Day 15 A Day at the Beach and A Night as a Sardine

Well, it had arrived, the end of our trip, the last hurrah, the final aloha, the last day of our Hawaiian odyssey and it was unanimous, it was to be spent at the beach.  No long, scenic drives, no history lessons, no tours...just a day of relaxing in paradise.  We decided to take a look at Anaehoomalu Beach in Waikoloa, about 30 miles north of Kona.  It was a beautiful salt and pepper beach and lined with palm trees; the quintessential Hawaiian paradise beach.  The water was a beautiful vibrant, electric blue (it's so hard to describe colors seen here).   A dive boat was moored offshore and the bay was calm and picturesque.  The windswept palm trees swayed as if performing a winsome waltz with the wind and waves. 

I was ready to plop down my towel and spend my last day in paradise, baking in the tropical sun and maybe even a little snorkeling.  The kids, however, had other ideas.  Apparently, beauty, calm, and relaxation was not what they had in mind.   They wanted to head back to Hapuna Beach, where we spent an afternoon last week.  There the waves were huge and it was easy to body surf and play around.  After getting a few pictures, we loaded up the car and headed to Hapuna.   As hoped, the waves were rolling and thundering against the shore and the sun was high in the sky.  There would be better tans, and definitely more sunburns today, before the clouds blew down from the Mauna Kea.

 We enjoyed our afternoon, but it was bittersweet for me.  I was trying to remember every color, every experience, every moment, and having a small tinge of regret for the experiences we missed.  Because all good things must come to an end, that meant we didn't make it to the Wai'pa'o Valley up north of Hilo, we didn't make it to the observatory on Mauna Kea, and we never did make it to a waterfall. But actually, we accomplished quite a bit from our long list of must do's.  After getting back to the condo and packing up, we went out to the lava field and waited for our last sunset.  The sun made it's descent, casting it's colorful shades of oranges and reds, painting the sky with its hazy hues.  A bit of smog hid the final touchdown at the horizon, but it was still as breathtaking as ever.  We savored every moment and I asked everyone to come up with their favorite top 3 memories.

Here's what my thinker's came up with.....


Manta Ray Dive, Wave riding/beach, Ironman Race

Ironman Race, Manta Ray Dive, Snorkeling

Ironman Race, Manta Ray Dive, and spending
time with us (awww ain't he sweet?!)

Beach, Manta Ray Dive, Volcano

Manta Ray Dive, Ironman Race, Snorkeling/Beach,
(and from my observations, texting Daniel...haha)

The scenery and history, Manta Ray Dive, and
Ironman Race

 

  

 

 The airport was packed at 8:30 pm and check in was uneventful this time....Lily learned her lesson, no lotions confiscated and I didn't break any rules in bringing home my beloved rocks and shell souvenirs. It seemed everyone was leaving the island tonight.  Every seat on the plane was filled and we were all packed like sardines, luggage shoe-horned in every last crevice.   As the plane lurched from the runway, into the sky, so did my thoughts as I began to think about all that would need to get done when we got home.  This morning as we taxied into the gate at Lambert Int'l, my memories were already becoming like footprints in the sand.  The tide of reality washing over them and carrying them out to sea.  But what a wonderful blessing this trip was and I will always treasure the time we spent together.  I saw my children in a different light, they are all growing up, into their own people with their own hopes and dreams, thoughts and ideas.  Paul and I caught a glimpse of a quickly approaching future, where it would be the two of us taking these adventures as a couple, instead of a family....more bittersweet, but good.  My hope and prayer is that one day the kids will have families of their own, and they too will take a trip such as this, making their own sweet memories.

To the island of Hawaii, I send much Maholo!

Day 14 A Tide Pool, A Ranch, and A Sunset In Between

Well the kids were excited!  Since we had no set plans for the day, except a Sunset Dinner at Kahua Ranch, they got to sleep in, after all, we are on vacation.  It was a lazy morning with breakfast overlooking the ocean.  After sending the girls off on a 2 mile walk into town to souvenir shop, the boys and I headed to the pool. We got sidetracked by the tide pool just over the lava rock wall. 

