Leaving Hawaii behind

(11/21/12) My flight out of Kona did not depart until 4:30.  I enjoyed my papaya breakfast while looking out at the giant cruise ship that had arrived during the night.  This meant more people wandering the streets.  It also was a cloudy, warm and humid day.  I spent my remaining time walking along the street.  I stopped and sat on the seawall and saw a turtle riding the waves.  Every once in awhile he would pop his head out of the water to look around.  So cute and nice to come upon this without expecting to.  I ended up heading for the airport around 1:45.  The Kona airport is small, but it was busy!  The entire airport is open air, which made it not seem like an airport at all!  Hawaiian Airlines was right on time, maybe even early.  Arriving in Oahu we were able to see Pearl Harbor as the plane banked to land.  There were lots of dark clouds over the mountains and it was quite a nice view!  I was very sad to leave the islands behind and am sure I will return again!

Royal Kona Resort/Kailua-Kona Wrap-up

I don’t think I’ve ever stayed at a resort before and pictured one as being a place with everything you could want at your fingertips.  The Royal Kona is perched right on the coast at the south end of Ali’i Drive and is within walking distance to any stores or restaurants you could want.  You can walk to the pier to catch the snorkeling tours or bus tours.  The resort has tennis courts, a fitness center, spa, Don’s Mai Tai Bar and Don’s Restaurant.  There is a luau on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights.  They have their own private salt water lagoon and a regular pool.  Parking costs $10 per day and they also charge for internet.  When I checked in, the guy said he upgraded me to an ocean front room since my room wasn’t ready at 2:45 when I asked.  I was supposed to be in an ocean view room and I’m sure that would have been fine.  The room had a beautiful view of the water and was right by the luau spot.  I had a king size bed and a table with two small chairs.  There was a large bare area and I think some sort of chair or chaise lounge would have been nice.  There was no overhead room light, which would have been nice at night and no lights out on the lanai.  I did not sit out there in the middle of the night so I’m not sure how dark it really got.  There are plenty of chairs scattered around the property, from beach chairs along the water to comfy wicker chairs near the bar area.  The landscaping is beautiful and there are lots of little green geckos running around.  I will say the bathroom could be updated.  The tub had barely any edge to it, which isn’t great for those of us who have lots of toiletries.  A soap dish would have been nice.  The carpets throughout the room and hallways looked worn and a paint job wouldn’t go to waste.  But everyone was very friendly and the whole place was very clean.  I would recommend this as it is so conveniently located to all the action. 

  

The Kailua-Kona area is great for different activities.  There is snorkeling, diving, paddle boarding, para sailing, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, whales, shopping, dining, tropical drinks and anything else you would want from a beach vacation.  There are also state and national historic sites within a short distance both north and south of town.   Everything is easily accessible and easy to find.  The island is small enough that you could probably go all the way around in a day.  But you won’t because you will be stopping to explore all the sites.  I don’t like to spend a whole vacation sitting on the beach or shopping or drinking and I was able to find enough stuff to fill my days and have time to lounge when I wanted to.  This side of the island is warm and humid and has little rain.  My last day it was cloudy and dripping but no one seemed to mind!  If you get tired of the heat, drive an hour north to Waimea where the cooler winds blow.  Or, soak it up while you can because you are most likely heading back to somewhere that is not as nice as where you are!

Last full day in Kona

(11/20/12) Today was a me day.  Started with my favorite Papaya Nest breakfast.  Half a papaya, vanilla yogurt and granola.  A great way to start the day!  Then I did some shopping along Ali’i Dr.  I ate lunch at Humpy’s (it’s a humpback whale) and had a delicious fresh fish sandwich.  The fish of the day was Big Island Ahi.  Apparently that is a tuna, which I do not like, but this was delicious.  Maybe it was the setting or just a different tasting tuna.  I spent the afternoon by the hotel’s saltwater lagoon.  There were some crabs scuttling around and brightly colored angel fish swimming.  I should have rented some snorkeling gear, but I did not.  It was just relaxing to read in the quiet sand area.  I also did some laundry.  I know, I’m on vacation, but it was hot and my clothes stinky and I needed something to do.  While that was happening I was able to spend some more time reading by the water.  I went back to the Sheraton to watch for rays one more time.  Tonight there were 3!  The big one and two other ones.  They were really circling around close to shore so it was easier to see them than last night.  It also was dripping and it felt nice.  I decided to walk back to the shops to find some dessert.  Luckily, I wandered into one of those frozen yogurt places where you fill up your dish and pay by how much it weighs.  I was excited to find one of the options was Dole Whip!!!  My mom and I had this when we were at the Dole Pineapple Plantation and it was so delicious.  So I filled up my bowl (and added some chocolate yogurt) and added some interesting toppings like pineapple jelly (seemed like gummy bear texture to me), flavored tapioca pearls and other things I wasn’t sure of but they were all fruit flavored.  I was pleased to find the Dole Whip tasted just as I remembered with a wonderful pineapple flavor.  It was a great find and I’m glad I found it the last night instead of the first or I would have filled up on frozen yogurt!

