#1386 a place to see in Hawaii

I mentioned a week or so ago that we will be taking our family vacation in Hawaii this year. We are going to the islands in June and we'll spend nine nights there: three nights on Oahu and six nights on the Big Island. We will be traveling with MT's parents and his brother and sister-in-law.

Other than actually being at a place, the thing I really love to do is learn about the place I'm going. I can't imagine going somewhere without knowing about the place. I want to know where it is and be able to locate it on the map. I want to know a little about the town; maybe a little history but definitely restaurants and cool things to do and see that are nearby. Where are the good beaches? How do I get there? How long will it take?

I'm just scratching the surface of things to do and see on Hawaii. One place that has caught my imagination is Punalu'u beach. The sand is black! We will pass by the beach on our way to Volcanoes National Park. We are gonna have to stop at Punalu'u. I will always be sad if I don't get to see this in person:

I read that big green sea turtles come up on the beach for a nap. How amazing would that be to see?! Even if I don't get to see a turtle there, I still want to see this pretty beach.