After climbing down to it, we decided to do some exploring and chased hordes of crabs back into the sea.  Not much effort on our part, I think they jump at their own shadow, more like scaredy cats than fierce sea creatures.  If it wasn't for their frenetic scurrying towards safety, we probably wouldn't even have seen them because they are as black as the lava flow.  After getting our kicks causing major crab'tastophe....we were probably the headline on the CNN (Crab News Network)..."terrorist mother and sons wreak havoc on local crab population"(I heard they don't have much of a sense of humor, they're crabby, you know).  We checked out all the sea life in the tide pool.  There were huge sea cucumbers, at least 8-10 inches long and at least 3 inches in diameter, which have to be the one of the creepiest things in the ocean.  I wouldn't touch them, but the boys did and they shot a stream of water out as a defense mechanism, which went pretty far.  I think they were the "supersoaker" species of sea cucumbers.  In our continued search, we found some broken, washed up coral and all kinds of tiny shells.  Then, thinking I found a really beautiful souvenir, I picked up a shell that much to my chagrin, was inhabited by a hermit crab.  Rats!  My next plan of action was to try and get him to move on to a new house, so that I could take the shell home.  I don't think hermit crabs understand eminent domain laws.  I decided to end my career as a greedy property grabber and just observed him for a while.  He was a stubborn little cuss.  I would turn him so the opening side was up, place him on a rock and watch him sneak out of his shell, very stealthily, flip himself over and try to escape.  Not only was he stubborn, but pretty quick.  Then the boys and I found some sea snails and tried to race them.  Uh, that was like watching paint dry...they don't move very fast at all.  After a couple hours, the girls called to ask if we would come pick them up.  I mean they "were so tired from the long walk, you know we made them walk all day yesterday too" (I'm probably the headline on CNN (Children's News Network) too, "terrorist mother makes daughters walk in paradise, to get some fresh air and sunshine and gives them money to shop as well."  Madness, I say, just madness!  So, because we needed lunch and had to go to the store, I agreed to pick them up.  The afternoon was more of the same lazy, but fun, day and then it was time to head up to Waikoloa to catch our tour bus to Kahua Ranch for the Sunset Dinner.

  

The bus was waiting when we arrived at 4:30.  We had about an hour's drive up into the Kohala Mountains, where we had been touring Tuesday.  We arrived just as the sun was setting and it was a breathtaking sight to see. 


From the bus as we were just arriving

From Kahua Ranch, Kohala Mtns

 

A view of  the neighoring island, Maui...in between the clouds

With the sweet smell of campfire, wafting in the air, we listened as one of our hosts gave us a little background before turning us loose on the buffet.  This is a working cattle and sheep ranch on 8,500 acres of spectacular landscapes.  It is a pie shaped piece of land, located on the western slope of the Kohala Mountains.  The property extends from mountain to sea, and gets as much as 120 inches of rain at the top and only 9 inches at the bottom.  They raise their cattle for market.  It must be an expensive venture, because to sell to the mainland they have to ship the cows.  There are 3 methods of shipping.  One is to ship them in cow containers on a ship.  They are similar to the big shipping containers, but they have been modified to have food and water bins and double decks, like little apartments.  The second more luxurious way is by Corral Cruise Ship.  No kidding, there is a Danish made cruise ship just for livestock.  It is for the more upper class cow, I imagine.  The only problem is since the ship is made by a Danish company and there is a little federal regulation called the Jones Act, which prohibits any foreign shipping in US waters, they have to make port in Vancouver, BC and then truck the cows to TX.  I'm sure that is a pricey option.  The third method of shipping is on a 747!  They have a 747 that can carry 50,000 lbs of livestock.  I wonder if those cows have to pay for check-in luggage or to stand with their kin?   

Loadin' up at the trough

After our introduction we were herded into the barn to load up our plates with a buffet style dinner.  There was salad, creamy mashed potatoes, cowboy beans, corn on the cob, steak, chicken, and macadamia nut pie for dessert, plus all the soft drinks, water, or adult beverages (if so inclined) we wanted.  I felt like a pig...oops wrong ranch.  Anyway, we were seated on a rustic, covered deck festooned with white lights around the ceiling's perimeter.  The tables sat 18 and were covered with green and white checkered table cloths.  Each table had 3 or 4 brass kerosene miner's lamps for lighting.  The firelight glow made for a wonderful ambiance.  There was a local musician, Jack Martin, who serenaded us with all kinds of country/western songs, either playing guitar or fiddle.  It was magical. 

