Spring Breakin' In Paradise - Part 2

We started Day 5 by feeding the chickens on the farm, including a bunch of sweet little baby chicks.

SO MANY BABY CHICKS! 

PRETTY ROOSTER AND ONE OF THE COFFEE
DRYING SHACKS

 We opted for a relaxing beach day at Pam and Michael's recommended spot: Beach 69 

(real name: Waialea, but called beach 69 because the entrance used to be located at telephone pole #69). 

Whatever.  Regardless of what you call it, it definitely did NOT disappoint.  

I THINK I CAN DO SOME RELAXING HERE. 

LOTS OF ROPE SWINGS! 

AND THE BEACH IS LINED WITH TREES THAT
ARE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR HAMMOCKS! 

STORM CLOUDS ROLLED IN DURING
THE AFTERNOON...
BUT THEY STAYED JUST TO OUR SOUTH. 
WE NEVER FELT A RAINDROP. 

We made a quick stop by Mahai'ula Bay on the way home where a baby monk seal currently resides. 

He wouldn't come out of the water for a good picture, so here are some short clips of him playing around.  

And here is his big ol' momma (I think it's his mom... not totally sure actually).

On day 6 we decided to venture down to Kealakekua Bay.  We hiked down from the road on our last vacation here but the hike out was BRUTAL (only because the sun was beating on us and it was so incredibly hot). 

We opted to kayak over to the Captain Cook monument (where all the good snorkeling is) and skip the hike this year.  The hike probably wouldn't have been so bad this time since it was cloudy/overcast but, why risk it? 

You can rent a double kayak for $60 and paddle across the bay which really doesn't take much time at all.  The only disadvantage is that when you get to the snorkel spot, you have to pull the kayak around with you because you aren't allowed to land there.  Mike offered to pull the kayak while we swam and said it really wasn't too bad (there is a rope attached for pulling purposes).  

KEALAKEKUA BAY.
YOU CAN FAINTLY SEE THE WHITE STATUE ACROSS THE BAY -
THAT IS THE CAPTAIN COOK MONUMENT - IT IS ABOUT
ONE MILE ACROSS THE BAY. 

Every time I read/research this bay, the one thing that always comes up is the likelihood that you will see spinner dolphins in the bay.  Apparently, they reside in the bay.  We didn't notice any last time we were there but they were EVERYWHERE this time.  

SORRY FOR THE POOR QUALITY, BUT THIS IS A STILL SHOT
TAKEN FROM ONE OF OUR GO PRO VIDEOS OF THE DOLPHINS.
THEY WERE JUMPING OUT OF THE WATER, SPINNING AROUND,
AND AT ONE POINT THEY SWAM UP SUPER CLOSE TO US! 

 This is my favorite spot to snorkel on the island for sure.  The water is clear.  There are RIDICULOUS amounts of fish.  And even on an overcast day, we had great visibility.  

I love having pictures from all our adventures but sometimes, I take so many pictures that I feel like I saw the whole vacation through a camera lens.  And for what purpose?  Half of the time the pictures turn out grainy or out of focus anyway (because I'm a point and shoot type of person)... and pictures never accurately portray how beautiful a place is. 

One of my personal goals has been to put the camera down and take in the moment... and I did just that in Kealakekua bay.  

When the dolphins swam up close to us, I actually put the camera down.  Although that meant I didn't get THE BEST POSSIBLE picture of them, it meant that I got to take in every second of that awesomeness without worrying/fumbling with a camera.  

And in the end, I have no regrets about that. 

 That is a moment I won't soon forget and I don't need a picture to remind me.  

Plus, you can google some pretty awesome spinner dolphin pictures.  Just sayin'. 

Ok, back to the good stuff.

After our awesome day of snorkeling, Pam and Michael suggested we take in a sunset at Pine Trees.  We did this on our last trip and it was beautiful but we opted for a different viewing spot this time.  

This beach is awesome.  

You just drive your car right up to the beach... literally on a sandy path. 

THIS SPOT SHOULD DO JUST FINE. 

SIPPIN' BEVERAGES AND EATIN' SNACKS...
WAITIN' ON THAT SUN TO GO DOWN. 

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AT THIS POINT...

... BUT IT'S ABOUT TO GET SO MUCH BETTER! 

THE SKY WAS AMAZING! 

YOU CAN SEE THE ISLAND OF MAUI ON THE HORIZON
(TO THE RIGHT OF US... WAY IN THE DISTANCE). 

I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER ENDING TO AN AWESOME DAY! 

Day 7... our last FULL day on the island.  

We had a leisurely morning around the house before taking our little rental car back and relying on our amazing chauffeurs again.  

