March 15 - Punalu‘u Beach, etc.

It never rains in Kona. Flash flood warning!

Heavy drizzle. Breakfast at Huggo’s on the Rocks. Tiny portions on a paper plate. It's on the rocks, though. Perhaps we should have had the hotel’s buffet. It’s on the rocks, too. Too late now. Time to pack.

We hit the road. Showers of pounding rain, calm, drizzle, downpour again. But when we got to Punalu‘u Beach on the east shore, no rain!

We walked along the black sand beach and over the lava rocks full of tidepools. After the quiet road, it was a surprise how many people were there.

Chunlin spotted a sea turtle on the rocks, and then one on the sand (with a group of other people about ten feet away).

Nap time for turtle. Don't get too close!

I used my zoom lens, for just about the only time on the trip.

Chunlin took off her shoes and walked barefoot in the sand. I had my hands full with my camera most of the time, so I left mine on.

Back in the car, I put my sunglasses on, it was so bright out. We drove north and up. The rain resumed. We arrived at Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, 4000'+/- above sea level. Fog and rain surround us.

At the Visitors Center, we got out of the rain and watched a movie about Kilauea and lava.

Afterward, it was still raining. We proceeded down the road to the steam vents. Hot and wet! Chunlin liked it. The heat, not the wetness, that is.

Oh, what an exciting place Hawaii can be!