Big Island: Last Day of Adventure

Last day on the islands. It’s a bitter sweet feeling. I know I will be back here--I mean, after all my best friends are moving here in June. But I wish I had more time here myself.

Laura and I had to squeeze some things in today. First, there is breakfast of course. We hit the little cafe, Island Lava Java on Ali’i drive with the great views of the ocean. A guy is also there playing his ukelele for our entertainment. It is a great way to start the day.

the view at breakfast

Then, Laura wants the tattoo, so we must go take care of that. Luckily, the artist at Native Flesh is in and he has not tossed the original drawing. Laura says it didn’t hurt as bad as I made it out to. I say pain is relative.

Next, I want to visit the local brewery, Kona Brewing Company. I wish we had more time to eat and take a tour, but alas there is not much time to get in everything we want to do plus drive all the way back around the island to Hilo. We stop in and buy a few things at the gift shop, have a beer in the restaurant and hang out with the geckos, then it’s back on the road for us.

The road back around through the northern part of Kona is desolate---just a giant lava field. I have been told that when you are flying into Kona, it looks like you are flying into mars. I can now see why. On the left, you can see the ocean and the beaches. On the right--lava--for miles and miles and mile. Tiny white rocks spell out messages by people that came before us. Messages of love and grief and aloha. I almost want to stop and leave my own message. Maybe next time.

We wind around the island and drive through Waimea, a beautiful part of the island and head down the coast towards Honoka’a. You can see the color of the sea change as we leave the leeward side of the island. The road is curvy, but the views are spectacular.

As we approached Honomu and the Akaka Falls area, we realized that we were very close to my friends new house so we took a detour through the area to check out the new neighborhood and my future visiting place. I must say that I look forward to coming back here!

We ended the day at Ken’s House of Pancakes for dinner and a short time on the black sand beach in Hilo. I am going to miss the serenity and “easiness” of these islands. I hope to be back soon.

Kona Day 2: Surf, tattoo, drink---in that order

You would think that being in “paradise” we would wake to the lovely sounds of a soft ocean, or birds in a rain forest, or the sweet sound of coffee brewing in the kitchen...

But that was not the case. Apparently the condo we were staying at was under renovation so we heard the boss yelling at some poor worker about a drill. So much for sleeping in today.

So we started our day at a local diner called Chubby's with eggs and the best diner coffee I have ever had in my life! Kona coffee!! We then decided that we would check out the local beaches and see what kind of relaxing day we could have.

We ended up at Kahalu’u Park beach. It was a small area but not much swimming was going on--but there was A LOT of surfing going on. The weather was over cast and a little cool so we plopped down on the sand and watched the guys and girls brave the break. 

It was a good time for contemplation. And what was I contemplating? A tattoo!

Laura gave me some good advise. “You should get it because you’ll get home and then regret it.” So off to the tattoo parlor we went.

After 2 hours later (time to draw it, time to get it on there) I was sick and light-headed, but I had a tattoo! The middle is the galactic sign for the universe (8 infinities and the flower of life) and the words around the edge are “Ike, kala, makia, manawa, aloha, mana, pono” which are the 7 principles of huna (be aware, be free, be focused, be here, be love, be strong, be affective.)

Now I needed FOOD! My sugar was so low I thought I was going to pass out on the street---and for the record--that tattoo HURT!

So we headed up the street to Fish Hopper. My friends Dale and Jeanne recommended we eat there, so why not. The food was good but a bit pricey. The view was nice and the  drinks were really good! I had mine in a pineapple.

Laura loved the tattoo on me so much she wanted the same one herself, so after dinner we strolled back up the the shop to see if it was open. No luck--try again tomorrow. So maybe it’s time for a little shopping and then some rest. Tomorrow we have to go back over to Hilo to catch a plane home. Time here has been way too short. 

Big Island 2: Semi-circumnavigating the island

Waking up in a rainforest is an adventure! It’s damp and a little noisy. But  today we had another great adventure planned. We were going to drive to Kona via highway 11 on  the southern end of the island.

After our morning showers, we headed out for some breakfast at the Lava Rock Cafe. French toast never tasted so good! Especially with the liliko’i syrup on it! It is basically passionfruit found on the island and it is DEVINE!! I should have brought some home.

We then headed southwest on highway 11 and headed toward Kona. The trip should take somewhere between 2 and 2 1/2 hours. It is only a two lane road all the way there and we had a few stops planned so it was going to take us longer to get there.

First, we visited the Volcano National Park to see the crater and a lava tube. This was only about a mile from the restaurant. Since it was national park week, we were able to get in free. We drove around to view the Kilaeua crater and took some pictures of the vast area that was left there. There was a little bit of steam coming up out of the ground but in the distance you could see the smoke coming out of the Kilaeua Crater!

