Pololu Valley Lookout

After our hard work in the kitchen for seven straight days in a row, Terry and I were ready for our four day weekend.  On the first day, we explored the area north of Kona in our rented Hyundai Elantra.  The landscape was various kinds of lava fields. If you looked on a topographic map, you could find out which year it was that the lava flowed in that area.  Since the Big island of Hawaii has five volcanoes, that's a lot of lava.

This lava has been there long enough for scrub grass to grow

 Pololu Beach on the north east shore, is covered in fine black sand and rounded lava rocks, 400 feet down the cliffs from the lookout, and is accessed by a steep trail covered in big boulders.  Apparently it's treacherous when rain makes the clay slippery.

It was the middle of the day when we started climbing down.  The walking stick I borrowed from the selection at the top of the trail proved very useful.

Terry crossed this small river that narrowed from a pond in search of birds.  A Great Egret and a Black Crowned Night Heron were captured in his camera lens.

 A small tree clings tenaciously to life amidst the weathered lava rocks.  People used these rocks at one time to build temples, houses, and other structures.  A giant chain of people would pass the rocks up the cliff from hand to hand.

Trying to capture the big wave on my small camera.

We looped our way home on another highway cutting through the middle of the island, past grassy meadows that could've been in the Okanagan.

A good first day off!
By the way, pictures with the date in yellow are from Terry's camera.