This trip took me to Hawaii. A state I had never visited. It was the generosity of friends, a conversation about December events and the alignment of stars that helped create this plan.
After making my plans I invited my oldest brother so he could check off something on his life list. His goal was to visit all 50 states and I recalled that he mentioned Hawaii was last on that list. We met in Kona (on the Big Island-Hawaii) and had a week filled with hiking, exploring, 4-wheeling, snorkeling and so much more.
Grab your flip-flops and sunscreen....
A room with a view! Thanks to my friends!
Our first planned adventure took us to the southern most tip of the United States. What we found there was surprising. Cliff divers! And oh my was it a cliff!
After hiking to the most southern point we drove a few miles to the trailhead for the Papakolea Beach. It is one of only two green beaches in the USA.
Learn more; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papakolea_Beach
After hiking for miles a family with a four wheel drive vehicle stopped and asked if we wanted a ride.....and OH what a ride it was! They had been there before and knew we still had many more miles of hiking before we would reach Papakolea Beach. Like us, they enjoy meeting new people and we learned more about the island from them.
The green sand from Papakolea Beach
Adventures on this day continued with a drive to a black sand beach-a tip from our new traveling friends said there might be turtles sunning on the beach!
Turtles spotted!
Surprise....I have a ranch on the southern coast of the Big Island!
A stop at a local coffee shop was a great way to end the day.
Our travel research revealed the varied climates and terrains of the Big Island. Our next region to explore would be the northeastern and north regions. It may be my favorite part of the island.
In Waimea we drove right into the middle of preparations for the Christmas parade. Residents were lined up along the street hours before the parade. As much as I enjoy coffee shops my brother enjoys breweries. We located one in Waimea and had a great time at Big Island Brewhaus before the street was closed for the parade.
As long as we are on the brewery subject I'll share a few photos from a few more breweries. I suggested that we should keep a list of all the breweries we visited. The list was too long!
Next road trip? To Kilauea Volcano of course! Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has partially reopened since the eruption earlier this year.
Learn more; https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
This is the lava field that surrounds Leilani Estates. We hiked to the edge of where it met the ocean.
And sometimes surfers just need to surf-even if a lava field has closed the beach!
The country's southern most bakery and a coffee plantation were great stops on the way back to Kona.
Snorkeling gave us a break from road trips. We left the harbor at 9:00 am and returned at 2:00 pm. A full day snorkeling at Captain Cook Bay. Considered the best place to snorkel on the island. Also known as Kealakekua Bay State Park.
Learn more; https://hawaiistateparks.org/parks/hawaii/kealakekua-bay-state-historical-park/
The two photos below are of my brother using a view box. A great device that allows people who do not want to put their face under water or use a snorkel for breathing. I used it for the day and my brother wanted to try it so he can create one of his own.
Taking shots of old architecture is fun and so easy to get great photos. Here are a few of my favorites.
Kona was a fun area to walk and just take in the local scene.
Back on the road again.....driving to the east side of the island to Hilo...grab your umbrella since it is the rainy side of the Big Island.
Our week seemed to speed by but we sure took advantage of every moment. From searching for the best coffee (or beer) to finding an idyllic spot for a future home we explored the Big Island. What a fun week with my oldest brother. I have two older brothers..... maybe my other brother has something on his life list....I better give him a call!
I'll end this post with a favorite shot from our trip.
“Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.”
~Erol Ozan
