Day 1 and 2- The Big Island
We had just finished a fast 6 days in Kauai and my family of 4 hopped on Hawaiian Airlines flight to The Big Island. ($120pp one way- $25 bag fee) Our flight took 1.5 hours with an additional 25 minute layover in Honolulu. We arrived in Kona at 6pm. Got our rental car from Enterprise (rented through Costco Travel $484. for 8 days-full sized car- extra driver free) and proceeded to our VRBO condo in Kailua-Kona. It was in a small complex called Kahalu'u Bay Villas. http://www.vrbo.com/653019 ***The location of the condo was key to me. It was at the far south end of Ali'i Drive- the north end of this road is like a small Miami Beach- way too touristy.
The condo had its pros and cons. As you can above, the main pros are the view and the location. You are looking at perhaps one of the best snorkeling beaches on the Big Island- Kahalu'u beach. .
A con for this property was that its front yard was an ancient Hawaiian execution pit!
We wondered why a vacant lot was in front of the condo...lol..When we went down to the beach there was a kiosk telling about the historical sites in the area and the area in front of our condo was on the sign
My son met/befriended a beach dweller- aka an out of work person- who was very informative about the area. He gave us "ti" leaves from a plant to protect us from evil spirits.
My daughter even slept with the "ti" leaf after taking a big fall during a morning run.
The other con was that the condo didn't have a/c...and it was facing the sunset direction. So, while this view was glorious, we had to pull the shades every night (and block the beautiful sunset) or we would have roasted- but the good news was that it cooled off quickly at night.
The other thing about this condo that was very different, was that the bedroom windows were on a public hallway. Everyone was amazingly quiet- but I felt the need to shut and lock the windows when we left each day and you had to shut your curtains at night for privacy- both of these things cut down on air circulation. I never felt unsafe here because the elevator had a code and the residents really were watching out for you. If I were to go back - I would probably rent this place again because of the location!
On our second day on the Big Island it was great to walk straight to the beach gazing at a heavily flowered wall- which of course hid most of the execution pit-lol!
We just rented our snorkel equipment at the park. (12.50 for a day's rental- but if you hang onto your receipt it is 8.50 each subsequent day). There were tons of fish in all colors...the reef was pretty beat up though, because clueless people would stand up on the shallow coral beds.
We spent the whole day snorkeling and laying in the sun and then snorkeling some more. We returned to the condo at the end of the day, ate dinner, placed some UNO and went to sleep.
Day 3- The Big Island
After a mellow yesterday of snorkeling and sunning we got up early, packed a picnic lunch and headed to the east side, the Hilo side of the island. As we were rounding the southern point we all declared the need for a restroom. and then LAAAA!!!! it appeared, a bakery and not just ANY bakery-
And this bakery not only had big clean restrooms, it sold these delicious Portuguese donuts called malasadas! YUM..just thinking about them make my mouth water. Our favorite malasadas are the lilikoi iced donuts-OMG. (these donuts will appear again in a later blog). We ate our malasadas on this quaint patio and then set off for our next stop....
Black Sand Beach- it was a nice stop to stretch our legs and see some turtles-
a few people were swimming- but we had to press on to get to Volcanoes National Park!
We arrived at Volcanoes National Park http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm It is $10 a car for a 7 day pass- including in and out privileges. The park is open for car traffic 24 hours a day which is really neat.
We began our tour of the park by stopping at the Visitors Center- (*if you want cool gifts go to the Volcano House hotel inside the park- they have 2 great gift shops) and wandered over to a local artist art gallery where I bought a cool piece of art glass that looked like volcano erupting.
It needs to be mentioned that the day we visited noxious air was present- my mouth tasted like I had eaten metal. Gum chewing alleviated the taste- people with asthma and pregnant women probably should not have been in the park that afternoon (the second day we were there a breeze picked up and the air quality improved)
After this we decided we needed to eat lunch. We looked at a map for a picnic area and found one just up the road at the Kilauea Overlook, our first glance at the crater!
