Visiting the Southernmost Point of the US
Wait, what is this, a blog post? Who am I? How dare I?
Yes, it’s true. Hello, here I am! There’s always so much to say and to share, but for now, I’m just going to keep it simple and focus on a vacation we took last summer to Hawai’i because it’s currently cold, dark, and rainy here in Washington, and I’m longing for warmer weather and sunshine.
Also, last week, I had some free time while I was visiting my parents in Wisconsin, so I finally finished sorting + editing the Hawai’i photos I’ve had on my camera since June, if that’s any indication of how busy life has been… But at least I’ve been busy in a good way, so it’s not so bad, really. More on that another time…
Anyway, here we go - blogging! Hawai’i! Van life! Yay!
As I’m sitting down to write this, I’m remembering our last van trip in Hawai’i and laughing internally about how not glamorous that trip was for me and how I sort of promised myself, “I’m never doing this again,” but alas… We did it again, this time with a toddler in tow. 😂
(TLDR: I was on my period last time, and our van was vintage, hard to drive, and pretty bare bones. I couldn’t find anywhere to shower in over three days, it rained almost non-stop, and I was basically just ~ over it ~ by the end of our trip. The van itself was very cute, but… still, lol.)
I mean, hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m (almost) always down for an adventure, and I truly believe I feel most like myself when I’m traveling or out on the open road, but I must admit it’s funny to think I put myself in this same situation twice. This time, though, Adam was sweet and did his research and rented a van with a shower and a toilet! We say it was for Lily, but really it was mostly for me. He learned his lesson the first time; bless him. (I will eventually talk about how the toilet in the van didn’t fully work, but for now - let’s focus on the positives!) 😄
This time around, we rented the van for four days and explored almost the entire island! We drove to Ka Lae (the Southernmost Point of the United States) one evening and caught the most beautiful sunset. 🌅 The colors were unreal, and we felt like we were walking around on Mars.
“The Ka Lae area is registered as a National Historic Landmark District under the name South Point Complex. The area is also known for its strong ocean currents and winds and is the home of a wind farm.” (source)
“A confluence of ocean currents just offshore makes this spot one of Hawaii's most popular fishing spots. Both red snapper and ulua are plentiful here. Locals fish from the cliffs, some dangling perilously over the edge of steep lava ledges. Swimming here, however, is not recommended due to the current. In fact, it is called the "Halaea Current", named after a chief who was carried off to his death.” (source)
Look at those colors! It was a beautiful way to end the night. I have a million photos to share, and it’s been so fun going down memory lane. I think this post is already long enough, though, so I’ll end it here and promise to post again soon!
As always, thanks for reading! xo