 

After dinner, our host Sue, the firecracker I described in an earlier post, asked if anyone had birthdays and anniversaries and then she taught us to sing to them in Hawaiian.  Then she taught a few of us brave souls how to line dance and we danced a little bit.  We were then introduced to Miss Piggly Wiggly, a 300 pound wild pig that they found 12 years ago and raised from  just 3 weeks old.  She was a pig, just sayin', John (her owner) told us that she likes to eat and one time got into a storage room and ate a 100 pound bag of dog food.  She should have her own tv show on Discovery..Pig vs. Food and give that guy from Man vs. Food a run for his money.  The next order of business was to scatter about to the different activities:  there was a s'mores station, a branding station, a lassoing station, horseshoes, and stargazing, all the while Sue and  Jack sang cowboy songs near the campfire.  It was a blast and we left there full of great food and memories! 

Lily and I two-steppin'

Miss Piggly Wiggly

John taking his turn at branding a piece of wood

That branding iron gets purty darn hot

Jack and Sue singing cowboy campfire songs

Lassoing Lily

 Well, tomorrow is it!  We are heading home on the 9pm flight.  I don't know how I feel about that yet.  Paul and I have had a great time, the kids have had so much fun (I think), and we are all enjoying this undistracted time with each other.  I know there won't be many more of these times in the near future. 

Day 13 A Piece of Nostalgia and Pie, the Nut House, and a Spectacular Scene

This morning I woke up with a little bit of tension, there is still so much to see and do and time is fleeting.  Our agenda for today was to spend the day at Volcano National Park.  From all I’ve read and heard, it takes a whole day.  We got on the road about 8:30.  The park is about 100 miles south and around to the east side of the island from Kona and 28 miles south of Hilo.  The drive was starting to seem familiar, as a portion of it is the same drive we took for the coffee tour and the southernmost point tour a few days ago.    We had a pit stop planned for a small town called Naalehu.   My friend Sarah P. emailed me a couple times to say that we really needed to stop at a little café called Hana Hou, which is the southernmost place in the US where you can eat, and they have great pie.  We had looked for the place while down that way the other day, but couldn’t find it.  Turns out we didn’t travel far enough.  This one stop town’s claim to fame is that it is the southernmost city in the US.  We pulled into the little café’s parking lot at 10 am. Too early for lunch, and too late for breakfast, since we all ate before we left, so that left pie.  The outside of the place looked like a little joint you would find in the Caribbean.   It was painted a bright, garish yellow, and on the building there was a hand painted   name-of-the-café placard (for lack of a better term) and an old fashioned EAT sign on a pole in the parking lot. 

 As soon as we arrived to the front screen door, I was transported back to my childhood.  The smells emanating from the inside were just like those that I would encounter coming home from school with my mom working on dinner.  She was an old fashioned cook, the kind whose meals took all day to make.  This cook at Hana Hou comes from the same stock and the garlicky pork roast that was cooking smelled just like mom's and made my mouth water!  We walked in and were transported back in time again, to the late 1930’s or 40’s.  Red Formica tabletops edged with metal bands, turquoise blue naugahyde chairs with metal legs, all well-worn, yet gleaming.  The whole room had the feel of my grandma’s kitchen.  There was an ocean scene mural painted on the back wall, a shelf lined with ceramic roosters and other kitsch, bamboo screen wainscoting, and lovely fabric panels cleverly draped on the ceiling to soften the hard fluorescent light bars.  Jalousie windows lined two sides of the 15x30 dining area. 

