Big surf from tropical storm remnants and jet lag helped us make a decision to stay close to Kona and find sheltered water and a beach to enjoy. Waikoloa fit that bill perfectly. Not great for snorkeling, but great gentle surf.
1 View from our condo home. Kona Reef has always treated us well with very reasonable rates.
2 The view from out deck.
3 Everyone was happy to be in Hawaii.
4 Unusually high surf was pounding our shoreline for several days. Note the basalt... it's obviously everywhere considering that it is the island's main building block.
5 WIth high surf nearly everywhere on the Big Island we headed to Waikoloa Beach for a little refuge, thanks to the reefs.
6 Grandma and Zephyr at Waikoloa Beach
7 Zephyr enjoys the coral-dervied white sands.
8 GoPro shot of Grandpa and Z on the beach.
9 GoPro shot of Grandpa and Z on the beach.
10 Laura and Z share some good times in the warm waters.
11 Auntie Mandy and Zephyr take a snack break.
12 Brought the snorkling gear, but quickly found out this was not the place for that. Too murkey, and not much was living. Slate Pencil Urchin.
13 Grandma, Z and Grandpa enjoy the waves.
14 We put our Jeeps to good use on the way back from Waikoloa. Turning off of a spur to Kekaha Kai, we took a 'road' across several miles of pa hoe hoe lava flows to get to an awesome black sand beach.
15 Laura was glad to get out of the bumpy car ride.
16 The beach was near the airport, so we got to see some cool planes.
17 Including this C-130 that kept making touch and go's.
18 Coconut!
19 Look carefully for the black streaks in above Z's head. That's him throwing the black sands.
20 Mom takes a postcard shot of Z to send everyone back at home.
21 Still throwing the rocks.
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23 Group Shot! I got a little more tan as the week wore on.
24 Laura explains the complexities of weathering and erosion to Z.
