Laid Back in Lava Land

Fidel Castro stands guard

Hawi on the Kohala Coast

All we want to do is chill out.  The kids are all a bit worn out and over stimulated so we have to remind ourselves we are on a marathon, not a sprint.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Since they only want to sit around and reconnect with friends, Paulie and I venture out to explore the north west corner of the island also referred to as the Kohala Coast.  We set out around 10:00 and will return to take the kids out for lunch.  Since it is New Year's Day, not too much is going on around town.  We head north on Highway 19.  What beautiful and stark scenery on the Pacific side - huge lava fields that are remnants of the 1800 lava flow.  Wow - over 200 years of lava right there in front of us.  We pass by a number of lovely looking harbors and National Parks, but continue on until we reach a quaint seaside town called Puako and strolled into the general store where we bought some postcards.  Keeping north on the highway, we headed toward the northernmost point on the Kohala coast. Along the way, we stop in Hawi a small artist community that is surprisingly lively on the first day of the year. The small town of Kapa 'au is noted for its charming galleries and is home to the largest used bookstore on the island.  It is also home to the original statue of King Kamehameha. 

King Kamehameha

We stroll through town only to learn that the bookstore is no longer in existance.  Bummer.  Our return to Kona is uneventful except for the amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.  I swear you can almost see the curvature of the earth at the horizon line.  Gorgeous!  We get back to the hotel to feel as though we have entered a time warp.  We have seen so many great sites and the kids are still virtually in the same position as when we left.  Enough of that!  We rouse the crew and go on some mundane errands, among which is a search for water shoes so they will not cut their feet on the bottom of the sea - there is a lot of sharp coral there.  Return home for a dip in the pool and dinner in the condo.

Big Island Paradise - Kona

Annie Gump

Sami Gump

We decided to sleep in and enjoy our luxurious surroundings for a change.  After a hearty breakfast, showers, checking email (and other conveniences that internet access allows!),  we headed out to explore the little town of Kona.  It is really cute as it hugs the coastline with great walking paths winding through the rows of boutique shops.  We stopped at Bubba Gump's Seafood Restaurant and gift store to see the movie memorabilia and were indeed reminded that "Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get".  We enjoyed going in and out of galleries and shops, always aware that anything we purchase will either (1) have to be consumed or (2) have to be carried.  This way of thinking is great on the pocketbook.  Our suitcases are already full to the point of barely zipping.  Hudson had opted to hang out around the hotel so we went back by to pick him up for lunch.  We headed south on the highway and up toward the upper highway toward the town of Captain Cook.  Along the way, we stopped to make certain we were indeed headed the right way and inquired about local fare for lunch.  "L&L Diner" we were told and pointed to the green building around the corner.  Wow!  This was the place with burgers and Mahi sandwiches, local roast pig and spare ribs!  Yummy.  We feasted on our lunch and were back in the car for more sightseeing.  We wound around steep cliffs and down perilous terrain, passing Coffee Mills and Macadamia Nut farms until we arrived at Kealakekua Bay where we could see the Captain Cook monument over the bay.  You can't drive to it, but you can rent Kayaks and paddle over to it or hike from the other side.  We didn't come prepared to do either, so we returned to our car and headed further south down a ONE lane road - no joke.  We had to scoot over as on-coming cars approached so we could squeeze by without scraping every last bit of paint off of our rental car.  Whew....we made it out the other side and arrived at the "Place of Refuge" or Pu'uhonua o Honauna in the Hawaiian language.  Aloha and Happy New Years to all