North Coast Sites

(11/19/12)  Today I headed north along the Kohala Coast.  First stop of the day was Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.  This park preserves the coastal sections of two ahupua’a or traditional land divisions.  Families fished and farmed here.  There are very few facilities in this park, but lots of hiking trails.  If you were to hike, you would need to bring plenty of water and something to provide some shade.  I went in the entrance that is off the parking lot for the Honokohau boat harbor.  Once inside the park gate there is a map and box with park brochures.  There is a short walk to the coastline which comes out by a heiau or religious temple.  The water here is so clear and perfect for strolling along the shore.  There were some replicas of huts and a guy doing yoga.  Otherwise there was no one there.  The main park visitor center is a little further up Hwy 19.  There you can access more trails and get more information.  Too warm for me to do more hiking.  The same was true at most of the stops for the day.  I continued along Hwy 19 through old lava fields and coastal resort areas.  I stopped at the Mauna Lani Resort where there was a short walk to see some petroglyphs.  There is a parking lot at the shore access and a path off of that lot.  I walked the paved path to where the petroglyphs were supposed to be.  I’m not sure how old these were supposed to be but they looked fake.  There were a bunch of rocks in a circle with carvings.  So maybe there was more to the path then I could see but it looked like that’s where it ended.  I walked back to the parking lot and down to the shore.  There I saw a turtle eating along the rocks!

Next stop was Hapuna Beach.  This beach is very large with lots of nice sand.  It is a steep walk down to the beach but if you were going to spend some time then it would not be a big deal.  I just walked down and back to the car.  Very warm!

My next stop was Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historical Park.  This is off Hwy 270 just after you turn on from Hwy 19.  The park is home to a large stone heiau that is one of the last major sacred structures built before outside influences came.  It was built in 1790 by King Kamehameha I.  This is another park with very limited shade and warm temperatures.  You can see one of the heiaus from the highway and from the visitor center.  I again did not do any of the walks due to the heat.  The waters around the park are a marine sanctuary and home to black-tipped reef sharks and humpback whales, neither of which was home when I was there. 

I drove along Hwy 19 to Waimea where I stopped for lunch.  It was a cooler 73 and the perfect place for a stop.  I ate at the Waimea Coffee Café where I had a delicious salad of apples, dried cranberries, blue cheese, walnuts and some delicious vinaigrette turned into a wrap.  The wrap was actually cheaper than the salad.  It was very good.  Next door was the general store where I got some jam.  I asked the lady about driving up Hwy 250 and if it was really windy and steep.  She said yes, but it was worth the drive and the speed limit was slow.  So I decided to do it and I was glad I did.

The road heads north out of Waimea and through pastures and ranches.  On a clear day you should be able to see Maui, but it was too hazy.  The road does climb and there are some sharp curves, but traffic was light and I was able to pull over when a car came behind me.  The views were so nice, but I wish it had been less hazy so the mountains were clearer.  The road ends in Hawi where you can get back on the 270 and go to its end at the Pololu Valley Overlook.  This is one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen!  Looking up the mountain is a lush green valley and looking towards the coast is bright blue waters, white cresting waves and towering sea cliffs.  There is a very steep walk down to the shore.  I walked down about halfway and then turned around.  I didn’t have any water and my legs were already shaky.  I’m sure the end of the path would have been wonderful but the views I saw were enough for that day.  This is one spot I highly recommend on a visit to the Big Island. 

I followed Hwy 270 back along the coast and stopped at Lapakahi State Historical Park.  This is another historical village and again with limited shade and warm temps.  But I’m sure the hikes would have been nice!

I was thinking of doing the luau at my hotel so I headed back to shower before going down.  But I then decided to skip the long line and eat at the bar instead.  I’m glad I did as I was able to sit looking out at the water and see some Spinner Dolphins jumping around.  Had a delicious pork quesadilla and watched the sort of sunset through the clouds.  When I went back to my room the luau hadn’t started yet so I’m glad I skipped it or I would have been starving.  I grabbed my car keys and headed to the Sheraton to watch for manta rays.  They have a viewing platform outside Rays on the Bay.  A lady gives an educational talk about the rays starting at 7.  The snorkeling boat tours leave the area around 7:30 and then the rays come in closer to shore and the hotel shines lights out into the water.  We all waited for one to appear and a collective “Look!” was heard when the first black shape glided into view.  It was so amazing to watch!  There were 2 feeding while I was there.  One was really big and did some somersaults so you could see it’s white belly.  I was hoping for it to jump out of the water, but it did not.  The lady said you rarely see that at night while they are feeding, but earlier this summer she made that comment and about 2 minutes later one jumped right out!  That would have been amazing.  I think I’ll go back to watch one last time.  I should do the snorkeling but those boats were bobbing around and I would be afraid of getting sick before getting in the water.  She said it is a very amazing experience and one that you should not miss.  So for anyone else that likes to snorkel and doesn’t mind bobbing boats then I would recommend it.  I finally made myself leave even though I did not want to!

Touring the south Kona coast

This morning I started out with a breakfast of half a papaya filled with yogurt and granola at this place just up the road that I think is called Java on the Rocks.  I'll have to check tomorrow as I'm sure I will end up at the same place.  It's a restaurant normally, but in the morning there is a little stand inside and you can get bagels, omelets, fruit plates and my papaya nest.  It was really delicious! 

Today's driving tour took me south on Hwy 11 to some historical sites.  There was some sort of mini Ironman thing going on so roads were closed and traffic had to stop to wait for the bikers to go through.  I don't know how those people did it as they had to bike up this giant hill and then go who knows where.  Once there was a big enough gap, I finally got to continue on my way.  First stop was at Greenwell Farms.  This is one of many coffee farms.  They have a tour you can take, but I did not and the lady didn't offer.  I don't like coffee, but I got some for relatives that do!  I'm sure I'll be stopping at other coffee farms on my north drive so I will do a tour then.

