At check-out, we get in the car and head north on the main route that circles the Big Island. We wind around tight curves, through lush vegetation, catching occasional glimpses of the sea. And then, the road simply peters out. Sheer cliffs drop 500 feet in front of us to the Pacific. We're high above the Pololu Valley, and we're not alone.
Rental cars line the overlook.
We meet a guy who has just hiked up the trail from the black, sandy beach below. He's out of breath and gleaming with sweat. There's always good stuff at the end of the road. If we can't find what we're looking for at the end of the road in paradise, we're not going to find it anywhere. When I heard you were going to Hawaii it didn't make sense.