Big Island Variety

In my experience with timeshare resorts, I’ve come to believe that Hilton sets the standard for accommodations. Two years ago we stayed at the Lagoon Tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu and then this year the Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach Resort.

Technically Hilton has two resorts at Waikoloa Beach Resort, the Bay Club at Waikoloa Beach and the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Waikoloa Beach. As I understand it, the Bay Club was originally built as residential condominiums, which explains the fact that each unit has far more closet space than the itinerant traveler will ever need. Other than noting that the Grand Vacations Club end is newer (and they are building even more units), I’ll limit my comments to the Bay Club.

With the closet space in mind, I’d recommend the Bay Club especially to golfers and families. Why? Well, by example our unit had a huge walk-in closet just off the main entrance. Large enough to accommodate either a roll-away bed or air bed, or numerous golf bags and other equipment, leaving the remainder of the two bedroom unit uncluttered.

Since it’s a little older, the interiors seem a tad dated, but if you’re coming to Hawaii to stay inside, why the heck are you coming to Hawaii?

Suffice to say that for two couples we all had plenty of room without anyone tripping over anyone else. With sleeper sofa in the living room, and the aforementioned walk-in closet as an option, I could easily see the unit handling 8 people with no problem (spring break groups please be quiet though).

The lanai is huge, bigger than most hotel rooms, with access from one bedroom and the living room. And the kitchen is adequate.
As far as the resort itself goes, it’s top notch. Two championship golf courses, wind around the grounds giving you wonderful scenery from every angle. I can’t help but wonder how they were built, given the fact that these courses are basically laid out atop a huge lava flow.

Resort guests enjoy privileges at both courses The King's Golf Course and The Beach Golf Course. They are probably relatively reasonably priced for the serious golfer, although out of range for an itinerant hacker like me.

You also have your choice of three pools here, two smaller ones at the Bay Club end and a larger, fancier one at the Reception Center. And there are tennis courts as well.

The location is good though, about 20 minutes north of Kailua-Kona, and maybe an hour or so from Hilo. Getting there is easy from the Kona Airport, as the car rental shuttle driver directed us; "just go to the highway and turn left at the traffic light. Drive to the next traffic light and turn left, then follow the road to the resort."

You can walk or drive to a number of shops and restaurants. In fact, the resort maintains a shuttle that will take you to the Hilton Hotel. That’s notable because there ain’t no free parking there broddah! As for food and stuff, you’ve got plenty of options. If you just want a snack for back at the room, you can pick up food supplies at Whaler’s General Store in the Kings Shops. Or just across from Whaler’s is Roy’s, one of the best (and priciest) restaurants around. There is also the newly opened Queen’s Market that features even more shopping and places to eat, just across the street from the Kings Shops.

The surrounding Waikoloa Beach Resort also offers an array of formal and casual restaurants, The King's Shops, and an oasis of lush landscaping and sparkling waterfalls.

One of the things that I enjoy most about visiting Hawaii (especially on Kauai or the Big Island) is just driving around with no timetable and the willingness to pull over at any stop that might catch our attention. That philosophy paid off handsomely on the Akoni Pule Highway in Kapa'au of the Kohala area with Pico’s Bistro and Kenji’s House gallery and museum.

We were hungry, so Pico’s gets first mention here, excellent Mediterranean food! I had an apple and walnut salad that was delicious, while Sue had the penne pasta. I have to admit however, sitting outside by the grill as they prepared a veggie burger, the aroma was enough to almost make me order one to go. Unfortunately, dietary willpower prevailed, but it was difficult… very, very difficult to resist.

The menu features the grilled-to-order burgers, seafood, salads and other pastas; with daily specials. The display case also had samples of various dishes to give you an idea or two (no tasting, but the appearance will sell you on one or two items alone).
The beverage selection is also worth mentioning as they have a number of different options from smoothies, fresh juices and Italian sodas, to Thomas Kemper sodas. With apologies to my beloved hometown soda maker Fitz’s, I don’t know that I’ve ever had a better root beer… ever.

It’s primarily an outdoor experience, there are two dining areas; a small little four table area under shade by the aforementioned "grill of temptation", and a larger sundeck up the hill by the sculpture garden. You place your order in a tiny kitchen (in what was once basically a garage/tool shed) and then it’s delivered to your table. A meal will cost around $8-12 a person, and is open from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm.
And with a nod to both my basic dining and eco-friendly sensibilities, there wasn’t a piece of styrofoam in sight!

Being a Midwesterner, I don’t have a lot of sushi restaurants to sample at home. Yes, we have some, but for years I avoided them for fear that I might have a bad first experience that would taint my willingness ever to try it again. Finally, some friends offered to shepherd us into the ways of sushi dining and we got hooked!

So with that background in mind, please understand what I’m about to say. Had it not been for a the words "killer sushi, cheap" in a guide book that I trust (Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty), I would never even noticed Ocean Sushi, much less had dinner there. Pass this restaurant by at your own risk! You won’t find better sushi at a better value anywhere (at least not from my limited experience)!

