We had a late evening flight out on our last day in Hawaii, so we spent the afternoon hiking Pololu Valley on the north peninsula of the Big Island, followed by a visit to Lapakahi State Historical Park. To this day, this picture above of Pololu Valley may be one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken.
The Pololu Valley Trail is a steep drop along the cliffs to a black sand beach, with stunning views of both the valley and the shore along the way. Be sure to wear sturdy footwear and stay aware of slick spots along the way, especially on misty days such as this.
After our first hike at Pololu Valley in the morning, we spent most of the afternoon at Lapakahi State Historical Park in Waimea, Hawaii. The terrain here is much more gentle than some of the other sites we visited on our trip, and features partially restored remains of an ancient fishing village. (Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop while you’re there – I’m a big fan of collecting t-shirts on my travels, and my shirt from Lapakahi is one of my favorites I’ve picked up!)
You can read more about my trip to Kona, Hawaii, in my “Looking Back” blog series entry here.