But when we got to the picnic tables, it seemed 4 people had commandeered both tables. One table for them and one table that looked like they were having a lei making session. We were slightly- okay, VERY- irritated that they wouldn't move their darn flowers. We hung out for awhile at the overlook, and these people finally finished eating-they left- but they also left their flowers- so we scrambled over with our picnic lunch and saw that the "lei" table was actually a sacrifice table-not belonging to the poor picnickers- on whom we had casted great aspersions!
There was a second small altar set up on the ground by the other table.
We also found a salt circle with rice- evidently this picnic area
is a hot bed of pagan worship! We each left a cookie just in case
Pele the volcano goddess was watching. We also reported it to the
park ranger, who said it happens all the time and they would send someone
to clean it up.
We continued up the road to the Jaggar Museum- one of the best views of the crater (you can't see lava- just steam)- It was a pretty informational museum on all things volcano related.
Crater Rim Drive was closed- and has been for awhile due to the volcanic activity in the area, so we turned the car around and headed for the 11 mile drive down the Chain of Craters Road. This road is beautiful. Be sure to get a map that tells you date of each lava flow...the rocks were all very different. One of the flows covered the road years ago...so they had to re-route the road.
This great road ended at the ocean and what a spectacular view it was. You would be correct in assuming my son should not be out on the end of the arch!
We made a reservation at a local hotel, The Volcano Inn, in the town of Volcano (aptly named). It was 169.00 for a quad- the room was big and clean- but nothing to write home about- however their gardens, common areas and the amazing breakfast- half mangoes filled with yogurt and toasted almonds and house made banana bread, made up for the simplicity of the room. There was also a hot tub- but we were too tired to partake in this.
After we checked in at The Volcano Inn ( http://volcanoinnhawaii.com/ )we wanted to grab some dinner so we chose The Lava Rock Café. All the restaurants were crowded so we just picked one. The food was good- not fabulous- we were hungry...lol. There was a lady playing a ukulele and singing- kind of quaint. The beer was cold!
After dinner we went back to the park at 10pm and saw the sight- the reason- we paid 169.00 to be on the Hilo side of the island, when we had a condo on the Kona side of the island, that we were paying for as well! It was worth the money to see that lava glow at night- if you miss the glow then you really missed out!
We took these pics at the Kilauea Overlook. No one else was there- everyone was at the popular Jaggar Museum overlook. We had no crowd and no light pollution- we could even hear the lava - it sounded like a thick ocean wave crashing on the shore- It was amazing!! We went to the Jaggar Overlook as well- but it wasn't as special! (*HINT- the crowds watch the glow at sunset and an hour after that- so plan your glow visit after the mobs have left and because the park is open 24/7, you can go in the middle of the night for a private showing if you wish)
We went back the Volcano Inn that night wowed by nature's fury!
The Big Island - Day 4
We had such a big day yesterday and were getting ready to have another big day. We got up around 8:30 ate our delicious breakfast at The Volcano Inn and headed back to the Volcanoes National Park.
We quickly went to the Thurston Lava Tube http://www.explore-the-big-island.com/thurston-lava-tube.html.
The approach to the lava tube was a lush gardenThough I had read you needed flashlights, the lava tube had plenty of light. I am glad we went first thing in the morning because we had the tube all to ourselves. 
After this husband Sid and I hiked the ADA compliant Devastation Trail- it was a very non exciting trail, but Sid's knee was giving him fits- so it was great to just stretch our legs on a fairly even paved surface with almost no elevation change.
The (only) fun part of the trail was the overlook into the inactive crater below. Suddenly, I heard some voices from far below- it was our kids who hiked the far more challenging Kilauea'iki Trail. The tiny colored dots in the pic below are the kids! There were at the center of the crater! I can recognize their voices anywhere!
* Hint about the Kilauea'iki Trail... My son met a hiker the night before who told him to hike the trail in opposite direction than the park suggests, this way you have stairs going down to begin the hike and gentle switch backs coming up the crater wall at the end. This hiker was totally correct- stairs going straight up after a 4 mile hike over lava rock would be far tougher than the switch backs.
After the hike we headed over to the Volcano House Hotel in the park for some lunch and what I think is the best daytime view of the crater- I wish I knew this because I bet at night it is spectacular as well. * So hint- go to all 3 overlooks at night. (see Day 3 for other overlook locations)
My husband enjoyed the Pele' fireplace in the hotel's main lobby.