We made a quick stop to see some beautiful rainbow Eucalyptus trees just down the street from Pam and Michael's house: 

... and then before you know it, we found ourselves in hammocks again! 

THIS NEVER GETS OLD

PAM SNAPPED THIS PICTURE OF SOME HOUSES AT BEACH 69
THAT I WOULD LOVE TO OWN ONE DAY.  THEY ARE OCEANFRONT.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE GOALS, RIGHT?  

From Beach 69, we headed south to Kikaua Beach.  This is a fancy gated community but all beaches are technically open to the public.  It is a beautiful bay with LOTS of turtles.  And I mean LOTS of turtles.  

Unfortunately, it is also home to at least one (maybe more?), tiger shark.  

Tiger sharks are pretty scary.  

Ok, they are REALLY scary. 

There was an attack here (literally in this bay) just a couple of weeks ago where a 12 foot tiger shark knocked a guy off his paddleboard and attacked him... taking part of his leg and arm in the battle.  The guy survived but yeah... I'm good on the beach, thanks. 

STANDING ON KIKAUA GRASSY AREA,
 LOOKING OVER AT KUKI'O BEACH. 

BABY SEA TURTLE!!!  OH. MY. GOSH.

THERE WERE ACTUALLY SEVERAL OF THESE
SMALL SEA TURTLES ALONG THE BEACH.

THEY AREN'T REALLY BABIES... BUT THEY WERE SMALL.

DON'T WORRY... I WARNED EACH ONE OF THEM TO
LOOK OUT FOR THE TIGER SHARK (WHICH EATS
EVERYTHING, INCLUDING TURTLES). 

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED A LIST FOR OUR NEXT VISIT
AND IT INCLUDES PADDLING AN OUTRIGGER CANOE. 

PHOTO CREDIT: PAM MADDEN

MY PANO ATTEMPT WASN'T NEARLY AS GOOD. 
THIS IS KIKAUA BEACH. 

Being that this was our last night in town, we took our gracious hosts out to dinner at the Royal Kona Inn where we got to witness another beautiful sunset while enjoying good food and reminiscing on an amazing week. 

THE VIEW OF KONA FROM OUR TABLE. 

THE MOST AMAZING HOSTS! 

SUNSET DURING DINNER

I HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MAI TAI! 

The next morning we were able to spend a little over an hour at the beach before showering and heading to the airport.  It was probably the sunniest day of the entire week, which I'm pretty sure was Hawaii's way of saying: "Don't go home.  Just stay here." 

RELAXING ON MANINI'OWALI BEACH
(BETTER KNOWN AS BUTT
BEACH BECAUSE THERE ARE 2 SMALL HILLS AT THE ENTRANCE
THAT LOOK LIKE... WELL... A BUTT!) 

After quick showers, we made a quick stop for lunch before heading to the airport.  

I always hate leaving a vacation.  

It definitely helps to have a sweet puppy waiting for you at home though.  I couldn't wait to get back to see him. He was with our amazing neighbors while we were gone.  They took such great care of him, I was worried he wouldn't want to come back home!  They even sent us some of the sweetest pictures of his happy little self.  He loved his week long sleepover with his good friend, Rey.  

 

HE HAD A BEACH DAY TOO!

BEST FRIENDS. 

THEY GOT FRESH SNOW WHILE WE WERE GONE.

GLAD I MISSED IT.
I'M OVER IT. 

We are abundantly blessed.  Far above anything we deserve. 

 

One more HUGE thank you to Pam and Michael for hosting us, and to Chelsea and Mason for watching our pup.  

That's it for now.  

Stay tuned for what will hopefully be an adventurous spring and summer! 

Spring Breakin' In Paradise - Part 1

We feel very fortunate that we had the opportunity to spend spring break with family... 

...in Hawaii.  

Thanks to Pam and Michael for hosting us for a week!  As per the usual, they were gracious hosts.  But they are equally awesome tour guides, chauffeurs, chefs, photographers, etc.  They washed our towels.  They loaned us beach chairs and a cooler to use all week.  They took us out to dinner!  They met us at the airport with fresh flower leis!  

BEST. HOTEL. EVER. 

If you remember, we visited them on the big island back in October of 2016 for a fun-filled, action-packed vacation.  This time, we had a more relaxing vacation because we did a lot of the adventurous things on the last trip.  

The Big Island really is BIG! 

We spent a full week exploring and barely repeated any of the things we did on our last visit.  

And although it was cloudy and occasionally rainy, we discovered that it rarely rains at the beach!  We also discovered that you can still get pretty sunburned through the clouds (a lesson I've learned many times unfortunately).  

Without further ado... the pictures: 

GREAT FLIGHTS!  NO DELAYS!  SHORT LAYOVER IN SAN FRAN.
THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE IS JUST LEFT OF CENTER OF THE PIC.

