Advertisement
Published: February 5th 2018
February 13, 2017
After a long trip my mother, brother & I finally arrived at the Kona airport and picked up our rental car. The drive to the house was not far and we had good directions. However, once off the main roads, the streetlights were few and far between. We found the correct road and the dark driveway to the house. The outside lights were not one so I used my cellphone's flashlight to find the stairs to the doorway. The house was a good size with a wraparound lanai. There were 3 good sized bedrooms with double beds allowing us to have our own room. The house appeared a little faded based on the VRBO photos but was clean. I used the Around Me app to find a grocery store nearby and once settled, we headed there for supplies. After a light dinner we unpacked and went to bed. It had been a long day with little sleep.
February 14
The next morning we headed to Kailua-Kona to find a larger grocery store and stocked up. Kailua-Kona is the main town in the area and full of tourists. After some exploration and a light lunch we
headed along the highway to North Kohala. I had read a lot about the town of Hawi (hah-vee) but there was really little to see. I think it is for people more interested in local arts. There were a couple of huge banyan trees that were impressive. Further along the highway we arrived at Pololu Valley for a fantastic lookout over the ocean. The coastline is spectacular with the vertical dark-green cliffs of Hamakua. There are 2 islets offshore. There is a steep trail into the valley but the people who were arriving back after the climb looked exhausted. There are also numerous warning signs. Although the hikers said it was worthwhile, my mother said she did not think she could do it so we decided against it. To be fair, I was not sure how well I could do it either. We continued along the highway stopping wherever there seemed to be good viewpoints or interesting areas.
February 15
Our next excursion was in the opposite direction to reach South Kona. Along this coastline are about 22 miles of around 600 small coffee farms. Our first stop was at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. It is
no longer a working farm but a museum of sorts; once owned by a Japanese family. There are a number of guides explaining life on the farm when it was producing coffee. One fellow explained the process of picking the beans, sorting and drying. The whole family would work from sunrise to sunset when the beans were ready. It sounded exhausting. During picking season the local school would close to allow children to assist with the work. Another guide explained the family had 2 gardens. One for their own use and one for selling produce to the public, another income generator. A 3rd guide was working in the family home. After wandering through the small house with sparse furnishings, she explained how food was prepared and the eating habits of the family. I found it very interesting. The method of cooking the rice was unlike any I had seen before in a special type of pot. Unfortunately they don't actually sell coffee here which I found surprising. Later we stopped at the Greenwell Farm and purchased a bag or two.
Driving on we arrived at the Pu'uhonoa O Honaunau National History Park. The name means the "Place of Refuge".
The name is derived from the 16th century and was a refuge for escaped warriors. These were men who had broken a sacred law punishable by death or they had been defeated in a battle. If due to a battle, this included civilians. No physical harm could come to those who reached the boundaries of the refuge. The park stands at the end of a long semi-desert of scrub and lava plains. It is a sacred site that has the Hale O Keawe Heiau, a temple built around 1650 and contains the bones of 23 chiefs. There is a fishpond, lava tree molds, carved wooden Ki'i (wooded statues of gods) that are up to 15 ft tall, and a half-mile walking tour along with other trails. Leading up to the heiau is the "Great Wall" built around 1550. It is over 1000 ft long, 10 ft tall and 17 ft thick. We walked along one of the trails but when it became rough lava rock, my mother headed back to a sandy beach area by the coastline where she could sit in shade under palm trees. My brother and I carried on for a while longer until the trail became
rather challenging. The weather was quite warm with sun out in full so we turned back at this point.
February 16
I woke around 5:00 am due to the furniture rattling. There was a 4.5 earthquake. Just strong enough to make itself known without causing any damage. For our next trek we decided to head to South Kohala. Our first stop was at the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company. There we could see the glass enclosed factory with workers sorting & processing the nuts, getting them ready for retail. The store and gift shop had many free samples with different types of flavouring including Spam! I guess Spam is popular in Hawaii. There were different sizes of bags for purchase as well as oils and other items. The quality was very good and the samples tasty. We drove on to the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historical Park. The heiau is a large temple built by King Kamehameha in the late 1700s. We did a short hike around the park. It turned out my mother could not walk as far as she claimed before the trip - her back was acting up. This shortened hiking time however it was still enjoyable.
I discovered the bumpy fruit I was seeing everywhere is called Noni fruit. I also discovered that the small furry creature we often saw either running across the highway or dead beside the highway is a mongoose. After seeing a postcard featuring the animal I asked the woman in the Visitor's Centre. She explained what they were and told me to run over one was considered good luck! It turns out the population is out of control despite efforts to get rid of them. They were introduced to the island to help with the rat population and are now more destructive and a nuisance. They wreak havoc on the native bird population as well as eating turtle eggs.
February 18
We spent yesterday at the beach all day. For today, I had reserved 2 spots on the Dan McSweeney Whale Watching Learning Adventure for my mother and I. The boarding point was in a marina between our rented house and Kailua-Kona. The boat left around 11 am with all seats occupied. The boat travelled from turquoise water into navy blue. A large area of the water is just over 1,000 ft deep but we headed to a spot
where there is a shelf with 180 ft waters. We saw 3 or 4 individual whales, one with a calf. We did not get really close and they moved quickly, making it hard to get good photos. The day was warm and sunny making it a very pleasant outing. Water was available as well as fresh fruit. Seeing the whales was exciting for everyone on board.