 

 

 There were a few patrons, all locals, with which the waitress/owner carried on a familiar banter as she milled about taking care of business.  We ordered banana cream pie and while we waited the kids decided they had to use the restroom, I mean will there ever be a time that we can go to a restaurant without everyone needing to check out the john a couple of times?  However, I was just as curious because there was a screened door with a sign that said “restrooms out back”, and I wanted to see more of this place.  So out the door we went, with a slam of the screen door and a call of apology, oops, it’s been along time since I’ve gone through a wooden screen door.  We had to walk along the back of the building and off to the side, to a little shed, painted a kelly green with white trim, which housed a separate men’s (Kane) and women’s (Wahine) room.  There were also two little cabins (painted the same color green) that ran parallel behind the café and the small courtyard separating the cabins and café housed a sweet little Japanese fish pond complete with a bridge and a koi fish.  The whole feel was definitely 1940’s and I was in my nostalgia heaven, drinking it in and taking pictures of it all.  I’m sure the owner and anyone else who might have seen me thought I was nuts taking pictures of bathroom shed and cabins, clothes lines and such, but I couldn’t help myself.  By the time I got back in to our table the pie had arrived.  The pie filling was about 4 inches high with lots of banana slices and topped with another couple inches of whipped cream.  It was heavenly! Our time in my "grandma's kitchen" was nearing an end, and with a pang of homesickness and a flood of fond memories, I bid the place farewell.

 

 

On down the road we passed more quaint churches, rows of hardwood trees behind lava rock walls lining the highway, passing into beautiful landscapes of rolling hills, bright spring green fields meeting deep blue-raspberry-snowcone-syrup colored ocean and some looming white puffs of cloud off in the distance.  Finally, we arrived at Volcano National Park and made a stop at the visitor center.  I’d like to have that as my house too….do you notice a theme with me, anything with an ounce of a past history, rustic, and bungalow-ish makes my heart sing, maybe that’s why I like Paul, he’s old and rustic.  Anyway, we arrived just in time to view a film, circa 1960, about the Kileaua Iki eruption in 1959.  That was a little nostalgia as well, because the narrator was the same stern, deep voiced, no nonsense guy that seemed to narrate every science film I ever saw in school. Kileaua Iki is a smaller crater that is just to the east of huge Kilauea Caldera.  Inside the caldera is the Halema’uma’u Crater, which some believed and still do, that this is the home of the goddess Pele.   From the film, we learned that Kilauea Iki had been asleep for about a century before erupting.  The eruption lasted 36 days with lava fountains shooting 1,900 feet in the air.  A 400 foot cinder cone was created off to the side and the crater floor was a huge cooled lava lake bed.  After the film we headed out for a hike to see the gas plumes escaping from the Halema’uma’u Crater (that sits within Kilauea Cauldera) and on then to the Thurston lava tube.  The hike was mostly through a dense, damp jungle that rimmed the crater.  The canopy covered the trail and it was a jumble of ferns, palms, and other native trees and plants.  The floor was littered with sodden leaves and the tree trunks and fallen logs were carpeted with a blanket of thick, saturated moss.   Although this was a tropical rainforest, it was not as I had expected.  The air was dank and had a faint odd odor, and as soon as we reached a lookout, it was easy to see why….a huge plume of dangerous gasses were chugging out of the crater.  (I wonder what Al Gore would think of this things carbon footprint). 

Halema'uma'u Crater

Because of these gases, this forest did not seem to be a lush, vibrant, blooming forest, but a tangle of plants and vines, faded, some sickly, and unkempt like an aging woman whose beauty has been robbed from  living a difficult life.  We finally arrived at the Thurston lava tube, 2.5 miles later and that was interesting and eerie.   A lava tube is an underground passage that the lava takes as it is escaping the earth.  We traveled down into a gash in the earth, overgrown with more ferns and palms until we came to a huge opening in the ground, like a giant lava lined cave.  Instead of stalagtites, there were tree roots swinging from the ceiling.  It was damp and there were large cracks in the walls. The opening was about 20x15ft and it gradually narrowed in height as we made our way through, to about 6 ft and then it opened back up and where we exited the other side.  The whole length was about 300 yards.  After completing the circle back to the visitor center, we were all starved.  We wanted to see the crater at night, because we were told it is something to see, but needed to find a place to eat. 

A wild jungle native...giving us a hearty welcome
(I told you the place was a little creepy)

Mossy tree trunks

Down into the tube

 We decided to go into Hilo, since this would be our only chance on this trip.  What a shock that was.  I was expecting another quaint town and more tropical, since that side gets more rain.  But as we followed Hwy 11 into town, it looked like any other college town and government seat with suburban sprawl. 

