From South to North

After such a fabulous trip to the South end, we decided to head to the North End of the Island, to the village of Hawi. We chose the small, windy road that traversed the top of 5 extinct volcanoes on our way northward, driving into the clouds and greenery of the island's upcountry. Every few miles, the clouds would open, and we'd catch a glimpse of the ocean and beaches thousands of feet below. Pretty breathtaking.

When we got to the little village of Hawi, we had a delicious lunch at the historic Bamboo Restaurant, then ambled across the street for some macadamia nut ice cream (mom) and some fresh mango sorbet (me and KP). The village was preparing for it's annual "Trash Bash," where kids and adults in the community get together to put on a fashion show of outfits made completely of reused and recycled materials. We sat in the sun, enjoying our deserts, watching what was obviously a tight-knit community prepare for an event that was clearly fun and important to them.

After a few days on the island's Kona Dry side, we needed some Hilo-jungle side atmosphere, so we drove "around the corner" to the end of the road to a lush, beautiful rainforest valley, spending a few moments gazing over the cliffs to the sea below..AND seeing more whales. Were they following us?

The answer to that was clear when we drove to the very northern tip of Hawaii, only to see dozens more whale blows, fin slaps, and breaches. We think they were waving goodbye, as they began their 3000 mile swim back up to Alaska, and their first dinner in 6 months.

On the way back home, we stopped at a county park to watch the sun set. It was perfectly quiet, perfectly peaceful...just perfect.