Big Island of Hawaii

I spent 3 weeks in Hawaii visiting all of the islands in 2001, and found the Big Island most matched my personality. Since then, I've come back to visit 4 or 5 different times. Along the way, I proposed to and married my wife Oneea. I've shared some of my favorite spots such as Waipio Valley, Kealakekua Bay and Makalwena Beach with friends and family.

Palm lined trail within Place of Refuge park
On our most recent trip to Hawaii, we had a chance to visit several new areas since we were there for an extended period of time. One of our favorite new places was the Place of Refuge park (aka Pu'uhonua o Honaunau). Most visitors to the Big Island visit the snorkelling area just outside the park, but very few ever pay the $5 park fee to enter the state park. Within the park boundaries, there is a short hike that leads through beautiful palm trees and shoreline leading you to some ancient Hawaiian ruins. We stopped at these tide pools and played around for at least an hour. The water was crystal clear and would get refreshed every minute or so by the next wave. The sandy bottom was a perfect place to lounge and listen to the surf hit the lava rocks. Next time, we'll be bringing refreshments and spending the day.
Our swimming hole along the salt/pepper beach at Place of Refuge. We didn't know about this little gem. There's no guide book that leads you to this spot...Just so happens that Oneea wandered off the trail to the beach and decided to dip her feet in the water pool. We soon realized that this was nature's version of a bathtub. The sun heated this water, and was refreshed every 5 minutes or so with an incoming wave. There were natural benches formed from lava rock which made this a really great spot to just sit back and be part of Hawaii.