Much of the day was spent by one of the several pools available at the resort, where the service was impeccable. Most of us just suntanned and lounged out by the pool.
Dinner was a lovely meal at .≤ULU Ocean Grill. We dined on chilled Heirloom tomato gazpacho with avocado, macadamia nuts, and Big Island summer fruit, Waimea farmer’s market local baby greens, green papaya salad, and a vegetarian stir fried noodle that included baby bok choy, broccolini, and locally harvested vegetables. Also included in this feast were Kiawe smoked potatoes, grilled asparagus, mushroom fried rice, Kekela Farms fresh spinach, Swiss chard, and locally harvested sweet corn with citrus cream and crispy quinoa.
Our fun day off and healthy vegetarian food prepared us for our next day of work, which we were all eager to create!
Our third day started at 5 am when we were on our way to explore the north side of the island! We began by visiting the Mauna Kea Hotel, known for having one of the top ten beaches in the world. With powder white sand and swaying palm trees, this beach is everything you probably imagine when you think of Hawaii.
After, we drove further up the coast to the charming town of Hawi. Hawi is known to be home to a handful of charming art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. There, you can find everything from authentic, handmade jewelry to world-famous Kona coffee. We got to see the original King Kamehameha Statue in the neighboring town of Kapaau before continuing to drive east on Highway 270 until we came to the end of the road, at the majestic Pololu Valley Overlook.
