Since 2012, we’ve chased the first sunset of every new year. It’s our tradition. This year, we were able to share the first sunset of 2019 with our Little Dude.
The First Hawaiian Sunset of 2019

Since 2012, we’ve chased the first sunset of every new year. It’s our tradition. This year, we were able to share the first sunset of 2019 with our Little Dude.
Every year we set out to capture the first sunset of the new year. This year was no different. The first sunset of 2018 was cool, calm, and collected.
Kauai is the island that you visit if you’re searching for old Hawaii charm and rugged outdoor beauty. There are places on Kauai where you can truly get away. One of those places is Polihale State Park, a remote beach on the western end of Kauai. About an hour-and-a-half drive from Kapaa, Polihale beach is the westernmost publicly accessible beach in the state…and the drive to get there is something else…
Located about 30-minutes from Kihei, Keoneoio, better known as La Perouse Bay, makes for a perfect half-day adventure for those looking to enjoy a coastal trail covered in lava rock. The waves (like the drive to get to this beach) can be a bit rough and the shore is rocky, so swimming isn’t recommended. But, bring a large towel and a picnic basket, find a spot, and enjoy the views.
The Exploration: Hawaii tradition of capturing the first sunset of the new year has been going strong since 2012. 2017’s first sunset was probably the clearest of the past 5 years, with no rain or heavy clouds in sight.
Sun starts to set. White headphones plug into my ears. Some Ryan Adams / Blank Space provide the soundtrack to the fire in the sky.
Traditions are a great thing to have and to keep. Photographing the first sunset of the year has become an Exploration: Hawaii tradition that I’ve kept going since 2013.
I guess that if you do one thing enough times, it becomes a tradition. It has become a tradition for Exploration: Hawaii to capture the first Hawaiian sunset of every new year. In 2012, we said hello to the new year at Waimea Bay. In 2013, we found ourselves on an empty beach in Maile. In 2014, we caught a beautiful sunset at Ko Olina. And in 2015, we ushered in the new year by driving the farthest west that we could, to Keawaula Beach on the Waianae Coast.