We were due for a more in-depth exploration of Kailua-Kona so we headed there. My brother rented a bike and went off on his own. There is a market that takes place every day, we parked nearby and my mother & I wandered through it. We then did some window shopping through the main part of town. After lunch a street market set up along Ali'i Drive. It was quite long, had some interesting booths selling many different types of items and services. There were also a few musicians along the way, some of whom were very popular. Later we met my brother and went to Foster's Kitchen for dinner. It was very good with an expensive glass of wine.
February 19
My brother headed off for another bike ride before
it was due back. My mother & I headed back to Kailua-Kona for more touring. We all met at the local beach midday. While the others stayed there I headed to the Hulihe'e Palace. The governor of the island built it in 1838. There are 6 large rooms showcasing royal furnishings and Hawaiian artifacts, photographs and paintings. The female guide was very informative about the history and told many stories. I returned to the beach and took a short walk to the nearby Ahu'ena Heiau. This is an ancient site belonging to Kamehameha the Great for use as a retreat and temple. At the beach itself I did some snorkelling. The water was very clear and close to the Heiau there were a lot of colourful fish. It was not overly crowded so it was comfortable paddling around to see whatever I could see.
February 20
The next foray was north to the Kalahuipua'a Historic Trail. It started well with lava fields and a cave but then the trail markers dwindled away and we did not know where to go. The cave we saw was quite large and at one time, was home to some ancient people. After
turning around in circles a few times without finding the way to the historic village, we ended up close to the Mauna Lani golf resort. A beautiful area with pathways passed picturesque ponds and alongside trees. The day was sunny and clear but extremely windy. Often the sky can be hazy due to the active volcano but the wind was blowing it away leaving a clear blue sky. We continued on to the Waipi'o Valley located at the very top of the island. It was a long drive and we ran into rain. The huge trees looked dramatic in the mists. The rain stopped in time for our arrival at our destination. The drive was worth it - we were able to look across a spectacular view of the valley and the 2000 ft cliffs. It is one of many valleys carved into the side of the Kohala mountains. At the edge of the valley is a black sand beach with crashing surf. The valley itself is primarily private property so tourists are not welcome although people can hire a tour in a 4 wheel drive. The view itself was superb. After some time we continued on to Mauna Kea,
Two Step snorkelling site
rebuilding a traditional heiauthe inactive volcano, to visit the astronomical observation centre. We took Saddle Road down the middle of the island. The journal started well but when dusk arrived so did heavy fog. It took a lot of concentration by the driver, my brother, and me, the navigator, to find the way. Once we turned onto the volcano road, we climbed and climbed. The fog did not dissipate until we were almost at the top. We finally arrived and found a parking spot. We were at 13000 ft so the temperature dropped to 42F. We picked our way over the uneven ground and through the dark toward the light of the visitor's centre. My mother was not impressed with the chilly air so stayed primarily in the centre. I found that I climatized quickly with a big beach towel wrapped around my shoulders. The sky was beautifully clear with a multitude of stars. Outside of the centre there were quite a few people gathered to hear the guide describing what we were seeing above. At one point the Hubble Space Station came flying through the many constellations. Venus was the brightest. We ended up staying for quite some time. The day held
every kind of weather from hot sun, wind, fog, rain and cold but it was full with many spectacular sites.
February 21
Today was another beach day. This time we headed to a place called "Two Step" for the snorkelling. There really is not a beach area, it consists primarily of lava rock but the snorkelling was very good with lots of coral and fish. It was a little difficult getting in and out due to the slippery, mossy rock. I am also nervous in deep water; I need water wings! We stayed for some time then drove to the Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary which is a botanical garden. One section is a design based on the Milky Way, somewhat of a maze, so I was able to walk to the centre of the universe, collecting a medallion along the way! The gardens had a lot of trees, shrubs and flowers from various countries. It was very peaceful and restful. On the way home we stopped at a Kealakekua Bay viewpoint. It is a major religious site of native Hawaiians and marks the spot where Captain Cook first set foot.
February 22
It was time to
move to the other side of the island. Along the way we stopped at the Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve for a short hike over lava rock to see the stone carvings. Some of them date from the 16th century and were carved into the stone by ancient ones. We drove across country, again on Saddle Road but with a different approach closer to Kona. Across from the Mauna Kea observatory turnoff we stopped at the Pu'u Hulahula Trail. The guidebook describes it as an easy hike but neglected to mention it starts with a steep incline. This caused my mother to decide to wait in the car and enjoy the sunshine. Referred to as a "shaggy hill", it is a cinder cone formed by a volcanic eruption. It is now covered with trees, shrubs and grasses. Although the temperature is cooler I managed to work up a sweat walking the dirt path. The views from the top were wonderful and after the initial climb, it was an easy hike (as described) and very enjoyable. It was not much further to Hilo (which we skirted around) to arrive in Pahoa, the town with our other VRBO rental. It took a couple of
Volcanoes National Park
view of the volcano from the Jaggar Museum observation deck wrong turns to find the right road but once arrived, the house was lovely. Again with 3 bedrooms, one of which was likely the sitting room in a previous life. It is well maintained, clean and kept up a little better.