There was a nice park on the picturesque Hilo Bay and a cute Main Street USA, reminiscent of many others in small town America.  It appeared to be in stages of redevelopment.  We just grabbed a quick bite at McDonalds and decided to get in a quick tour of the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory since we were so close.  We had just enough time to learn a bit about the factory before it closed for the day.  Mauna Loa Corporation has an orchard of 250,000 trees on 2,500 acres and they produce 40 million pounds of nuts a year.  After stopping in the gift shop for a free sample, we got back on the road to Volcano National  Park. 

Nuts at the Nut Factory

 It was raining now and the two-laned highway took on a creepy  feeling.  This stretch of highway appeared abandoned, desolate and overgrown with a jungle of plants.  Small hardwood trees scraping and straining toward the open sky while what looked like villainous vines overtook everything in their path.  It looked like any road through the deep south that has been overrun by kudzu.  But on closer inspection these vines were not vines at all, but ferns that looked claw-like and prehistoric.  Back in the park we passed a field of steam vents where plumes of steam rose out of seemingly nowhere.   

We went to the museum that was located near the crater to get a good look at it in the darkness.  Words cannot express the spectacular sight before us.  Halema’uma’u Crater looked like a glowing cauldron or an immense campfire.  The crater itself is so large, that the Edward Jones Dome Football stadium could fit inside it with lots of room to spare.  It was surrounded by a lake of lava, cooled and frozen in time, even having the appearance of whitecaps.  Red and orange glowed as smoke billowed and one could imagine how the native peoples developed their legends about their volcano  goddess Pele.   Mark Twain visited this same crater, able to get up close to the rim and described it as “viewing the fiery pits of hell.”   I also read that in 1824, Princess Kapiolani walked out on Byron Ledge (a trail that leads between Kilauea Iki and Kilauea Cauldera) and publicly denied the goddess Pele and embraced Christianity.  She ate ‘oheo berries without making an offering to Pele, it was thought she would then be struck dead, and when she didn’t die, Christianity became more accepted by her people.   After taking tons of pictures and admiring the strange and awesome beauty, we piled in the car and headed home. 

 

Another fruitful day....

 

 

 

 

Day 12 Hawi, Pololu Valley Lookout, and A Scenic Highway to Delve

Our last Monday morning in Hawaii, where has the time gone?  Today, we decided to head north to Hawi and beyond.  Hawi is a quaint little town, with ancient, wooden buildings, painted with bright colors, and sporting rusted, tin roofs.  This area is in ranch country and it reminded me of the old mining towns  out west. I would guess most of the buildings are from the late 1800's to early 1900's.  It had a rustic, yet artistic vibe about it with a few shops and restaurants. 

 

 

It's also the birthplace of King Kamehameha I, who was the great warrior that united the Hawaiian islands.  His son, Kamehameah II embraced Christianity and banned the practice of the pagan Hawaiian religions. Now the area is dotted with tiny churches of all faiths, most dating to the mid-1800's.  On past Hawi is a town similar in style called Kohala.  This tiny town held the local library and visitor center, both of which were cute little buildings.  Its other claim to fame is the original King Kamehameha statue, which stands proudly in front of the visitor's center.  I would love to make the visitor center building my house, and I'm going to retire and build a copy of it on one of the many primo spots I've fallen in love with here on the island. Oops, I guess I'm daydreaming again. 




Kohala Library



St Augustine's Episcopal Church



Kohala Visitor Center (my retirment home)

A glimpse (in the background) of what was to come

 

Anyway, we had lunch in Kohala and ventured on to our primary destination, The Pololu Valley Lookout.  This valley is dramatic, picturesque and it was very difficult to capture the grandeur in photos.  It was truly awe-inspiring.  We had glimpses of what was to come from the road and once we started on the trail, our anticipation was heightened as we stole peeks through the jungle of vegetation along the cliff sides.  The trail was steep, rugged, rutted, and washed out.   Tumbled boulders littered the path and exposed tree roots, shiny and smooth, varnished by the footfalls of a million travelers, made it a treacherous 20 minute hike down.   Palm trees, that looked like something out of Dr Suess' imagination, whose exposed roots like tentacles, clung to the vertical sides of the cliff. 

