We were out early for a fun day on the south side of the island. We drove past Kihei and Wailea all the way down to La Perouse Bay. The road quickly went from well traveled to one lane and quite bumpy, but the view was pretty cool. She could see exactly where the lava has flowed down from Haleakala. La Perouse Bay was a little too choppy to snorkel or look for dolphins so we listened to a tip from a ranger and went a little ways to Waiala Cove (aka Dumps).
It was a short hike on lava rock to this secluded beach. No sand to rest on, but some pretty neat snorkeling close to shore!
After eating some lunch, we thought it would be nice to find a sandy beach to spend the afternoon. From Waiala Cove, we could see Makena State Beach (Big Beach) a little up the coastline.
The water was absolutely beautiful, but the wind was howling. We were getting pelted with sand and the waves were pretty powerful. We all got a good laugh at Poppy getting tossed around and he was smiling from ear to ear!
Please note his "Beer Pong" 4th of July shirt…too funny! 
Although Makena Beach was stunning, the conditions were tough to take so we packed up and drove back up to Kapaula Bay.
Much calmer and Matt found his happy place in the shade.
This rock area on the south side of the beach is always known for turtle activity. Today was no different. We saw this turtle come in with the tide, munch on a bunch of sea grass and then get right back in the water!
We got dinner at Honolua Store to finish off the night. This used to be one of our favorite "cheap eats" on the west side, but we were disappointed. It has been remodeled and bought out by another company. We used to love that the locals frequented, but didn't see a single one this time and the service was beyond slow! Still good food, but not the same :(