February 23
I was excited today to see the 'Akaka Falls State Park. Unfortunately, part of the trail was closed due to weather damage but we were able to take a short hike to the main falls. There were quite a few people there which was a bit surprising because most of the places we visited so far were not very busy. The falls are a famous main attraction so people likely had them on their to-do list. To reach the falls we walked past a lot of rainforest vegetation and a small bamboo forest to reach the observation point. The falls are 442 ft tall and are one of the most photographed sites in Hawaii. It was a lovely walk with the bright greens of the plants & trees culminating with the fantastic falls. On the way back we drove the Pep'ekeo 4-mile Scenic Drive, which winds its way through a rainforest jungle. There is a
Volcanoes National Park
at the end of the Chain of Craters Rd, Holei Sea Arch. series of one-lane bridges crossing little streams so we had to be mindful of any on-coming traffic. Stopping for lunch in Hilo and its surroundings was a parking challenge and it was hard to find a place to eat that was not fast food. We stopped at Cafe 100 which was recommended by the guidebook. It was very busy and obviously popular but not impressive. Near Hilo, we stopped at the Rainbow Falls State Park. These falls are smaller, at 80 ft, within a beautiful park. I also made the short climb up to the top of the falls for a view from there. This side of the island has a reputation for rain however, we had gorgeous weather all day.
February 24
The Volcanoes National Park was an area I really wanted to explore; the primary reason for choosing this island to visit. It was a great drive since this side of the island is so much greener with far more well developed trees. For a large part of the drive, both sides of the highway were filled with tall trees. At the Visitor's Centre we watched a short film about the volcano history of the island.
Volcanoes National Park
along the Chain of Craters Rd The island is constantly getting bigger because of the lava flows and deposits. Once we retrieved the maps required, we drove to the Jaggar Museum and the observation deck where we could view the active volcano. We could see lava leaping up from the crater. A couple of telescopes allowed a closer view but were very busy. Onward along the Crater Rim Drive we stopped at overlooks and steam vents. The steam vents were not very hot; it was possible to stand in their path. I found them quite fascinating. Next we travelled along the Chain of Craters Road down to the coastline. We passed huge fields of lava rock then at the end of the road, walked to the edge of the coast to see the Holei Sea Arch, carved out by the water and destined for collapse. The waves were hitting the cliffs so heavily they created loud booms. Closer to the road where many cars were parked along the edge, there were a couple of Nenes. An endangered species of geese descended from the Canada goose. On the way back we stopped at the Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuka). The walk starts in an ohia forest with lots
of tree ferns. A refreshing walk, I really enjoyed the trail and was sorry it wasn't longer. After seeing so much grey and black in lava fields, the green was almost startling. The lava tube is gigantic making it hard to believe it was simply a large bubble in the lava. I felt exhilarated by its height and length. We stopped in Hilo at the recommended Cafe Pesto. It was likely the best meal I had on this trip. Driving home in the dark was once again a little bit of an adventure. It definitely requires the memorization of landmarks.
February 25
In Pahoa they have a Sunday market, the Maku'u Market. I was shocked at the number of people who were there; it was actually extremely crowded. A real contrast from the people of the Kona side. The people here were far more artsy, low key and laid back with only a smattering of tourists. Booths offered a lot of different kinds of cooked food, crafts, art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, fruit and vegetables. We spent quite a bit of time looking around. After lunch we went to the Akatsuka Orchid Garden to see the variety of orchids
then the Volcano Winery. Both visits were shorter than expected. The Orchid Garden was really just a large flower shop although the plants and blooms were great. I did purchase the wine tasting samples at the winery but was not enamoured enough to purchase anything. Our pass for the Volcanoes Park was good for a week so we went there for a short hike. We planned on having dinner in the town of Volcano but found the majority of the restaurants all closed. Back in the Park we ate in the lounge since the restaurant had a 2 hour wait. It was a very good meal and we could see the glow of the volcano crater from the window. After dinner we went to the Jaggar Museum observation deck with a goal of experiencing the volcano after dark. From the observation deck the volcano was impressive with its plumes of steam and licks of lava leaping into the air.
February 26
Our last day - we packed up and headed back to the Kona side for the airport. We meant to have a leisurely drive along a different highway allowing a few stops but it was pouring rain
when we left. The rain continued almost all the way thwarting our plans. We had been lucky with very little rain the entire trip. We did stop in South Kona where we found the Donkey Balls store and bought numerous goodies. Once in Kailua-Kona we had an early dinner since the American airlines do not serve any food. We dropped the car off and took the shuttle to the airport. It was the first time I really looked at the airport and discovered it was quite open to the elements with few outside walls in the boarding areas. A natural air conditioning, warm and comfortable, appropriate for the island and its people.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.123s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 6; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0692s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
