On the solstice we packed up early in Na’alehu and set off North for Ho’okena Beach. Four years ago this beach was closed because of an outbreak of Dengue Fever on the island and we didn’t get to go there which was tragic because 8 years ago we spent a most wonderful week camping on the beach so we were excited to be going there.
There were no tents on the beach because camping was closed due to the high winds. The dolphins were in the bay though and I had two awesome swims with them again. Jakobi Ambiana and Eva Luna also got a chance to swim with them
Ben and his family came later and joined us on the beach for awhile. We played in the surf, snorkeled, rode some waves, read our books and munched on food, all wonderful things to do on a beautiful sunny beach
Ho’okena
Jakobi and Eva Luna in the Palm Trees
Solstice Party above Kealakekua Bay
Our friends from AK, Shannon and Skyler who live here now had a solstice party at there house way up the slopes of Mauna Loa over looking Kealakekua Bay. We drove up there with Ben and family for a beautiful expansive sunset over the Pacific. My friend Shubie from Girdwood was there and it was good to see him after 15 years! Shannon built a fire and we had a potluck meal and sat around talking and watching the stars come out after watching the kids frolic on the green green lawn. We set up our tent next to the car and slept there nestled in our sleeping bags and dreams
2 Step
We spent the following morning with Shannon and Skyler and then drove into Kona to get Ambiana a new mask and a new book at the used book store. We then drove South to the new Napo’opo’o intersection then down to Kealekakua Bay and the heiau where we cut across the lava flow to 2 Step to meet up with Ben and family for some snorkeling,
The lava shore was crowded with people and the water full of snorkelers and yellow tang. We went for a snorkel but it was cut short when Eva Luna & Jakobi got stung by jellyfish.
I stayed in and swam laps over the coral heads and colorful reef fish. 2 step abuts aPlace of Refuge where in re-contact times Hawaiians accused of an offense ( like stepping on the shadow of an ali’i) could seek sanctuary. There is a National Point of Interest there with a reconstruction of what it may have been like and I swam in its direction, towards the lava peninsula with a pal, tree palisade and steep palm thatched roofs reaching above the wall I imagined around me the Hawaiians who actually swam this way seeking sanctuary. I also followed a humuhumu that had yellow lips and a blue ridge between its eyes and was bigger with white stripes. I looked it up in Colleen’s reef fish book and it is a Lagoon Trigger fish same Hawai’ian name as the other humu
Back at the ai’na Ben and I walked the lot next to us which he bought a couple of years ago and this spring cut some trail though the Christmas Berry. We walked the lava stone wall at the south end of the lot back to our land. Not sure what plans Ben has for it, Someday I would like to live here for 1/2 a year or so and build a small hut on the land to sleep in while we are here. We cooked steak and potatoes for dinner and the girls went into the tent to read while I laid back on stargazing rock and listened to a playlist of songs from the last year and thought about the itinerary for the rest of our Big Island trip, Not so sure we will hike into Halape anymore: It’s a 9 miles out and back on exposed lava fields with no water along the way and the beach at the destination may not be worth that effort when we could just spend another night at Ho’okena.
Volcano is tomorrow, do we hike Mauna Lau if the weather is good and then do Puna, (Pahoa, the new lava flows, kalani & kehena beach)or vise versa? Then Ho’okena, Captain Cook, Hapuna and then onto Waipio and the big hike in Wai’manu Valley.
Ho’okena
On the solstice we packed up early in Na’alehu and set off North for Ho’okena Beach. Four years ago this beach was closed because of an outbreak of Dengue Fever on the island and we didn’t get to go there which was tragic because 8 years ago we spent a most wonderful week camping on the beach so we were excited to be going there.
There were no tents on the beach because camping was closed due to the high winds. The dolphins were in the bay though and I had two awesome swims with them again. Jakobi Ambiana and Eva Luna also got a chance to swim with them
Ben and his family came later and joined us on the beach for awhile. We played in the surf, snorkeled, rode some waves, read our books and munched on food, all wonderful things to do on a beautiful sunny beach
Solstice Party above Kealakekua Bay
Our friends from AK, Shannon and Skyler who live here now had a solstice party at there house way up the slopes of Mauna Loa over looking Kealakekua Bay. We drove up there with Ben and family for a beautiful expansive sunset over the Pacific. My friend Shubie from Girdwood was there and it was good to see him after 15 years! Shannon built a fire and we had a potluck meal and sat around talking and watching the stars come out after watching the kids frolic on the green green lawn. We set up our tent next to the car and slept there nestled in our sleeping bags and dreams
2 Step
We spent the following morning with Shannon and Skyler and then drove into Kona to get Ambiana a new mask and a new book at the used book store. We then drove South to the new Napo’opo’o intersection then down to Kealekakua Bay and the heiau where we cut across the lava flow to 2 Step to meet up with Ben and family for some snorkeling,
The lava shore was crowded with people and the water full of snorkelers and yellow tang. We went for a snorkel but it was cut short when Eva Luna & Jakobi got stung by jellyfish.
I stayed in and swam laps over the coral heads and colorful reef fish. 2 step abuts aPlace of Refuge where in re-contact times Hawaiians accused of an offense ( like stepping on the shadow of an ali’i) could seek sanctuary. There is a National Point of Interest there with a reconstruction of what it may have been like and I swam in its direction, towards the lava peninsula with a pal, tree palisade and steep palm thatched roofs reaching above the wall I imagined around me the Hawaiians who actually swam this way seeking sanctuary. I also followed a humuhumu that had yellow lips and a blue ridge between its eyes and was bigger with white stripes. I looked it up in Colleen’s reef fish book and it is a Lagoon Trigger fish same Hawai’ian name as the other humu
Back at the ai’na Ben and I walked the lot next to us which he bought a couple of years ago and this spring cut some trail though the Christmas Berry. We walked the lava stone wall at the south end of the lot back to our land. Not sure what plans Ben has for it, Someday I would like to live here for 1/2 a year or so and build a small hut on the land to sleep in while we are here. We cooked steak and potatoes for dinner and the girls went into the tent to read while I laid back on stargazing rock and listened to a playlist of songs from the last year and thought about the itinerary for the rest of our Big Island trip, Not so sure we will hike into Halape anymore: It’s a 9 miles out and back on exposed lava fields with no water along the way and the beach at the destination may not be worth that effort when we could just spend another night at Ho’okena.
Volcano is tomorrow, do we hike Mauna Lau if the weather is good and then do Puna, (Pahoa, the new lava flows, kalani & kehena beach)or vise versa? Then Ho’okena, Captain Cook, Hapuna and then onto Waipio and the big hike in Wai’manu Valley.