The next stop was Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park.  This is found by taking yet another narrow winding road down the hill.  I really don't like these kinds of drives and yet I have been doing lots of them this trip.  The park is where you can access the Captain Cook Monument, but the only way to get there is by water.  So I did not go.  There was a gathering of locals at the entrance to the parking lot who were trying to get you to rent their snorkeling gear and one followed me when I got out of the car to look at the information signs.  I was glad to leave. 

Next was Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.  This place was really nice.  The entrance fee is $5 and is good for 7 days.  There is a self-guided walking tour of the grounds, which are beautifully kept.  I have the brochure in the car so I can't remember everything, but it is a sacred spot and was a place of refuge for early Hawaiians.  If you did something bad or were at war or anything, you could go to this site and no one could hurt you while there.  There are reconstructions of temples and remains of the original buildings.  It is a really well done park.  There is also a 2 mile loop trail that goes to some other historical sites, the remains of a village and past some lava tubes.  I did part of the trail.  I decided to cut off at the path that went towards the coast rather than continue to the village because I was too hot.  But I'm sure the remaining sites would have been nice!

I stopped at the South Kona farm market on my way back north.  A lady was selling some jellies and fruit butter so I bought a small jar of jelly.  They are all made from these tropical fruits that we don't get back home, or don't eat as often as things like bananas.  I had some delicious fish 'n chips for lunch at some roadside cafe.  It claims to have the best around and it certainly was good.

Stopped back at the hotel to grab my towel and a book and then went to La'aloa Beach.  This is a sandy beach a little ways down Ali'i Drive from my hotel.  The kids were all in the water with their body boards and it was fun to watch them.  Even the little tiny ones, who looked like they should have a parent standing right next to them, were getting pushed around by the waves.  I guess these kids grow up in the water!

Trading the cool rainforest for the warm, sunny coast!

Today I left Volcano for Kailua-Kona on the west coast.  The shortest route is to follow Hwy 11 west out of Volcano, passing the southernmost point in the US and then going north along the coast.  The other route is to take Hwy 19 north out of Hilo and follow it around the north side of the island.  I chose to take the north route as it sounded more scenic and I wanted to hit the farm markets in Waimea.  Hwy 19 did not disappoint!  There were some stretches along the east coastline that were a bit scary (a road my dad would love to drive) but I paid attention to the changing scenery rather than the scary twists, turns and climbs.  I took the turn off for Akaka Falls State Park, which heads up into the hills on another windy scenic road.  The park is at the end of the road and there is a $5 fee which is paid at an automated machine using your credit card and entering your license plate number.  I did not want to do that and did not know my number so I just took a picture from the overlook and headed out.  It would probably be a lovely walk, but I also did not want to miss the farm market.  Waimea is probably halfway between Hilo and Kona and you are awarded the first views of Mauna Kea as you get closer to the town.  The mountain is impressive, rising off the floor, with smaller cones at the base.  You can make out the various observatories at the top.  I did not see any snow, but that could be on the other side or there wasn’t any.  Waimea is a cowboy town.  There are large ranches and lots of cows and horses.  The area receives some rain and is quite green.  I was able to stop at two farm markets that both were going on at the same time.  One is on the east side of Waimea and the other was on the west side.  At the west side one I got a delicious pesto quesadilla and bought some coconut candies from one of the stands.  They had coconut with all different flavors and samples of all.  There were also stands with honey, jams, produce, crafts and, of course, Kona coffee.  Two very nice little markets!  I decided to take Hwy 190 out of Waimea instead of following Hwy 19.  The 19 would have followed the coast and gone through all the little towns.  I plan to go back that way another day on one of my driving routes so I took the faster 190.  This goes inland and is through some very dry, desolate land.  Mauna Kea looms over it and must block the rain.  Lots of scrubby grasses, some cacti and scraggly trees are mostly what you see.  Further on were the remnants of a lava flow and that made the landscape even more dramatic.  My mom does not like dry scrubby stuff, but I loved it.  It is just amazing the variety of areas you find on one island.  You wouldn’t think of Hawaii as having a desert or being chilly but it does and is.  I really recommend the inner route if you plan to go along the coast later in your trip.  Once you arrive over on the Kona side the landscape again changes to the more green.  It is different from the rainforest of Volcano.  Kona is drier and sunnier, what Hawaii is normally associated with.  Kailua-Kona is a big resort town.  The touristy road is lined with eateries, shops, ABC stores, tour operators and any other service you might want.  I stopped at my hotel to check-in even though it was only 12:30.  I am staying at the Royal Kona and it seems nice.  The lobby is all open air and the crashing surf is a constant in the background.  My room wasn’t ready so I parked the car and wandered back up the street.  I stopped for a snack of some shave ice.  This is the greatest snack ever.  Just some shaved ice with whatever flavored syrup you would like.  Apparently the way to eat it is also with some condensed milk on top.  I chose coconut and sat under the awning to enjoy my snack while watching the waves.  I checked out little shops and then turned around to just sit at the hotel until my room was ready.  I wandered back to the desk at 2:45 and the guy told me it was still being cleaned.  I said no problem, I can sit and enjoy the breeze.  When I went back after 3 he said they had upgraded me from an ocean view room to an ocean front room because of the wait!  Well wasn’t that nice!  Check in time is really 3 so I wasn’t waiting, but I won’t complain.  The view is great.  I can sit out on the lanai, type my blog and just listen to the waves!  The room itself is ok.  The bathroom is small and there is hardly any tub ledge.  I was barely able to get the little bar of soap to fit.  It could use some updating.  But the room is clean and the bed looks comfy so that is all that matters.  Ended the day by grabbing a salad at Bubba Gump Shrimp.  Then was treated to the sounds of the luau outside my room.  This one was being put on for a group of Japanese tourists and they really enjoyed it.  Fell asleep listening to the sounds of the crashing waves.

