaiian getaway with
these top 10 tips.

There’s a reason there are so many jaw-dropping scenes in Jurassic Park. Those views of Kauai can’t be rushed, and should be taken in from every angle.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CULTURA RM, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

10 of the most striking spots in Hawaii

Discover our favorite activities in the Aloha State.

For a picture-perfect view, head to Diamond Head Crater.

PHOTOGRAPH BY REGULA HEEB-ZWEIFEL, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Everything to know about Honolulu

Here’s how to plan the best possible trip to this sunny city.

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WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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