We then wanted to visit the Thurston Lava Tube but road work took us around to a different entrance where we had to hike in. It was only a half mile and was very manageable. What was NOT manageable were the swarms of tourists getting off buses in front of the tube entrance. The were apparently coming off of cruise ships and they just kept coming and coming! Laura and I were hoping for a magical experience inside the tube but not much could be seen or heard with so many tourists. What really confounded me was that they would rarely stop to look at the tube. They basically just walked through as fast as they could. Some stopped to take pictures of their traveling partners but most practically ran through it. Laura and I spent at least an hour hanging out there. Then I decided that we needed to escape the park as soon as humanly possible. We arrived back at the parking lot to find ourselves blocked in by one of the tour buses. Luckily the driver was still with the bus and he moved so we could escape.

Laura in the tube

We headed on further down the road to the black sand beach Punalu’u. This was a small beach (also popular with tourists--but not as crowded) and a fantastic place to view sea turtles. They just come up on the beach or rocks around there and rest. There is really no great place to swim in the area but there is a lifeguard on duty. You can take all the pictures of the turtles you want, but no touching!!!

Black Sand Beach at Punalu'u

We then kept on going up the road and stopped in Punalu’u Bakery for lunch. They have these things called malasadas that are like doughnuts and oh my goddess, they put Krispy Kreme to shame!! I got four of them and then tried to eat something healthy after just one and that just didn’t work.

Southern Point. It's really windy!!

A few more miles up the coast was the southernmost point in the United States. Now I have been to the one in Key West, so with this little side trip down a 12 mile road, I am officially the furthest south I have ever been and it was totally worth the drive. You can make it to the park area in a regular car, but if you want to go further on the point, you have to have a four wheel drive. 

The easy part of the road.

Luckily, we did! What was even more adventurous was our spur-of-the-moment decision to drive out the green sand beach (it’s green because it is covered in peradot). We almost made it but it got to one point where I just didn’t think the jeep was going to make it any further. We could have walked the rest of the way, but it was getting late and we still had 45 miles to get to Kona and I wanted to be there before dark. So no green sand today. 

Sunset at Huggo's

We rushed up island to make it to Huggo’s in Kona just in time to see the sun go down. TIm and Mishi were waiting for us there with a table right on the water. We ordered drinks and food and enjoyed the evening entertainment of live music and hula dancing. It was almost a perfect day of exploring on the island. What would have made it perfect? Swimming of course! But I am learning fast that you don’t really go to Hawaii to swim. You can do all kinds of things here, but swimming is not easily done.

Cliffs at Southern Point

Holes at Southern Point

Let's go off roading!

Black Sand Beach

Resting Turtle

Hawaii's Big Island: It's Bigger than you think!

When Laura and I made plans to island hop, we made our plane reservations first. I decided we would fly in and out of Hilo because my friends were moving to this area and it seemed familiar to me because of that. But soon we realized that we should have done a little bit of research first.

First of all, the big island is bigger than all the other islands, and even though it seems so small out there in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is actually about the size of Connecticut. Second, it is (as the other islands) mountainous, so if you have to drive across (as we do) it’s going to take awhile. As a matter of fact, it takes awhile to get anywhere on this island. But, hey “no worries” right? We are in Hawaii!!

We arrived in Hilo in the morning and had about an hour to kill before our first big adventure---a helicopter ride! I wanted to see some lava flow and instead of hiking out six hours, we were able to fly out and see it from the air. Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tours took us out to lava flow and fields and I was amazed at how vast the area is. It looks like  one big asphalt parking lot--desolate and sad. There was devastation everywhere. The pilot took us over areas that used to be housing developments but were now vast lava fields. 

Red is lava flow!

He then took us over to view some waterfalls from the air. Hawaii--even the big island is just full of beauty and wonder. I hate that we only have a few days here too!

Lava Field

I will say that I liked riding in the helicopter better than an airplane. The ride was smoother and it was almost as though you were just floating in the air. 

Once we hit the ground again, we connected with some friends that had been on the island for a few days. Mishi and Tim had been staying in Volcano at a wonderful little cabin, and Candance was in town “house hunting” for their move in June. We were able to get some drinks and dinner and then the bright idea of riding out to see the lava flow in the dark. After a few beers, this seems like the best idea ever!

We packed into the jeep and stopped at the Walgreens for flashlights and headed in to the dark of Volcano to see the lava. Unfortunately, we were thwarted. The park allows people to come in until 8pm but anytime after that you are not allowed in. I even tried to give the nice lady my sad face since we had driven 45 minutes out there, but she would not be moved. She did suggest that we check out a small festival going on in Kalapana. They were having live music crafts and there was a trail that lead out to the beach where we could possibly see the lava from there. So we said “why the hell not!” and backtracked a few miles.

Kalapana is my kind of town! Live music, crafts, food, the people were incredibly nice and the “smoke” from the special herb they were smoking was everywhere! Hippie village! We walked around and checked out the local faire and even met someone from NC! We also found a nice lady that agreed to lead us out to the path so we could see the lava. Unfortunately, she did not tell us it was a 30 minute hike to the beach. We decided the party was more fun.

