Waikoloa, HI - Day 1
Thursday, March 18
This morning, the whole family was awake at 3:00am. Thank you, jet lag! Hawaii’s time zone is six hours behind Wisconsin so our internal alarm clocks are all sorts of mixed up. I heard Aden come out of the bedroom he and Tory are sharing around 5:00am so I got up, too. Andi and Tory weren’t far behind us.
Andi decided to go to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the week. We needed things like shampoo and laundry detergent, in addition to groceries. The closest Wal-Mart to our condo in Waikoloa is located in Kona about 45 minutes away, so Andi ventured there. Meanwhile, Tory, Aden and I did school back at the condo. Seven o’clock in the morning might be the earliest we’ve ever cracked a book for school before, but it was nice to get it done and out of the way for the day. Tory, surprisingly, was the one giving me grief about doing school this morning, but we can’t afford to take a whole month’s break from learning. It’s called “roadschooling” for a reason! This time, it just so happens our home isn’t on wheels.
Around 10:00am and $450 later, Andi returned from Wal-Mart, Safeway grocery store and the farmer’s market. Hawaii is known for its expensive prices, especially on food, and the rumors are true. Some items like laundry detergent and alcohol were similarly priced to the mainland USA, but other things like fruits, vegetables and meat were more expensive — at least at the grocery store. The farmer’s market, Andi said, was a much better bargain.
After unloading groceries, the four of us put on our swimming suits and walked down the street of our condo complex to the pool. The view of the ocean was absolutely stunning!
Much of the western side of the Big Island is covered in fields of black lava which I wasn’t quite expecting (though it makes sense since there are volcanoes here). Intermingled with the lava rock are dozens of picture-perfect resorts with beautiful tropical flowers and palm trees, manicured green grasses, golf courses, shopping and lodging. We’re staying in one of those resort areas called Hali’i Kai at Waikoloa.
The pool area was practically empty Thursday morning. Andi and I found ourselves a couple of lounge chairs to sit in while Tory and Aden jumped into the water. Yep, this will do!
Some of the resorts we’re staying at on this trip require reservations for public places like the pool and the gym, but Hali’i Kai isn’t one of them. There are face covering requirements while walking around the pool area and yellow tape on the ground marking social distancing for lounge chairs, but otherwise everything felt pretty “normal” there.
Tory and Aden quickly made friends with the other kids swimming in the pool, and spent the rest of the morning diving for rings with them. Meanwhile, Andi and I relaxed on the lounge chairs and soaked up some much needed Vitamin D. Life felt pretty close to heaven at the moment!
Around 1:00pm, the four of us walked back to our condo unit for lunch. There is a restaurant at the Hali’i Kai pool, but it felt nice to get out of the sun for a bit and eat in our own space — especially since Andi just bought groceries. Tory really wanted a $10 smoothie from the pool bar like all her new friends were enjoying, so I made her one at home in our condo with fresh mango and papaya. I also made her favorite “snack lunch” with deli turkey, cheese, crackers and fruit for lunch & Aden his go-to hot dog with “red chips” (Doritos) and fruit. Andi and I split a sub-par Asian chicken salad from the grocery store deli counter & sat outside on our condo’s patio enjoying the warm weather.
The Kona side of the Big Island has more sunny days than anywhere else in the state, but the only downside (if you can even call it that) is the wind. Boy, is it windy here! As the black lava on the western side of the island heats up during the day, the warm air rises and cooler ocean air blows in creating very strong winds. Our condo’s patio might just be the best spot in the whole resort because it’s warm, but shaded, and completely protected from the wind. I could have sat out there all afternoon.
Andi’s friend Clark, who lives in Hawaii, invited us to meet him at his favorite beach on the island to watch the sunset this evening. It’s nice having a local tour guide who’s happy to share his favorite tips with us! Andi and I decided to go there a few hours early to play at the beach before meeting Clark. The condo we’ve rented for the week has tons of beach toys to use — boogie boards, sand toys, beach mats and an umbrella. We loaded up our rental car with all the beach goodies + a cooler of cold drinks and snacks, and headed to Hapuna Beach just north of where we’re staying.
Andi and I were surprised to find a completely full parking lot at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area. Wow! There were a lot of people there, but fortunately there was also plenty of room on the sand to find a spot to sit and enjoy the view.
Aden was determined to go boogie boarding and ran for the ocean with the board tucked under his little arm the minute we settled in for the afternoon. Andi quickly followed, for as brave and fearless as Aden is, he’s also only seven years old & not as skilled at swimming in the ocean as he might believe. Together Andi and Aden road the waves while Tory played in the sand. I love watching the kids play at the beach as they use their creativity to dig holes and build castles with moats.
Hapuna Beach was absolutely beautiful, but the wind was whipping causing grains of sand to fly across the beach with gusto. After getting a face full of sand more than once, Andi and I decided to move closer to a rock wall near the entrance of the beach for more protection. The sun also felt extra hot on our pale Midwestern skin, so it was nice to find a patch of partial shade.
Around 5:00pm, Clark arrived and together we all sat on the beach catching up. A few of his friends arrived shortly thereafter, and joined our group to watch the sun set on the day. Clark said he and his friends typically meet at the beach 3-4 times a week to watch the sunset together. Locals call it Pau Hana (as in, “Want to Pau Hana?”) which translates to “after work” — sort of like meeting for happy hour.
By sunset, the beach had cleared out of people except for a few small groups here and there. We witnessed one guy drop down on one knee & propose to his girlfriend which was neat to see. Then around 6:45pm, we all walked back to the parking lot together in one of the most intense bursts of wind I’ve ever experienced. High on a ridge above the beach where the parking lot was, the wind was so strong we could barely peel our car’s doors open to climb inside. It was nuts! We shouted good-bye to Clark and made our way back to our condo in Waikoloa.
The four of us were wind blown and covered in sweat and sand — and neither Andi or I felt like cooking dinner. So, we stopped at the Foodland Market on the way to grab something quick to eat, returning home with a rotisserie chicken which we paired with steamed broccoli and fruit. Andi put dinner together while Tory, Aden and I took showers. We were all exhausted from waking up so early and being in the sunshine all day. After dinner, Aden looked at Andi and said, “Can I go to bed?” He did just that, and the three of us followed suit not long afterward. Hopefully, we all get a good night’s rest tonight and our bodies start to acclimate to the time change.
Tomorrow — it’s Friday! And another day of sunshine and warm weather. Can’t wait.