We ate at Uncle George's Grill in the hotel. The food was really good- and worth the price - since we snagged one of the coveted window seats. The kids got the Hawaiian plate specials- worth the money- kind of a bento box of all foods Hawaiian- this is where we tried poi (yuck said 4 out of 4 Barnes')- the rest was delish! No Hawaiian meal would be complete without a tiki mug drink!
We said farewell to The National Park and headed north towards Hilo. Hilo had some nice parks- but I am glad we just visited for a day rather than staying on this side. We played a couple of holes of disc golf- where some of the baskets were hung from banyan trees- (not quite regulation height-lol)
We also spotted a beautiful yellow tree- the Primavera Tree, though Sid's "beach friend" called it a Koo tree. It is nick named the golden tree.- anyway it was spectacular-even through a car windshield.
We continued north to see Akaka Falls State Park. It was a beautiful hike. $1.00 a person to get in the park- $5.00 to park- we parked outside the gate to avoid the parking fee.
The trail- though paved- had tons of stairs and up hills and down hills- so be prepared for some exercise! It was worth it- the falls are beautiful.
There are also many cool plants inside the park.
Our day was not yet over....we headed to The Saddle Road- which is now super well paved and headed to the Mauna Kea visitor center for a very high-up look at the sunset. The road leading to the visitors center was steep- really steep and windy- but our regular car made it- though the check engine light came on-lol- it went off the next day- it may have been the altitude. We got there just in time to scramble up a large hill (below) and get some spectacular pics.
It really was beautiful. You can take a tour of the Keck observatory area at the top of Mauna Kea, some nights, (the road is highly demanding) if you have a 4-wheel drive- or you can pay an outfitter to drive you up there. (about $200 pp) http://www.maunakea.com/details.htm The tour looked cool, but way out of our price range and we saw the same sunset as the tour people for free!
We drove home- stopping at Walmart to get some dinner supplies and headed home to eat a late dinner of leftovers. We were beat- good driving my son, good driving.
The Big Island - Day 5
This was the last day of Hawaiian paradise for my adult children. They would be leaving at 11pm - all planes for the mainland depart late in the evening - so you arrive the next calendar day in the afternoon. My husband and I stayed for 4 more days!
The kids chose to go snorkeling at Honaunau Bay aka Two-Step , 40 minutes south of Kailua-Kona in the Captain Cook area. We had heard that the reef and the coral formations were quite good there- and they were. First, we went to our beach (Kahaluu) and did the second- day- half- price- snorkel rental thing (see Big Island day 1 and 2) and packed the gear in our car and drove south.
We parked at "The City of Refuge" National Historic Park- $5.00 for a 7 day pass- Sid and I returned to tour the place a few days later- they had safe parking and a clean bathroom.
SIDE NOTE:There was also $5.00 parking right across the street from Two-Step. They had a port-a-potty and picnic tables for your use if you parked there. I would probably park there next time to avoid hauling all our stuff to the beach. plus the picnic area was shaded.
The nick name two-step was gotten by the way you get in and out of the reef- http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/snorkeling-two-steps.html
* I got in where a bunch of people were getting in- at the far north end of the rock beach- it had 2 rock steps- HOWEVER, once I got in, I quickly saw that I would not be able to get out here. This was NOT the two-step. I snorkeled around for awhile looking at the great coral and the amazing fish at this reef- then I saw the real two steps- just a few yards from the boat launch!
All was well until I got to the two steps and saw all the black sea urchins, in their tiny holes, ALL OVER step one, of the two steps...it freaked me out!. I remember reading about these creatures and that you DO NOT grab onto the rock to help yourself out- or they will "spine" you.- You are supposed to wait for a wave to carry you up the steps. Well, I was not getting those helpful waves and I was getting tired of treading water- and I was panicking- I didn't want to be "spined".- Fortunately, a nice guy gave me his hand and helped me out.
My helpful hints for you at this snorkel area are... try to get the sandy spot we did on the beach to the left of the boat launch, a half block from Two-Step.- otherwise at Two-Step there is no beach just big rocks and water. (you need a chair for comfort at Two -Step).....