Chalet Kilauea/Volcano National Park Wrap-Up

I spent two full days in the shadow of Pele.  I have to say I loved Volcanoes National Park.  There is so much to see and so many hikes to take.  You definitely need one full day, but two would be great if you want to add on some of the longer hikes along the crater floor and spend more time just looking at things.  Expect rain since the park is in a rainforest and don’t let it ruin your time there.  My room at Chalet Kilauea was wonderful.  The Africa Room is the least expensive, and smallest, room at the Chalet.  It states that right on their website.  The room was perfect for me as a single traveler.  There was a double bed, flat screen TV, closet with storage space, large bathroom and private lanai with mini kitchen.  I don’t know if I would recommend this room for more than one person.  Obviously you could make it work for a couple, but there would not be much room for privacy other than escaping to the lanai or O’hana room.  The walls are a little thin and I was woken up one night by some noisy people checking in.  The room did not have air conditioning, but I discovered this was not a problem as it’s very cool in the rainforest at night and the window in the door to the lanai opens and provides enough air.  Breakfast can be had for $6.25 downstairs.  The menu in the room guide boasts a wide variety of cereal, fresh fruit, assorted pastries and sweet bread.  The variety of cereal was Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes so not a large selection.  But there were 2 kinds of bagels, English muffins, bread, 3 kinds of sweet bread, pineapple, orange slices and papaya.  Coffee, hot water for tea and a tropical fruit juice blend are also provided.  When I checked out I reminded the lady that I had breakfast all 3 mornings.  She said “Breakfast?  You hardly ate anything so I will only charge you for one.”  I guess my taking a small plate and going back for seconds wasn’t enough for her!  So that was a treat.  The town of Volcano is small and does not offer many food options.  There is a Thai restaurant, local family dinner, a café and some lodge.  It looked like most places closed early and the next closest food is back in Hilo so don’t go expecting anything gourmet or late. 

I found Hilo to be a bit grungy looking along the waterfront and did not really stop to do any eating or sightseeing.  Maybe there are better options by the resort areas.  It is also a 30 minute minimum trip to the national park so Volcano is your best option if you want to concentrate on that area.  It’s easy to get around as there are only a few main highways and all have something different to see.  Keep your camera out and be ready to snap as you drive!

Sites on the Hilo side

So today was a mishmash of various things which took me north, south and west of Hilo.  First stop was the Homelani Memorial Park to track down the headstone of some distant relative on my dad's side.  The ladies in the office were very helpful and one walked me over to the section and helped me find him.  Apparently he was located in the prominent people section so he must have had something to do with the settling of Hilo or something like that.  So, dead people taken care of, it was time to do some sightseeing.  First stop was Rainbow Falls State Park.  The park is located a little farther inland from the cemetery and has no entrance fee.  All the park consists of is an overlook platform for the falls.  But it is worth the visit to view the cascade of water.  The sun wasn't out so no rainbow:( 

I headed north out of Hilo on Hwy 19.  A little ways up you can take the 4 mile scenic route, which used to be the old highway.  It is a narrow winding road through a maze of tropical plants.  I was glad the car in front of me was driving slowly like I was and there were no cars behind so I had time to look at all the different trees, ferns and plants.  Along the route is the Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden.  I planned to stop, but it was $15, had a steep descent and would take 1-1/2 to walk through.  It turned out to be a good thing I didn't go since it started pouring as soon as I pulled out of the parking lot.  It rained the rest of the way which made the drive even more beautiful.

I headed back towards Hilo to follow a driving route I found on a website.  The route followed Hwy 130 to Pahoa, which is some little town south of Hilo.  From Pahoa I followed Hwy 132 to Lava Tree State Park.  There is no entrance fee and the park is very accessible and has a real bathroom.  There is a paved walking path that takes you in a short loop through the forest to view the lava trees.  They are suppose to be the main attraction, but I was more interested in the many different kinds of plants.  It's amazing how many different kinds of ferns there are!  And the colors!  There is a big sign telling you to stay on the path dues to large cracks in the ground throughout the park.  So it seemed right that the girl in front of me slipped in the mud and bloodied her knee when she went off the path to stand next to one of the trees.  If it says to stay on the path, then stay on the path!  The park was not crowded and you could really spend a lot of time examining all the plants, but the rain started up again so I headed on my way.

Next stop on the route were the tidal pools at Kapoho.  These pools are way off the highway at the edge of a residential area.  They allow you to park and visit the pools but ask for a $3 parking donation for upkeep.  Well the parking lot was horrible so I guess most visitors don't make the donation.  There were lots of tidal pools, but the lava rocks make it hard to walk without paying a lot of attention to the ground.  I only saw a few crabs and did not spend much time.

I followed Hwy 137 to it's end.  Well, it used to go farther, but then the lava flow came and wiped out the road and the town.  There are a few little stores and craft stands at the current end.  This area used to be a world famous black sand beach, and it will be again someday, but for now it's just rolling lava.  Hwy 137 gets very narrow, windy and hilly before you get to the end and it seems like it takes forever.  I wouldn't recommend it.  Hwy 130 is the one that everyone takes to the end and then hikes out to view the current lava flow.  I probably should have done that instead. 

