High on a Hill: Kalapana Sidewalk

On the southeast corner of Geary and Powell streets lies a souvenir of Kalapana, Hawaii. In the late 1950s, a section of sidewalk was installed here incorporating sand from the famous black sand beach. Each year a little less remains of the Kalapana Sidewalk which was created by Matson Navigation Company to celebrate service to Hawaii and the opening of an office on the corner.

(When I visited Kalapana in 2001, my initial interpretation of the many miles of charred lava fields was one of the ultimate end for this seemingly lifeless land. A closer look revealed tiny trees and plants growing all along the blackened scene. A picture emerged of constant death and rebirth throughout the millennia. It is a helpful perspective from which to observe the changing City. - HD) Heart of the City 09/14/04

Detail I
Detail II: Mister SF, willing to look like a jackass, on the road to Kalapana in 2001.
Detail III

Detail IV
Detail V


Copyright 2001-2004 Hank Donat
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