Tuesday we had decided that we need to more fully explore the island, so we hopped in our car and started to cruise around to the other side of the island where Hilo is. On our way we stopped at a local spot that was recommended to us for breakfast, Hawaiian Style Cafe. Steve indulged with Macadamia nut pancakes, but I hit the jackpot with the Loco Moco, a local dish consisting of rice topped with egg, Spam, Portuguese sausage, sausage links, and a brown gravy. It was so delicious, but the portions were more than either of us could handle.

With tummies full, we hit the road again. Next stop, Akaka Falls. You can’t go to Hawaii and not see waterfalls, so we made sure to put this on the agenda. Unfortunately we decided to go against the recommendation of the signs and hiked the opposite direction into the rain forest, which left us with the steep part to climb up rather than down. It was good exercise though, and we enjoyed seeing Akaka Falls but also the sites in the rain forest itself. After our hike, we finished our trip to Hilo, where we  enjoyed giant, delicious sno-kones before heading back across the island to meet up with family friends who now live on the island. Once at their house, they showed us their three acres of an assortment of produce – from real Kona coffee to cocoa (as in real, authentic chocolate) to mangos and papayas, they had it all. They were kind enough to show us how the coffee process works too, which was way more involved and interesting than I could have imagined. After having a delicious sunset dinner down in Kona with them, we hit some shops and headed home. It was a fun day of exploration.

Wednesday we enjoyed a day of mostly relaxation poolside. We stopped by the live dolphin display at our resort where you can watch as the dolphins do tricks. There was even a baby dolphin that had just been born less than a month ago, which was adorable and exciting to see. In the evening we got dressed up and went to a luau in Kona. You had to do a luau in Hawaii, at least once, especially on your first time there. The luau boasted a delicious spread of food, fantastic entertainment, a gorgeous sunset over the ocean, and we even sat next to a really sweet couple from West Virginia celebrating forty-five years of marriage together.

Come Thursday, we were just getting the hang of this whole “relaxation” concept and enjoyed more water activities and pool time around the resort. We both gave paddle boarding a try for the first time and were surprised at how much we enjoyed it. Relaxing can really work up an appetite, so we had to go back to our favorite restaurant, Roy’s. Of course the food was delicious, the company of my husband the best, and they even put together an anniversary dessert for us. Another successful day in the books.

Friday was our last big excursion in Hawaii, so we made sure it was a big one…an all day volcano excursion. The day started out bright and early with our tour van picking us up. Our tour guide was so sweet, and I think she knew everything there was possibly to know about the entire island. Five more people joined us along the way, and we were off. Not only did we discover a ton of interesting information about the island, but we really enjoyed the company of our fellow tour-ees. We stopped at Punalu-u Bake Shop, which was adorable and also the southernmost bakery in the U.S.A. There I even ran into someone who worked in my hometown in Pennsylvania, which just made my day. They sold one of greatest coffees in the world (literally), so we made sure to buy a cup along with a few bags to go. The baked goods there beckoned us, so we indulged our sweet tooth and were back on the road.

Finally, we made it across the island to the Volcano National Park. Once there, we got to see Mauna Loa first thing actively spewing smoke from the Earth. We learned all about the different types of lava flow along with the mythology the original inhabitants believed was behind the volcano activity. Also in the park we stopped at steam vents, which pumped out some seriously hot steam: an instant facial for any exposed skin. We took hikes around, through, and on previously lava covered areas learning about the various eruptions and lava flows. It was amazing to see. At one point we went through a giant lava tube, which are a means for lava to flow underground from its source. Other stops included breathtaking beaches surrounded by the black lava rock and a cafe with homemade coconut ice cream that was to die for.

My favorite stop of the day was at the newest black sand beach in the world. We hiked through an old lava field down to this gorgeous beach with black sand, blue waters, and a sky filled with blues, pinks, and purples. I could have stayed there forever. In the distance there was a huge smoke cloud where active, hot lava is currently pouring in the ocean. It was just indescribable. After taking as many pictures as possible, we had to leave in order to head over to the active lava. Thinking we were going to see this spewing of red, molten lava right before our eyes, we were slightly disappointed. Current regulations due to several deaths have led to the inability to get very close to the lava. We settled for a distant red glow in the night sky, which was still pretty incredible to witness firsthand. Exhausted from a long day, we started the trek back across the island, landing us home pretty late.

Saturday was our last full day in Hawaii, and while that was an extremely sad realization, we decided to enjoy what we had left. Of course that included more snorkeling with the sea turtles, paddle boarding, paddle boating, kayaking, and walking around the resort. We also tried to optimize our pool time; you can’t come back from Hawaii white as a ghost. After getting cleaned up, we went over to one of the most beautiful ocean views on the resort and basked in one final sunset. It was only fitting for us to head back to our favorite restaurant one more time for a huge feast.

Our final day, we tried not to be too sad, thankful for such an extraordinary and wonderful trip away together. Still, it was tough not to feel sad as we packed our bags. Fortunately we had a late flight though, so we made the most of our last precious hours. After walking around the resort once more, we finally checked out for the last time. As we started our drive through the black lava fields to Kona, we stopped to partake in the tradition of white graffiti. We grabbed a stash of the white coral lying around and carefully spelled out our initials and the year. Satisfied with officially leaving our mark on the island, we were on our way. One last time we walked around the streets of Kona. We snatched up our final souvenirs, stopped by the official start/stop of the Ironman, grabbed some dinner at a local spot, and headed off to the airport.

Final thoughts….to be continued. 

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