Happy Solstice! Thu, Jun 20, 2024, 10:50 AM Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time
I’m reading William Ellis’ book “A Narrative of an 1823 Tour Through Hawai’i” where he describes his and his missionary companions trip around the Big Island starting in Kailua Town, near where I’ve been staying. Traveling in a counter-clockwise direction by foot and/or canoe taking 2 months to complete the trip. The groups intention was to preach to Hawaiian’s with hopes to convert many to Christianity.
I’m sharing his description of Hawaiians and the ocean because on my many walks during these past weeks of the large swells and high surf I was fascinated by the young swimmers and their fearlessness. Body surfing or on a boogie board the rougher the surf the more fun it seems they had, which as Ellis wrote seeing the same then.
The following group of photos are just a random collection of what I found interesting.
Tide pool, 3′ deep at most during low tide, close to where I am staying. No wave action here a place where families with young children come for the ocean, lots of shade too. Can spot a turtle if you’re there at the right time.
View from the sidewalk sea wall downtown Kailua on a cloudy afternoon.
Pahoehoe Beach Park a.m.
Different view of Magic Sands Beach showing all the rocks exposed by the high swells and strong surf and currents. Most of the rocks you see were covered with sand when I first arrived (note the lifeguard stand on the right).
The blending of shells, pebbles, coral, fish bone and lava rock that create a beach here on Hawaii.
Downtown near the south end of the high sea wall along Ali’i Drive.
View from the pier north end of town looking down the sea wall towards the church. https://mokuaikaua.com/
This is a looking NE up the slope of Hulalai whose elevation reaches to 8271′ it lies just NW of Mauna Loa (13,879′) more often than not clouds cover both mountain tops in the afternoon.
No, no iguana’s found in HI, this was in PR when I went to Andrew and Mica’s wedding this past February. Puerto Rico’s coordinates are 18.2208° N and 66.5901° W, Big Island Kailua coordinates are 19.38 deg N and 155.59 deg W. only 80 miles difference in Latitude though 4,859 miles apart. Similar climate, different waters. One sits among the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea the other in the middle of the earth’s largest ocean.
The walk to town isn’t far, about 2 miles to the pier if I decide to go there, closer to the palace and the sea wall but not by much. I do the walk frequently passing a few spots where I stop and take in the view. I could watch the ocean for hours and the umbrella of palm trees that some places provide shade to linger longer just inviting me to pause and experience the moment, why I’ve posted so many photos of the ocean. Beautiful for me, nature. Hope you get a sense of what I see.
Aloha reader! You might wonder why the long time between entries so here goes. Not soon after arriving I started having a slight cough well that ended with a nasty head and chest cold turning into a sinus infection. After 3 weeks to clear that up I slowly got back on my feet and continued my long holiday. This being my second visit to Hawaii and the Big Island I didn’t need to rediscover the places I had visited before and also having a different intention have been staying close to the Kailua town and on the Kona side of the island. I’ll be moving from here later this month to the Hilo side for a short while. After my cold had cleared and I was feeling better it wasn’t long when the island was hit with what is now 2 weeks of heavy seas created by large swells coming out of the South Pacific. You’ll see in the photos I’m posting that the beautiful sandy beach I like to spend time on and the calm ocean that washes it’s shore with what I would describe as normal wave action turned to swells bringing in at somewhat expected intervals waves reaching to 10′ and strong currents that erased the beach and had the lifeguards constantly urging visitors and some inexperienced islanders to stay out of the water. Daily Coast Guard weather reports were advising the same thing. Supposed to calm down by the 12th. My time in the ocean was more a here and there moment. Traveling north last Monday the nearby beach wasn’t affected so I took advantage of the opportunity and enjoyed the ocean both in and out. Today and following days I’m posting photos I’ve taken since the last entry with captions to give you a sense of what I’ve been up to.
Magic Sands Beach, favorite beach photo taken May 6.
Same Magic Sands Beach from opposite end of beach after 2 weeks of heavy swells washing the sand off the rocks. Taken June 4.
Coral, lava rock, fish bone, stones worn down slowly over thousands of years turns into sand. Many beaches here on the Big Island are made up of the different stages of beach evolution.Monk Seal
Spencer’s Beach, fine sand and small waves, north of the airport along the Northwest coast where the SW swells didn’t reach. Waves south are 8-10′ here barely a foot. Hawaii Island, the Big Island, offers so much variety why I chose to come back here and spend most of my time.
Pu’ukohola Heiau https://www.nps.gov/puhe/index.htm From the Visitor Center description this Temple was built under King Kamehameha the Great’s direction from 1790-91 as he was advised by his priests and counselors before he would have their blessings to conquer Maui and O’ahu thus unifying the islands (Kauai was last and brought under Kamehameha’s rule through a peace negotiation).
Arriving from the Marquesas Islands between 1000-1200 CE after a 30 day sailing journey the only “building” material early Hawaiian’s had to use were lava stones, grasses and what could be fashioned from trees and plants. A lot of this type of wall built for yards, gardens and animal enclosures as well as temple construction still stand and can be found mostly near the shore line.