So then I decided to head back to Hwy 11 and go check out the black sand beach, which is 30 miles south of my hotel.  The road goes through the Ka'u Desert and has great views of Mauna Loa and lava and the coast.  Punalu'u Beach Park is just south of the town of Pahala.  There is plenty of free parking, picnic tables and restrooms.  Swimming doesn't seem to be recommended and with the giant waves, I wouldn't try anything other than walking along the shore.  There are two main attractions at this beach - the black sand and the sea turtles.  The sand is beautiful and feels different than regular beach sand.  At least I thought it did.  Luckily for me, there was a nice sea turtle resting on the sand.  Again, the area was swarming with those Japanese tourists and they were all standing right next to the turtle, pretending to touch it and taking pictures.  They finally left and I was able to get my picture, from the recommended distance of 25 feet.  There were also other turtles bobbing around in the surf and I was just waiting for one to crawl up on the sand, but I wasn't that lucky.  Then I noticed some people around one of the little pools and wandered over see what they were looking at.  And there was another turtle and he was having a little snack of whatever was growing on the rocks.  It was so neat to watch him just being a turtle.  Hopefully these turtles won't be my last marine life encounter of the trip.

I stopped back at the park to see if there was anything new going on with the lava lake, but it's status was unchanged from the day before.  It was cold and rainy so I decided I wasn't going to drive in to view the volcano once more.  It's strange to talk about being cold in Hawaii, but this part of the island is cooler and much wetter than the rest of the island.  Tomorrow I check out of Volcano and head over to Kona.  I doubt I will be cold again until I land at O'Hare! 

A day with Pele

Today was a day of lots of firsts for me: first time standing on lava, first time walking through a lava tube and the first time seeing a road covered in lava.  The destruction and birth of land are both on display at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.  The park is located about 30 minutes from Hilo and just outside the tiny town of Volcano.  There is an entrance fee of $10 and your pass is good for 7 days.  You will get your moneys worth even if you only spend one day.  The whole day was a mix of mist and sun, with more mist than sun, and plenty of wind.  The weather did nothing to stop my visit or the visit of lots of other people, most of whom seemed to be Japanese.  In fact a nice Japanese man took my picture at the park sign after I offered to take one of him and his wife.  Anyway, the best place to start is the visitor center, which is open every day from 7:45 to 5:00 (the park itself is open 24 hours a day), where you can find lots of information on the current volcanic activity, maps of the park and suggestions for what to do depending on how long you are planning to stay.  I had all day at the park so I followed the suggestions for the 1-3 hours and the add ons for 4-5 hours.  The first ranger talk wasn't until 9:30 so I headed out to see the steam vents and view the Kilauea Caldera.  The views were a bit shrouded in mist, but I was just in awe of the beauty of Kilauea.  The Caldera is a harsh grey landscape, which may not sound beautiful but it is.  Kilauea is the youngest area of Hawai'i so it does not have the rising mountain top of Mauna Loa or Mauna Kea, but it is active and always changing.  I went back for the ranger talk, which was a good 20-30 minutes about the history of the Hawaiian Islands, the history of the Big Island and what is going on currently.  Lucky for us, there has been a lot of activity lately in the Halema'uma'u Crater.  The crater suddenly had a giant hole and now a lava lake is slowly rising towards the surface.  The level changes slightly each day and is currently about 100 feet below the surface.  At night, you can see the glow of the lava reflected in the steam.  During the day it is an impressive site with a huge cloud of steam billowing out of one side and smaller trickles from other sides. The crater is easily viewed from the Jagger Museum.  The road around Kilauea is closed due to this new activity.

After lunch I took the Chain of Craters road.  This road is about 30 miles round trip and dead ends into a lava flow.  I spent a good 3 hours making the trip as there are lots of places to stop and view craters, lava flows from different years, a lava tube, the Devastation Trail and the current coast line.  The mist was out in full force until you drive out of the rainforest.  Then it was really windy (I had trouble getting the car door to open at a few of the stops) and then warm and sunny down by the ocean.  The views of the lava flows were just amazing.  There are jagged edges and smooth rounded edges, giant boulders and tiny rocks, dead trees uprooted when the lava came flowing through and new green growth.  I finally had to stop stopping at all the pull outs because I wanted to get to the bottom.  The road ends where the lava flowed right over it.  There is parking and those always nice natural toilets where the wind rushes up at you when you sit down.  I hate those!  You can walk out to the edge of the coastal cliffs and view the water meeting the land.  The waves are huge and it's very easy to get sprayed, or soaked, by the surging water.  You cannot see lava actually flowing unless you take a 15 mile hike over the hardened lava field and that's way more work than I wanted to do.  You can also hike into the Kilauea Iki Crater, which is an easier 2ish mile hike that I also did not attempt on my own.

 

I headed back into the park after dinner to view the glow of the lava lake.  There was a steady stream of traffic heading down from the Jagger Museum so I took that as a good sign.  The parking lot at the museum was packed and very dark so I carefully found a spot without running anyone over.  It was so cold and windy!  I quickly walked to the lookout point and was rewarded with the sight of a bright orange glow in the crater.  So amazing!  I would have liked to stay and watch the shifting of the plume and the change in orange tones, but I was just too cold.  Took my few pictures that are pretty terrible and called it a night.  I'm sure spewing lava would be way more exciting to watch, but this was better than nothing. 

And so my day with Pele comes to an end.  I am ready for bed and hope to be all caught up on my sleep by tomorrow! 

Traveling to Paradise is not always paradise!

