Retraction

Yeah, so I lied. Not intentionally, but as it turns out, there are some beautiful beaches on Hawai'i (the Big Island). This is Mahai'ula Beach, a little north of Kona. (I didn't take the picture; click on it to get the site reference.) When J. was in town a couple weeks ago, we drove about 2 hours across the island to Kona, which was probably quite lovely before it was converted into an amusement park.

I'm just kidding, it's not really an amusement park. From what I hear, it used to be quite different about ten years ago. These days, though, the brightly colored shop facades, wide comfortable sidewalks, and wall-to-wall pay-to-park lots reminded me of Six Flags. It's a carefully cultivated tourist experience, designed to make visitors feel comfortable. *shrug* I think it's creepy.

Kona is opposite of Hilo in more ways than simply being on the other side of the island. It rains a lot in Hilo; it's always sunny in Kona. Hilo holds onto a small-town atmosphere and is mostly Democratic; Kona embraces commercial interests and is primarily Republican. Hilo is lush and verdant; Kona looks like Nevada.

And where the beaches in Hilo are rocky, in Kona they're soft, beautiful, and... well, just about perfect. You know, if you're into perfect.