I cannot tell you how good it feels to get out of the house, Seattle, the daily routine—and instead enjoy sun, warmth, and the joy of living in a big and beautiful world. And having Heather decide to join me at the last minute has made it even better.

We flew in yesterday, separately, and met at the condo we had rented in Waikoloa Village on the Kona side of the big island.

Since the forecast keeps predicting rain later in the week, we started with the priorities for sun: beach! We got up early and headed out—starting with a few hours of sunbathing and bodysurfing at Hapuna Beach a little further up the coast.

Since we are both pale as could be and our our shade umbrella wasn’t working, we stayed for as long as we thought we could without frying ourselves (unclear how successful we were on that!) and then left the beach for lunch in Waimea and a drive further up the coast to Waipio.

Waipio of a deep, verdant valley walled by cliffs and boasting a dramatic black sand beach. The views from on high are stunning and the experience below accessible only for those with four-wheel-drive or who are willing to clamber down on foot. We opted for the latter and were not disappointed! The place was incredible and the 26% grade of the road intense—we decided that if we lived here we’d do that hike at least once a week to stay fit 😜