Long flights are not something I would call fun, but they are even less fun when there are delays, missed connections and wayward baggage!  My flight from Chicago to Honolulu was delayed by almost 2 hours due to the incoming flight being delayed.  And then flights to Honolulu and Tokyo were boarding at the same time from neighboring gates, which was apparently too confusing for the Tokyo passengers as they kept coming through our boarding lines and had to be redirected.  The nice lady who was announcing the boarding groups repeatedly said “Honolulu is now boarding group 1.  Tokyo is gate 16, not 17” but some failed to listen so that also slowed down our departure.  Once on board, I had a nice aisle seat in the row that backs up to the bathroom.  Actually kind of nice because there are no little kids sitting behind kicking your seat!  But some elderly couple took the seats in front where some other lady was supposed to be sitting because the old lady’s knee bothered her.  So I nicely moved in one so she could sit across from her husband and daughter.  No aisle for me.  And I think this was honestly the smallest amount of legroom I have ever had on a long flight.  United provides no free meals, the movies were on the big screens scattered throughout the cabin so if you wanted to watch Step Up Revolution then you were so lucky!  The 9 hour flight was very smooth with only a few bumpy spots.  Read 2-1/2 books, watched the TV shows when they came on and closed my eyes for a bit.  Finally landed in Honolulu around 5.  The Honolulu airport is small so it was really easy to figure out where to go next.  Flights to the other islands leave from the Interisland Terminal, which you can walk to or take the Wiki Wiki shuttle.  I took the shuttle!  Then found the Hawaiian Airlines ticket counter and got on a flight that was just boarding so no waiting time there.  There was lots of legroom on this flight, but I think it only lasted 30 minutes at the most.  We went up, got a complimentary juice and then were landing in Hilo.  Unfortunately, my bags wanted to spend more time in Honolulu then I did.  So I picked up my rental car (a white HHR, which is nice with all power options, cruise control etc, but the headroom seems low and I’m short!) and went to get something to eat at Jack n the Box.  Then back to the airport where luckily my bags did make it to the last flight!  The drive to Volcano was easy.  Dark, rainy and not much traffic.  You do need to pay attention to the mile markers and signs for street crossings as you get to Volcano.  My hotel must be on the outskirts as you were still driving 55 and had to turn off onto a cross street.  I found my hotel easily enough and my key and directions to my room were waiting in the after hours box.  Carried my stuff up the stairs and into my room, put on my PJs and went to bed.  I believe it was a little before 9 local time when I finally arrived.  When traveling, you have to learn to go with the flow and I am grateful for Hawaiian Airlines for re-booking me so quickly and for the baggage lady for being so helpful when figuring out where my bag might be.  Aloha!  

Hawaii 2012

Heading to the Big Island in November.  Here's the itinerary:

November 14 – Depart O’Hare @ 10:04 AM

                         Arrive Honolulu @ 3:08 PM

                         Depart Honolulu @ 5:03 PM

                         Arrive Hilo @ 5:54 PM                                               

November 14 - 17       Chalet Kilauea

                                    19-4178 Wright Rd

                                    Volcano, HI 96785

            800-967-7786

                                   Chalet Kilauea              
                    

November 17 - 20     Royal Kona Resort
                                  75-5852 Alii Drive

                                  Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
                                  Royal Kona
                     

November 21 – Depart Kona @ 3:49 PM                                                                                                                     Arrive Honolulu @ 4:32 PM

                         Depart Honolulu @ 8:03 PM

                         Arrive O’Hare @ 8:05 AM (Nov 22 - Thanksgiving Day)

Guns, Chases and the rest of our last day

Memorial Day was spent driving from Charleston to Raleigh, NC (so Renee could cross both Carolinas off her state list) for our flight back to O'Hare.  We drove north up the coast of South Carolina along Highway 17 and then got on I-40 in Wilmington NC.  We were only a little ways into our drive when we saw a nice Escalade pulled over on a side street with about 4 police cars and the officers standing with their guns pointed at the occupants.  Such excitement for 9 AM!  The rest of South Carolina was pretty boring compared to that.  I was hoping to see the ocean on our drive, but we were mostly surrounded by trees.  We did drive through Myrtle Beach, which was not that exciting.  Lots of traffic and lots of mini-golf courses.  The water was again too far away to really see.  We crossed the NC border and stopped for lunch at a Wendys.  The real excitement happened shortly after we were back on the road.  A motorcycle when flying by the car and was closely followed by a police car.  Well, not far behind were several more police cars.  Other drivers did not seem to care that sirens were blaring and lights were flashing as they weren't quick to get into the right lane.  The motorcycle just went straight down the middle of the two lanes.  So Renee and I were speculating about what the guy had done and if we would see him stopped.  She commented that at least he was wearing a helmet!  Farther along, the traffic came to a crawl.  I spotted an ambulance coming down the ramp, followed by a firetruck and police car.  Everyone pulled over for the ambulance and promptly moved back into line, apparently not noticing the fire truck.  Finally, the vehicles got through and we could see them stopped.  I was hoping to not see a squished motorcycle rider in the middle of the street.  Eventually, we pulled by and saw the motorcycle in the ditch and the guy on a stretcher.  Renee says his face was uncovered so maybe he wasn't dead.  There was a Jeep pulled over that we assume must have hit him or he hit her.  We counted and there were 11 police cars at the scene!  Guess the guy wasn't being pulled over for a simple speeding ticket!  The rest of the ride was uneventful.  We circled around Wilmington and were able to see the Battleship North Carolina that is docked there and some views of the harbor.  Once on I-40, it was trees and more trees.  We could not see Raleigh from the interstate.

The Raleigh-Durham airport is really nice.  The Hertz bus lady was super friendly, there were no lines to check in or go through security.  We got to experience the full body scanner, which I thought was really simple and no big deal.  The airport was clean, quiet and spacious.  Now it may not be that way all the time, but at 4:00 on Memorial Day it was.  Our plane left on-time and even arrived early to O'Hare.  We were able to check our bags at the gate for free due to the flight being full and they were already coming around the belt by the time we got down to baggage claim.

