"Do I have to get nude?" asked Not Jersey.
"No," I said, "I won't get nude either. Getting nude is not a requirement, but lots of people are nude."
Not Jersey had never been to the nude beach, so we decided to check it out. Kahena is a black sand beach about a 45 minute drive from Hilo. Sundays are the busy day as there is a regular drum circle and ecstatic dance. So, I took Not Jersey on a Saturday, when it wouldn't be so crazy.
To access the beach, you have to climb down a cliff. It's not the most difficult descent on the island, but it is tough when you're carrying a beach bag. Not Jersey is a gentleman, so he carried the beach chairs.
It was a perfect, overcast day, so we weren't too hot. We set up our chairs and read our books. We stayed clothed while half of the other beachgoers lounged in a state of undress.
The water at Kahena is rough. Big waves pound into the sand, making it a hard place to get into the water. It was the first time I ever braved the waves. The water was surprisingly warm but scary. I didn't stay in too long, and I didn't go out too far.
Afterwards, we cruised to Pohoiki. We saw the the 2018 lava flow. We stopped by MacKenzie State Recreation Area. Finally, we cruised back thro Pahoa for dinner at Kaleo’s.
The following week on Not Jersey’s family video chat, he told about our trip to the nude beach. His grandmother asked him in horror, ‘Why did you take your girlfriend too a nude beach?’
Not Jersey gleefully said, ‘She took me.’
Grandma G facepalmed.
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