Yes! The Trail Quest has resumed: Hawaii! We stayed with Kendall's brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Kitty, and had a grand old time with them showing us all around the Big Island: trails, ocean, sunshine, lava, art, history, and scrumptious food everywhere.
Day 1
The day started with me being dropped off along Ali'i Drive, the main running/cycling road in Kona, so I could get a short run in, rendezvousing with the gang at a coffee shop before we set off on our day's adventures.
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| Seen along Ali'i Drive (aka Royal Footsteps Along the Coast) |
After a visit to the Greenwell coffee farm, it was time for my first helping of the Hawaiian trail smorgasbord: the 1871 trail. The name refers to the 1871 rebuilding of an ancient trail so it could accommodate horse traffic, widened enough to allow two horses to pass one another. Much of the trail is located inside the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and passes a myriad of historic artifacts. While I ran, Steve walked a part of the trail...good thing cuz he became my bodyguard after a herd of wild goats showed up along the trail a few minutes into the run! The trail also gave me an immediate introduction of the kind of running surface I would be encountering throughout the island - lava, and lots of it!
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| Ready for the trail! |
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| Wild goats take over the trail. I am not messing with those horns! |
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| Goats move on - and so do I |
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| Don't trip! |
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| Spectacular view! |
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| 1871 Trail complete! |
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| It must be a vacation. Cocktails?!?!?! The VaughanMillers?!?!?! |
Day 2 - Ocean to Volcanoes Day
Today Steve introduced us to his newest activity - the Keauhou Canoe Club which I would join without a moment's hesitation if I lived in Kailua. What fun!
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| Dawn at the Keauhou Canoe Club |
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| Beautiful paddles - each different |
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| Serenity on the ocean |
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| Newest Canoeists! |
And then it was off to Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiian Trail smorgasbord second helping: the Kilauea Iki Trail which runs down down down through rain forest, across a lava lake, then up up up through rain forest. A glorious run!
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| Ready for the rain forest and lava! |
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| View from the top |
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| Rain forest ferns |
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| Lava foliage |
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| Lava foliage |
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| Good advice |
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| Selfie with lava bloom |
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| More lava blooms |
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| Remember the sign about following the Ahu. Really good advice. |
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| Out/back across the lava lake brought me to these two fellas! |
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| Lava runnin' - WooHoo! |
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| Kendall and Steve rise up out of the rain forest! |
The day was capped off with dinner at the Volcano House followed by a spectacular show, complements of the Kilauea Volcano.
Day 3 - Beach to Lava! Lava to Beach! We must be in Hawaii!
The first Hawaiian trail smorgasbord helping of the day started at a surfer dudes beach - Kohanaiki aka Pine Trees beach where I picked up the Ala Kahakai Historic Trail.
The second smorgasbord helping of the day involved a circle trail around and through the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, which I described in my running log as "lava lava lava to beach to lava to beach - and two sea turtles!"
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| Lava... |
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| ...to beach... |
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| ...to lava |
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| A nice German couple offered to take my picture along the way |
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| Turtles greeted me at the beach end of the trail! |
As a bonus, in between the two runs we had coffee overlooking the ocean and spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking about and a humpback whale!
Day 4 - Snorkeling!
...and a short run (in bathing suit) and a lovely stroll through the old airport's community gardens.
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| On board the Fair Wind II to Kealakekua Bay for a morning of snorkeling! |
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| Me and Kitty ready for some snorkel time! |
I do believe the fish win for most photogenic, followed closely by Mister Kendall. I am a distant 3rd.
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| My post-snorkeling bathing suit run passed many a bloom |
Old airport gardens:
Day 5 - Beach-to-Gardens day
Started the day with a run (of course!). This along the windy A Bay - Waikoloa Beach (lava + sand + ocean + wind according to my log).
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| Yep. That's the trail! |
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| Spotted on the trail and sent to Kendall as his early Valentine |
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| At the windy but warm turnaround (thank you Steve the intrepid hiker photographer bro-in-law!) |
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| Breakfast dining companion |
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| Post-run breakfast. Yum! |
After the run and breakfast, as we were driving along, Steve got a call saying our Mauna Kea Observatory tour was cancelled due to snow-caused road closures. So it was off to the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens. (I do believe there is always a delightful plan B waiting in the wings on the Big Island!).
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| A lovely respite rock for Ms Kitty |
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| Gardens, ocean, sunshine. Methinks Kitty & Steve are liking this retirement life! |
Day 6 - Four Beach Day!!!!
Beach #1: Hapuna Beach and my new most favorite sport: Boogie Boarding!
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| We are READY for a beach day!!!! |
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| Michigan girls dancing in the ocean! |
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| Paula (yellow board) & Steve (blue board) dashing out to catch a big one |
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| I'm riding this alllllll the way in! |
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| Weehawww!!!!! My new most favorite sport!!!!! |
Beach #2: Pu'ukohola Heiau trail to Spencer Beach. Along the way......we saw a shark! (Steve walked while I ran, and when I ran back to him, sharp-eyes Steve pointed the shark out to me.)
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| The bay seen here was a shark temple - and that is right where we saw the shark |
Beach #3: A Bay for cocktails and appetizers
(well-deserved I must say!)
Beach #4: the Old Airport for sunset
Day 7 - Southernmost USA to Volcanoes
A visit to South Point
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| Whadya think Steve? Is the tide coming in? |
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| USA's southernmost cows - photo taken in honor of my Boulder cow-loving friends |
Followed by a return visit to Kilauea. What a show!
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| Photo from afar |
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| Zooming in a bit |
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| Zooming in even more |
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| Photo with a smart phone looking through Steve's spotting scope |
Day 8 - The grand finale'
The final helping of the Hawaiian Smorgasbord of Trails, the steepest trail of the trip, from cliff-top to Pololu Valley. All the Wednesday hill work that Connie, Anita and I have been doing must be paying off. I ran back up in just about half the time it took me to run down. (Of course, anyone who knows me as a runner knows that I am the world's most cautious downhill runner.)
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| So, yeah, there were a few warnings at the top. But it was worth it! |
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| View from the top - and, yes, the trail goes from this high up all the way down to the ocean. |
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| This would be the 'bottom' of the trail ...just a bit rocky - and a whole lot of beautiful |
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| Also at the bottom - a stunning river valley (and hiker Steve) |
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| From the ocean, it's on up the black sand dunes - yes, that wooded, foliage-covered hill is a dune! |
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| Atop a dune! |
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| Knox Physics makes it to the Pololu Valley Black Sand Dunes! |
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| Starting the run back up. Woof! |
All in All
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| FUN! |
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| FAMILY! |
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| and an exquisite Hawaiian adventure. Mahalo Kitty and Steve, from the bottom of my heart. |
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