Early Fall in Maine

A traveling day

I have thought many times about taking a trip to Acadia National Park.  The descriptions of the craggy coasts, gently sloping mountains and friendly people have long appealed to me.  So this year I am finally here!  Today was a whole day of traveling so not much to report on other than some observations about various points in my day.

1. Boston’s Logan Airport and getting out of it is a challenge that is not for the faint of heart.  Now I was here last year and I don’t recall the airport itself being a problem.  But this time there was construction and traffic backups.  And then trying to stay on the right road to get to the interstate I wanted was like doing a logic puzzle.  I wanted to go north on I-95.  Apparently to get there you needed to attempt to follow Hwy 1 as it weirdly changes numbers and has signs that are either not there or come up at the last minute.  This is also made more challenging by the ridiculous drivers that inhabit the East Coast.  I managed to solve the puzzle and find the interstate with no scratches to the car and only minimal swearing!
2. These new cars with push button starts require a PhD in something in order to get them to turn on.  Hertz should have an instructional card sitting on the front seat explaining how to turn on your vehicle.  Otherwise, the Chevy Cruze I have is way nicer than I was expecting considering the cheap class of car I chose.  It actually has cruise control, power windows and locks and tells you what the temperature is in the car.  Although I do not like leather seats!
3. New Hampshire is a tiny state at the point where I-95 crosses through.  There is a $2 toll, a few exits and then you are in Maine.
4. Maine seems beautiful to drive through, just not when there is rain and lightening.  Makes it harder to look out for the moose that may or may not decide to cross the interstate.  Also, the service plazas along the turnpike are actually pretty nice.  I stopped at one and it was clean, had a Burger King, Popeyes, Starbucks and fresh food choices like salads and fruit. 

I am spending my evenings at the Acadia Pines Motel.  Their website is: http://www.acadiapinesmotel.com/.  The lady at the front desk was very nice and pointed out a lobster place across the street and a BBQ place next door that has breakfast.  I will look forward to seeing the place in the daytime and finding some breakfast at Mainely Meat BBQ!

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.