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Published: February 13th 2017
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The big island is home to 8 of the worlds 13 climate zones. On the drive from Hilo to Kona this becomes evident. As Hilo is one of the wettest cities in the US, it is green and lush. Drive up to 3500 feet in elevation to Volcano town then down the other side with Mauna Loa at your side. Along the way passing once again changing scenery and this time even including a little desert. The rains subsided, the sun came out, the scenery became green and lush once again. South of Kona offered grand views of the coast below, lush tropical forest and warm weather as the Kona side is drier and warmer. This was a nice change from the 3 days of rain we had experienced. Another wonderful drive of ever-changing landscapes. Driving past macadamia nut farms and coffee farms, the road elevation gaining, presenting views of the crystal blue waters on one side and slope of tropical greens on the other. Once again amazed at the scenery and the pace it changes here on this little island.
Greeted in Kona to plenty of people (not something we dealt with on the other side of
the island) and plenty of warmth. In reality it would be the warmest day we had seen in months. Kona is simply a beautiful piece of coastline. We were staying in Captain Cook town about a 10 minute drive to Kona. Up a one lane patch of private road, around a house and to our lodging. The property was home to macadamia nuts, avocado trees (which are huge by the way) and some other fruit trees. More importantly the property next door seemed to be a hobby farm with way too many roosters These roosters do not rest, they are all in on the noise making day or night.
Lava might have been reason number one for us to visit the Big Island but reason number two was to get to the summit of Mauna Kea. Summit Mauna Kea, a mountain just under 14,000 feet. You mat be wondering, “With your lack of mountain skills how will you do that?” Well it’s easy. You can drive there, take a tour or you could just hike it. We had settled for a sunrise tour in which you stargaze followed by watching the sunrise atop Mauna Kea. This leads
to being in a mini bus at 3:15 am and chugging up Saddle Road soon thereafter. A stop at the visitor centre to acclimatize at 9,200 feet and stargaze. Due to it’s remote location and lack of light pollution the mountain itself is home to many international observatories for studying the night sky. When you look up you realize why. The sky is littered with stars of all levels of brightness. Our guide points out constellations explaining how the Polynesians navigated the waters using the stars as their compass. Stargazing, though interesting, was not my reason for being up at this hour. We chugged up to the summit. At the summit -2 C, strong winds with snow on the ground. Yes, snow in Hawaii. We watched the stars disappear as the reds and oranges of the sky lightened. The sun peaked over the clouds and morning happened. Looking down at the sun, the light reflecting off the snow and peaks of Mauna Kea. What an incredible sight. A Japanese man approached me and told me to look behind me. “Shadow Mauna Kea” he said. There it was the perfect shape of Mauna Kea low over the mountainside behind. We spent
some time enjoying the moment, knowing that this was a special moment. On the way down I kept falling asleep. There was no way I could keep my eyes open. We had little sleep the night before, low caffeine and the altitude all joined forces to make me incredibly tired. We stopped at a few vistas to enjoy the view of looking down at volcanic cones in the morning light. This worked to wake me up and get me back on form. We stopped for a little breakfast. Our driver never stopped talking the way back to Kona but with that we learned about Hawaiian culture and the history of what we were seeing. He pointed out lava fields and dated eruptions. It was a lot of information but a very positive tour.
We spent a little time in Kona just enjoying the atmosphere and pleasant weather. Watching people enjoying the water, mostly rowing and paddle boarding. When we left Kona we drove north along the coast. It was a beauty of a day and so was the coastline. The Kona coast with its sweeping slope that flattens before it meets the Pacific. A bounty of colour.
Driving north the mountains flatten, lava fields become grassy eventually becoming cattle ranches. We spent some time In Hawi, a cute town near the northern tip of the big island. Drove inland through forests and into cowboy country into the town of Waimea. Big Island Brauhaus for some lunch and to sample a brew. Stopped at the lookout of Waipo Valley before heading back to Hilo. The following day was fly day.
The Big Island, which is essentially small, has offered some of the best landscapes I have ever seen. We put a lot of miles on the rental car avoiding falling coconuts but did take one renegade avocado to the roof. As far as road trips go, it feels like a big road trip due to the fact there is so much to see. The weather changes quickly, so does the scenery and landscapes. I had an assumption coming into this that locals would not be so nice as tourist are always coming and going, sometimes causing problems whether it be traffic or leaving garbage behind or not being respectful at sacred Hawaiian sites. But I met many nice locals and tourists alike. We seen flowing
lava, sunrise atop a mountain along with many fantastic unplanned events and sights.
Exciting, being somewhere new, being on the road. I have always said roadtrips are the king of travel. You choose your speed, music and most importantly you choose your own adventure. Cruising around a Pacific island, the window down. sweet floral air, rock radio station, nothing but new things to see, smell, touch and do. Feeling free. This sums up my Big Island trip. It was a lot of work to get here and it felt positive leaving with a feeling of accomplishment. The Big Island was a big success, now it was time to fly to Lihue in Kauai for a few more adventures.
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