Search for the Perfect Beach

My main objective when in the Hawaiian islands, is to see as much as I can see. From people's backyards to tourist traps, I'm interested in everything new (to me).

The guys, however, were on a quest to find the perfect beach. It was a little more difficult on the Big Island than last year on Maui.

We first stayed in Hilo. The vegetation is lush and tropical in this area, and the shoreline is picturesque, but the beaches are not top quality for boogie boarders. Not if they want to survive.

(I'd like to give Jonathan credit for these photos.)

We checked out a couple of beaches that are rumored to be good for swimming. This one has a subterranean spring that keeps the water at 95 degrees. It has a seawall, though, so the waves don't get to come in. Not a boogie boarding spot.

The guys passed on that one. Near Hilo is Richardson Park. It, too, is more of a place for swimming. There is a pool that is separated from the ocean. We mostly saw little kids using it.

Again, the shoreline was pretty rocky. The guys passed on this one, too.

Up the shore from Hilo there was King Kamehameha's personal boogie board beach at the edge of Waipio Valley. The guys decided it was a neat looking beach, but weren't willing to walk the mile or so down the steep hill to get there.

Let me correct that. They weren't willing to walk the mile or so back UP the steep hill on the return trip.

As we continued to the top of the island, then back down the Kona side, we found an absolutely beautiful sandy beach. There were only about 500 other people there and the guys said the waves weren't big enough. When we got to our condo in Kailua, we were thrilled with the beautiful ocean front location. This was the view from the living room.

Those are surfers on the water, out there in the distance. We got to watch them right from the window. These were experienced surfers, however. Another view of the "beach" shows the rocks those surfers had to negotiate when they came back to shore.

Also notice the pool. The guys DID spend lots of time in the pool and the spa.

Finally they found the perfect beach just a mile from our condo, Magic Sands. There were waves that were just the right size, and a nice sandy beach to land on.

Wahooooo! Here comes Bob!

And here come Jon, Bob, and Brent. Alex is heading the other direction. Please note there is a small child in the foreground. This beach was suitable even for small children, which is one reason the guys liked it.

Bob and Brent, playing frisbee in view of one of the "babes" on the beach.