It’s not much for atmosphere, rather than a faux Japanese tea house, it will remind you more of an old storefront diner in the dingy side of downtown. But look around you and you’ll see a great collection of locals and tourists (yeah, we do stand out don’t we?).

The menu is nice and complete, just select whatever collection of rolls, sushi and sashimi strikes your fancy and order away. You’re not going to max out your credit card here. There were four of us having dinner and the check, with tip, came to less than $54!

They have a complete selection of sushi rolls, and other delicacies featuring ahi, poke, unagi, nigiri, lomi salmon and shrimp. Some are seriously spicy and others are just tasty! And while it seems a little silly to get excited about steamed soy beans… I could have just made a meal of the edamame by itself.

It might not satisfy the true sushi snobs (you know who you are), but it will give you a wonderful meal at more than a reasonable price.

Gee, I wish I could say that we just stumbled upon What’s Shakin’ but that would be a lie. The truth is that we were on our way from Waikoloa to Volcanoes National Park via Hilo on the Mamalahoa Highway and our fearless navigator (fearless in the sense that he can read the guide book while in a moving vehicle without getting car sick) suggested that we follow the sign that said 4 Mile Scenic Drive to catch some lunch at this cool smoothies place. Agreeable driver that I am, I made the left turn onto Old Mamalahoa Highway and my taste buds were amply rewarded for the effort.

It’s a small wooden building with a wrap-around porch that provides ample shade, with picnic tables down below as well. The view is almost as pleasant as the food, as you look across the fields to see the ocean in the distance. But the food is excellent.
Our little group was more than delighted with the Papaya Paradise (fresh papaya, banana, coconut and pineapple), Bananarama (my choice) and Peanut Braddah smoothies, all made with fruit from surrounding 20 acres of farm. As I understand it, the only smoothie fruit that they use that wasn’t grown on their farm are the strawberries and blueberries. In any case they were some of the best smoothies I’ve ever tasted and at $5 or so, well worth it.

The food was excellent as well. I almost had to savor my macadamia-honey bran muffin crumb by crumb just to prolong the experience! The chocolate chip cookie please our chocoholic, and the Chicken Wrap (grilled, marinated chicken strips, black beans, cheddar cheese and a splash of homemade salsa wrapped in a tortilla) took care of the biggest appetite in the car as well.

The only downside to our lunch stop came from the radio inside the kitchen, as this was how we learned that the Kalapana Overlook we were aiming for had been closed due to a wind reversal that was drifting too much sulfur dioxide over that area. Bummer! But you got to breathe don’t you?

That’s the nature of Madame Pele, she may be putting on a show (the current flow is more than spectacular, I’ve heard) but Pele and Pele alone decides whether you get to see it or not.

In any case, What’s Shakin’ is worth the little detour. Just be careful when you leave. Somehow we might have missed a turn as the old highway turned into a rather rutty one lane farm road on us. You’ll still get back to the highway but not without a few questions for the navigator or driver.

First things first, it’s shave ice not shaved ice. And more importantly, it’s a wonderful treat that can come in almost an infinite number of flavors and flavor combinations.

The shave ice that you find in the islands is similar to the New Orleans-style snow cones (and maybe they even use the same machine to make them, for all I know). But forget the traditional mainland snow cone that is more a collection of ice pellets than snow. This is the real deal braddah!

Three trips to the islands have given me a lot of opportunities to sample shave ice and I can’t say that I’ve had a bad one yet. Usually, you want to combine at least two flavors. And some locations will offer some special combinations that have withstood the test of time (I’m still salivating over the Banana Split combo at Jo Jo’s in Waimea on Kauai, but that’s the subject of a different journal and another review). And after you’ve sifted through all the choices and orchestrated the combination that will most please your palate for that moment in time, you’re then faced with the decision as to whether or not to have ice cream under the ice. And then, you need to decide if you want the topping of sweetened condensed milk or not. Trust me, if you’ve ever tried it you’ll understand why it’s so delicious.

So here we are in Kailua-Kona, strolling around and enjoying the weather and the shops, when I spy the Scandinavian Shave Ice establishment. Scandinavian? Isn’t shave ice supposed to be a Hawaiian kind of thing? Shave ice connoisseur that I am (not to mention a slave to curiosity) I had to try it out. Oh… my… god! What a treat!

Take a look at the accompanying photo and you’ll see me about to enjoy my medium sized banana and cinnamon. That set me back a whole $3.25! Add to that the fact that after taking the picture, we strolled across the street to watch some canoe races in the harbor and you have a near perfect way to spend some quality time. Oh... and while watching the races, we struck up a conversation with some locals and scored two restaurant recommendations for our next week on Kauai.

Scandinavian Shave Ice offers over 40 different flavors (some also available in sugar-free), and you can add ice cream or frozen yogurt to your treat. Hungry souls that want something a little more filling can also get a hot dog or smoothie, and Philistines that insist on just a soda can get that as well.

And the Scandinavian in the name? The woman behind the counter said that the owner came from Scandinavia originally. I’m glad he/she made the trip though, because this place served the best shave ice I had on the Big Island!

If you want to check out the list of flavors and get more information, click here to go to their website.

