Kailua-Kona, also called Kona Town, is the second-largest settlement on the Island of Hawaii (after Hilo) and the waterfront hub of the Kona Coast. Our airbnb was within walking distance of downtown, but we hadn't checked it out yet. So before leaving town this morning, we went to have a look.
Downtown Kona is a cute tourist hub on scenic Kailua Bay, with the typical hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops one might expect in any beach town. There are a couple of historic sites, but the real star is the beautiful bay, where we were excited to see a honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) swimming around. Less than an hour here was plenty, but I'm glad we stopped by.
What a stump!
Kailua Bay
Jana and Tom in downtown Kona
Today, we were headed to Volcano Village via South Point and the district of Ka'u. Ka'u, the southernmost district in the state of Hawaii, is where the Polynesians are thought to have first landed on the archipelago. This rural area remains secluded and sparsely inhabited to this day.
Scenic overlook
The Road to the Sea is a very rough unpaved road that's been roughly graded through a hardened lava flow from 1968. High-clearance 4x4 very necessary! Even with the Jeep, it was such slow going that we turned around before reaching the remote beach at the end of the six-mile-long road. I can't imagine the tough off-the-grid people who live along this road and have to traverse it regularly, but what a view! Surreal.
Road to the Sea
Driving through the moonscape
South Point Road is much more civilized. If you follow the paved road to its end, you'll come to a place where, at certain times, crazy visitors are compelled to fling themselves into the sea from the 40-foot cliffs. South Point is a rare area of the world where the water gets deep enough fast enough to fish for marlin from the shore. No jumpers today, but lots of fishermen.
South Point Cliffs
Jump at your own risk
Cliff Dive Cove
From the cliffs, we continued south on foot to the southernmost point of the United States! No sign marks the spot, but it seemed clear enough when nothing was further south. Depending on the tide level, the exact southernmost point might vary slightly, but once we got our feet wet, we considered ourselves there. We had no intention of getting swept into the sea – next stop, Antarctica!
Path to the southernmost point
Contrasting colors
Southernmost man in the USA!
Southernmost woman!
Returning to the Belt Road, we made a short stop inside the Kahuku Unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where we'd planned to hike up an extinct cinder cone. Unfortunately, it started to rain, putting a kibosh on our plans. So we continued driving, sans scenic views, anxious to get to Volcano Village before dark.
Silly goats
Despite the rain, we made a quick stop inside the main unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park just to get our bearings before continuing on to our airbnb. It was absolutely pouring down rain and getting foggy. With sunset coming quick, it was time to get off the road.
Lodging: House of the Volcano Goddess airbnb, Alaula Street, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Volcano, Hawaii. The house was in a little neighborhood in the middle of nowhere, which is just what we expected and desired. The place was huge, clean, and newly built, with a king-sized bed and large kitchenette. The host had left the door unlocked, with the key on the dining table. We're here four nights.
House of the Volcano Goddess airbnb
Large and comfy
There's no real grocery store in tiny Volcano Village, so we'd stocked up on provisions in Kona. I'm glad we did, because the visibility on the road tonight was almost nil. So for dinner, we dined on our emergency cans of ravioli and macaroni and cheese in the comfort of our lodging. Naturally, we were prepared with beer as well.