This morning we woke up bright and early to make the two hour drive across the Big Island to Hilo. We took Saddle Road which featured stunning views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The landscape changed from green and tropical into a Mars-like area with just open spaces and rock formations as we got closer and closer to the volcanoes. And then as we approached Hilo, it turned back into the lush, green rainforest vibe that you think of when you think of Hawaii.
Our first stop on this busy day was to explore the Kaumana Caves, a lava tube created by Mauna Loa’s 1881 eruption. Steep stairs descend into the mouth of the cave and there are actually two entrances. You can really only explore the beginning of each cave opening, but it was cool to see the dripping vines and the lava rock.
Next we headed to the iconic Rainbow Falls. This was a gorgeous waterfall literally right off the parking lot. The area was busy with tourists, but the waterfall was gorgeous and we had fun taking silly photos and walking around. The waterfall got its name because when the sun shines, the water vapor makes a rainbow. Unfortunately for us, it was cloudy when we were there. Walking up nearby steps took us into a huge banyan tree area that was equally as gorgeous. The trees were massive and it was really cool to think about how long they must have been there. I can imagine how children growing up nearby must have had so much fun playing in the roots and vines!
After Rainbow Falls we headed to Richardson’s Ocean Park which is known for its black sand beach, clear waters, and vibrant marine life. We packed our snorkeling gear but as soon as we got there the weather was still overcast and the water looked very choppy. I think after our amazing day at Two-Step yesterday, we were both reluctant to try anything that wouldn’t be as good. So…. instead we focused on hiking around the beach over to the tall lava rock “hills” along the shore to the right of our picnic table. Jack and MaLeah had told us that this was the beach to see wild sea turtles chilling in the tidal pools of the lava rocks. When the tide goes out, the turtles get hours of resting time in the deep pools and then when the tide comes back in, they can swim back out into the open waters.
We scrambled up the jagged lava ‘hills’ to get to the area with the pools. At first we didn’t see any turtles, but then your eyes sort of adjust and start picking them out in the water. They were huge! Much larger than I was imagining! And they were just sleeping along the edge of the tidal pool water. The one pool where we hung out the most had 5 turtles sleeping in it. Occasionally they’d wake up and take a little lap around the pool before either returning to their favorite rock or finding a new place to lay. It was really cool to be so close to them. We spent hours just staring at them, looking at their shells, watching them swim, taking selfies near them, etc. Owen had the great idea to put the GoPro camera underwater to try to get some video from that perspective and it turned out sooooo cool! We didn’t stay long enough to watch the tide come in and the turtles leave. The weather kicked up a little rain shower and we knew we still had more to do in Hilo, so eventually we pulled ourselves away from the amazing pools and packed up.
We still had two more things to do on our Hilo itinerary. First we headed to a small farmers market where we were able to shop for fresh fruits and veggies and hand-made crafts. We hadn’t planned on stopping here, but we just happened to see it! After shopping, we were hungry, so we headed back to Pineapples for another round of amazing food. I got the pork nachos and Owen had a pulled pork sandwich. Both were yummy!
Even though the weather seemed to be deteriorating a bit, we forged ahead with our “scenic drive” that we had read about online. This was supposed to be a spectacular drive through a rainforest working our way towards the botanical garden — and it was magnificent! The tight two-lane road wound its way through gorgeous trees and streams. We pulled off at the designated spot and took a short hike that brought us through part of the botanical garden and eventually down to the coast. We even had to walk across a small stream and up an embankment to find ourselves at the top of a little cliff overlooking the crashing waves. It was really cool and we were totally alone! We watched the waves for a bit and snapped some photos, just enjoying the moment.
Our last stop was to head to the famous Akaka Falls State Park which featured a hiking trail and a 400+ foot waterfall. We drove all the way there only to find out that we missed the park’s closing time by 15 minutes! We were bummed but it HAD been a long day and when we thought back on it, the only thing we may have done differently would have been to save the meal at Pineapples for later in the evening. But…. there was nothing we could do about it now!
Instead of driving back straight across the island past the volcanoes again, we decided to take a route that was about 20 minutes longer, but took us north and through the Waimea region — something we hadn’t seen before. The drive was beautiful with the setting sun highlighting the rolling hills and gorgeous coastline. We originally planned a day in this area, but it turned out that we never made it back, so I’m really glad that we at least got to drive through it!