A few years ago, Rebecca started this thing were we would write down memorable things and place the slip of paper in a jar to read at the end of the year. Well, we've never really been any good at keeping up with it, an have more or less discontinued the practice, but as I was cleaning the shelves tonight in anticipation of our upcoming year long trip, I came across a jar full of cool things from 2014. Before I recycle the slips of paper, I wanted to capture what was written and by whom. So, here goes . . .
10/24/2013 - Jonah pitched his first game. He struck out two batters, got a single and a double and drove in three runs. He also scored a run and stole a base!
Dec 31/Jan 1 - We drove home from NJ and arrived at 10:30 pm. Watched fireworks at midnight from the bedroom window with Jonah while Mom and Maya slept - Pop
1/3/201 - Snow Day! Priya, Jolie and Lucien came over and played all day. Then we went to the Wizards game. The Raptors won 101-88 - Mom
1/3/2014 - WE GOT A GUINEA PIG!! - Maya
1/3/2014 - We got Sugar!! - Jonah
1/3/2014 - Paul and I went to the Phillips Collection to see the Van Gogh Exhibit. We saw Renoir's Boating Party and some excellent Van Goghs. - Rebecca
1/4/2014 - Priya and Jolie came over and we went sledding ! - Maya
1/4/2014 - Paul got tickets to Woolly Mammoth "The Pajama Men". Hilarious! Had sushi at Zento then laughed uproariously at the show. - Rebecca
1/20/2014 - Sugar and Spice meet for the first time. They rubbed noses and sniffed butts! - Paul
2/1/2014 - Jonah's pinewood derby racer "Red Oak" came in 2nd place overall in his den - Pop
2/3/2014 -Maya put on all the fencing gear for the first time. It was sweaty, she said. - Pop
2/8/2014 - Rebecca's birthday party when the Griffin's (Gary and Alex) played guitar and sang and the Scott's (Megan and David) did the Charleston.- Paul
2-12-2014 - At the start of a snowstorm that might bring 12 to 14 inches. Exciting! - Paul
3-3-2014 - The distance between the table and the front door is a hop, skip, jump and a handstand. - Jonah
3-3-2014 - Monday, snow day! School shut down. Government too. - Paul
3-8-2014 - Playing hockey with Evan and Taylor at school.
3-22-2014 - Sugar spent the niight under the shed. What a relief to get her back the next day! - Pop
3-22-2014 - Watched the Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil show at George Mason Patriot Center. - Pop
9-20-2014 - Nando's Peri Peri for Mom's 68th birthday with Christine, Gabe, and Cathy. - Paul
Day Seven – South Point to Green Sand Beach to Volcanoes National Park
We had to back-track a little to get to South Point, the
southernmost point in the United States.
It was a pleasant ride along a one-lane paved road to a cliff
overlooking the sea where there isn’t much to do but take pictures to show
you’d been there. Along the way we
passed solitary houses painted into endless fields. It’s not hard to imagine the solidarity of
those who call this vast plain home.
The strong winds at South Point blew us sideways |
Just east of South Point is Mahana Beach, also known as
Green Sand Beach. This one of a kind beach
owes its color to a semi-precious gem called Olivine. Thick veins of the stuff contained in ancient
eruptions ended at the ocean, which continues to dismantle it into sand
particles. Because the dirt road to the
beach is full of deep ruts and requires a 4WD vehicle, we left Mahana Pu’u and
walked the two miles to a cliff overlooking the horseshoe shaped cove. We scrambled down a well-trodden path to the
shore for pictures, and were reminded of the unpredictability of the ocean when
a wave raced up to our ankles while we had our backs turned. Chastened, and wet, we hopped in the back of
a local’s pickup truck for a bouncy ride back to the makeshift parking lot.
Maya and I on the hike to the Green Sand |
We finally arrived at Volcanoes National Park campground and
grilled our dinner. We had only managed
one shower during our week on the road, a blessedly warm one at Ho’okeena
Beach, and rinsing off with warm water from the restroom sink felt like quite
an indulgence.