The guide book we had, suggested that the Kona Village Resort had the best food of any luaus on the islands. True, but I’m also inclined to say that over all it was the best luau we’ve been to period (as compared to Kilohana Plantation and Smith’s Luau, both on Kauai).

First there are the grounds of the resort, which feature a large area of ancient petroglyphs (images carved into the lava rock). You walk over them thanks to a boardwalk, so as not to damage them.

Pre-dinner entertainment features a music trio that obviously enjoys performing, along with a few cultural demonstrations. Who knew that you could enjoy a demonstration on opening a coconut good be so entertaining?

Then there is the imu ceremony, which will be informative as well. If you’re not already hungry by that time, the aroma of the kalua pig will get you salivating for sure.

Then there is the dining setting, outdoors at long tables, but not cramped at all (a problem at Kilohana). Somewhere along the line, I’m sure I did something to offend the banquet gods as anyone dining with me will likely discover that we are to be one of the last tables served or ushered to the buffet (wedding, charity event, political fundraiser… you name it, chances are we’ll be last or near the last). Sadly, this proved true again, but that gives me the opportunity to note that even near the end of the line, the food was still plentiful and incredibly tasty.

I mentioned the kalua pig, and it was just as delicious as it’s aroma suggested. Then my favorite lomi lomi salmon along with a ton of both modern and traditional fare. Yeah, you can try the poi. Usually you can recognize the mainlanders that have had it before, they are the ones not reaching for some this time.

You also get a "complimentary libation"… as in one. My one complaint is that given this is a fairly pricey event ($98 per person) one might expect more than just one drink. That said however, the drink (in my case a Lava Flow) was not your standard freebie-style quality. So maybe that’s better.

The show was excellent, although I got the impression that some of the performers were new to the ensemble. Nothing specific mind you, just a little misstep here or there.

So if you’re into comparisons with the Kauai luaus, here’s a quick set from me:

-- Best food of all the luaus we’ve been to, by far!
-- Good cultural demos, although not quite as good as those at Kilohana
-- Not nearly as crowded as Kilohana and far fewer people than Smith’s
-- Performance quality better than the others, although I have to give a nod to Smith’s for their almost Vega-style production quality.

All in all, a little pricey but worth every dime.

If you’re staying on the Kona side of the island, you have three basic route choices for getting to Volcanoes National Park. You can take Saddleback Road through the middle of the island, in the swale between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, but a lot of people will warn you off of that due to the semi-rugged nature of the road (it won’t make you popular with the rental car agency either) and the reputation that it has for dangerous drivers. Or you can choose between the Kona south route or the Kona north and around to Hilo route. Basic travel time is the same for all three, but our concierge Michelle suggested that there was more to see and do by going through Hilo… and I’ve learned that you should always listen to your concierge, especially if she’s personable, attractive and doesn’t keep leaving her hand in a "tip me now" type of position.

So off to Hilo we went, leaving at about 9:30 in the morning, confident in our outlook. It was a far from disappointing day. Hey, it must have been a decent day’s outing… it provided me with sufficient fodder for this review and three other attractions; What’s Shakin’ Smoothie Shack, Volcanoes National Park, and Ocean Sushi Deli! Michelle must have known something. And we were realistic enough to know that even with a morning departure, we wouldn’t be seeing the volcano until late afternoon at the very earliest.

As it was, we didn’t get to the volcano until after 5:30, and only our group’s resolve to stay on mission made even that possible. Here’s another helpful off the wall tip. If you want to have a lovely "stop here, stop there, don’t miss that" type of day, entrust the guide book and the map to the passenger in the car that is least likely to get car sick while reading. If you have an eyes on the prize, gotta get there by a certain time kind of obsession, take only the map and tell everyone to nap while you drive. We benefitted immensely by the fact that my son-in-law Mark a) does not require reading glasses, b) does not get car sick, and c) can scan a guidebook and pick out all sorts of interesting little stops and side trips along the way. Schedules be damned, we’re on vacation!

Our first diversion was Laupahoehoe, where a little town stood until April 1st, 1946. Early that morning, an earthquake near the Aleutian Islands of Alaska triggered a tsunami that would wash most of the village out to sea, including 23 students and 4 teachers from the school. Can there be any more poignant memorial than one that just lists the names and ages of children that have succumbed to a force of nature? A display of newspaper stories and letters will also give you a peek at some of the individual stories of tragedy and heroism.

The pier that protects the bay now, can best be described as a collection of serious, serious concrete stars. Whether these were placed carefully or just dropped by a crane, I can’t tell you. But the pier does allow you to walk out on it for an excellent view of this now relatively placid bay.

Take the Scenic Road that leads you past What’s Shakin’, you’ll regret not stopping there for lunch or a smoothie!

The next diversion was Onomea Bay, we didn’t have time to pop for tickets to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (an attraction that gives me yet another motivator to return some day), but we did stop on both sides of this gorgeous setting. There are plenty of access points for trails that will take you closer to (or farther away) from the shore, each one offering their fair share of photographic opportunities.

