We took this trip in April of 2022 to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. Click on the pictures for full screen views.

April 21^st

A very long travel day – details of our 18 hour trip from Florida to Hawaii (The Big Island)

• Up at 6:30 am
• Left the airport hotel (Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport) at 7:00 am
• Sat in the lounge for about 45 minutes with coffee
• Boarded flight for Seattle at 8:15 am
• Had breakfast and watched James Bond “No Time to Die” (can’t believe they killed 007!)
• Boring 5 ½ hours later, touched down in Washington State
• Sat in the lounge for about an hour
• Boarded for Kona at 1:20 pm (4:20 pm eastern)
• Ate lunch and watched a million different sit coms
• Boring 5 ½ hours later, touched down in Hawaii!!

After retrieving our bags, we boarded the shuttle for the rental car center.  At National, we had our choice of a Lincoln or Cadillac SUV.  We opted for the Lincoln, put the hotel in the nav system, and headed off.  After a quick stop at Safeway for a few groceries and wine, we arrived at the hotel around 6:30 pm.  We watched a baseball game, and at 8:30 pm, We couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer – after all, that was 2:30 am in Florida!

April 22^nd

You can take us out of Florida, but you can’t take Florida out of us!  We ordered a new mattress about a week before we left, and wouldn’t you know it, it was scheduled for delivery today – when we are 6,000 miles away.  Fortunately, Bob graciously agreed to go to our house and be there for the delivery (he is getting extra macadamia nuts from Hawaii for that!!).  But, of course, despite my best efforts to change the contact phone number on the order, the delivery company called me at 4:05 am (10:05 eastern) to tell me that they were 30 minutes away.  And, naturally, they called back at 4:35 am to tell me that they were at the gate at Harbour Village.  All went well and we have a new bed awaiting our return!

We were able to get a couple more hours of sleep, and after breakfast at the hotel (eggs and toast for me, eggs and biscuits and gravy for Markus), we checked out.  We made a quick detour to Target / OfficeMax to get a charging cable for our phones and a power cord for the Surface Pro.  Finally, we were on the road to Hilo, uneventfully arriving around noon.  First stop was the Farmers’ Market where we bought tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, pineapple, papaya, and a mountain apple.  Next stops were at Target and Safeway, conveniently located next to each other.  We got completely stocked up for Volcano.

As we left Hilo, I called our host, Steve to let him know that we were on our way and would arrive in about 45 minutes.  He was headed out for a few hours but assured us that the house would be open for our arrival and gave us some helpful info..

• If the gate is closed and looks chained, its not, just lift the chain off the post.
• Ignore the sign, there is no attack dog.
• Ignore the stickers on the doors, there is no alarm.
• The house is unlocked, keys are on the counter.
  

We pulled in the driveway at 2:30, and as promised, the house was ready and waiting (no chain, no dog, no alarm, keys).  And, what a house it is!  Located on 3 acres in the middle of the rain forest, the house is built in a traditional Balinese (Thai?) style.  It is absolutely stunning with forest views from every room.  Although pictures can’t really do it justice, we couldn’t help but try!

The owner stopped by just after 6:00 and we had a great chat with him before heading back inside to start dinner – shrimp and fresh vegetables with rice.  Have to admit (patting ourselves on the back) that it was delicious!

April 23^rd

We were up around 7:30 this morning and had a lazy start to the day – just enjoying our coffee.  We finally got around to making an omelet for breakfast.  Our host had left us an avocado (the largest I have ever seen!) and I sliced that up to have with our eggs and toast.  Don’t know if it’s the environment, the local ingredients or what, but the omelet was perfect!  And, the avocado was a delicious addition!

Our destination this morning is the Volcanoes National Park; we were at the entrance gate before 11:00.  Luckily, Markus remembered to bring his National Park Pass, so we didn’t have to pay the $30 entrance fee.  We drove along Crater Rim Drive and then down the Chain of Craters Road (22 miles, each way).  We got out several places along the way – Kilauea Overlook, Steaming Bluff, Mauna Ulu lava flows, and Holei Sea Arch.  We also drove 18 miles (round trip) on a single lane road to Hilina Pali, where there is an amazing view of the ocean.  The landscape is hard to describe as it is so varied – from lush rain forest to the lava fields where life is essentially non-existent.

Interesting facts:

• Extending from sea level to 13,680 feet, the park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes – Kīlauea and Mauna Loa
• The Jagger Museum is closed due to damage from the 2018 eruption (the museum was open the last time we visited in 2016)
• Current estimates of the depth of the crater are ~ 2,000 feet, but it changes almost by the minute, depending on the lava
• The park is a designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site

After 4 ½ hours in the park, we headed back to the house, with a quick detour to Volcano Village.  There is a market from 6-9 am tomorrow morning at the Cooper Center (community center).  We are planning to go and wanted to scope it out so we would know the way in the morning.

April 24^th

We started the morning at the market at Cooper Center.  There were loads of fruits and vegetables available, but we stocked up in Hilo on Friday, and didn’t need anything – kind of a shame as everything looked so good.  Several venders also had plants and succulents, but we can’t take anything like that back with us.  Other items on offer were honey, handmade soaps and salves, BBQ sauces, fresh baked bread (mango, papaya, rainbow fruit) , tea towels and herbal supplements.  There was also coffee and breakfast items.  We opted for a vegetarian quiche with mushroom, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese as well as a breakfast burrito with egg, potatoes, bell peppers and onions. 

