The summer of 2015 rocked! It was awesome. Amazing. I don't want it to end. Ever.
But as school starts again and we get back into the school/work routine, the inevitable longing for summer begins in earnest - and this time it's hitting us pretty hard.
We visited Hawaii's Big Island in June and needless to say, the island isn't short on natural wonders. There are ton of hikes ranging from full-on 14,000 foot mountain climbs (Mauna Kea) to half-mile leisurely nature strolls. Regardless of what you choose, Hawaii doesn't disappoint.
You can read about some of the top recommended hikes here. And here. Below are some of the hiking highlights from our trip.
But as school starts again and we get back into the school/work routine, the inevitable longing for summer begins in earnest - and this time it's hitting us pretty hard.
We visited Hawaii's Big Island in June and needless to say, the island isn't short on natural wonders. There are ton of hikes ranging from full-on 14,000 foot mountain climbs (Mauna Kea) to half-mile leisurely nature strolls. Regardless of what you choose, Hawaii doesn't disappoint.
You can read about some of the top recommended hikes here. And here. Below are some of the hiking highlights from our trip.
captain cook monument
There are two ways to get to this spot - one is to go on a chartered snorkeling tour and the other is to hike on foot from the road down to the monument. We chose to hike and while it was pretty rough on the way back up (y'all, its tough. Or at least it was for me), the views are totally worth it. The snorkeling is some of the best in Hawaii and if you're lucky a pod of spinner dolphins will join you. We were lucky. It was life-changing.
volcanoes national park
Volcanoes National Park is amazing because of, well, volcanoes. You can see them (from the overlook at the park museum), smell them (from the hike along the sulfur banks) and touch them (the whole island is made from lava, after all). Ellison and I have taken a variety of hikes in this park and our favorites are those located along the 11-mile Crater Rim trail and at the end of Chain of Craters Road. Along the Crater Rim trail you can walk through rain forests, across a volcanic crater and through sulfur steam vents. The hikes vary from 1.5 miles to over 10 miles, and from easy to more strenuous accordingly. At the end of Chain of Craters Road you can hike along a road covered in lava from a 1969 eruption. It used to have the signs still sticking out of the lava, but apparently the park system thought that was just too crazy, so they took them down. Too bad because it was really cool.
city of refuge (pu'uhonua o Honaunau National historical park)
The City of Refuge has a lot to offer - Hawaiian history, sea turtles, a great beach and some of the best sunsets on the island. The hikes aren't long, and our favorite one is about 3/4 mile up a clearly marked trail to a bench overlooking the park. You can continue on from here, but we usually just hang out for a bit and then go back down to the picnic area. There are tables and grills, but with the trees and configuration of coastline it still feels relatively private.
south point
Ellison and I are in agreement that South Point is the most beautiful place on the Big Island. It might even objectively be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is windy (you pass giant windmills on the way down to the point), the waves break big and the landscape is stark. Its rarely crowded and it can feel like you are quite possibly all alone on the island. You can hike from here to the famous Green Sand beach or Kaalualu Bay, but we prefer to just go along the coast. If you're into cliff jumping (which Ellison and I are decidedly not), you can, when the weather is good, dive into the water right at the South Point (there are ladders to get back up). We've seen tons of people, including small children, do it and have a blast. It makes me nervous every single time.
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