We also dunced around Hilo a bit. Stopped by Rainbow falls (more on that if you read my Waterfalls review) and just got a feel for the city. One little diversion there was Hilo’s historic Banyan Drive, a street shaded by banyan trees planted by prominent visitors to Hilo over the years like a retired baseball player by the name of Babe Ruth or a California politician named Richard Nixon. That second tree apparently gets vandalized in one way or another from time to time, I can only guess why.

Finally, I would be remiss during these days of economic trauma to mention that for some reason or other, gas prices at some stations on the outskirts of Hilo were a dime a gallon less than they were back at Kona so this is a good place to be on the lookout for a top off location!

You’re in Hawaii, so what is there to see? Yeah there’s that volcano, too many waterfalls to choose from … and let me see… oh yeah, beaches!

Experienced beach bums all have different criteria for what makes their favorite beach: quality of sun, quality of sand, waves for surfing, waves for swimming, waves for watching, the quality of people watching or appeal of a spectacular sunrise or sunset. As far as I’m concerned, they’re all good, so I’ll just mention a few beaches on the Kona side of the island that somehow registered with this particular 55 year old Midwestern male.

One caveat applies to all beaches though. Be careful! Never take your eye off the sea and maintain a healthy measure of respect for the power of the waves. Most beaches are perfectly safe, most of the time. But waves are not nearly as predictable as you might think. And if you need reminders, just take note of the signs around various towns that suggest a tsunami evacuation route. Okay then, let’s get into our swimsuits!

Kahalu'u is on Ali’i Drive and has a nice combination of paddle surfers, sunbathers, snorkelers and turtle watchers. Read that carefully, that might suggest that it can get a little crowded at times. It wasn’t oppressively crowded (at least nothing to even remotely suggest Waikiki-type crowded) but for the Big Island, there was a substantial number of people.

We didn’t snorkel, but this would have been a great place for it. However there are plenty of concessions, and even a nice little snack bar/restaurant surf side that will give the more relaxation-fixated folks in your party a place to sip and watch while you clamor down onto the rocks for a close-up view of the green sea turtles, and I do mean close-up. The water is shallow and enough rocks are exposed so that water-borne turtles can mingle with dry footed tourists to the delight of both parties. Don’t feed the turtles, they are here for more nutritious fare anyway.

You can also rent surfboards, boogie boards, snorkel gear and kayaks here as well. And the reef that protects the beach makes it a nice place to take kids. It’s a dark sand beach with a large bay that has good protection for most of it, yet enough surf to satisfy the paddle surfers.

For that matter, just drive along Ali’i Drive and whenever you see the magic sign that says Shoreline Access, look for a parking spot. That’s how we found one nice black sand beach (at the bottom of some steep stairs, I think it was named Kahalua) that had a lot of very skilled surfers. The restrooms and outdoor shower made it a popular spot as well.

Back up by Waikoloa, take the turn opposite the Kings’ Shoppes and drive around the Marriott to Anaeho'omalu Beach. Don’t get tongue-tied trying to pronounce that, even the locals call it A-Beach most of the time. If you’re staying at the Marriott, you’ll have access to some of the more momentous sunsets on the entire island. A-Beach is separated from the resort by an ancient fish pond which helps give it a more distinct look than most beaches here. DO NOT get any ideas about swimming in the fish pond. It is kapu’ (forbidden). Have a little respect for the ancients!

We weren’t fortunate enough to get a memorable sunset (the trade winds kept things a little cloudy that day), but we still got plenty of sun and relaxation. There are plenty of beach chairs available. Steph and Mark reported good snorkeling, Sue was more than satisfied with the swimming and I was sorely tempted to rent a kayak (deterred only by the fact that I hadn’t built up my tan sufficiently by that point). I did come away with a nice ball cap from the bargain basket at Ocean Sports though.

One other thing I noticed (albeit late), was a guy suspending his camera from a kite. We were on our way back to the room for showers, prior to taking in the luau at Kona Village Resort, otherwise I might have tried to learn more. So now I have two reasons to come back to A-Beach. I have to catch that world-class sunset and I need to learn about remote control kite-enabled photography.

Like I really needed an excuse to return.

I could write a hundred reviews on the waterfalls found on Hawaii, but really they are all beautiful, each special in its own way. So I won’t try to say this one is the best or don’t bother to see that one, it’s dull. For one thing, I don’t think there is such a thing as a dull Hawaiian waterfall. You simply can’t go wrong!
What I will do though, is just offer up two waterfalls as examples of some of the aqua-diversity that you might encounter.

Akaka Falls is awesome just by virtue of its 400 foot drop (Niagara Falls is only 167 feet high, but it’s a lot wider and easier to get to, so it gets all that attention by the elitist Eastern press). You might be turned off a little by all the signs at the parking area that advise you not to leave valuables unattended in the car, but it’s a TOURIST location! If you’re smart you don’t leave anything unattended as (like almost all touristy destinations) petty thievery is a problem in Hawaii although violent crime however is not. So don’t leave your expensive digital camera on the front seat. Hello? Why would you do that in the first place? We’re talking about a 400 foot vertical rush of water! You’d be crazy not to get a picture of it. You can walk the trail to get closer, however we just hoofed it back to the highway bridge and were amply rewarded anyway.