Afterwards, we hiked the short distance to Jagger
Museum to view exhibits on the history of the park and information about the
different volcanic eruptions. As night
fell, we moved to the Kilauea Caldera overlook adjacent to the museum. At the time we visited, the caldera had a
hole the size of three football fields filled with a lava lake. Although the lava is not visible from the
overlook, because it was a clear night, we could see the fiery glow light the
sky like a flashlight with red cellophane covering the lens.
Camping at Volcanoes National Park |
To view actual lava flows from Pu’u O’o vent, which has been slowly oozing lava since 1983, required a strenuous hike outside the park boundaries at the time of our visit. Instead, we set out for Kileaua I’ki crater early the next morning. This outstanding hike winds gently through a tropical rainforest before descending steeply to the other-worldly crater floor of Kileaua Iki, which erupted for 36 days in 1959. Now, the natural stillness of crater, with steam escaping through cracks in the lava floor, is an eerie reminder that there is nothing like this back home.
There was a lot left to discover in the park, but the four-mile hike tested both the limits of our kids and of our time. As we scrambled up the last incline to the parking lot and a waiting Mahana Pu’u, we had just enough time to high-tail down Mauna Loa to Hilo for a hasty drop-off at the garage and shuttle to the airport. It wasn’t until we were settled into our seats that our accomplishment, mixed with melancholy, set in. It had been another eventful day in a week full of memories.
In the crater |
With the size of the island, and the variety of things to do at every turn, there just hadn’t been enough time to do it all. Turning my eyes from the window, I met my wife’s smile from across the aisle. I was grateful to have made and shared these memories with her and our children, but I knew that we had left a lot of memories behind. And that we would be coming back to collect them.
Day Six – Ho’oKeena Beach to Punalu’uu Beach
To see dolphins in their natural habitat is a special
thrill. We have become so familiar with
seeing them in captivity that we have forgotten that the vast ocean is really
their home. Over the course of our two
days in Ho’okeena we had the good fortune to see pairs of them twisting and
spinning out of the surf on several occasions while we sat on the beach or
frolicked at the waters edge. As we
finished breakfast on our final day at Ho’okeena, a pod of spinner dolphins came
carousing into the cove like a bunch of frat boys returning from a night
out.
Rebecca, ever ready for an
adventure, instantly donned her swimsuit and swam out to the general vicinity. Keeping a safe distance so as not to disturb
their relaxation, she was able to observe for nearly an hour while the pod circled
slowly back and forth less than twenty yards beneath her. She was most impressed with how the dolphins
touched fins as they swam. Watching them
this way gave her the thrill of a lifetime and she got some great photos as
well.
After that excitement, we said goodbye to Ho’okeena, and drove
south for Pu’uhonua o Honaunau and the Place of Refuge. The former was one of the most important
residences of the royal chiefs and it was particularly relaxing to sit under
the shade of the swaying palms on this hot day.
The Place of Refuge, located across a narrow inlet of water from the
palace, was a safe haven for defeated warriors or noncombatants who had broken
a sacred law and who must pay with their life.
If the offender could make it to the place of refuge before being caught,
a ceremony of absolution would be performed and he or she could return home
safely.
While we sat in the shade cast by the great stone wall that
encircled the shelter and contemplated the bay, we could see a passel of snorkelers
just past the boat launch. Checking the
guidebook, we realized this was Honaunau Bay, one of the premier snorkeling
spots on the island. After wolfing down delicious
roasted vegetable sandwiches we had purchased from a nearby deli, we changed
into our swim suits and splashed out into the protected cove. After checking out many colorful and oddly
shaped fish which I was beginning to be able to name on sight, my wife tugged
at my sleeve. I followed her direction
and was amazed to see a pod of eight dolphins cruising together silently below
us. We watched together, my wife’s
second dolphin swim of the day, pleased with this unexpected treat.
