Saturday, July 10, 2021
Headed to Kailua-Kona
Today kinda counted as a rest day after the really long day of touring the Southernmost point yesterday. I slept in till about 7am, worked on my blog, ate breakfast, and took my time getting ready. My friend had planned on meeting me at one of the National Parks here on The Big Island next to the Kailua-Kona area on the West side, about an hour drive one way from where I was staying in the North.
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
When we arrived at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, all we saw was a small visitor center surrounded by lots of lava rock. We did not really know what to expect from what we saw. The park is quite vast and has a bunch of walking trails through thick lava rocks that lead to the gorgeous coastline. There are beautiful beaches with sea turtles, fish ponds, anchialine pools, bird-watching, and a variety of plant life that has adapted to this unique landscape. The ancient Hawaiians used this area to collect fresh water and fish along the volcanic shores where they found their “mana,” or spiritual energy of power and strength.
“Kipuka” – Place of Cultural and Spiritual Significance
We learned the ancient Hawaiians created these massive lava rock walls to catch and store fish from the sea, and that this was King Kamehamehaʻs favorite place. In the 1970’s, this area was close to being destroyed and developed into a hotel. The local government in Hawaii wrote reports to congress to help preserve the area as a National Historical Park. They are still working on renovating the area to look like it did when it was first built over 800 years ago. Since 1978, the Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park has helped to instill the Hawaiian culture, traditions, and spirit, and continues to honor the sacred “kipuka” grounds of The Big Island.
Kona Celebration
Instead of wearing my graduation cap today, I gave the honors to a Hawaiian wooden art sculpture (see our big smiles, lol). Since I was in the area, I thought it would be fun to hit up Kona Brewing Company for some food and cold beer. I ordered a Lemongrass Beer and their Pepperoni Pizza Rolls (pizza shaped like a cinnamon roll), and was pleasantly surprised by both. Cheers to another celebratory day with Jaime in Hawaii in July!
Thank you for reading and viewing,
Dr. Jaime Brainerd, Ed.D.
Another exciting day with awesome photos!!