FRESH FLOWERS IN EVERY ROOM!
AND THEY WERE ALL PICKED FROM THE FARM
THEY LIVE ON. 

AFTER A FEW CUPS OF COFFEE, WE WALKED THE
GROUNDS AS PER OUR USUAL.  

 First stop, PUAKO: 

A cute little area with amazing (million dollar) homes and a great snorkel spot!

VIEW FROM THE END OF THE ROAD. 

We snorkeled here for a few hours, followed by a picnic lunch. 

SOME TYPE OF TRUMPET FISH? 

SMALL SCHOOL OF YELLOW BUTTERFLY FISH

A BRIGHTLY COLORED PARROT FISH (CENTER).
THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE IN THE WATER. 

After Puako, we headed to Hapuna Beach which is a nice, white sand beach.  It's very typical of what you picture in your head when you think of a beach in Hawaii: 

A BEAUTIFUL DAY AT HAPUNA. 

 That evening, downtown Kona had the Ali'i stroll.  They close off the street and local vendors set up all along Ali'i drive.  They had beautiful jewelry and other handmade gifts.  There is music and food, etc. 

NOTICE ALL THE TENTS IN THE STREET. 

The next morning we headed to Dog Beach which is just outside the harbor.  It's a beautiful little beach with great snorkeling!

DOG BEACH... BECAUSE DOGS ARE ALLOWED. 

A SLEEPING TURTLE!!!  

After dog beach, we picked up our little rental car for the week, then headed to a place we've been looking forward to for a while: 

Da Poke Shack!

WE LOVE POKE.
THIS PLACE WAS DELICIOUS!
AND WE SAT BY THE WATER AND WATCHED
THE SURFERS WHILE WE ATE.  

After lunch, we drove down to "two-step" to do more snorkeling.  I didn't take a single picture at 2-step because it was pretty cloudy and the visibility was really poor.  But, the coolest thing EVER happened here... our snorkel guide extraordinaire (aka PAM) led us to a spot in the bay where a white tipped reef shark commonly sleeps and there it was... sleeping in a little cave.  Y'all, we floated above a sleeping SHARK!!!!   It. Was. Awesome!!!!!!!  

After 2-step we made a quick stop at the Painted Church, so named for the beautiful painted walls inside:    

BEAUTIFUL LITTLE CHURCH.
THE GROUNDS/GARDENS ARE BEAUTIFUL TOO. 

Day 3 on the island, Mike and I spent in Hilo.  Pam lives in Kona, on the west side, or dry side of the island, and Hilo is a couple hours away on the East side, or the wet side of the island.  They recently received a lot of rain which means: RIPPIN' WATERFALLS!

RAINBOW FALLS! 

THIS WAS RAINBOW FALLS IN 2016 WHEN WE WERE THERE.
QUITE A DIFFERENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF WATER FLOWING! 

PE'E PE'E FALLS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PICTURE...
BOILING POTS ARE TO THE RIGHT OF THE PICTURE. 

IN CASE YOU WANTED SOME INFO ON THE BOILING POTS.
WE COULDN'T SEE THEM.  THERE WAS TOO MUCH WATER FLOW AND THERE WAS ALSO A LOT OF VEGETATION OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW. 

WAI'ALE FALLS

A LITTLE BRANCH OF THE WAILUKU RIVER.
IT WAS SO PEACEFUL HERE.

 After the waterfalls, we were hungry for a second breakfast and decided to check out a local bake shop.  We always eat a LOT of donuts when we visit Hawaii.  These did not disappoint.

YUMMY DONUTS FROM THE HILO BAKE SHOP

 Once we were all loaded up with sugar, we headed to Kapoho tidepools to do some snorkeling.
I love a good tidepool and we didn't get a lot of time here on our last trip so we planned to spend most of the day here. It was partly to mostly cloudy with only occasional bursts of sun but I think that really allowed us to stay a little longer.  I can't imagine hanging out on the lava rock if the sun was beating down on us all day.

Anyway, there are tons of tide pools to choose from and we hopped from pool to pool, just taking in all the colorful reef fish that live there.

The tide was coming in as we arrived and it had a lazy river effect.  We started in a pool near the ocean and literally just floated along with the tide from pool to pool! No swimming necessary!  And when we were done, we climbed out on the lava rock and walked back to where we had stashed our stuff.

TIDE POOLS

A NICE, BIG, DEEP TIDE POOL 

JUST FLOATING WITH THE TIDE...
AND PROOF THAT THE SUN CAME OUT WHILE WE WERE THERE.