Dr Suess trees

 Pine needles carpeted parts of the trail and the primeval forest at the bottom.  They fell  from shaggy pines whose hulking shape reminded me of a woolly mammoth.  The 400 ft drop led us to a beautiful forest that was sheltered from the ocean.  On the other side of the forest was an emerald green valley floor complete with a stream the color of Mountain Dew (now we know where it got it's name)!   It was very humbling standing down there surrounded by towering cliffs on three sides and the thundering ocean on another. 

We crawled over some boulders and found ourselves on a beautiful black sand beach.  The sand was silky and velvety to the touch. It looked like fine suede with little flecks that would sparkle, like diamonds in the sunlight.  The beach was littered with weather worn stones, that in ancient times were gathered and used for building temples.  The supply was limitless.  The ocean waves roared displaying their raw power,  battering the immense surrounding cliffs and shore.  The boys played in the massive surf, while the girls created messages with the stones.  Paul and I sat on a weathered piece of driftwood and soaked it all in.  I think I could live there, and my house would look perfect perched on the cliff, giving me a 360 degree, bird's eye view of the valley and sea.  The hike back up took a little longer than the trip down, but we made it. 

 Our next adventure was to take Hwy 250 through the Kohala Mountains.  We were told at the visitor's center that it was named one of the most beautiful drives in the US.  Honestly, every drive we've taken could make that claim, even through the rugged lava fields at sea level.   This highway is along the spine of the of the Kohala volcano.   On the Kohala side, the clouds hang low and today we had spotty drizzle, which explained why the area was green and lush with high cane grass and trees lining the road.  Cattle grazed in the fields and the whole effect made me think of Ireland.  Green rolled on down toward the ocean and this was the area we saw our first rainbow of the day.  But in an instant, we found ourselves having crossed an imaginary line and the landscape changed into that of something resembling the Southwest.  There were cactus dotting the rocky, dry hillsides, and just as you would see in the Southwest, this was cattle ranch country.  This highway terminates at Waimea, which is home to the historic Parker Ranch.  John Parker came to Hawaii by jumping ship in 1809.  He became friends with King Kamehameha and eventually married his daughter and started a huge cattle ranch that is still a working ranch today and encompasses 135,000 acres.  It was here near Waimea, that we spotted our second rainbow of the day. 
 


Shades of Ireland



Is this Hawaii or Arizona???

A rainbow!

The sun was low in the sky and the day was quickly slipping from our grasp. We decided to make one last stop before heading into Kona for the Mahalo dinner.  I saw a placard about the railroad in this area and it mentioned Mahukona Harbor.  We found it marked on the map as a harbor and beach, so we pointed the car in that direction.  We arrived at an abandoned harbor area with an old train station, circa 1930...I could make that my house too....and remants of the concrete piers that were once used in this long ago port.  The kids had fun climbing around and exploring.  In its heyday, sugar cane and cattle were put on small steamships and sent to the other islands and a the train line terminated here.  There was still a large concrete wharf and a ladder at one end that led down into the sea.  It was a protected area, probably where the ships docked.  Apparently, this is a great place to scuba dive.  The old mooring chains are now encrusted with coral and there is a shipwrecked steamship just off the wharf.  After sometime, we headed back to Kona to attend the Maholo (thank you) dinner given in appreciation for the volunteers at Saturday's race.   On our way home, we saw another rainbow, and this one was a double!


Train station in Mahukona Harbor
(my summer home)

A rainbow and its shadow

   Unbelievably, as we pulled into town, we saw our final rainbow of the day.  Now I know why there is a rainbow on Hawaii's license plate!  So what does this mean?  Good luck, a pot of gold????  All I have to say is that I think we've already found our pot of gold with all of the wonderful experiences we've had on this trip.  We arrived at the Mahalo dinner a little late, but in time to get our free dinner. The atmosphere and size of the crowd was similar to last evening's Awards Banquet and it was a good time.    Another great day.....

Rainbow in town