Day #2's adventure took us to a black sand beach located on the north side of the Big Island. But first, we started our day with a breakfast stop at Surf Break Cafe. Another cute little local restaurant that you need to try if you're ever on the island visiting. They have delicious food and great customer service!
It was another cold and dreary day, but again, perfect for our vision. The drive to our destination was gorgeous! I was in such aww with how much open land there is on the Big Island. So much green lush land along the rode that hasn't been taken over by tall buildings, structures and houses upon houses. It was a marvelous sight to see, especially since I live on the island of Oahu and Oahu is absolutely the opposite. We reached our destination in about 1.5 hours. We had held on tight when we were at the top because we knew it was going to be a rough drive down to the valley. Another head's up: only 4WD vehicles are allowed to drive down to the valley because the road is steep and rocky. Hiking down is an option, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it unless you and everyone in your party are in good health and in decent shape. You have been warned. :) Although the road was rough, the drive down was beautiful. We were met by wild horses along the way. A couple of them approached our Jeep while we were at a stop to say hello. We crossed through streams, and then crossed back because we realized we took the wrong turn, lol, and we also went through mud puddles. When we finally reached the parking area, it started to drizzle. The clouds moved in. The wind picked up. But the black sand was BEAUTIFUL! And it was really the first time I've seen black sands. Go figure... I've lived in Hawaii for almost all my life and I've never witnessed such beauty! The bonus? The black sand beach was surrounded by beautiful mountains on both sides. There was a stream on one side that fed into the Pacific Ocean. The other backdrop was a gorgeous woodsy area with wild horses roaming around freely. Holy crap! That may have also been a first experience for me. It was a whole new world down there! L & S changed into their 3rd outfit of their engagement session and this time, L decided to sport wavy hair to go with her gorgeous (and sexy) flowy dress.
As we were heading toward the sands from our parking spot, not only did the wind and rain pick up, but we were greeted by a few of the wild horses roaming. They were super friendly, which was such an awesome experience. It was even more special for L because she grew up around horses, so she was loving and soaking up every minute of this moment. We took a few shots with them before moving toward the beach and made more magic.
We had fun on the black sand. L & S even humored me and braved the cold water. They laughed and played and loved and hugged and everything in-between! It was beautiful to witness! You could tell how absolutely madly in love they are with one another!
We were having so much fun and was in such a creative "hole" that we didn't realize the time. I was flying out later that afternoon, but we were still about one hour away from the Kona Airport (where I was flying out of) and we still had to get back to the Jeep and climb up the steep road to get to the top. We were cutting it super duper close, but we were living on the edge!!! Lol. We wrapped up and raced to the parking lot. Drove as fast (and safe) up the valley, checked in for my flight during my drive and made it just in time. No exaggeration here. L & S literally pulled up to the curb, I hopped out, grabbed my luggage in the back, gave them a quick hug, headed to TSA and once I passed through, the small plane started boarding the passengers. And then about 30 minutes later, I was back on Oahu with my hubby picking me up and taking me out for a late lunch date at Dixie Grill for some good ole' Southern BBQ food! Then we headed over to my parents' to pick up the kids.
What an absolute adventure!!! It was stressful (because I just wanted to deliver an awesome gallery), but the trip was full of laughs, a great time and a ton of creative opportunities. I loved how much trust L & S had in me to bring their vision to life. But it only worked well because they were open to any and all ideas that we had. That's truly how magic happens!
Now the most important question... "Would I do it again??? Go through all the stress and research and planning all over again??? Is it worth it???"
The answer is "YES!!!" I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!! Absolutely!
Who's next? Who wants to adventure with me? I'm ready!
This session was internally published. The magazine publisher reached out to me and asked they could share my work and I was ecstatic! More of this, please!
Rachelle is an Oahu-based photographer for the fun and adventurous individual, couple and family. Click here to book a session with her today!
For more information about places to go on the Big Island:
Surf Break Cafe: www.surfbreakcafe.com
Explore the Big Island: www.explore-the-big-island.com
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: www.nps.gov/havo
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