Ahhh, Hawaii. Sometimes, you just don’t have enough time to blog. And to be fair, I was just too darned tired yesterday. It was so worth it.
We began the day with an exceptionally early day. Paradise Helicopter Tours was calling and we were there bright and early for our pre-flight check in. Once through the check, we hooked up our life vests and clambered into the helicopter. I got a window seat for taking pictures and settled into my headset. It was an awesome trip with a very conversational guide. The best parts were having a gorgeously clear day, even over Hilo. The lava was flowing in fire and rivers, and the valley views were amazing. The copter weaved around the flows, and into the waterfalls before landing in the valley for a stop along a river. Just fabulous!
After the tour, we drove south to see the painted church, and to visit Greenwell Coffee Farm. There, we had a phenomenal tour where we learned about coffee growth, pea berries, coffee berries, roasting and macadamia nuts. The company was also clever enough to offer tastings so then we wound up buying some to take home. From there, I realized that we were close to the Captain Cook monument and a bay that was supposedly great for seeing dolphins. The view of the monument was amazing, but the view of the dolphins was non-existent.
Coming back up the shoreline, we arrived back at the resort for a swimming session and chill out session. That led to sleeping in drastically so today became a beach day. Since we drove the Island at length, we really hadn’t seen anything better than Beach 69 so we went back. This time, the group of us turned to the left and found refuge under a cloudy sky and some trees. The water was warm and the surf was a lot calmer. The towels were set out and then I grabbed my snorkeling gear and waded in. The fish were abundant and so colorful in and around the coral. There were sea urchins and large anemones. However, I had heart failure when on my third go, I was about a foot away from the coral when a turtle decided to swim between me and the coral. The turtles are protected with a no touch rule and well they know it! I scrambled away as best I could, but it was a near thing and I was breathless on reaching the shore.
Best thing about this beach? (The worst is that it is mentioned as one of the best beaches in the guide so everyone will find it.) The shade, the fish, the turtles, warm water, sand and black sand, interesting drift wood, friendly residents, close to Kona…
Seeing whales breech out of the water on the horizon. It was amazing.
However, days come to a close. We finished the day by driving in tandem around the northern tip of the island. We found the wind farm and then pulled into Hawi where the guide book says you have to stop at Tropical Dream for ice cream. It is handmade on the island. Might I say that the guide book was so correct? Coffee chocolate chip ice cream in a waffle cone has to be tasted. Yummy. From there, we drove through the views along the mountain road to Waimea where the children ran around this incredible wooden harry potterish playground before heading back to town very late. This island suits me…yes it does!
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