A big part of our group wanted to check out Hawi, a town on the north side of the island that they had heard was known for their arts and crafts. As some of us wanted to do a hike instead, we compromised by finding a hike nearby. Pololu Valley Overlock had an impressive view of the ocean, and a more impressive hike down to the black sand beach. The change in elevation was a thousand feet or so. I think our group was a little deceived by how hard the trail would be and started the hike with an inadequate amount of water. The views were definitely worth it.
Back in Hawi, I was a little disappointed. There were a few shops with overpriced local crafts, but not as much as what I was expecting, given that we were led to believe it was an artists’ village.
One of the three cars in our caravan headed back to pick up the last member of our party from the airport. On the way, the “kids” planned a menu for a party to celebrate all the birthdays and anniversaries.
Wiped out from our hike, we retired early again, ready to see lava the next day.