Hawaii Part 3

Here are some more pics from our drive down (and back up) the Hamakua Coast.  We took a 4 mile 'scenic road' detour and were not disappointed.

We stumbled upon Onomea Bay, which was gorgeous!  We quickly found out that photos don't always capture the natural beauty of this island.

 We hiked down to the bay - definitely NOT a place to swim with the roaring and crashing waves!

Further up the coast, we spotted  Laupahoehoe (lau-puh-HO-ay-HO-ay, we got pretty good at the Hawaiian pronunciations this week!) Park.  This was the site of a deadly tsunami in the 1950's where over 20 schoolchildren were killed.  We drove down to the park and could tell this was where the locals hung out.  It was VERY windy, though, and their tents were quite interesting.  They would have a regular tent and then another tent-like structure over it, either like an army tent or one of those big enclosed picnic tent things. Guess you need double the protection from the wind!  Again, swimming was discouraged due to the waves, yet several local kids were enjoying the water in the boat ramp area.

Next up:  Waipio Valley- at the northern point of the Hamakua Coast.  Now THIS view was spectacular!  While all the views are amazing, this one is actually one of the easier ones to capture on film.  Hiking down into the valley was discouraged due to the spiritual significance of this place;  several island kings lived here years ago.  Currently there is a commune residing in the valley, and you must be invited down into the valley if you want to explore.

 Kedron had not yet even entered the water by this point in our trip, so it was time to check out a beach!  The Big Island is not really known for its spectacular beaches, as it is the youngest of the islands and beaches have not had as long to form due to erosion, wind, waves, etc.  In addition, it is hard to find a white sand beach on this island (more on that later).  But Kedron found us a good one here:  Hapuna Beach.  This was probably the best overall swim spot; some waves but not unsafe ones, great sand, and the absence of jagged lava rocks :) Can I just say, though, to the women of the world:  If you have handfuls upon handfuls of skin and various tissue spilling out from over your tiny bikini bottoms, it might be time to consider a one piece swimsuit.  Let's keep in mind that we all look better in clothing that fits us properly!!

After a full day, we were ready to relax a bit.  We ventured to a nearby resort that has a free Polynesian show, complete with fire dancing.  And, of course, coconut bras :)