Rainbow Falls is another interesting one. They are almost in downtown Hilo. If you weren’t paying attention to the signs, you might just drive by what appears at first glance to be a typical little urban picnic ground and park… almost as catastrophically dumb as leaving your camera in the car. Plenty of parking here, and it’s a short, even wheel-chair friendly walk to the closest viewing point. Rainbow Falls is actually kind of a main fall with a couple little tributary falls along the sides. All of them emptying into a picturesque lagoon before running down to the sea as Wailuku River.

There is another viewing area that’s closer though less handicapped accessible, and apparently you can even walk practically to the brink. I tried to get a picture of some foolhardy souls peering down over the edge, but the light wasn’t good for detail and most rational individuals might have accused me of photoshopping the people into the picture anyway.

So… recommendations? You want recommendations? Be my guest, check out Akaka Falls on the Hawaii Belt Highway for sheer height. Or take in Rainbow Falls on Waianuenue Avenue (try saying that 5 times fast) just because it’s so nice and so convenient.

If those are the only waterfalls you see, you will have shortchanged yourself however.

You might make the case that the Kohala Coast is where Hawaiian history really starts. The basis for that simplistic statement comes from the fact that this is where Kamehameha the Great was born here, at least that’s one version, the other version is that he was born in a war canoe somewhere between Maui and the Kohala Coast. What’s undisputed however is that he was raised from infancy in this area, and through a combination of warrior and diplomatic skills (coupled with a fortuitous storm here and a nasty plague there) he was the first ruler to unite all the islands. So a drive up to the northern tip is worth the time and effort, especially as the scenery makes a spectacular respite from the lava fields just outside of Kailua-Kona.

We were staying in Waikoloa so it was easy enough to jump on Highway 19 and follow it up to where you can branch left onto Highway 270 (bear right and you’ll be heading to Hilo).

As I was saying, Hawaiian history and scenery! First stop was the Pu’ukohola National Historic Site. It was here that Kamehameha was told by his kahuna (don’t snicker, a kahuna was a Hawaiian priest… and the term Big Kahuna once was a serious term of respect, not just another bit of surfer-speak) to build a heaiu (a temple) in order to win the war god’s favor in his quest to conquer the islands. Building the Pu’ukohola only took a couple years, it was completed in 1791. But it took 20 years to get control of the whole chain of islands (those guys on Kauai were really, really scrappy).

Pu’ukohola is preserved and managed by the National Park Service, so forgive me a slightly digressive diatribe first. I get sick and tired of people bad mouthing government employees as being overly rigid, lazy and not helpful. Judging from my personal observations, the percentage of paycheck grabbers and petty tyrants found in governmental jobs is usually lower than those I’ve noted in the profit and non-profit sectors. And I don’t know that I’ve ever met a National Park Service employee that was not helpful or less than polite. Okay… slipping my little soapbox off to the side now, I’ll continue on with a less indignant discourse.

We arrived just behind a school group (middle schoolers – egad!), but we struck up a conversation with a ranger who besides answering our basic question, offered us the option of just tagging along with the group so that we could get a more structured tour. Did I mention that they were middle schoolers? We thanked him for his courtesy, but declined. Of course by this point he had given us a fair amount of history and information, including pointing out the black-tip reef sharks that were swimming idly through the bay (one far closer to a human snorkeler than I would have been comfortable with). Without his keen eye and patience, we would have never even noticed it!

We watched a little of the video dramatizing the life of Kamehameha and slipped down the path to get ahead of the school tour. I’m not really sure why we bothered, as it turned out that they were far more interested in the sharks than the 200+ year old pile of rocks that caught our interest.

I’ve yet to see a heaiu that overwhelmed me with its structure, yet didn’t touch an emotional or spiritual chord within me. If you want architecture and spirituality go to St. Peter’s in Rome (now there’s an architectural knockout!) So I have to conclude that the Hawaiians were so-so builders, but man could they pick a location! You can’t climb the hill to the heaiu itself. It’s a mortarless fortress of sorts, built from (guess what…) lava rock, which doesn’t really create timeless structures. But you can look and imagine things, and before you know it, you’ll find your thoughts touched by images of island royalty and priests worshipping their gods.

Back in the car, we proceeded north. Ho hum, nothing much to see… not! The beauty (for me) of the state of Hawaii is that it’s beautiful almost everywhere you look. A little half day trip like this could have easily consumed an entire week, just by stopping at everything that looked even remotely interesting. And we missed a lot. The Michelle, the concierge back at Hilton Grand Vacations Club couldn’t believe that we missed the statue of Kamehameha in Kapa'au. "You had to drive right by it!" she said. But somehow, drive by it we did (twice) without noticing, much less getting a picture.

Hawi is a cool little town, with plenty of locally-owned restaurants and art galleries. Pico’s Bistro provided our lunch (worthy of a separate review in this journal) and the Kenji’s House/Kohala Artist’s Co-op on the same property (also reviewed separately) made for a very nice gallery visit.

Stay on the highway after you leave Hawi (that’s not as easy as it sounds, you’ll be tempted to make a lot of scenic this and that stops). Somewhere along that drive (you’ll be headed east now) you should find that statue of the Big Guy that proved too elusive for my all-to-easily distracted powers of perception.