This was the last day of Hawaiian paradise for my adult children. They would be leaving at 11pm - all planes for the mainland depart late in the evening - so you arrive the next calendar day in the afternoon. My husband and I stayed for 4 more days!
The kids chose to go snorkeling at Honaunau Bay aka Two-Step , 40 minutes south of Kailua-Kona in the Captain Cook area. We had heard that the reef and the coral formations were quite good there- and they were. First, we went to our beach (Kahaluu) and did the second- day- half- price- snorkel rental thing (see Big Island day 1 and 2) and packed the gear in our car and drove south.
We parked at "The City of Refuge" National Historic Park- $5.00 for a 7 day pass- Sid and I returned to tour the place a few days later- they had safe parking and a clean bathroom.
SIDE NOTE:There was also $5.00 parking right across the street from Two-Step. They had a port-a-potty and picnic tables for your use if you parked there. I would probably park there next time to avoid hauling all our stuff to the beach. plus the picnic area was shaded.
The nick name two-step was gotten by the way you get in and out of the reef- http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/snorkeling-two-steps.html
* I got in where a bunch of people were getting in- at the far north end of the rock beach- it had 2 rock steps- HOWEVER, once I got in, I quickly saw that I would not be able to get out here. This was NOT the two-step. I snorkeled around for awhile looking at the great coral and the amazing fish at this reef- then I saw the real two steps- just a few yards from the boat launch!
All was well until I got to the two steps and saw all the black sea urchins, in their tiny holes, ALL OVER step one, of the two steps...it freaked me out!. I remember reading about these creatures and that you DO NOT grab onto the rock to help yourself out- or they will "spine" you.- You are supposed to wait for a wave to carry you up the steps. Well, I was not getting those helpful waves and I was getting tired of treading water- and I was panicking- I didn't want to be "spined".- Fortunately, a nice guy gave me his hand and helped me out.
Also, if you swim out into the lagoon to the left of the boat launch (where the boat is coming in, in the pic above)- there is a shallow reef that will cut you if you don't time the waves correctly. (my husband can attest to this). This shallow swimming lagoon had big, cool turtles in it and no sea urchins. The reef however is GREAT on the other side of the launch- so get over your fear of urchins and get right in- someone will help you out!
We had a fun time at Two-Step.
My daughter hadn't had enough of the water, so when she returned home she went down to the Paddle Board outfitter that rents SUP (stand up paddle) boards two blocks from our condo at Kahaluu Beach. It was 1 hour before closing time. The guy asked her if she had SUP- ped before. She said, "OH yes". The guy rented her a board and sent her out- but he forgot to give her the leash for the board- so the life guard on duty whistled her in...the guy felt badly about his mistake- and then asked her again about her SUP experience- then she told him, her plan was just to "wing it". He thought it was gutsy so he gave her an hour and a half lesson for free- he closed his shop late!
It was the end of a perfect day- we ate dinner together- and ran down to the beach a little after sunset to get a family photo in our Hawaiian shirts.
It was really fun vacationing with our adult kids. But the next few days will be just my husband and myself- we will explore at a much leisurely pace.
The Big Island- Day 6
If you have read days my previous Hawaii (Kauai and Big Island) blogs - you will have noticed we squeezed a lot into a short amount of time.
Now that the kids have left we slowed the pace- just a bit- whew!- time to really soak up paradise.
We got up and decided to do some swimming or body surfing. So we headed north of the Kona airport to the beautiful white sands of Hapuna Beach State Park ($5.00 admission per car). But as luck would have it, there was a high surf advisory- so the beach was closed. The lady at the front gate told us that Spencer's Beach about 10 minutes up the road was still open. So we headed there.
<part of a great picnic 
Rock walls for fortification.
If you have read days my previous Hawaii (Kauai and Big Island) blogs - you will have noticed we squeezed a lot into a short amount of time.
Now that the kids have left we slowed the pace- just a bit- whew!- time to really soak up paradise.
We got up and decided to do some swimming or body surfing. So we headed north of the Kona airport to the beautiful white sands of Hapuna Beach State Park ($5.00 admission per car). But as luck would have it, there was a high surf advisory- so the beach was closed. The lady at the front gate told us that Spencer's Beach about 10 minutes up the road was still open. So we headed there.
