I Did it!

When we moved here, I pretty much stopped driving. I navigated, Chad drove. Working from home, I don't need to commute into work. So, outside of a shopping trip here or there, I really don't drive much.

It's a big deal when I do the small things - like today, I picked up the kids from school, all by myself. I only missed one turn and I don't think I screwed up any of the traffic rules :) I even drove Chad's truck - bonus! Of course, my four year old, Jayden did offer helpful advice and driving criticism. (Everyone's a critic.)

The rules of the road are different here - Right turn off a highway yields to a driver making a left turn across the highway. (A very smart rule) Speed limits are guidelines, set randomly on the highway. No one drives overly fast. But, speed traps are universally ignored. When it comes to parking and turning on/off the street, politeness is the rule, taking turns overrules right-of-way. (So unlike the mainland)

My other big adventure was driving Saddle Road. It's the quickest route from Hilo to Kona. But, it's also notorious for being a dangerous road. Most of that reputation comes from before much of the repaving was done. (It was horrible.) The road runs up 6000 ft between the two mountains on the island (Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea).

From Hilo you start going up, pretty steady climb but the roads curves gradually, easy driving. Then there's road construction, repaving work has been in progress for the last year at least. Gotta be a little careful there as, rain can move through and wash the road a bit, creating some pot holes. The road can change over a day, depending on the rain.

After you're out of the construction you're in the clear - high flat road beautiful!!!!!

Then you've got to get back down.... That's when it gets a little dicey... The road narrows, and the shoulder can be washed out occasionally. And it get's hilly, really hilly, raise you out of your seat hilly, can't see the road ahead of you hilly. For a plains girl, this is weird.

See how the road just disappears here...

Did I mention the one lane bridges? Interspersed in between the hills are one lane bridges with one side yielding to the other. (Usually the traffic going up hill yields to the guy careening down the hill) That's fine too but there's a lot of tourists around. (duh, it's Hawaii) And they don't always see the yield sign. (ahhh hit the brakes!)

I think this gives you the feeling.....

So I think you get it - it's a scary road. Not horrible and surely better than it was. I started out not being able to look, as a passenger. Now, I drove it, slowly.

The boys made fun of me but we got to the beach, safe and sound! (Did I mention that everyone's a critic?)