King Kamehameha Day officially is today June 11th. The Kailua-Kona community celebrated last Saturday the 8th starting with a parade with different groups representing different islands, all on horseback to let you know. An all day celebration with food and craft vendors, entertainment and fun. In 2019 sister Sharon and I were in Hilo on the 11th and had a chance to watch their celebration.
Parade Queen.
Red is the color for the island of Hawaii. Yellow is Oahu islands color.
A morning walk to town that turns into an eye catching historical stroll. Of course there are the sites in town I visited in 2019 but this time, now staying nearer to Kailua where walking is an option I’ve noticed much more. Wai’aha Beach Park (Honl’s Beach) and the Walter Irving Henderson Beach House.
Reading more about Tom Morey (1935-2021) I found a fascinating biography of a creative, curious, intelligent person. Starting at age 11 playing drums at public events to still having ideas turned into new inventions into his 80’s. https://today.usc.edu/tom-morey-obituary-boogie-board-inventor-usc-alum/
Also a bit of Island history:
Not a thousand feet south I find myself looking at:
The Walter and Jean Henderson Beach House (75-5944 Ali’i Drive). Researching it’s history I discover the Henderson’s emigrated to Hilo, HI in 1923 from Scotland (if interested in their house at Hilo look here: 82 Halaulani Place). Henderson was an accountant (as was his son and now grandson). In the late 1940’s Walter and Jean purchased a dilapidated run down building sitting on an ocean front lot just south of Kailua Town to be turned into their beach house on the leeward side of Hawai’i. They hired Vladimir Ossipoff a respected Island architect to take what was left of the standing stone walls of this once small Catholic church (1864) make repairs and add the second floor to them. (Note: the family still owns both houses and a vacant lot next to the beach house and where the boat house sits in the photo.) See here for more: https://historichawaii.org/2016/03/21/75-5944-alii-drive-walter-irving-henderson-house/
Drive north past the airport to Hapuna Bay State Park. Breezy morning with winds starting from on shore getting a sand blast when coming out of the ocean breeze keeps the waves somewhat smallish to then a reverse change coming from offshore turning the surf rough and choppy. Late afternoon 35 minute walk to Magic Sands Beach, spot a mongoose scurrying across the road. Have to say sometimes traffic is heavy, most of the time a lighter flow. There is enough room on the shoulder for bikes and walkers which is needed as a few cars came close to the line.
Woke with a minor back ache. Went to the beach, walked to the Ali’i Market, stopped at a fruit stand. Later in the afternoon stopped at a local church site.
Magic Sands Beach, a short drive south of my place, or a 35 minute walk. The sand in the photo had been washed away during a winter swell to slowly return since…”not quite there” I was told by the County caretaker. On this day the surf was calm as the winds were blowing from shore, water is crystal clear and the right temperature. I learned from my last visit in 2019 best when just arriving and not wanting to get too sunburned to come out to the beaches early morning or later in the afternoon so I was here around 9 a.m.
Spend the day after leaving the beach to a bit of food shopping at Costco to keep my food budget from getting too expensive….chicken and tuna…enough to fill the month’s protein needs 🍞🐓🐟😋also salad fixin’s of course!
Before dinner walk to Kailua town 45 minutes away. Walking/hiking comes in 2 flavors in Hawaii either parallel to the ocean, kind of a flat or middlin’ elevation or on a steep up and down slope of the side of presently dormant Mauna Loa.
My body clock hasn’t adjusted, waking at 2 a.m. (8 back in Maryland), drift in and out of sleep to get up as the sun is coming up just before 6. Daylight is generally the same through my time here, sunrise before 5:45, sunset after 7. Drive south to Place of Refuge in Honaunau brief hike on the 1871 trail that runs along the ocean returning to my car around noon after wandering around the park. Stop in Holualoa for a burger at Rebel Kitchen 😎😋. Later in the afternoon drive north to Waikaloa Resort and Queen’s Market Place for Lei Day music, lei making and hula demo. My plan from the first was to be on Hawaii for today’s celebration.
Arrive Kona Airport in the afternoon. Two Hawaiian Air flights from San Jose to Honolulu for a brief stop, the second flight to Kona Airport After picking up my car travel to my place just a 45 minute walk south of Kailua town, 75-6081 Ali’i Drive Building X Unit 201.
Upper left, corner unit windows on 3 sides better to catch a breeze!
4 o’clock, unpack then quickly to Safeway to pick up a short list of breakfast and dinner items. Long 2 days of travel once I’m back feet up. Until tomorrow!
Today I’m off again on a 3:30 pm flight to San Jose there I’m spending a night to leave tomorrow morning on Hawaiian Air to Honolulu then Kona. Have set up a 2 br spot just a mile and a half south of town. This second time around has more of a personal purpose. Take it easy, take it slow, collect more memories to carry me on.
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