I would like to mention that Sunday night we at a place called Hubee Ds and it was delicious.  We each got the junior chicken tender basket.  For $5.50 you got 2 chicken tenders, a bunch of fries, coleslaw and cornbread.  The tenders were just delicious and the cornbread was so sweet and moist.  They had lots of dipping sauces to choose from and free boiled peanuts to sample.  Renee and I sampled and we did not like.  For dessert, we got the fried banana pudding and that was just heaven.  3 pieces of fried banana, creamy pudding and chocolate drizzle.  A great way to end our last night.

Charleston in late May is hot, humid and still charming.  A little too hot and humid for us, but that's ok.  Next time, I would like to experience it in cooler weather when walking around the various historical spots isn't unbearable.  The people are friendly, the city accessible and the scenery beautiful.  A must visit city!

Ships, Forts, Beaches and Charles Towne

Yesterday, Renee and I went to Patriots Point.  This is one of the world's largest military maritime museums.  We again managed to arrive early enough to be the first ones in line to buy tickets.  Got onto the 10:45 Fort Sumter tour, which gave us plenty of time to tour the USS Yorktown and USS Laffey.  We were glad to be there in the morning as it was already warm in the ships.  We toured the living quarters on the Yorktown as well as the flight deck and engine room.  The flight deck was a great place to cool off and get some good views of Charleston and the harbor.  The Yorktown serves a Navy style lunch in the CPO Galley.  We could not get the lunch because of our Fort Sumter tour, but it looked like they were serving meatballs with gravy and some other stuff.  Probably delicious.  After the Yorktown, we toured the USS Laffey, a destroyer that was part of the D-Day invasion at Normandy.  The submarine that is part of Patriots Point is closed for repairs through mid-summer. 

We were second in line to get on the boat to Fort Sumter and found great seats right at the back of the boat by the railing.  We saw several dolphins on our way out and back from the fort.  A park ranger greets you at Fort Sumter and offers a short history talk.  The original fort was much taller than the remains and was supposed to hold a garrison of over 600 men.  The 85 Union troops who occupied her for the beginning of the Civil War managed to hold off for 4 or 5 days before surrendering.  NO casualties were reported, but 2 men died in the 100 gun salute that the Confederate Army allowed after the surrender.  So the first two casualties of the Civil War weren't even during a battle.  You have 1 hour on the fort after the boat arrives and that is plenty of time to walk around and explore.  The entire trip is 2-1/4 hours.  I think it's well worth it.

Renee and I wanted to go back to the beach for the hot afternoon so we got lunch, got our swimsuits and headed back to Folly Beach.  Well, the traffic for the last few miles was at a crawl and then there were no parking spots that we could find so we just turned around and sat at the pool at the motel instead.

Today, there was no evidence of subtropical storm Beryl, so we put our suits on again and headed out to Folly Beach first thing.  It was a great plan as we found a perfect parking spot on the street (free!) that was right by public beach access.  When we got to the beach, we could see that Beryl was helping to generate some giant waves and a lot of wind.  We plopped our towels down in the sand, sat down and promptly had sand all over.  The wind was just whipping that dry sand and it was pretty painful.  Finally, we just walked along the water and watched the kids playing close to the edge of the waves and the surfers trying to stand up and the dogs enjoying the beach.  We got our clothes, changed and walked out on the pier.  Lots of people fishing, but no one caught anything while we were up there.  The sign mentioned shark fishing and that would have been neat to see! 

After the beach, we headed to Charles Towne Landing.  This is a state park that replicates the original village of Charles Towne.  It was quite warm so we only walked as far as the Animal Forest.  There are shore birds, otters, puma, bear, deer, bobcat, bison and turkeys.  The air was cool walking in the Forest, but not so much when you got back out into the sun.  We skipped doing anything else for the day and spent the afternoon sitting by the pool.  But that's what vacation is for!

Plantations!

My most favorite place in Charleston is Drayton Hall.  This old stately home is the best to visit because it hasn't been modernized and is not full of "period" furniture.  I recommend arriving right when they open the gates at 9.  That gets you on the first house tour at 9:30 and it is likely to be a much smaller group than later tours.  When I went a few years ago, I was the only person on the first tour and right after I was done, a tour bus showed up.  Renee and I arrived before they even opened the gates and were the first car through.  We were able to walk around the lawn and take pictures without other people in the way.  Spotted 3 small alligators sunning themselves by the reflecting pond!  The tour is great.  Our guide, Deena, was wonderful.  She explained about the portico problem they are currently spending all their efforts on.  The porch is slowly settling at a rate faster than the rest of the house.  A lady is excavating the columns and has discovered that one side of the house has 6 rows of bricks and the other has only 5.  We were able to watch her digging and also another lady adding new mortar in the back of the home.  The home has no running water or electricity, other than a few safety boxes added in the narrow interior stairwell and fans for summer.  This morning there was such a lovely breeze coming off the Ashley River and the house was very comfortable.  We walked down to the Ashley River after the tour was over and then around to the reflecting pond.  The air was a bit muggier as we headed away from the river.  We were able to get close to a little alligator and take his picture while he was sitting in the water.  Drayton Hall is such a quiet and peaceful place.  Be sure to stop at the African-American Cemetery on your way out.

