Saturday, March 24, 2012

Aloha to the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach and Ka Lae


We packed up the Jeep and headed to the Kona Coast.   Driving along the southern coast route, we descended 4000 feet to the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach.  




Punalu'u is the one black sand beach easily accessed by car.   The other was swallowed by lava flow.


 


The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is protected by federal law .... 


  
... kama'aina (residents) volunteer to make sure tourists stay 15 feet away from the turtles that come ashore.



While one takes to the sands, another takes to the rocks!   




A young couple finds romance in the blue sea, white waves, and black sand.





It truly is sand - ground up lava.  


 


Continuing along the southern coast route, we turned off to Ka Lae (the point) - the southern most point in the US.   It is also the windiest as the trees grow in the direction of the winds.


What's the southern most place you have visited, even outside the US?   One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs will win a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 31, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 1.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii


We made a friend below by sharing our apples!  Notice the wind farm in the background - Hawaii is making an effort to go green.
   


March Madness continues here at SOS Aloha! All commenters in March will be entered into a special drawing for prizes from RT in Chicago. 3 US, 3 Canadian, and 3 international readers will win a package with books and goodies. Comments can be made at:

- SOS Aloha, sosaloha.blogspot.com
- Aloha On My Mind, alohaonmymind.blogspot.com
- My guest posts at the Reading Reviewer (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) at marygramlich.blogspot.com

I'll post the winners of March Madness on Monday, April 2.


 


19 comments:

  1. These are some really awesome pictures thank you for sharing Kim!

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  2. Beautiful pictures. We visited a black sand beach and there were lots of turtles there as well.

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  3. How exciting that you got to see the turtles. Very cool! I think the southern most place I've visted are some of the Caribbean islands we stopped off on our cruise.

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  4. I have to say probably St. Thomas (I think Puerto Rico is a touch more north) and it too was when we took a cruise. Two things I would like to do again is take a cruise and visit Hawaii or better yet a cruise to Hawaii :)

    catslady

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  5. The furthest south I have been is California. I haven't been outside the U.S. I love the pictures everything is so pretty.

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  6. I don't travel. I've been to Cape May but that was only because my daughter was living in NJ.

    I love the photo of the turtle.

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  7. Great pics!
    The furthest south I've been is San Felipe Mexico.

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  8. I have not traveled outside the US except for Tijuana and I'm not sure spending hour there counts! LOL!

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  9. The furtherst south I've been is Cancun, Mexico. Love the turtle pics!

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  10. The furthest south I've been is Singapore.

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  11. i never go outside my country but plan to go outside my country next year :)

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  12. I was so, so, so sad when I learned that the Green Sand Beach was gone. I've only visited it twice and the first time I practically force marched my friends there because it's not obvious from the trail and they wanted to turn back, the wusses (they were VERY glad when we finally got there though).

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  13. haha love your story about apple and new friend. Horse indeed is an apple lover:), aretha zhen. I wish i could travel all a5round the world with my mom :)

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  14. I have been to Ensenada, Mexico. It was very different and I have a very tender tongue so I constantly amused the natives by trying to find something that wasn't spicy!

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  15. HI Kim! Beautiful pictures and I love how your questions always include everyone and I enjoy reading about the other commenters adventures. The southernmost place for me is a toss up between Maui and Cozumel. They are both about the same latitude.

    @Sheree...the green beach is gone?!?

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  16. Shannon, that's what I heard a while back. It was washed away. Such a bummer. :(

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  17. LOL same place,
    st augustine fla

    blackroze37

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  18. I have been to Martinique and Jamaica - think that's as 'south' as I've been.

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