First day on the Big Island

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The first night in Kona on the Big Island threw us some curves. We reserved a cabin at Hapuna Beach campground, but didn’t realize that we needed a code in order to unlock the cabin. Damn details…they get ya every time! After business hours and in the dark of night, we set up camp outside of our locked cabin. The skies were incredibly clear and we stargazed for some time. Given that the night sky was completely exposed, Karel suggested he was going to sleep in his sleeping bag and not set up the tent, which I had no objections to. Then, as I walked back to the car for supplies, I saw a cute little scorpion scurry in front of me. So up the tents went.

The next morning was overcast and threatened rain. This day was an open day to do what we could find. By the evening, we had to be in Hilo (across the other side of the island) in order to pick up my mom and sister at the airport. We discovered petroglyphs on the map and set off, all the while keeping an eye on the clouds above.

The petroglyphs at Holoholokai Beach is a recommended stop. There is a 15-minute walk to the motherload of petroglyphs. There is a little bit of information about the site, but a lot of conjecture for the most part. I found the walk to the site quite interesting, a footpath straight from the Brothers Grimm’s imagination. The petroglyph in this photo is most likely a modern creation. The authentic petroglyphs were faded, but the reason I didn’t take any photos of the petroglyphs is the sprinkle of rain turned into an official downpour by the time we reached the site.

We dried off in the car, stopped for lunch at The Lotus Cafe, then journeyed around the southern horn of the Big Island to Hilo.