Hawaii is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Although that might sound like a touristic place, it has quite a few pilgrimage places. Here are a few that I managed to visit in person.
The Big Island of Hawaii
A trip to the Big Island of Hawaii is worth calling a pilgrimage to the natural creation. The only constant thing in this world is change. In the Big Island, it is evident as nowhere else: what was a town 3 years ago, now it is a lava field. The island is self-expanding as lava adds square meters for the island each time one of the volcanoes erupt.
Pele’s home at Halemaumau Crater
In Hawaiian mythology, Pele is the Goddess of Volcanoes and Fire. A legend tells that after creating the Hawaiian Islands she set up her home in Halemaumau Crater. Today it is a part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and is easily reachable by car (unfortunately, you need a car to go to places in Hawaii). The closest we could get to the crater in 2021 was at Kilauea Overlook. The further way leading to the museum was closed as the museum was hanging on a cliff after one of the volcanic activities. Kau desert trail was a nice and easy hike giving opportunities to walk past the Steam Vents and discover some unseen plants and trees. There were quite a few lookout areas on the way but the most memorable to me was the one called Silent place. At first, it seemed like nothing special, but a sign proposed an intention to just silently watch the volcano and respect its power in silence. It was a very touching experience. There are several parking places available on the way to the hiking trails and you can choose how far and how long you want to walk. At the visitor’s center rangers will provide you with the latest news from the volcanoes. Also, be prepared to breathe in some sulfur as there are quite a lot of steam chimneys on the way. Don’t miss the Lava tunnel. It was incredible – walking in the tube where lava was flowing was something very humbling.
Petroglyphs
After paying respects to Pele and admiring the rest of the craters, we followed the Craters Road further towards the Arch, and made a stop and hiked a short path to the Petroglyphs. It was a rocky path through a lava field but not too complicated to walk and took about half an hour one way. The path took us to the indigenous people’s place of power where they marked their wishes and intentions for health and prosperity with special symbols carved in the rocks.
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a sacred place for indigenous Hawaiians and at the entrance to it, you may see tents and signs of protestors for tourists to go home. The protest is also against the US government that wants to build yet another telescope in the Observatory on top of it. I didn’t go home but it was enough to have a doubt if I am doing the right thing. After all, I only managed to drive to the Visitors’ center and slowly climb atop one of the mountains nearby. While catching my breath, I noted to myself this small poem:
Above the clouds
Where oxygen is rear
I greet the Death
And go back down the Mountain
To cherish Life
Our plan to go to the Observatory was turned down by the officer — only 4X4 vehicles are allowed to drive up. And after all, I believe it was for my good to turn away and go down because I could still see a broken car skeleton and hear stories of people dying because their car brakes burned. I also felt a relief not going into sacred places unwanted. Later, I was very happy to breathe in some thicker air and admire Mauna Kea from a distance while taking the Saddle road around it. It was a beautiful drive through volcanic valleys green and full of cattle.
Puna: the End of the Road Beach
Remember at the beginning I mentioned the lava that buried part of the town in the South of the island? You can drive there and see it for yourself in Puna. There are also some nice beaches and natural volcano-heated thermal springs, like Pohoiki Bay and Hot Spring, where you can take a dip or just put your feet in. They are free for everyone.
Oahu Island
It can feel pretty overwhelming to go to Oahu just after staying on the Big Island for a week. Oahu is a big city with high buildings including all the big city problems: traffic, homelessness, crimes, and so on. On the other hand, I felt that I ate too many poke bowls by then and pretty wide-ranged cuisine was a positive change. (My favorite places to get some tasty and affordable food were: Marukame Udon Waikiki, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, and Don Quijote shopping centers. I also enjoyed sitting in the open trunk of a Jeep while driving around the island – it is okay to do that and due to low-speed limits it is safe. Back to the pilgrimage topic, if you want to find pilgrimage places there, you can. I found and visited these two:
Waikiki Beach Healing Stones Kapaemahu
On Google Maps, they are called “Wizard Stones”. They are just in the middle of the Waikiki beach area, and I bet I walked past them at least a couple of times as there are so many things going on. It is a nice place to stop by and have a silent moment. Hawaiians believe that the stones have healing powers.
Kukaniloko Birth Stones
One of the most important sacred sites for Hawaiian people, where the great chiefs were born (Address: Kamehameha Hwy, Wahiawa, HI 96786, United States). We stopped there on our way to the North part of the island. Just parked our car on the side of the road and walked down the alley of birthstones. The nature and the red stones were beautiful, and it felt like there was a special energy in the air. Some people were working there, and we turned away when we reached the sign asking not to enter near the central stones. Perhaps, it is best to stop there if it’s on the way as I’ve read that it was closed recently.
Windrose Travels 
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