<part of a great picnicAs you can see from the picture the water is quite calm at Spencer's Beach- great for splashing around- great for kids, and lots of trees for shade.
There was a great covered picnic pavilion.
and there were steps from the picnic pavilion to the water- though it looked too rocky to get in. Perhaps at low tide there are cool tidal pools- but as you can see the waves were coming up on the landing. This pavilion also was a great place to whale watch.
But I think the best thing about Spencer's Beach was the hiking trail on the south end of park- (by the campsites and picnic pavilion). The trail was well maintained and had beautiful views of the coastline- but there didn't appear to be any good swimming spots- this could be due to the high surf.
We left Spencer's Beach and headed up the hill to tour the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Park (admission free- but you can give a donation). http://www.nps.gov/puhe/index.htm This place is VERY well done. We watched the movie and read all the kiosks and then did the 1 mile nature loop to tour the grounds. This is where we read all about the legends surrounding King Kamehameha. I was impressed with the whole historic park.
During your hike you see the stone fort built with no mortar (entry to the fort is available only to card carrying Hawaiians by appointment only) The wooden tower is a sacrifice tower- while we were there 2 young Hawaiian men came and put a wreath and a lei on the platform.
Rock walls for fortification.But perhaps my favorite place was the inlet beach where King Kamehameha had his summer "beach home". Legend has it, that the Kamehameha family's spirit animal was the black tipped reef shark...and guess what?... in the waters above we saw 3 black tipped reef sharks- in the visitors center they tell you that it is an odd phenomenon to have reef sharks in such shallow water- but here they were still guarding the King's beach!- Now that is cool! (keeps tourists from swimming there too!)
We drove a little further up the coast to Kawaihae Bay. This was a place where we saw just how rough the surf was that day. Below is a break water for a small marina. You can see the water is WAY over the break. We saw a boat trying to get on its trailer at a launch and the crashing waves made it impossible. We watched for about 10 minutes and then left. We wonder if they gave up and just tied off at a buoy until the ocean calmed.
It was a beautiful day to be outside. We went home that night and had dinner on our lanai and went to bed early. It was a great day.
The Big Island- Day 7
Today we got up and decided to head south again and go see Green Sand Beach. It is more than an hour's drive to get there-but we didn't care, we were excited because it gave us another chance to go to the Punalu'u Bakery and get some more lilikoi malasadas- (Isn't your mouth watering???) -we were at this same Punalu'u Bakery on day 2 of our vacation on the Big Island- so the taste was still in short term memory!
After getting our malasadas "to go"- for our picnic lunch later we headed off to Green Sand Beach.
http://www.hawaii-guide.com/big_island_of_hawaii/beaches/green_sand_beach_papakolea
We arrived in the parking lot and a "beach person" came to our car- I thought - oh crap- he is going to shake us down for money- or charge us to park. The guide books said all parking was free. But it turns out that he and his friends run a "shuttle service". You ride in the back of their pick up trucks down to the beach (so my bad, in judging him). Though I did feel uneasy about leaving my car unattended at the trail head with so many "beach people" just hanging around- but we had no issues.
I knew we wanted to walk there (2.5 miles each way- BUT, 1.5 HOURS of hiking) and we knew the trek was rugged and totally unshaded...so I asked the "beach guy" what the cost was for a return ride. He said $10 pp... We opted to hike both ways mainly because I only had $8.00 and Sid forgot his wallet- kind of made up our minds for us-lol.
My husband and I kind of hit the wall today- we still had many things we wanted to see and do- but our energy level was low. So we decided to sleep in, eat a leisurely brunch at the condo and then head out to Pu uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (that is an unpronounceable mouth full!)-so it is also known as The City of Refuge. http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm
If you read my blog about Two-Step Beach from a few days ago you may remember that we paid $5.00 and parked in the this museums parking lot- and that we got a pass good for 7 days- well today we will not be swimming but rather visiting the historical site.
Silly Husband- Love this guy! 
We decided to take Hwy 250 back (we took coastal Hwy 270 up) and boy were we glad we did- this highway was so beautiful- we saw lots of happy cows, horses and goats.