We decided to return to the house to eat because it was a pretty crappy morning, from a weather perspective, with rain and clouds.  We brewed coffee and enjoyed our delicious breakfast!  Clean up was really easy, too!

Later in the day, we ventured back out to Volcano Village and drove out Wright Road (past the Cooper Center) for the beautiful landscapes.  Then we returned to Kilauea.  This time we stopped at the Thurston Lava Tube and Devastation Trail – the latter named for the landscape that was buried in the 1959 Kilauea Iki lava fountain eruption, but where life is slowly returning.  We also walked out to the Keanakakoi Overlook to see the current eruption.

We also wanted to check out the view from Waldron Ledge (left photo: NPS / J. Wei) since we read that you can see the volcano glow at night from this spot.

We headed back to the house for a break in the mid afternoon and went back to the park for a final visit.  We were really excited to see the volcano at night and it did not disappoint!  Despite the rain, the view of the fiery lava was magnificent!  And, we saw a rainbow that seemed to end on the lava lake.

April 25^th

We said goodbye to our wonderful host, Steve, this morning and were on the road about 9:30.  We took a slight (2-hour) detour to drive out beyond Pahoa and see the devastation caused by the 2018 eruption.  We drove in to Leilani Estates and it was truly amazing at the end of the road – on our left was a perfectly fine home, while ahead of us there was nothing except the lava flow a mere 100 feet ahead.  We can’t even imagine how it must have felt to have your home spared when your neighbors’ house was obliterated.  In all, 200 homes were lost in the eruption.

L) The road ends here, you can see the lava flow has stopped just ahead.
C) Previously a marina with ocean access, no more.
R) Trying to reopen the lava covered roads, this one is closed a couple of miles ahead.

We continued on Highway 132 and passed through some absolutely beautiful seaside areas.  About 14 miles in, we got to Isaac Hale State Recreation Area.  There was previously a boat ramp / dock here, but both are completely gone.  All that remains is a swimming hole for children.

We made our way back to Hilo via a route that most would consider “old Hawaii”.  It was truly lovely with cottages and homes set among the beautiful flora. 

From Hilo, we hit 200 west toward Kilo and stopped at Mauna Kea (observatory site).  We drove ~6 miles up to the visitors center and we couldn’t believe how beautiful the weather was.  It seemed to get better and better / clearer and clearer as we ascended (On our previous visit it was snowing and the visibility sucked).  The Visitors Center is at 9200 feet elevation and I was definitely feeling the altitude difference.  We didn’t have a 4×4 SUV, so we couldn’t go to the summit, but we did take a walk up (400 feet elevation change) to a great viewpoint.

L) View from our hike back down to the visitor center.
C) A second view from the hike.
R) Look what followed me home... It was set up to display the sun on a 60" tv.

We left Mauna Kea and continued to Kailua-Kona and the condo rental at Kahalu’u.  We go into the condo and learned that a new refrigerator had been delivered that day, and there was no ice.  So, after unloading bags and groceries from the car, we headed down the street to the local market for ice.  We got back and had just enough time to make a sun-downer cocktail before witnessing a stunning sunset.

April 26^th

After yesterday – which was a really long travel day – we had a short day today.  Following an amazing breakfast, we drove up the west coast to Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company.  We had toured the factory when we were here several years ago and wanted to make a return visit.  Sadly, they weren’t very busy and didn’t have much going on in the factory, but we did the short (self-guided) tour and enjoyed several samples.  We bought some gifts and made our way back along the coast with a short detour to Island Naturals Market to buy a salad and some fresh fish for dinner.  We were back around 4:00 and had happy hour on the lanai.  We were planning to go across the street around 6:00 for the sunset over the bay, but it was raining.  Tomorrow is another day.

April 27^th

We had a very leisurely morning – didn’t set out until 11:30.  We drove south on the coast to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.

In ancient Hawai’i a system of laws known as kānāwai enforced the social order. Certain people, places, things, and times were sacred — they were kapu, or forbidden. Kapu (sacred law) regulated fishing, planting, and the harvesting of other resources. Any breaking of kapu disturbed the stability of society, and the punishment was often death. Any fugitive who had broken kapu could seek refuge and forgiveness within the walls of the Puʻuhonua.  Although many pu’uhonua existed in ancient Hawaiʻi, Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau is the best preserved and most dramatic given the extent of its monumental architecture.

–National Parks Service

April 28^th

After another leisurely morning, we set out on a drive to the northern most part of the island – the Kohala region and the Pololū Valley. At the end of Highway 270, there is a beautiful lookout with spectacular views out to the sea. A few interesting facts about the valley and the volcano that bears the region’s name.

• The Kohala Volcano last erupted about 120.000 years ago and is the oldest of 5 volcanoes that make up the Big Island.
• The cliffs of the Kohala coastline were formed during a catastrophic landslide between 250,000 and 300,000 years ago during which a large part of the Kohala volcano slipped into the ocean.
• During its long lifetime, erosion by rainwater cut multiple deep gulches, gorges and valleys in the flanks of the windward side of the Kohala volcano.

We also stopped at Lapakahi State Park and walked around this beautiful park. Per the Hawai’i State Parks website, “Lapakahi preserves the remnants of an ancient Hawaiian fishing village. Scenic coastal views complement the historical significance of the site.”

We were on the redeye flight to Los Angeles tonight, so this was our last evening in Hawaii, and our last chance to see the stunningly beautiful sunset. We leave you with this final image.

---

The End