Today we planned to do a tour of the beaches of Hawaii Island.
Kealake Kua Beach where Captain Cook arrived at the Hawaiian Islands was our first stop. It was also our first skipped hike. It turns out the hike down to the beach was longer and much steeper than we expected. We hiked about a quarter of a mile down the trail and then decided it would be better to turn around there rather than to continue a steep hike.
Our next stop was Manini’owali Beach. It was an amazing beach with big waves and colorful water. Signs everywhere said you needed a flotation device of some kind because of the rocks and the surf.
Sometimes Google is not your friend. Waialea Beach was a missed opportunity. We requested Waialea Beach from Google. It insisted on sending us to Hapuna Beach, the Waialea Bay section of a recreation area. Instead of the free beach a quarter of a mile away, Google sent us to the charge beach near this sign.
We spent about fifteen minutes looking for the right place before we finally gave up and moved on. The misdirection cost us a nice visit to a public beach.
The fun continued just down the road. A large hotel chain has a beach. They are supposed to allow a certain number of people in each day. All the web pages said you have to get there early. With two beaches already missed, we were sure we would be early enough to get in. Oops, guessed wrong. Third missed beach of the day
Next we drove to the Waipi’o Valley Lookout. We were not planning on driving down to the beach here because it has very steep roads. Up to a 25 percent grade. Four Wheel Drive Required. It did not matter to us, the views were spectacular from the overlook.
We ended up having a different conversation with a non-local local. He introduced himself as the only non-Hawaiian member of a Hawaiian group that is working to get Hawaii turned into a republic. They are looking to restore Hawaiian culture and government to the islands. We listened without comment as the gentleman tried to explain how the new government would solve all the problems of the current government without taxing the native people. It sounded good, but many such promises do. Just listen to our politicians. They tell a similar story.
Our last stop of the day was Akaka Falls. There are four separate waterfalls at the park. They range in size from three feet to four hundred forty two feet. The shortest one looked like it was part of a backyard garden. It was very nice. The second smallest one was perhaps ten feet tall. It was hidden behind some very thick vegetation. It was a thin veil of water spread over a width of perhaps five to ten feet. You could hear it more than you could see it. The third one was significantly taller than the first two. It too was somewhat hidden from view. It was large enough to generate a small roar.
The main attraction is an impressive sight. The Akaka Falls is 429 feet tall. If you stand in the correct place, you can see it from top to bottom. If you catch the sunlight just right, you can see a rainbow at the falls. Each waterfall was special, but the Akaka Falls made our day.
We saw unique and special flowers and plants everywhere today. The colors were vibrant, the variety was the most amazing on our trip. The biggest surprise was that almost two thirds of the flowers we saw today were at the Akaka Falls Park. The flowers, the plants, and the thick growth in the park could have been the sole attraction and the park would have been a great deal.
This was a wonderful last day of visiting Hawaii. It has been a great celebration. Hawaii is a special place. Even so, we are ready to go home.