Surf's Up

So far Maui has been amazing.  We have seen whales EVERY day, from the road, from the beach.  Some have been surprisingly close to shore.

We took a 2 hour surf lesson at Goofy Foot surf school.  It took a few tries but we got the hang of it.

Of course there were some spectacular falls as well.

Boy are we sore today!

Since we burned so many calories, we made sure to eat an enormous and delicious dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate.  They serve traditional Hawaiian fare at very reasonable prices.  The food was fabulous, some of the best we've had in Hawaii so far.

Goofy Foot Surf School
505 Front Street #123  |  Lahaina, Maui HI  |  808.244.9283 

Aloha Mixed Plate
1285 Front Street  |  Lahaina, HI  96761  |  808.661.3322

Flying Low

We had debated whether or not to take an aerial tour of Hawai'i, but in the end we decided not to because of the prohibitive cost involved.  We were so glad we didn't waste our money because our flight from the Big Island to Maui flew so low we were able to make out details below (like whales, waterfalls, and beaches).  These were some of the photos we took from the plane.

We were seated right behind the cockpit

The GPS navigation looked surprisingly similar to the chartplotter we used on the boat!

Along the coast of the Big Island shortly after takeoff

We could see humpback whales from the plane

First view of Maui from the air

Maui's east coast

Cliffs on the eastern coast of Maui

Aerial shot of a waterfall and the Road to Hana

Cliffs on Maui's north shore

Go! Mokulele Airlines
Operated by Mesa Air Lines  |  888.435.9462

Hilo, Hawaii

The city of Hilo is on Hawaii's east coast, which gets much more rainfall than the Kona (west) Coast.  It is more lush and there are more waterfalls and rainforests.  We did a quick hike to view Akaka Falls, plunging 422 feet into a pool below the trail.

Akaka Falls north of Hilo

While driving around north of Hilo, we took route 19 and saw signs for a "Scenic Road".  We turned off and stopped in at the Botanical Garden.  The garden was organized into sections with multiple trails and pathways winding through the well-landscaped areas.  Most specimens were well-marked with small signs denoting the plant name and origin.

View from the Scenic Road just off Route 19

Onomea Falls in the botanical garden

Kevin under a giant heliconia

A spider (possibly argiope keyserlingi) suspended along the garden path

We watched a man "carving" a tiki with a chainsaw.  Here is Kevin with a completed statue.

Akaka Falls State Park
Highway 220 (end of Akaka Falls Road)  |  Hilo, HI  |  Information:  808.974.6200

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
27-717 Old Mamalahoa Highway  |  Papaikou, HI  96781  |  Admission: $15 adult/$5 child

Volcanoes National Park and lava walk

A trip to Hawaii wouldn't be complete without visiting the Volcanoes National Park.  We did a ranger walk through the rainforest and viewed the Kilauea caldera.  It is still active so you can't get too close.

The ranger rainforest walk was very informative about the native and invasive plants found in the park

Kilauea Caldera -- you can see the ash plumes but you can't get close enough to see the lava lake inside

Outside the park, about an hour's drive away, is the Pu'u O'o crater, which has active lava flows.  This area has been covered by lava flows many times over since 1986.  The flows have covered the highway and destroyed houses.  You can drive and park near the flow, and there is a semi-official viewing point where the road ends.  (Semi-official because they don't want people going too near the flows, but they realize that people were going there anyway.  So now they have some local officials on hand to make sure no one strays too far off the road).  The lava is best viewed after dark, since it is a long way away.

The Pu'u O'o lava flow seen from the semi-official viewing area

While we were at the viewpoint, we noticed that some of the local landowners were offering guided lava walks on their private land.  This is a good way to see the lava up close but it is obviously at your own risk.  Of course we signed up for a tour.  It was worth it.

During the day you have to watch your step -- the lighter gray areas are still very hot and dangerous

Kevin does his best to provoke the goddess Pele by poking the lava with a stick

As dusk approaches, you can see the lava flow areas more easily

The area where we were standing was covered 30 minutes after this photo was taken

Anything in the path of the lava bursts into flame

Volcanoes National National Park
Hawaii Belt Road  |  Volcano, HI  96778  |  Visitor Information 808.985.6000

Driving the Kohala and Kona Coasts

The western coast of the Big Island of Hawaii is split into zones. Going north from Kona, you can drive along the scenic Kohala coast to Hawi, a small artsy town on the northernmost tip of Hawaii. The road ends just a bit further at the Pololu Valley Overlook.

The horses and mules get the best views while grazing near the Pololu Overlook

We also drove south from Kailua-Kona, along the Kona Coast which is known for its coffee plantations.  We toured the Pu'uhonua Honaunau (place of refuge) park.  In traditional Hawaiian culture, if you broke a law (kapu) you could be put to death.  But if you went to a place of refuge you would have sanctuary and not be killed.

In the background you can see the wall marking the border of the Place of Refuge

The volcanic landscape provides a haven for tidepool dwellers like these shellfish

The park overlooks a bay with some good coral for snorkeling.

I think the fish are trying to tell us something

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
State Highway 160  |  Captain Cook, HI  96704   |  Information 808.328.2326

Scuba Diving in Kona

We booked a dive trip with Big Island Divers.  We did two dives, one in the late afternoon and one at night.  We had hoped to catch a glimpse of the giant manta rays, but unfortunately none showed up on the night dive.  Maybe next time!

Amanda

Kevin with school of fish

Garden Eels

Big Island Divers
74-5467 Kaiwi Street  |  Kailua-Kona HI  96740  |  808.329.6068

Kona, Hawaii

Aloha from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii!  We kicked off our trip with dinner at the Royal Kona luau.  The food (kalua pig, fish poke, lomi lomi salmon, fresh pineapple and tasty mai-tais) was excellent and I would recommend it if you are staying in Kona.

We had great seats for the stage show

Blowing the Pu (conch shell horn)

Kalua Pig fresh from the Imu (underground oven)

The show begins with traditional dancing

Beginning of the fire dance

The fire dance was our favorite

King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel
75-5660 Palani Road  |  Kailua-Kona, HI 96740  |  Reservations 808.329.2911

Royal Kona Luau
75-5852 Alii Drive  |  Kailua-Kona, HI 96740  |  $68 per person  |  Reservations 866.482.9775