If I had to live on The Big Island- I would like to live in this NW area- it was awesome!
Today we got up and decided to head south again and go see Green Sand Beach. It is more than an hour's drive to get there-but we didn't care, we were excited because it gave us another chance to go to the Punalu'u Bakery and get some more lilikoi malasadas- (Isn't your mouth watering???) -we were at this same Punalu'u Bakery on day 2 of our vacation on the Big Island- so the taste was still in short term memory!
After getting our malasadas "to go"- for our picnic lunch later we headed off to Green Sand Beach.
http://www.hawaii-guide.com/big_island_of_hawaii/beaches/green_sand_beach_papakolea
We arrived in the parking lot and a "beach person" came to our car- I thought - oh crap- he is going to shake us down for money- or charge us to park. The guide books said all parking was free. But it turns out that he and his friends run a "shuttle service". You ride in the back of their pick up trucks down to the beach (so my bad, in judging him). Though I did feel uneasy about leaving my car unattended at the trail head with so many "beach people" just hanging around- but we had no issues.
I knew we wanted to walk there (2.5 miles each way- BUT, 1.5 HOURS of hiking) and we knew the trek was rugged and totally unshaded...so I asked the "beach guy" what the cost was for a return ride. He said $10 pp... We opted to hike both ways mainly because I only had $8.00 and Sid forgot his wallet- kind of made up our minds for us-lol.
The hike was rugged. But the twinkly water and nice breeze made it worth it
There were cool things to see along the way- like this random mounted propeller.
WOW- what a view- You hike along 4-wheel drive roads- these vehicles have carved tons of paths to the beach- the erosion from the vehicles is crazy bad- and you must keep an ear open for the vehicles- however they have to go super slowly, most of the time, to get in and out of the ruts.
When we got to the Green Sand beach we photographed the lilikoi malasadas. Why did we photograph a box of Portuguese donuts?? Well to tease our kids of course. Because what could be better than fried donuts at a green(ish) beach
(Nah ,Nah, Nah- we are on the beach eating malasadas and you aren't!- okay that was mean)
This is a terrible pic of me, but I wanted to show you to what extent I will go to find shade-it was "happy beer time" with my picnic lunch- I was so hot and this beer was nice and cold. Some beers just taste better than others- and this was one of them- sitting in the dirt and all.
We didn't hike down the steep slope to the beach because Sid's knee had had about enough- and we still had to walk back an hour and a half. Some people were swimming, but the guide books warned about rip currents that are here most of the time.
But we did stay long enough to watch a crazy guy jump off the cliff...look carefully you can see him in the pic below. Yes, there are submerged rocks below him. His friend was in the water telling him where NOT to jump- wow he must REALLY trust his friend!
Another neat thing we saw were the extended trailers for pick-up trucks trying to launch a boat. They needed this for the steepness of the ramp and maybe low or high tide- who knows??
After finishing our hike, we got in the car and drove a few more miles around the corner and south to the "furthest point south in the USA"- called South Point (lol- original)
It was stunningly beautiful here.
While we were there, 2 girls cliff jumped- they said the ladder climb back up was really tough.
http://www.best-big-island-hawaii.com/south-point-hawaii.html visit this website to see more pics of the platform jumpers!
Above is the platform YOU can jump from, so YOU can claim, that YOU jumped off the furthest point south in the USA. There is a metal ladder for YOU to climb back up the 40 ft cliff.
Below is the view from the platform. YIKES!
South Point also had a churning cave of water. Don't let the kids get too close- seriously you would die if you fell into this water.
The day was at an end- it was great.
We drove back to the condo, well exercised, and took a well deserved nap.
The Big Island- Day 8 and 9
My husband and I kind of hit the wall today- we still had many things we wanted to see and do- but our energy level was low. So we decided to sleep in, eat a leisurely brunch at the condo and then head out to Pu uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (that is an unpronounceable mouth full!)-so it is also known as The City of Refuge. http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm
If you read my blog about Two-Step Beach from a few days ago you may remember that we paid $5.00 and parked in the this museums parking lot- and that we got a pass good for 7 days- well today we will not be swimming but rather visiting the historical site.