When we finally reached, Punalu’u Beach Park, it was late
afternoon. One of the draws of the Big
Island is its beaches – and in particular, the uniqueness of its black sand
beaches. Black sand beaches are formed
when hot lava travels downhill to the sea, shatters as it is quenched by the water,
and then is pulverized over time by the ocean.
Punalu’u on the southwest side of
the island is one of the most accessible black sand beaches, and has the added
bonus of being a popular spot for green sea turtles to beach themselves.
There were only a handful of visitors to the beach, and no
other campers, when we pulled in. After selecting
the choicest camping spot, we walked the short distance to the beach and found a
cluster of turtles like corpses along the tideline. As the tide rose, the cold water seemed to
wake them from the dead. However, even
sea turtles move very slowly, and after several found their way back to sea to
feed, we walked back to Mahana Pu’u, admiring the clear night and huddling together
against the cool breeze.
Later that night, as the kids slept snuggled down into their blankets, my wife and I sat outside Mahana Pu’u under a full moon and listened as the surf drummed its age old beat against the rocky shore. We felt very lucky as we finally closed the door of Mahana Pu’u for the night and enjoyed the warmth of our island home.
Day Five - Ho’okeena Beach
Ho'okeena Beach at sunset |
We woke at the beach and spent all day building sandcastles
and riding waves. Several times green sea turtles swam past while we floated
in the cool water. The configuration of the swimming area was such that a
wave would occasionally ricochet back at us off the base of the cliff. My daughter coined these “sidewaves” and we
had fun looking over our shoulders so we weren’t caught off guard. We took lessons from a local boy on how best
to use our boogie boards to maximize the ride, and although the waves paled in
comparison to those at Hapuna Beach, we barely left the water all day.
After dinner, as we sat looking at the surf and listening to a group of locals strumming guitars while the sun made its way to the horizon, my daughter mentioned that we hadn’t done anything all day except swim. I told her, this is what it’s like to be a beach bum.
Day Four - Spencer Beach to Ho’okeena Beach
Enjoying a shave ice |
We expected the normal sibling squabbling, and it was
exacerbated a bit by the close proximity with which the kids had to sit, sleep,
and live each day. But overall, they had
been pretty well-behaved. They had even expressed
some interest in Kamehameha, perhaps because it is a fun name to say. So we were pleased to learn that one of the
more important cultural sites was right next door to our Spencer Beach camp.
Kamehameha
was instructed by the Gods to build Pu’ukohola Heiau (a heiau is akin to a
shrine) as a tribute in his quest to conquer all the islands. His chief rival was the first human sacrifice
at the Heiau, and later, when a volcano spewed forth and engulfed a rival army,
the masses could not deny Kamehameha was to be king. We watched a short movie at the visitor
center about Kamehameha’s life and learned to play Konane, a traditional
Hawaiian game like checkers.
Maya, Queen of Konane |
Afterwards we drove south from Kona, hugging the shoreline
so closely the waves seemed like they could crash across the road in front of
us. Eventually, the road began to climb
the sides of Mauna Loa volcano to a series of towns that produce the world
acclaimed Kona coffee. Not being avid
coffee drinkers, we decided to pass on taking one of the many advertised farm tours
and instead listened to our happy songs and kept an eye on the stunning views
that the winding country road offered from this elevation.
When we eventually made our turn-off, we descended on a
deserted road through pastures with a few grazing cows and horses to Ho’okeena
Beach. We had targeted this beach as a
camping spot for two reasons; first, we had read good things about the
friendliness and cleanliness of this beach since operation of the facilities
was ceded from the county to a local non-profit in 2009. Second, its protected cove created a shelter for
dolphins to rest during the day. This
made it a prime spot to be able to view and swim with wild dolphins without
having to pay what the Kona hotels charged to swim with their own captive
dolphins.
Rebecca finds her king(s) |
At times I feel Rebecca loves dolphins more than she loves me |
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