Sightseeing on the Big Island

I started off the morning heading down for a short swim. The smell of testosterone and men's skin care products wafted in the sun drenched pier. I did a 20min swim and retreated back to the condo quickly. That was my only "workout" for the day. I really think most people put in too much work during the taper period. On the other hand I would prefer to be slightly over rested.

Weasel is a masterful snorkeler.

The rest of the day was an interesting adventure for the 3/5ths of the McMurray Family currently on the Island. We headed south for a scenic drive and also a snorkel. Our first stop was a Macadamia Nut farm, which was most intriguing for me considering my trail mix business. Apparently the trees produce all year round. They fall to the ground, then are picked up, cracked and dehydrated. It is much simpler than I thought. Interestingly enough a fresh nut tastes much different from what comes from the store. They are almost juicy and have a coconut like taste.

From there we continued to Honaunau Bay near a National Historical Park of the same name. The guide book talked about a cool hike that ended up at a lava tube, which you could then walk through and it ended with a 15' jump into the ocean. Of course that was right up my alley. However thanks to our Government folks, the park was closed. Despite this the snorkeling in the bay was fantastic. I brought the GoPro and whipped up a quick video. Direct Link

 

Next we headed to check out a Greenwell Kona Coffee Farm. Our tour was lead by a very informative man named Daniel. We learned how the coffee was grown, picked, processed, dried and roasted. We also saw Avacado, Banana and Orange trees and were shown where Carl the Chameleon hangs out. Finally we headed back to the car. Only then did I discover that I locked the keys inside our Dodge Caravan. There they are sitting right on the console, so close but so far away. Go Ben.

Carl the Chameleon

Our first plan of attack was to pry open the back window in an attempt to reach the unlock button near the rear door. Despite being able to reach my scrawny arms inside, I couldn't quite reach the button. Daniel came over, assessed the situation and then speed off in his golf cart to find another guy who, "was really good at getting into cars."


The back window was a no go, do we resorted to the old wedge in the front door frame and use a clothes hanger, bent with 13 minute angle changes to hook the handle and open the door. Turns out Mara (aka Weasel) had the finest dexterity to perform this task. After about an hour of looking like fools we were in, having saved lots of money from calling a "professional" as well as being entertained. However that savings was short lived when we realized we left some sunglasses on the top of the car as we were driving home. Despite our best efforts in retracing our steps they were no where to be found. Just another adventure in the life of the McMurrays. What's going to happen once Reebnut and Pop get here?