Ch. 18 Hawaii

Hawaii is near the middle of the Pacific Ocean in between Asia and North America. Honolulu, the state capital of Hawaii, is about 2400 miles from San Francisco, which is about a little more than a 5 hour flight from San Francisco. Hawaii is made up of 8 main islands (Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii). The state capital of Honolulu is found on Oahu.

About the only things Monterey, California and Hawaii have in common are they both lie in the Pacific Ocean and tourism is relevant in both places. The tourist attractions are obviously a lot different though since Hawaii is a tropical place, the weather is much warmer, and it is made up of multiple islands. An estimated 7.4 million people visit Hawaii every year!

Map of Hawaii and the South Pacific

References:

1. 1. Birdsall, Stephen S., Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada (7th Edition)

2. http://www.maps-pacific.com/graphics/Pacific-Ocean-Map.gif (picture) 

Ch. 16 The North Pacific Coast

The land of the North Pacific Coast is filled with all types of trees. Redwoods, Douglas fir, hemlock, red cedar, Sitka spruce, and more. Not only are these trees important to the environment, but they also play an important role in the North Pacific Coast's economy.

Redwood trees are also common in California, around San Francisco and even near Monterey around Big Sur, and especially Santa Cruz. Redwood trees are the world's tallest trees, with some individual trees being measured in excess of 360 feet! Some trees can live as long as 2000 years. Here are a few pictures:

Redwood trees in Big Sur

Redwood trees in Santa Cruz

References:

1. http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/redwoods.html (picture)

2. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3396/3475560300_2f93fbfa18.jpg (picture)