The Big Island

With just a month before August was to turn 2 (a.k.a- paying airline passenger), we used up the majority of our United miles to fly to Kona on Hawaii's Big Island.  The island of Hawaii is beautiful, but as it turns out, REALLY hot and humid in August (duh?!).  It took us a bit by surprise when we landed in Kona at 9 pm, and instantly began to sweat in the 88 degree heat.   The mild bouts of nausea I was experiencing before leaving on the trip (joys of the first trimester) only seemed to magnify in heat in humidity, along with swollen hands and feet.  Then there was our Kona condo rental- yeah, I totally overlooked the fact that it didn't have A.C.  Promises of "cool ocean breezes" didn't quite pan out when the heat index was 100 during the day and 90 at night.  If we were indoors we were sitting directly in front of or below a fan, and if we were outside we were in the pool.  The pool was lovely though, and we always had it to ourselves.  We visited a Kona coffee plantation, where my travel book advised "due to the higher elevation, temperatures are cooler where the coffee grows".  Yes, it was about 5 degrees cooler, but instead of feeling like 90% humidity, I'm certain it was close to 100%.  We walked around the plantation on a guided tour, drenched in sweat and swigging glorious cups of smooth, hot, black Kona coffee.  For some reason, the hotter I got, the more hot coffee I drank.  Part of me just wanted to take advantage of all the free Kona coffee, which as some of the most expensive and exclusive coffee beans in the world, sells at $30- $50 per pound.  August clung to my back on the Ergo like one hundred wet towels and my feet and hands swelled and itched.  Vacation and travel... when else would you subject yourself to such discomfort?!

During our three days in Kona we able to visit a few beaches off the beaten path (read- questionable 2WD roads through lava fields, followed by torturous hikes through more sharp, black lava fields under a blazing sun).  Just as I'd expect, we'd arrive at a stunning, perfect beach that we could enjoy all to ourselves.  I still can't bring myself to believe that any truly spectacular and uncrowded beach has a road leading right to it.  Kids or not, I'm still plenty willing to have to work a little for that perfect spot.  We also were able to see a cloud forest- a high altitude rain forest that is in some sort of eternal mist.  It was absolutely stunning, and heartbreakingly cool.  Other than the residential road that brought us straight up from sea level to 5000 feet, there were not many places within the cloud forest to stop and explore.  We lingered as long as possible in the delicious and fragrant mist, and then headed back down to the coast, and back down to the heat.

Tearing it up in the United Club on a layover.

Kona coffee plantation

All the free samples of hot, black coffee!

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

Sunset at the Kona condo

Kona beach

Drive through a cloud forest- a welcome retreat from the heat.

Wild goats on the hike out to a beach.

Another beautiful, deserted Kona beach off the beaten path.

The lava created perfect protected and shallow areas for August to play.

Hike back from the beach through lava fields.

On our third day we said goodbye to Kona and the hot, sunny coast, and headed to the East side of the island, in search of the jungle and volcanoes on the Hilo side.  The Hilo side lives up to its reputation as the green (and rainy) side. After a disappointing stop and cancelled hike down into the Waipiʻo Valley (described as "the most spectacular view on the Big Island"... we could barely see 10 feet in front of us with all the rain and fog), we continued on and made a stop at Angel Falls.  The falls are beautiful, but you can't get very close to the water (I suppose it is pretty dangerous).  The best part though was the extraordinary walk through the rain forest on the way there.  The scenery was beautiful, full of green and colorful birds and flowers, and the air smelled of fresh ginger. 

Angel Falls

Banyan tree

The walk to the falls was filled with spectacular rain forest sights, smells and sounds!

After checking into our "jungle house rental" on the remote East side, we enjoyed day trips to stunning black beaches, Volcanoes National Park, and crystal clear snorkeling pools.  The weather cooled a bit, and dramatically so on our visit to VNP, which sits at 4000 feet.  Our day at the park was one of our best- we visited a lava tube, hiked through an extinct crater, Kilauea Iki, that erupted over 60 years ago and is still steaming, and then enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Volcano House with views of the crater.  We left with just enough time to arrive at the Jagger Museum to watch the steam from Kīlauea turn into a pink, then orange, then red glow as the night grew darker.  At that point, our trip felt complete!

Fruit market on the way to VNP.  We snacked on lychee nuts for the remainder of the drive.

Kīlauea during the day

Walking through a lava tube.

Hike through an extinct crater.

Fantastic dinner at the Volcano House

Sulfur Banks

Kīlauea at night

Walking to a black sand beach near our rental

Snorkeling pools

Lovely lanai at our jungle house rental

Enjoying spicy Thai before our red-eye out of Hilo. I look at this now and think how bad this could have turned out (hello diaper blowouts on an airplane!).  Guess we dodged a bullet.