This historical park is a few acres and sits on beautiful, prime real estate! The brief history behind this place is, when you committed a crime or severely offended a neighbor/chief/chief's wife etc...you could flee to this "City of Refuge". If you could make it here without someone killing you- you would be pardoned. The trick was the difficulty getting here alive because the beach approach is nothing but jagged boulders and big surf and the land approach was jungle.
This heritage site was really well done. It included artifacts such as hand carved outrigger boats.
and cool carved totems.
Silly Husband- Love this guy!To tour this place, you should read the numbered guide leaflet that you get at the entrance. It took about an hour to do the tour. It was really interesting- and quite beautiful.
Just up the block from the City of Refuge is the beautiful Painted Church. http://www.lovebigisland.com/kailua-kona/painted-church/ St. Benedicts is a Roman Catholic Church built in 1899. The priest painted (with house paint) bible stories on the walls to help the newly converted understand the bible. The church is gorgeous inside and out.
We decided to call it a day and returned to the condo to take an afternoon nap.
Once up from our nap. We cleaned ourselves up and headed to Sam Choy's Restaurant.
http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Biting-Commentary/January-2011/Sam-Choy-Returns-to-Big-Island-with-a-new-restaurant/#.VNpLEhstHIU It was amazing food with an amazing view. The whole back of the restaurant is a patio overlooking the ocean- there are even fire pits outside to hang out around. I highly recommend the seared poke.
* Hint: Don't have 2 martinis and just an appetizer for dinner or your husband will take multiple pictures of you in the elevator- this is the best one- you should see the others.
Day 9- This was our last day- sniff- The big problem with the last day is you must be out of the condo by 10am...but your flight doesn't leave until 11 pm. You really can't swim- unless you want sand in your nooks and crannies for the flight home...so we decided to go see the Pololu Valley which is located about an hour and a half north. (we really wanted to see the Waipio Valley- but we didn't want to go that far)
On the way up there, about 2 miles north of the airport, we stopped at a random lava tube. It was a good place to get out and stretch your legs and hike around- **we brought our flashlights for a better look!
The next stop was a county park called Keokea. It was beautiful- free- had picnic and BBQ areas- we ate our last picnic lunch here. It also had a great inlet for small children to play in the water without fear of giant waves.
After eating, we decided to go for a hike to an historical place, King Kamehameha's birthplace-. This place was just before the town of Hawi, down Upolu Airport Road (paved) and then down some dirt roads that were fairly well graded- but narrow- very narrow to Upolu Point. We parked our car when the road became too rutted and began to hike. We walked around for about 30 minutes- the scenery was spectacular- we could see Maui in the distance.
Continuing on, with our "All things Kamehameha", we stopped at the museum to get this pic and then I did some shopping in the cute little town of Hawi. (Sid slept in the car after this pic was taken,( it wore him out being so kingly), while I shopped)
Our next stop- and the end of the road was the Pololu Valley Lookout- and the trailhead to the beach below (which we didn't swim at- because we had a flight later that evening-bummer- but kind of glad, because the climb back up was steep- obviously)
All you can say is WOW- I have used all the words- spectacular, amazing, gorgeous- so you choose a word for this ^^^^ pic.
If I had to live on The Big Island- I would like to live in this NW area- it was awesome!
It was beginning to get dark so we decided to go and eat on Ali'i Drive because it is close to the airport. We ate at Island Lava Java http://www.islandlavajava.com/ It was a BYOB place- so Sid ran back to the car for the spare beers we had been lugging around with us. The food was good and the old man playing the ukulele was adorable.
But we still had a another hour to kill so we walked down the Ali'i drive to Huggo's on the Rocks. We were seated at a table that was in the sand- (kick off your shoes)! We decided to get their take on a Volcano Drink and it didn't disappoint- the drink came with its own mini-fire- volcano simulation. It was fun and tasty. Huggo's had a great 2 piece band their playing their take on top 40 hits- the were really great- people were dancing in the sand! http://huggosontherocks.com/
So this picture is the fond farewell from Hawaii! It was a great vacation.
Mahalo, for reading my Hawaiian blog!
Aloha!
If you want me to help you plan travel - contact me at jackiebarnes217@hotmail.com
