Like many of my vacations, this particular day in Hawaii actually had us hiking and snorkeling in multiple spots, though I tend to pick one location to focus on for my blog post title. In this case, hiking to “the end of the world” works on two levels. Not only does it refer to the area where we watched the sunset that evening, but it also adequately expresses the way we started our morning in Hawaii on January 13th, 2018.
Twenty Minutes Left to Live?
This particular morning was one of the few days my husband had off from his conference, so we were just waking up in preparation for a surfing/snorkeling excursion with two of our friends. Then, our emergency broadcast alarms went off on our phones. Incoming ballistic missile. Seek shelter immediately. This is not a drill.
We looked at each other for a moment, silently questioning if this was really happening, then got dressed quickly and headed to the hotel lobby. The lobby filled quickly with people from the hotel, the conference, and the beach outside. The crowd was relatively calm and quiet as we all studied our smartphones, trying to figure out what was going on and what our options would be when the missile hit.
It finally occurred to me that I should call our dogs’ boarding facility to let them know what was going on, and to ask them to hold onto our pups until one of our parents was able to come and for them. I was just dialing then number when, finally, the all-clear was posted on Twitter, informing us that it was an error.
I don’t usually post such a personal anecdote on my travel or hiking blog entries, but I thought it was important to share my experience as well as my take-away from this day. It occurred to me after the fact that I never thought to call any of my loved ones during those twenty minutes when I thought I was about to die. That revelation gave me pause for a bit, until I finally realized that it wasn’t a lack of consideration on my part. It was actually a testament to the closeness I felt for the people most important to me: these people already know, without a doubt, how I feel about them. No phone call was necessary.
As I’ve moved though my life in the years that have followed, I occasionally remember this particular morning and take the time to reassess my friendships. If I were to be told I had only twenty minutes left to live, would the people I love currently know how I feel? If not, then it’s time to rectify that.
Snorkeling at Kahalu’u Beach Park & Two Step
After shaking off the intensity of the morning, we headed out to our first surfing & snorkeling location. This black sand beach park has a monitored surfing area, with a calmer rocky cove just to the south. As expected, the currents are intense in the surfing area. I did some snorkeling there, and it’s a workout – be mindful of your own strength if you’re going to venture out in that direction.
After an intense swim at Kahalu’u, we headed south to another well-known snorkeling location, Two Step. This location can be a little rough getting in and out of the water, but once you’re in there’s some great views. Unfortunately my underwater camera’s batteries died before we arrived, so you’ll have to take my word for it!
Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park
Right next to Two Step is the Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park, where we stopped by for a quick visit. You can walk around the grounds and visit some of the relics and reconstructions of the community, and if you’re lucky you can see a sea turtle lounging on the beach.
Pu’uhonua O Honaunau 
Sea turtle at Pu’uhonua O Honaunau
The End of the World
As the afternoon drew to a close we headed to our last destination, the “End of the World” in the historic Lekeleke / Kuamo’o Burial Grounds. There’s a small parking area on Alii Drive, and then it’s a relatively short trek through the lava flows to the cliffs. Here, many visitors come for a quiet evening watching the waves crash up and above the several stories-tall rock formations.
You can read more about my trip to Kona, Hawaii, in my “Looking Back” blog series entry here.