The Three Coconuts

Another great morning, Blain started out with a bike ride while Ty had to do some homework and I cooked. He'll have to tell you all about the bike. The fun began as we packed up and headed North.... we were at least well fed as we started this adventure, and we carried a pic nic lunch. We did all split the famous cinnamon roll from Lava Java wish we would have taken a picture.... we may have to try to reapeat the experience just for the photo. Difficult to describe the roll, definately croissant bread, icing only drizzled over top, but possibly the richest most buttery roll I've ever eaten. Crispness of the outside made me suspect deep frying, but I couldn't be sure. Anyway, we headed up the coast making our first stop at Hapuna Beach. Famous for being one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We were not let down. It was nice to feel the fine sand (made me yearn for St. Augustine) only difference was the sand was a mix of black and white grains. Snorkeled and hung out a while before moving on.

Lunched in car en route to Hawi for ice cream snack at Tropical Island Dreams. Famous local ice cream.... we shared Kona coffee-brownie flavor, what an experience. Sorry PaPa, wish we could get some of that to Live Oak for you, we did feel some guilt about eating your favorite flavors. The Genius is still working on the logistics of shipping ice cream that distance.

To Kapau'u, past King Kamehameha statue (same one as located in front of Judicial building in Honolulu) to Big Island Eco Adventures. Very nice people and company, two personable Hawaiian guides to ensure our safety and we headed up a very rough old sugarcane road to the mountain to start our zip lining. Photos tell this story best.

e travelled back South by way of Waimea which is ranching country on the Big Island. Over a few significant mountains we got some great views, a few sprinkles of rain and an inspiring rainbow. Hope the photos depict the intensity of the colors, which were much better than I've ever seen. Not sure if it was the altitude or air quality than made the rainbow so bright.

The EcoSystems here are phenomenal. In one day, without an excessive amount of driving we went from the beach areas typical of Hawaii expectations, through Lava fields with their miles and miles of messages left in white stones against the black lava, through desolate desert looking scrub lands with cacti and trees that should have been in West Texas, to lush rain forest covered mountains and gorges, to fertile ranch land with very oddly shaped hills and wind so constant that all the trees bent uniformly, through some area of scrub land that, at the higher elevation along the road to Waimea, I could only describe as this would be what the world would look like after a nuclear holocaust (note this picture was taken less than 3 miles from the ranch picture, and on the same bright day). The lines for each of these systems were very distinct, the volcanos and the oceans and the winds determine very clearly who gets what here, and much of it tends to lean to the extemes of nature.

It was a long day on the road, we grabbed BBQ in Waimea at Huli Sues for supper (YUM) and back home for more homework.... poor Genius.