Renee and I had a delicious lunch at Middleton Place.  They serve you 3 courses for a fixed price of $18.95, which is a pretty great deal with the options they have.  Renee had Charleston She Crab Soup, Shrimp and Grits and Huguenot Torte.  I had the Field Greens Salad with fruit, Pulled Pork and Key Lime Pie.  Renee said all her food was delicious.  My salad came with strawberries, pineapple and grapes with a Champagne Vinaigrette.  The Pulled Pork came with collard greens and Hoppn' John, neither of which I care for, but the pork was delicious and I did try the Hoppn' John.  The Key Lime Pie was delicious.

After lunch we walked around the grounds.  Saw a few more alligators and lots of gardens.  We checked out the farm animals, which are all from the period when the plantation was in operation.  The home that is still standing was used as the guest quarters.  The main home was destroyed in 1865 by Union troops.  Drayton Hall was spared because it was apparently labeled as a place with smallpox.  Middleton Place has more buildings to visit and large gardens to tour.  The admission cost is also higher.


The Charleston Tea Plantation was our next stop.  They have remodeled the gift shop since my last visit and have lots more varieties of tea to sample.  You can have as many samples as you want.  They were currently offering a sample of their First Flush Tea as a hot tea, but it was out when we got there.  The First Flush is made from the very first harvest of the season.  The taste of the tea changes each year depending on the type of winter.  It is called the First Flush due to the new, young leaves being flushed up from inside the existing plant.  Plants can be harvested every 18-20 days and are harvested from mid-April through October.  The Tea Plantation offers a free tour of the production room and also a $10 trolley ride around the property.  Recently added to the tour is their brand-new greenhouse where they are better able to grow new tea plants.

We stopped at the Angel Oak on our way back.  This is a huge tree that legend says is 1500 years old.  The sign says actual age may be 300-400 years old.  I like the legend better.  This tree is huge and the limbs mostly drape along the ground.  It's very impressive and free!

Renee has been talking about this fast food place Bojangles ever since we first went past one.  So we stopped and got food for later.  It's a chicken and biscuit place.  We each got a 2 piece chicken meal with sides and a sweet potato pie.  The skin is a bit spicy and luckily I took mine off because Renee's eyes were watering!  So now we can say we ate at a Bojangles.

Again, for anyone visiting Charleston do not miss Drayton Hall and be sure to get there early to take advantage of the smaller groups and easier access to the plantation.  This is my must see place.

Historic Charleston

Revisiting one of my favorite cities, Charleston SC.  I just love this history and charm of this place.  Renee and I arrived late Wednesday night into steamy Charleston Airport.  We had no trouble finding the rental car counter or our car.  Then we headed out to Hwy 17 to our hotel, the Creekside Lands Inn.  The hotel is charming with it's southern plants and creekside location.  There is a pool and breakfast is included.  The rooms aren't fancy and probably need some work, but the beds are comfy and the a/c works so who can complain!

This morning we headed for the Visitors Center to get a parking spot.  I was pleased to find out the trolley system is free.  In the guidebook I have, it showed $5 for an all day pass.  There are 3 different routes and we had no longer than about a 15 minute wait at any stop.  We started out walking as the morning was not overly steamy.  Walked all the way down to the Battery from the Visitor Center.  Explored a few of the cemetery's and checked out all the beautiful homes.  We started to walk back up towards the Waterfront Park.  We were pretty warm by the time we got there so hopped on a trolley to eventually get over to the aquarium area.  A lady pointed us to the East Bay Deli for lunch.  The food was good and the drinks were cold!  We decided to take a carriage ride after lunch and hopped on the various trolleys to get back to the City Market area.  The carriage rides are interesting in that you never know what route you will get.  There are 3 areas of the city and only 20 carriages can be out at a time.  One mule team cannot go out more than 8 times in a day.  Once you are on the carriage, it pulls up to a little hut where a bingo machine decides which area your carriage will head for.  The drivers have to tell the people how many riders and the names of the mules.  Then you are on your way.  We had zone 3, which goes through the western side of the historical district.  We past many beautiful homes and learned that homes downtown can be bought from a price range of $500,000 to $13,000,000.  Guess that explained all the fancy cars parked along the streets!  We had two tour guides and they were both wonderful.  They give a lot of history and answer any of your questions.  They explain why the houses were built in a certain layout and why the porch ceilings are "haint" blue (that color confuses the haunts and they either think it's the sky and fly up or think it's the water and drown) and what it means when the privacy door is closed (the ladies have their hoop skirts hiked 4 inches above the ground and that would cause the men to pass out or something like that).  A carriage ride is a nice way to see the city and a good way to cool off for a bit.

By this time, we were ready to get out of the city and headed for Folly Beach.  There was a bit of traffic getting there, but the beach itself was not too crowded.  I was able to find a place to park on the street, which is free, and right by the public access.  We did not have our suits, but the warm Atlantic water was so soothing to stand in.  The backdrop of the crashing waves and the Folly Pier was just perfect.  Wandering up the beach we found a small jelly fish.  That was exciting!  There are chairs and umbrellas for rent and we will do that if we make it back.  It was a perfect beach!

On our way back to the hotel we stopped for frozen yogurt.  The place had different kinds and you put whatever you want in your dish with whatever toppings you would like and pay by the ounce.  The honeydew and chocolate were a perfect combination!

I love walking around downtown Charleston.  It is so easy to picture what it would have looked like in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds because the homes are that old and all you have to do is add horses in the streets.  Down by the Battery it was so quiet and peaceful.  The stately homes line the park and provide the perfect backdrop to the Holy City.  I think this is a must visit place, but avoid anytime after mid-May if you don't like humidity or heat!  Tomorrow we check out the plantations!