The group splits up at this point. Two of us decide to ride to Hawi 25 miles further north. The rest will stay in Waimea for another rest day.
The complimentary breakfast at the hotel is a bit more substantial with muffins and bagels in addition to toast and coffee. No papaya though.
Before leaving Waimea, we decide to visit the Parker ranch Museum. By 9:00 Am, we were watching the half hour movie on the Parker saga. John Parker was a white man who married the local chief's daughter. In the end, they ended up inheriting thousands of acres of premium grazing land. A few generations down, remaining heir Richard Smart donated the ranch into a charitable trust to prevent the land from being broken up by the succeding heirs. Today, the ranch benefits Waimea schools and local charities.
Before 11:00 am, we were off for the ride to Hawi. The best time to do the ride between Waimea and Hawi via Hwy 250 on the Kohala mountains is after the morning rush hour. With most of the jobs in progressive Waimea, there is incoming traffic. The roads are narrow with very little shoulder. Past the rush hour, traffic is almost non existent. This might be the steepest grade of the trip. But the climb is only on the first 8 miles out of Waimea. Past the summit, it's a rolling downhill all the way to Hawi.
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Past the summit, it's smooth sailing to Hawi. With more rain on the other side, you have a lot more trees and more grass where cows feed on. Stop to observe cows and horses grazing. There are a lot of ranches relatively smaller than the Parker Ranch on this stretch. With the traffic very light, merging on narrow bridges is a very minor concern. It must be really windy on this side as huge trees are permanently bowed sideways. The Waimea to Hawi route is definitely a "must do ride". |