Week 3
Sunday night, we met up once again with our new friends from BC – Aline and Dave. It was Aline’s birthday (55th – that makes me the youngest in our foursome…lol), so we joined them for a celebratory dinner at Quinn’s By the Sea.
I even had fish! – fish and chips, that is…. The fish was mild, but a little dense, and batter was tasty, so there…had fish, now back to good ole Kahlua Pork.
Wednesday was our “Take-2” with Volcano Van. The tour guide came with a rental because his van was still in the shop. This time we drove north. We stopped along the road to check out a lava tube.
We stopped at Laupahoehoe Park where the ocean shows its beauty and raw power as the waves crash against the numerous leaf-shaped lava rocks that border the shore. (Laupahoehoe means leaf lava).
The beauty of the area is marked by tragedy. A school house once stood here, but on April 1, 1946, a tsunami destroyed the building and killed 23 children and 4 teachers. It is very emotional reading the names of the deceased – whole families of children gone….
The Big Island has all but two of the world’s climate zones. As we drove northeast, the arid, brown land dotted with volcanic rock turned green – houses with lawns, lush flora along the roadside, and the occasional waterfall.
We made a pit-stop in Honomu where we picked up Hilo coffee beans to take home from the café. Then we wandered over to Mr. Ed’s Bakery – what a treat! Freshly made cookies (including our favourite, Macadamia Nut cookies), and jams fill the store. We have never seen so many types of (all natural and for the most part using local ingredients) jams, jellies, and chutneys in one place – and all are available to sample! Todd bought the Tangerine Torture – a tangerine jam with jalapeno and ghost peppers.
Kolekole Park, under one towering train bridge is an oasis of a once sugar cane run to the sea that invites visitors.
The area is a favourite of local (experienced) surfers.
Locals also come to fish,
or just to enjoy the scenery…
Next, we stopped at Akaka Falls State. We hiked a paved path, slightly uphill, through a lush rainforest filled with palms, ferns, bamboo, and flowering bushes.
The first waterfall we came to was the 100 ft. Kahuna Falls.
As the path continues, the 442 ft. Akaka Falls comes into view as the water drops into the gorge below. The Oopu alamoo is an endemic Hawaiian species of goby fish that spawns in stream above the waterfall. When spawning season comes around they climb to the top using a suction cup just below their head ! The fish lives in the sea while maturing and dies after spawning.
Although, we didn’t see much of Hilo, we did stop at Liliuokalani Park and Gardens for a scenic lunch. The park consists of 30 acres of Japanese gardens.
The highlight of the day was exploring sections of Volcano National Park. We began at a lookout point towards the Halema’uma’u Crater vent.
Next we walked along the path to the steam vents. Ground water seeps down to the hot volcanic rocks in this area and returns to the surface as steam.
We drove along Chain of Craters Road to its end – where lava literally takes over the road from a 1959 eruption.
The beauty of lava….
We completed our tour back at the lookout to Halema’uma’u Crater vent in the evening when the glow can be seen.
Friday, we tagged along with our friends, Aline and Dave, to Pololū Valley for a hike. You literally drive to the end of the road (on Hwy. 270) and when you can’t go any farther, you’re there.
The trail down to the beach (and back up) is rugged and steep – a good workout…
At the bottom of the trail, a picturesque beach awaits.
After the somewhat strenuous hike, we drove to the Big Island Brewhaus in Waimea for some beverages and lunch.
The Big Island Brewhaus began as a restaurant in 2008 and in 2011 the brewery was added.
We are having a fantastic time and can’t believe we only have one week left…