Southernmost Point in the U.S.

Steve's parents were supposed to arrive today. However, they encountered idiocy at its most idiotic in Springfield, Ill., where they were unable to check in for their flight because the ticket agent was busy loading baggage. Yes, folks, this is where Steve and Jennifer are FROM (key word here - from!). Long story short, they will be here tomorrow around dinnertime. The boys are so excited to see them, since it's been almost a year.

Today we decided to drive down into the Ka'u District of the Big Island. This area runs from south of Kona down to the south end of the island (basically, to just before Hawaii Volcanoes National Park). Our first destination was Road to the Sea, a 6-mile 4WD road that led to a black-and-green-sand beach.

(OK, the sand is not green like a golf course, but rather more of an olive color from the olivine deposits. If you want more details, Google it.)

D was pretty disappointed that this was not a swim-in-it kind of beach, but it was beautiful. If we lived here, I could see driving down, watching the sunset, and camping overnight. (As Steve pointed out, the road would be a bitch to drive out on at night.)

This area was quite desolate, with lots of rocky lava deposits and few trees. In fact, I felt like I was in a Jeep commercial. Check out this picture to see what I mean.

Next we drove to Ka Lae (literally, "The Point"), also known as South Point. This spot is the southernmost point of land in the United States. (Not the Florida Keys, as many people believe, which is the southernmost point in the continental U.S.) The drive is quite long, about 12 miles down a paved but narrow road, but it is worth it for the beautiful views. Craggy cliffs with waves splashing high combine with green, lush lands (this spot is out of the shadow of the mountains, so it gets more rainfall) to make a photographer's dream spot. Apparently the fishing is good too, as we saw several local fishermen set up in the area.