Dear family and friends,
Let’s pick up where we left off. We were leaving the Lava Tube headed for the black sand beach known for having green sea turtles. I was excited! We got to Puhuha Beach in the evening and we saw two turtles enjoying the ocean breeze. We talked to the turtle volunteers who monitor their activity and they said to come back in the morning and there would probably be 8-10, so we are going to try and do that Friday. The water was colder here than on Oahu. Still plenty of folks catching waves and playing in the black sand.
From here we could have gone back to the bungalow, but Trevor had a crazy idea to drive to the southern-most point of the US and watch the sunset. Why not? When we went to Maine last year, we watched the sunrise on the eastern-most point. We made it in just enough time to see the sun sink into the ocean. The path here was red and powdery. The soil is rich in iron after the volcanic ash deposited onto the ground. We followed the path to the south point but it was getting dark and we were in unfamiliar territory. We found the ocean and an entire “beach” of white, porous rocks. Big chunks of all shapes and sizes. It looked like fossilized coral. There were piles of it everywhere. We didn’t feel comfortable going the next two miles to find the cliff and the green sand since it was dark and we had to hike back to the car. South Point (Ka Lae) is a National Historic Landmark and thought to be where the Polynesians first settled.
The next morning, we chose to drive a loop around the eastern portion of the island. We started at Lava Tree State Park and enjoyed a nice morning walk through the lava cones and beautiful trees and flowers. Our next stop was the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. What a treat! Samples, self-guided tour, and a wonderful garden out back. We were wondering how they pick all those nuts off the thousands of trees. Well, they let them fall, that’s how they know they are ready. Then, they use a machine similar to what we would use to pick up golf balls off the driving range. Makes sense. We had to check out the machines in their plant as well. Trevor needed to know how their automation worked and what technology they used. 😉
After lunch in Hilo, we treated ourselves to our first Shave Ice. SO YUMMY! I had guava, liloki and cream; Trevor had strawberry, cream and a butter sauce. They are huge! We then continued our drive up the east side of the coast and took in the views of Manalohoa. I requested a stop at the Hawaii Vanilla Company. The owner was very nice and the products were amazing and smelled delicious. All along the entry road to his farm were eucalyptus trees. I never knew they were so tall! We found a root beer here that is made on Maui. It has Hawaiian vanilla and honey in it. Sorry A & W, it’s better.
The beautiful drive went over a hill and then it was ocean as far as you could see. And cows, all along the lush green coast next to the ocean. Different from the lava rock near Pahoa. Next stop was the Waipo/Honokaa Valley overlook. The water was a bright teal blue with the stark white waves crashing against two towering cliffs. Just beyond the cliffs was a land mass. We asked someone what the land was, and they said, “Maui”. Pretty cool to see one island while standing on another.
Our adventure continued as we looped back home along the 190/Saddle Road. Totally different look from earlier in the day. Like a Texas desert on one side of the mountains, then lush green fields on the other. And around the bend, a field of black lava flow. We could see the dormant volcano Maunkea in the far distance and decided to take a side trip to the visitor center. Without 4WD you were not allowed to drive up the more 13,400 feet of Hawaii’s tallest mountain. We are in a little Mustang convertible, so that wouldn’t work 😊 It was 55 degrees and foggy at the visitor center which sat at 9,800 feet. We learned that lots of people come here in the evening to star gaze because the view is unobstructed and vast. We also found out that at the summit are large round and white telescopes used for astronomical research.
The flowers here are unique and colorful. I’ve included a picture of some of my favorites. Until next time…
Your friend, B
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