Relatively soon you’ll be at the end of the paved road, a place known as Pololu. It’s not quite as breathtaking as Kauai’s Na Pali coast, but then, what is? But the view is gorgeous. Just watch where you drive, the road is narrow and parking is haphazard at best (which might explain the number of bicyclers that you encounter).

After breathing in the vista at Pololu, we reluctantly had to return as we had guests to pick up back at the Kona Airport. Sadly, I placed beloved family over my own selfish contemplative sensibilities, so back down the highway we went. And yes, to the amazement of our concierge Michelle, we somehow managed to miss the statue of Kamehameha yet again!

After a wonderful lunch at Pico’s, we were lured up the hill to Kenji’s House. It’s a fascinating story actually. This was originally the family homestead, where Kenji Yokohama lived his entire life. Kenji was a free diver and amateur scientist fascinated by underwater geology and shell life. Over a long life of diving he had amassed a large amount of stones, coral and shells, noting precisely where he recovered each piece in both his notebooks and on a slip of paper slipped into a hole or crack of each artifact. By the time he died, all of his remaining relatives had moved off island and expressed little or no interest in reclaiming his personal effects.

When Catherine Morgan noticed that the property had sold and dumpsters were awaiting all of Kenji’s precious finds, she got in touch with the new owner, Angela Wolfenberger . They conspired to leave his small workroom untouched (except for cleaning of course), and converted the upper floor to an art gallery featuring the works of the North Kohala Artists' Cooperative. It’s open daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The sign calls it a “museum”, but it’s far more personal, a look into an individual’s long, simple but obviously fulfilling life here on the north end of Hawaii. Someone that should be remembered simply because he was able to enjoy an almost Thoreau-like lifestyle. Come to think of it, a “personal” museum might be a good way to differentiate it from most of the standard museums that you’ll encounter.

The artists share the expenses of operating the gallery, which means that you are dealing directly with the artist, without any additional commission. Truth be told, we saw some art we loved, and some art that we politely nodded our heads and noted “how nice” (wink… wink).

My only regret of our time spent at Kenji’s House was that it was too short, I’d like to have wandered about his workroom longer and been able to savor the art far longer, but we had guests to meet at the Kona airport so our visit was all too brief. Next time, it becomes a destination, not just an itinerant stop for us!

Just as every multi-time visitor has a favorite island (mine is Kauai, by far!) every visitor to the island of Hawaii seems to develop a distinct preference for either Kona (technically it’s Kailua-Kona) or Hilo. You can fly into either airport, and if you’re going to rent a car, it really doesn’t make a huge difference which one you choose. So go don’t despair if air fares or flight availability take you to the opposite side of the island from your destination. After all, there is plenty to see anyway.

Kona is the smaller of the two principal towns, which given my affection for the less hurried style of Kauai, it’s probably only logical that Kona’s small town feel would be more compatible with my tastes. Small though it might be, I suspect that things get a little crazy come time for the Ironman Triathlon Championship which begins with a 2.4 mile swim from the Kailua Pier. But then I digress.

Parking in downtown Kona can be a little challenging. We had to settle for a lot that charged $5 for a couple hours. That did lead to a bit of serendipitous fortune however. To get back to Ali’i Drive, we cut through the Kona Market Place. That’s where we found the Colors of Paradise gallery, showcasing the tropical imagery of Robert Thomas (original oils and limited edition gicle’es, all with island landscape and floral themes). We had a nice chat with Mr. Thomas and took a brochure to use for a possible purchase at some point.
Getting back on track, we were on a mission of sorts (Sue wanted to find a nail place, I had to answer a call from nature), we crossed Ali’i drive over to the boardwalk that runs through the Kona Inn Shopping Village. We were quickly successful in both our aims thankfully.

While Sue had her nails done, I wandered into Alley Geckos which has a cool assortment of gecko-themed gifts and such. With a couple granddaughters to satisfy back home, I was able to score a cheap multipurpose gecko gift. They were cool enough to look at, however the tail of the Gecko functions as a carabineer. And if you pull back the little lever on his back, the mouth opens to shine a very bright little rainbow light wherever you point the darn thing (trust me, I was pointing it at my face at the moment that I discovered the light). But they were cute, unique and only about $3, so I was happy. And upon our return, the kids seemed to appreciate them as well.
Alley Geckos has a lot of more serious stuff, the usual assortment of t-shirts, signs and tiles (all with a Gecko adorned motif) so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that you stop by for a visit.

I can only souvenir shop for so long though, so I quickly opted for a snack The Kona Canoe Club. I can’t tell you much about the food, as my order was basically just a Diet Coke and basket of French fries (which were very tasty) but the menu and prices looked good, with a complete array of appetizers, sandwiches and other stuff. What I can tell you is the it might be difficult to find a more lovely setting, given the umbrellaed tables and the view of the pier across the bay. The location was perfect as I could enjoy the view and Sue was able to spot me when she finished her manicure.

