Mauna Kea is a beautiful white sand beach. It's technically a resort, but you can still go use the beach if you're not staying there.
Parking is limited, so you have to arrive early to ensure admittance. We chilled in the shade.
Good snorkeling along the Northern rocks near the hotel.
Beautiful vistas on the way back to Kona.
And feral goats along the road!
Ate poke bowls at Umeke's. This was my favorite meal of the trip, and it was so good, we went back another night. The spicy poke with crab and broccoli salad.
The avo poke with spicy crab salad. (Amazing--my favorite!)
Umeke's offers many different kinds of poke--raw tuna marinated with a variety of delicious ingredients, mostly variations of teriyaki and mayo. It's served with two scoops of rice and one side, which is a range of delectable salads. Then you can choose to get it sprinkled with furikake (seaweed).
2 bowls + dessert < $30.
We chilled out at the condo and took a nap before heading out to Humpy's Ale House for Happy Hour for some Hawaiian brewed beers. The smoked fish dip was great and we also had nachos with Luau pork which was uniquely good.
It was a fun evening.
These days had a strange backdrop to them. Upon arriving in Hawaii, we found out that a devastating earthquake had struck Nepal leaving close to 10,000 dead. On this day, Baltimore was burning. It was strange to be on vacation during such events, especially off the mainland. Everything, everyone felt so far away. Our surroundings were exotic, yet normal, almost like the bad things weren't happening across the world. It was such an unsettling disconnect.
