Monday, April 5

Andi made plans to spend the day with his friend Clark on the Big Island today. The boys met up around 7:00am to paddle board around the Kawaihae Reef with a few of Clark’s other friends. Andi said the weather was beautiful on the water so early in the morning — not as windy as it tends to be on the Kohala Coast as the day progresses.

Meanwhile, Janie, Tory, Aden and I stayed back at the condo. Tory slept in late while I did my workout, and Janie and Aden walked to the KTA grocery store about a mile away to pick up more fruit and milk. Later that morning, the kids and I did school and then we all went to the pool for our 10:30am reservation.

One benefit of needing a reservation to use the pool during COVID is that it’s never busy. There’s always plenty of lounge chairs and ample room to swim in the pool. The downside, at least at Paniolo Greens Resort, is that time slots to use the pool are only one hour long and that time goes by quickly. If we’re late getting to the pool (which, knowing me, we usually are) it cuts into our swim time quickly!

For lunch, Janie and I pulled together leftovers for everyone. Then, we lounged around the condo and talked for a bit during the hottest hours of the day.

Around 3:00pm, I suggested we check out the third national historic site on this part of the Big Island — Pu’ukoloa Heiau National Historic Site. This site preserves the ruins of a major sacrificial temple built with the intention of uniting all the Hawaiian islands together under King Kamehameha's rule. I find the history of the Hawaiian islands fascinating. It wasn’t that long ago (the year 1791) that King Kamehameha’s rival cousin, Keōua, was sacrificed at this very location to win good favor with the Hawaiian war god. In addition to the history, it’s incredible to think about temples like this one, built by hand, still in tact for the most part. It really speaking to its craftsmanship.

Janie, Tory, Aden and I watched a short video about King Kamehameha, the building of the temple, and the prophecy it fulfilled and then we walked to the temple itself to get a closer view. It was still really hot outside mid-day (82 and sunny) and the short .5 mile trail weaved right through a black lava field. Tory was melting in the heat, of course, unsure if she’d be able to take one more step without combusting. Together, we sat on a park bench in the shade and worked on their Junior Ranger packets for a bit before continuing on to the temple.

Around 4:00pm, Andi messaged to let us know that he was on his way to the Kona airport. He and Clark were planning to go flying in Clark’s airplane.

I decided to take Janie and the kids to Hapuna Beach to watch the sunset. Around 5:00pm, the weather on the northwest side of the Big Island is absolutely gorgeous. The sun is just a little bit cooler the hour before sunset and makes the air temperature perfect for sitting outdoors.

Aden played in the surf while Tory built sandcastles, then the kids walked along the shore with Janie. They found a freshwater spring at the end of the beach that felt like quicksand when they stood on it.

The other times we’ve visited Hapuna Beach have been really windy, but tonight was perfect. No wind, miles of golden sand before us, and a beautiful sunset to close out the day.

As we were packing up to leave, a man approached our beach blanket with a boogie board and a beach chair in his arms. He said their family was flying home tomorrow and he wanted to give us their beach gear if we were interested in it. I said sure! Add it to the pile — we seem to accumulate more and more everyday. Aden was thrilled to have a new boogie board to use!