Ten Days in Hawaii - Day 4: Early Morning Snorkeling

The plan for this morning was to return to the snorkeling spot that Doug and Cathy went to yesterday morning.  Cathy and Heather decided not to go so it was just Doug, Ev, Val and myself.  It was a place called Two Step and was just to the north of The Place of Refuge we visited yesterday.  We were on the road just before 7:00 AM and were at Two Step within 20 minutes.  There were already a lot more people there since it was Saturday and many of the locals were there to enjoy the day.  A large group of people were launching large, outrigger canoes and others were just setting up in the picnic areas for a day at the beach.

The shoreline here was not a true beach, but covered in volcanic rock so it was a bit of a challenge getting to the beach.  Walking on the rocks wasn’t too bad, but there were spots that were wet and very slippery so you had to watch yourself.  Ev slipped and fell and got a few scrapes, but luckily nothing serious.  The reason this place is called Two Step is that there is a rock shelf which is made up of two steps and is the easiest place to get in the water.

The "two-step" entry spot with the Place of Refuge in the background.

The water was much rougher this morning than yesterday morning so it was a bit more of a challenge getting in the water as the shelf steps were slippery and the waves were hitting it.  Val and I managed to get into the water without incident although I slipped and made an awkward entry, but made it without problems.  The snorkeling was OK and we saw quite a few fish, but as the waves came in and receded it created a bit of a strong current and you had to keep track of where you were.  The rough water was also stirring up more sediment so the water wasn’t as clear as it could have been.  After about 30 minutes Val and I decided we had enough and decided to call it quits. 

The water was not nearly as calm as it was when we snorkeled near the Captain Cook Monument.

 

Getting out of the water was a little more difficult than getting in as you had to time the waves so they lifted you onto the steps and then get stable before they washed you back out.  I was successful, but a wave caught Val and she hit the rocks back first, but other than it being a little painful, she came out fine.  Doug stayed out quite a bit longer and told us if we swam a little further northward there were calmer spots with clearer water and more fish.  It's a shame the water wasn't calmer and also that Val and I weren't a little more patient because Two Step is suppose to be one of the best snorkeling spots on the Big Island.

Val enjoying the morning after snorkeling.

Lots of people already here considering it's not even 8:00 yet.

 

Ev decided not to snorkel so we joined her onshore and spent the rest of the time enjoying the great view and wonderful weather.  When Doug was done snorkeling we packed up and headed back to the house taking a different route along the coast.  We ended up at the small residential area along the bay we see below us from the lanai of our house.  There was a small park there called Kaelakekua Bay State Historical Park that looked across the bay to the Captain Cook Memorial and the place we snorkeled the other day.

You can't really see the Captain Cook Monument from the view, but we snorkeled right out by the point two days ago.

From the park it was back to the house where we spent the rest of the day relaxing around the house and enjoying the day.  I have mentioned relaxing quite a bit during this trip so maybe it’s time to talk about that.  When I say relaxing it might mean relaxing around the pool with palms trees overhead and a beautiful view of the coast.  It might mean sitting out on the lanai reading or talking with gentle winds blowing in to cool things off and enjoying the ever prevalent view of the coast.  It also might mean finding a secluded spot somewhere on the grounds and just spending some quiet time alone.  There are so many ways to relax here that it’s a wonder we find time to actually get out.

Heather and Cathy had decided to take the other car and explore on their own today and didn’t get back until late in the afternoon.  They went north to the town of Waimea and down the east coast of the island to Hilo and then back over the backbone road across the center of the island.  They had a great time and particularly liked the Waimea area.  We hope to visit that area ourselves before the end of our trip.

Tomorrow we are heading south to the Black Sand Beach and South Point, which is the southern-most point in the United States.