I stayed in Kona, which is on the dry side of the island. The weather was predictably great, and the people were friendly and laid back. A common sight was seeing people riding in the beds of trucks. Some of them even had their own chairs! Not ok on the mainland.
As far as adventures go, I made it to the top of Mauna Kea, the highest point in Hawaii. This is my 4th highpoint, and first one outside of the midwest. It wasn't physically hard to get up there, but it did take an SUV with 4WD. Part of the road to the summit is gravel, so they don't want other vehicles going on that stretch of road. Before I got that far, though, I went on another interesting path called "saddle road". Ok, so it wasn't that interesting, but there were several one lane bridges, scary hills, and some pretty good curves.
I also drove to pololu valley, which is on the northern part of the island. It was a beautiful sight, as I saw some waterfalls off cliffs into the ocean. The sands were black there, making this beach unique. It wasn't too crowded, but there were other people there.
For the most part, though, I spent our time on the big island relaxing and going to comfortable beaches in Kona. Each beach offered something a little different, from big waves to sea turtles. It was a great trip and I hope to visit Hawaii again!