We ambled around the boardwalk for a while, and then walked towards the pier, down Ali’i Street. There we wandered into Unison , Clothing for the Tropical Hip (75-5695 H Ali’i Drive). I might have just window shopped, however the little hand-lettered sign barring cell phone use inside drew me in with the knowledge that I’d likely be among kindred spirits. Okay… for those of you with a fondness for certain small town busting discount chains, please skip to the next paragraph. These folks were indeed kindred spirits and while I browsed the Iron Man stuff, Sue had an animated discussion with one of the owners regarding the evil empire that is Wal-Mart. All in all, it was another typical conversation where folks begin as strangers and finish as fast friends. Isn’t that what travelling is all about?

That’s a quick highlight tour. We snapped a few pictures of the impressive trees along Ali’i and basically just soaked up the laid back vibe that is Kona.

One final note. As if I didn’t like Kona enough already, we were thrilled to discover that Kona Airport is one of the last international destinations to still lack jetways! How cool is that? I’m old enough to remember walking down the steps (they do have accommodations for those who can’t do steps too) from the airplane and given the weather in Hawaii, it was a treat!

You can find graffiti and highway memorials all over the world. From the top of the Duomo in Florence, Italy to any urban corridor within the States. But what you’ll find along Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Highway 19) between Kailua Kona and Waikui is different. It’s not destructive and is far more personal and more reverential than even the occasional roadside cross memorializing the victims of an accident.

A little background is in order at this point. Highway 19 runs across about 20 miles or so of lava fields. The ancient Hawaiians carved symbols (petroglyphs) into the rock; the meaning or significance of which can only be debated by island archeologists (I’ll avoid that discussion). But today we have less patience for carving, and there are any number of other reasons for not defacing natural environments, so the moderns have adapted a different method to use this vast expanse of black rock for their memorials. It’s a perfect backdrop for almost any expression that can be spelled out or symbolized with white coral (the calcified kind that washes up on every beach on the island). And thousands of people, locals and visitors, have done just that.

Collecting the coral from the beaches, they arrange their message alongside or well off the highway as they please. Yeah, there are a number of uninspired ones like Tom + Jane. But others are more obviously poignant, like the memorial to a man that included a biker’s helmet and other mementos of his life. Others are far more mysterious, short stacks of rocks (known as cairns) that are sometimes used to mark a trail or serve as a symbolic altar of sorts.

It’s enough to make you want to drive slowly or at least stop frequently along the wide shoulder of the highway, just to contemplate some of the arrangements. I particularly liked the shark shape on the mauka (mountain side) of the road.

So here I’ll share a little personal history. When my father was about to muster out of the Navy at the end of World War II, he was so taken by the beauty of the islands that he decided to accept a $200 bonus to just leave the service in Hawaii, rather than having the Navy transport him all the way home to Shelbyville, Missouri. He called his dad to tell him about his decision, and apparently my grandpa was uncharacteristically resistant, suggesting that he would prefer that Dad came home. Reluctantly, Dad returned to Missouri and within a year, Grandpa died of cancer. Dad never regretted his decision (and needless to say, I probably wouldn’t be here had he stayed in Hawaii) but he sometimes wondered about the different path he might have taken.

So here I was on the Big Island, my third trip to the islands within four years; more fully understanding the pull that must have been on Dad’s heart 60 years ago.

Dad passed away less than two years ago, leaving a huge hole in my life. He’s in my thoughts often. I hadn’t had the opportunity to collect enough coral for the type of memorial I would have liked (something like CLM outlined within a heart), so I opted for a small cairn. I hopped the short wall that surrounds the overlook a couple miles north of the airport and set to work. Making sure not to disturb someone else’s work, I gathered a few stray pieces of lava and one of coral and carefully built a small, anonymous stack that I dedicated to my father.

As close to the highway that it is, I hold no illusions that it will withstand the rigors of time, wind, seismic events or even the careless footsteps of someone else. But there is (was?) a small little something that can once again links Dad to the Hawaiian Islands.

So… we came to Hawaii to see the volcano. Was it what we expected? Uh… not quite. Was it worth it? Sure!

On March 12, two months before we left for Hawaii, a new vent opened up on the east wall of Halema`uma`u Crater. Cool! Or maybe hot would be a better word for it. This was the first eruption in that particular crater since 1924 and the first of any kind from the Kīlauea caldera since 1982. Heavy stuff!

By the time we got there, the vent was still active and amazing the scientists. It also caused us to revise our plans and expectations a bit as well. But let’s talk a little background and then get back to the timeline.

Hawaii is the youngest of the islands that comprise the Hawaiian archipelago, an island built by 5 volcanoes: Kohala, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. Mauna Kea is essentially dormant, so much so that it houses the a number of observatories at its peak (the most prominent of these being the famous Keck Observatory. If you have the time (which we didn’t) you can visit them. Also if you measure from its true base, Mauna Kea has the distinction of being taller than Mount Everest. I just so happens that the base of Mauna Kea is under a few miles of sea. I know… picky.. .picky… picky.

Mauna Loa has its own claim to fame as being the world’s largest (in terms of mass) volcano, with its most recent eruption occurring in 1984. But it is Kīlauea that holds the distinction of being the most active volcano on the planet, spewing out lava continuously since 1983. Oh, and it buried the Royal Gardens housing development under lava in 1990. Now that I had to see!