After several hours at the tide pools, we noticed some rain clouds in the distance.  Mike noticed they seemed to be getting closer and they seemed to be heavy rains so we decided to pack up and head to the car.  It's about 1/8 of a mile back to the car and it started misting on the way... then it started sprinkling... and as soon as we got inside the car and shut the doors, the bottom dropped out of the sky and it started pouring!  Perfect timing. 

We drove just a little way down the road to Isaac Hale Beach Park for a quick stop: 

And from there we headed back into Hilo for a quick stop on Bayfront Dr.

THE BEAUTIFUL PARK RIGHT ACROSS FROM
HILO BAY

THIS BOAT JUST GOT BACK FROM A 3 YEAR TRIP AROUND
THE WORLD!
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A BIG ENOUGH BOAT TO GO AROUND
THE WORLD IN MY OPINION... BUT THEY DID IT! 

WALKING THE BRIDGE TO COCONUT ISLAND

BEAUTIFUL GRASSY AREAS...
AND PEOPLE ABOUT TO JUMP INTO THE BAY FROM THE TOP
OF THE TOWER (CENTER OF PICTURE)

Just outside of Hilo we made a quick stop at Kaumana caves before taking Saddle Rd. back over to the Kona side of the island.

THE CAVE GOES BACK A LONG WAY...
WE DECIDED NOT TO TRY IT...
DUE TO FLIP FLOPS AND LACK OF FLASHLIGHTS. 

THE OTHER CAVE...
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY
TALL ENOUGH TO STAND UP COMFORTABLY. 

 Day 4: We headed to the southernmost tip of the island.
First stop: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach

STANDING ON LAVA ROCK... LOOKING OVER TOWARD THE
BLACK SAND BEACH

A QUIET LITTLE TIDE POOL... 

...WHERE WE FOUND THIS GUY MUNCHING ON
A SNACK.

A BEAUTIFUL BACK DROP TO A BLACK SAND BEACH. 

LOTS OF TURTLES HERE.
THIS ONE HAD A CRACKED/MALFORMED SHELL.

 Then we headed to the Punalu'u bakery for malasadas (Portuguese donuts) - a MUST DO in my personal opinion.

AT THE SOUTHERN MOST POINT OF THE U.S. 

BRAVELY LOOKING OVER THE EDGE

THE WOODEN STRUCTURE IS A BOAT HOIST.
THE LADDER IS USED BY PEOPLE WHO CLIFF JUMP.
I THINK YOU COULD GET TETANUS JUST
BY LOOKING AT IT.  

BUT THE WATER COLOR HERE WAS INSANE!
THE PICTURE DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE OF COURSE.
IT WAS SO BLUE AND SO CLEAR THAT YOU COULD
SEE LITTLE REEF FISH SWIMMING AROUND! 

 At this part of the island, you can also hike out to Green Sand Beach.  Cars aren't allowed, but locals use their 4WD trucks to shuttle people who want to pay for a ride.  We opted to walk in, and ride out.  The walk is pretty flat and there are some beautiful views of the shoreline along the way.

THE CRAZY ROAD SYSTEM LEADING TO GREEN SAND BEACH. 

OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE GREEN SAND BEACH!
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE CLIMBING DOWN
TO THE BEACH FROM THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS. 

THERE IS A PATH OF SORTS TO THE BEACH.
IT'S BASICALLY CARVED INTO THE CLIFF.
IT WAS A PRETTY COOL EXPERIENCE IN ITSELF. 

This is one of only 4 green sand beaches in the world which makes it pretty special.  The green color comes from a semi-precious gem called olivine that can be found in some lava rock.  When the rock gets broken down due to waves, or wind, or whatever, the olivine sand is left.  

WE FOUND  A LITTLE SPOT ON THE BEACH
AND JUST ENJOYED THE VIEW FOR A WHILE. 

THAT IS ABOUT AS FAR AS I WENT IN.
THERE IS A STRONG UNDERTOW AT THIS BEACH. 

After Mike's nap on the beach, we climbed back up to the top of the cliffs and hitched a ride with a local - which literally means we STOOD in the back of a pick-up truck, holding onto a ladder rack, with a bunch of other tourists for $10/person during the (4WD necessary) ride back to the parking lot.  

I won't lie though: it was so fun!  

And totally worth the money.  

Our driver stopped at a little cove where we got out to see a tiny little patch of sand that was even GREENER than the green sand beach!

LAST GLIMPSE OF GREEN SAND BEACH BEFORE STARTING
OUR ADVENTURE BACK TO THE CAR. 

LOADED UP IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. 

THE LITTLE BEACH WITH THE GREENEST SAND. 

Well, that was the first half of our vacation.
Stay tuned for details from the second half, coming soon in another post.