Wy wife and I decided to take one day out of the trip and visit The Big Island. And we were sure glad we did.
It started early in the morning with a quick (and I do mean quick) plane ride to the island. No sooner had I finished my juice than we had landed. The amazing thing about the airport was that the entire complex was outside. But I guess that, in Hawaii, that is not a problem.
We departed our tour bus no more than 10 minutes after landing. And I beleive it is true that what type of driver/tour guide you have makes all the difference in the world. Our guide was truly amazing and brought some great insight into our trip. He had better! He grew up and lives on the Big Island.
Our first stop was at one of the many Kona coffee plantations. I am not a coffee drinker; however, the process of coffee bean production is quite interesting, from harvesting to drying the beans. So at the end, we had several shopping bags full of Hawaiian Kona coffee for family and friends.
The next major stop was Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to Kilauea. Your stop was at the top of the park, near the volcanoes. Throughout the trip to our destination, we saw several craters, and the landscape was something I had never seen. It reminded me of pictures of the moon's surface. As we traversed the park, we stopped at several craters as the steam pushed through the openings. Unfortunately, at this time, we did not see any active lava flow, but later in the trip we did see what the flow could do, as part of the road had become impassible with hardened lava. It was something I will not forget.
I cannot go into all the side stops we made; however, it was very cool to hear what the guide had to say. He veered through many side roads to show us the Big Island, which was not on the route from old Hawaiian villages, to the most spectacular bay I had seen thusfar. And the amazing thing was that this was where our guide grew up and played and swam when he was young. Now, you cannot get that kind of a story on your own. And as I mentioned before, the guide for your trip is truly the difference-maker. It was for us.
One of the places he took us was through a very bushy path. He would not mention what we were going to see but just let us know that it was worth the walk. As we emerged from the trees, we came upon a most beautiful waterfall, as if opening a new page to a perfect picture. Needless to say, everyone gasped at the sight. I believe he called it Akaka Falls, part of the Akaka Falls National Park.
Our final major stop was the Dole Pineapple Plantation. Obviously a tourist attraction, but of course a must-visit. I never knew or saw how a pineapple grew, but I know now. Along with the pineapple fields, we were also treated to a huge maze you could work through. You were given a card and timed for how long it took. It was fun, even for adults. A light snack and some pineapple purchases, and we were back on the bus home. I will tell you that the pineapples we had there have never been topped in sweetness from any store locally. It had to be in the red dirt.
The plane ride home was quiet, and I think all on the tour had just experienced the beauty and wonder of Hawaii's main island. My wife and I sure did, and we slept well that night, knowing that exact fact.