One other interesting tidbit, usually the trade winds help things out by blowing much of the steam, ash and that nasty sulfur dioxide gas out over the open Pacific. This year, for reasons best left to scientific discussion (global warming anyone? Anyone?) the trade winds are a little more fickle, sending some of the nasty stuff back over small parts of the island and making the sky over much of the state more cloudy than normal. So much so that the Waikiki hotels in Honolulu are bemoaning the lack of complete sun (poor babies!). But I mention this for a reason other than just idle notation. Human beings don’t function well when they ingest more sulfur dioxide than they should. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Hawaii County Civil Defense agency monitor things around Madam Pele’s home. If the wind isn’t helping things and the sulfur levels get too high, they shut down roads – even the ones that let you see spectacular sights such as hot lava slipping down into the sea. It’s nice to know that some federal agencies haven’t gotten lost in a "you’re doing a heckuva job Brownie" kind of way. But enough of my moderate leftist political rants.

In any case, forewarned with this pertinent information, we made daily visits to the USGS website and the Kīlauea Eruption Update Website. I even went to the trouble of adding the hotline number for the ( 808-961-8093 ) that is updated by 10:00am daily with the current state of things at the Kalapana and other viewing points. We had it all in hand… we thought.

We checked the hotline at 10:30 that morning and everything was open. On the advice of the concierge at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club in Waikaloa, we chickened out of my original plan to drive there via Saddleback Road (don’t try it unless you have either a 4-wheel drive or a death wish, preferably both). So we went around Mauna Kea and down to Hilo along the coastal highway – not a disappointing route by any means. During a lunch break at What’s Shakin’ (yum!!) I happened to overhear an announcement on the kitchen radio that said that the County Civil Defense had closed the Kalapan Overlook due to a shift in winds and increasing levels of toxic gases (not enough to warrant an evacuation mind you… but you shouldn’t drive into the stuff either). So, time to drop ten and punt.

Kalapana was out of the question, but Volcanoes National Park was still open… at least most of it. Parts of Crater Rim Drive were closed (more gas and steam again) so you couldn’t make the full trip around the caldera. But we weren’t going to let that dampen our spirits, any more than the light mist that shrouded the Visitor Center and the Volcano House Hotel in the park. In the Visitor Center I chatted with a ranger who did a good job of outlining what we could still see and do, while subtly communicating her own palpable excitement about the geologic significance of the current events.

There’s a recurring theme to many of my trips that is framed by the many little conversations that I have with "the locals", conversations that begin with a question and then get fueled by some obscure point of commonality into a more in-depth understanding of things I was never smart enough to ask about. For me, that’s what travelling is all about. Meeting new people, learning from them and getting to know them.

In any case, her suggestion was that we drive down Crater Rim Drive to the Thurston Lava Tube, then check out the Kīlauea Iki crater and work our way back to the Jaggar Museum just before dark. Excellent advice to be sure!

The Thurston Lava Tube is cool. An ancient tunnel where molten lava once flowed, but now cooled and civilized with some electric lighting about two thirds of its length. Helpful hint time… pick up a couple cheap flashlights at a hardware store on your way to the park if you want to go all the way to the end of the tube. We did… and it was worth the $8 bucks for two lights and batteries! It’s kind of cool to be navigating underground with just a flashlight like that. Sure, it would be impossible to get lost, but you still have to watch your step.

After leaving the lava tube, we drove on to the overlook for the Kīlauea Iki crater. Back in 1959, this was a truly happening kind of place with fountains of molten lava a thousand feet high. It’s considerably more benign now. It’s cooled and a trail takes you down to the floor and across. It’s a one mile trail that probably qualifies as an easy hike, unless you’re wearing flip flops or high heels, at which time the question might be posed "why are you wearing footwear like that on a trail in the first place?" What I found most interesting about the crater, was the vegetation that has already come back among the hardened lava dotted with various steam fissures. Mother Nature will win!

Climbing back up the trail made for good exercise (enough to justify a hearty dinner at Ocean Sushi back in Hilo). Then we drove back past the park entrance and up to the Jaggar Museum. Here you’ll get a wonderful (uh… that seems to be a word I use a lot when I’m talking about Hawaii) education on the volcano and seismology. Another unexpected highlight. One of the seismographs had part of its paper record folded to display the readings created by the China earthquake about ten days prior. Wow, almost half a world away and it still pushed the needle to the edge of the paper.

A crowd began to gather, single carloads like us and a bus from a student tour group as we all waited for a site of "glow". On a clear, dry night that probably wouldn’t be an issue. But it was chilly (about 60 degrees) and misting, so we were a little edgy about seeing much of anything. But our patience was rewarded, and a cheer erupted at the sight of a reddish yellow light from a couple of places in the distant crater! A cynic might have dismissed it all, but learning what we had… coupled with the simple knowledge of non-optimal weather conditions made it an almost triumphant moment.

If I return to the Big Island, you can count on me returning to Kīlauea as well. Maybe I’ll see more… and maybe I’ll see less. But I doubt that I’ll be disappointed. Mahalo!