The morning we left Hawaii we got up at 4am to eat breakfast and pack up the car.  Though a route through the middle of the island was the fastest, we opted for the route going south to Punalu’u Beach – the most famed Black Sand Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Also, by taking the south route we managed to go as south as we can in the United States and complete the circle we began two weeks earlier – officially going around the entire island.  But those fell secondary to the GORGEOUS black sand beach.  We arrived at 6:30am – just after sunrise.  Apparently if you come mid-day the sea turtles nap on the beach – a sight I would have LOVED to have seen.  If I was ever to go to the Big Island again, I would have spent AT LEAST half of a day on this beach alone.  I love the feeling of sand between my toes – and I think this may be one of my favourites (closely tied with the Jockey Ridge Sand Dunes in North Carolina, and the Oregon Dunes in North Bend, Oregon).  It was the perfect end to our time in Hawaii.