She also told us there was a road that ran up to a noni farm that could lead us closer to the lava. We got so far until we were bombarded with no tresspassing signs and decided to call it a night.

Hilo Bay

Now Laura and I had reservations on the other side of the island in Kona, and that was a 2 1/2 hour drive from where we were. It was already late, so Tim and Mishi offered their couch and floor (and hot tub) for the night and we decided to stay there. So we ended the evening with a dip in the hot tub and a slumber party. 

Lava steam

Next up: a drive on the south side of the island to Kona!

Used to be civilization

Maui: You are a Paradise!

Last full day on Maui and what better way to spend it than in the sun!

As it turns out, the windy weather we have had the past two days has been “unusual.” I was wondering what was going on. So many people had told me that Maui was a paradise...but I was not seeing it. I suppose I was seeing a side of Maui that is a little different.

Laura and I decided we would just stay at our own beach at the condo and this was the best idea we’ve had so far. The beach was almost empty, there was a jettied area so the water was calm. We spent 4 hours out there sleeping, reading, floating in the water. It was finally paradise!

Around 2 we headed in and got showers to begin our journey north to Lahaina. We had a few things on our list we wanted to see--like the giant Buddha, the giant banyan tree, Ulalena, and eat at Aloha Mixed Plate (famous with the Greensboro crew). 

On the way out, there were some beautiful views across the bay where the whales would come to mate. Seeing as how it was the end of mating season, we didn’t see any whales. But we took some great pictures!

Lahaina is quaint little town packed with shops. We didn’t have any time to really shop. We first hit the main square where the banyan tree stretched across the city block. If they allowed climbing, it would be playground heaven!

We next headed out to see the big Buddha at the Jodo Mission. It was a beautiful area--very quiet and serene. We hung out with Buddha and the temple for a few minutes then headed down the road (past the “Jesus is Coming Soon” neon sign on top the church) to Aloha Mixed Plate for dinner. This place is famous with the locals. The food is affordable, the view is awesome and the drinks are divine! Unfortunately, you can only drink up on the wooden deck instead of down closer to the water. But I survived.

We then circled the blocks a few times looking for parking for the show. Ulalena was a fantastic show! It was filled with fantastic music, dancing and the most amazing drumming I have ever heard. It tells the story of the Hawaiian Islands and is done mostly in Hawaiian. If you are ever in Maui, I strongly recommend it!

Maui is a beautiful little island. It’s easy to get around, the shopping is good and the beaches are beautiful (if the wind is not out of control), and it is a relaxing place to be. But it is still not my island. Tomorrow we fly out to the big island and meet up with some friends. I’m looking forward to new adventures!

Maui day 2: Trade winds are a bear!

Ahhh Maui. I should have known....

I woke up this morning with a view that I would love to see every day! 

The day started off pretty darn good. A little bit of breakfast, a little coffee, and now it is time to explore some beaches!

Last night on the way back from dinner, Laura and I stopped at Kalepolepo Beach Park and watched a beautiful sunset. There were even sea turtles out playing in the surf! We decided we would try it out for swimming and sunbathing today.

sunset and turtles

Unfortunately, the trade winds were ROARING!  We found that if we angled the chairs just right, we would only get minimal sand in our mouths when we talked to each other. The winds brought in a little bit of surf and made the temperature chilly so I was not up for getting in the water.

great beach, roaring sands!

After about 2 hours, we decided to try a different beach, so we headed south on Kihei Rd to Waipulani Park. We found a beautiful little inlet and sat down next to the water so that the sand would not blow as onto us. Unfortunately the tide was coming in. We didn’t stay long since the clouds were moving in too. Perhaps it was time to find a place to eat and get some drinks. 

We settled on LuLu’s because they advertised a great sunset view. The view was alright. The food was ok. The beer was really good!

Tomorrow we will try the beaches again and then head into Lahaina. 

Maui: The Trickster!

Up early on a Sunday morning to catch an early flight to Maui. Luckily the airport in Kauai is small and quiet.

View down from the windy road

Laura and I began our journey by doing some random driving around the island. We couldn’t check into our condo until 3 pm so we had about 5 hours to kill. The good thing about Maui is that is it small. It doesn’t take long to get anywhere. So we decided, on spontaneity and headed for the longest drive we would make: up the mountain to Haleakala--House of the Sun!

The road goes up....and up...and winds around and around....but the views were amazing!

I have never in my life have seen a volcano and this was a wondrous sight to behold. Not only were we up above the clouds, we were up at cruising altitude for airplanes! Well, maybe not airplanes in Hawaii, but still...it was high.

Afterwards, Laura took us down the mountain and into Kehei, where we would be staying for the next few days. We are looking forward to a few days of sun, surf and relaxation.....but Maui is a trickster......he may have something up his sleeve for us!

on top!

walking on air!