Big Island 05-20-23

[slip]

We are starting to get ready for our Big Island trip. We got a text to confirm our reservations from Moana Loa Village and from Hertz so we are all set there.

We received an email from Mokulele and our flight to Maui was canceled so we had to reschedule. We got changed to a flight 3 hours earlier so we will have to wait longer at the Maui Airport for our flight to the Big Island. We arrive in Kona at 1:37pm and our friends arrive from Wisconsin at 1:36pm. We originally planned to be there about an hour before they arrived but their flight was changed from arriving at 3pm to 1:36pm.

It's their first trip to the Big Island so we will be driving around the island a lot. The only real plans are a Manta Ray Snorkel, checking out the Volcano and grilling some dinner/relaxing.

I'll post pictures here as always, if your interested.

 

[klpca]

We just left on Saturday. Sorry that we missed you. Enjoy the trip with your friends!

 

[lynne]

You will be on island for Honokaa Western Week:

2025 Events – Honokaʻa Western Week

honokaawesternweek.org

The town of Honokaa is worth visiting and then take the opportunity to drive down to the Waipio Valley lookout. You will not be able to go into the valley but on a clear day, the views from the overlook are spectacular. I can highly recommend Gramma's Kitchen if you are there Wed-Sunday.

 

[slip]

We just left on Saturday. Sorry that we missed you. Enjoy the trip with your friends!

That figures, one of these trips.

 

[slip]

You will be on island for Honokaa Western Week:

2025 Events – Honokaʻa Western Week

honokaawesternweek.org

The town of Honokaa is worth visiting and then take the opportunity to drive down to the Waipio Valley lookout. You will not be able to go into the valley but on a clear day, the views from the overlook are spectacular. I can highly recommend Gramma's Kitchen if you are there Wed-Sunday.

Mahalo. We'll check that out. We are staying 05-20 to 05-27.

 

[geist1223]

Who are you using for the Manta Ray Trip? Several years ago we went out of Keauhou Bay. We greatly enjoyed the experience.

 

[slip]

Who are you using for the Manta Ray Trip? Several years ago we went out of Keauhou Bay. We greatly enjoyed the experience.

Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii, to Captain Cook, Kealakekua Bay.

 

[slip]

At the Molokai Airport, just waiting to board.

Then a long layover on Maui.

 

[slip]

Arrived on Maui right on time. 25 minute flight and it was pretty smooth this morning.

We have 5 hours here because Mokulele canceled our flight last week and the only real option was this early flight.

We stopped at Sammy Hagurs for some breakfast and now only have 3 hours before we board. We found a seat by an outlet and we are charging our phones.

Maui regular TSA was starting to get crowded at 7:30am. The line was getting back to the entry point at that time. We were 6th in line at the Pre-check line.

 

[slip]

All boarded and ready for Kona. Big Island here we come.

 

[ScoopKona]

Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii, to Captain Cook, Kealakekua Bay.

Wave at the farm from the bay. We're a mile from the Monument. (Although some of that distance is best described as "straight up."

 

[slip]

Wave at the farm from the bay. We're a mile from the Monument. (Although some of that distance is best described as "straight up."

Will do. We are just getting settled in.

 

[slip]

Wyndham Mauna Loa is pretty nice. Really large unit.parking is pretty convenient. We're not too far from the covered parking.

Kim is doing well with her walking so, so far so good.

 

[slip]

Here's some pictures from our lanai on the second floor. The first floor has the bedrooms. I'll post more unit pictures later.

 

[heitmullerj02]

Hilo had a nice botanical garden when I went a few years ago(pre Covid).

 

[ScoopKona]

If you'd like to swing by the farm and grab all the avocados you can eat in a week, feel free.

We're on Google Maps, finally, so we're much easier to find. If you're heading to the Painted Church, City of Refuge or Two-Step beach, you'll pass us on the way down. I'm still on the mainland, packing. But my brother is usually there.

 

[amycurl]

The next time I come to the Big Island, @ScoopKona, I am taking you up on the all-the-avocados-I-can-eat offer, even though this wasn't directed at me. As well as for the best place to score fresh fish to grill.

 

[ScoopKona]

The next time I come to the Big Island, @ScoopKona, I am taking you up on the all-the-avocados-I-can-eat offer, even though this wasn't directed at me. As well as for the best place to score fresh fish to grill.

Pretty much anyone can come grab avos. I should have loads of tomatoes as well. But I don't think ANYTHING is being done at the farm right now. Unless you call "twisting doobies on the lanai" useful work.

As for fish -- drive to the KTA/Longs in Keauhou. Just down the hill, heading to Alii Drive, there's a guy selling fish out of the back of a truck (under a tent). That's the guy. There are also farm-raised, ultra-cold-water crab and lobster sold just south of the KOA airport. Absolutely first-rate shellfish. They sell to the public. But nobody on the island seems to know about them. I've told dozens of people about the abalone, Maine lobster and dungeness crab. And everyone looks at me like I'm telling them the earth is flat.

 

[slip]

Hilo had a nice botanical garden when I went a few years ago(pre Covid).

We are going to Hilo. I went to that side often when I came here for work. We'll see what the weather is and what the group wants to do while we are over there.

 

[slip]

If you'd like to swing by the farm and grab all the avocados you can eat in a week, feel free.

We're on Google Maps, finally, so we're much easier to find. If you're heading to the Painted Church, City of Refuge or Two-Step beach, you'll pass us on the way down. I'm still on the mainland, packing. But my brother is usually there.

Mahalo, I try to remember when we go that way.

Some times it's hard to decide what we are going to or where we are going when you have a group. Everyone says "It doesn't matter to me".

 

[slip]

Pretty much anyone can come grab avos. I should have loads of tomatoes as well. But I don't think ANYTHING is being done at the farm right now. Unless you call "twisting doobies on the lanai" useful work.

As for fish -- drive to the KTA/Longs in Keauhou. Just down the hill, heading to Alii Drive, there's a guy selling fish out of the back of a truck (under a tent). That's the guy. There are also farm-raised, ultra-cold-water crab and lobster sold just south of the KOA airport. Absolutely first-rate shellfish. They sell to the public. But nobody on the island seems to know about them. I've told dozens of people about the abalone, Maine lobster and dungeness crab. And everyone looks at me like I'm telling them the earth is flat.

There's a hand written sign for the fish guy right on the road.

There's a lot of stuff for sale along the road just like the other islands. I was getting tired of Mangoes as we left Molokai. Our friends have a tree and we were getting loads of them every couple days. The best way I found to keep op with them was to make smoothies.

 

[slip]

Well, everyone was tired from getting up early yesterday and traveling. I keep telling our friends that we both took 2 flights so we're tired too.

Anyway, we were all asleep by 8pm. Were just up now and moving around. Sounds like a trip to Kona town and maybe head up north today. We'll see what the day brings.

One thing we know is Tuesday is their Manta Ray Snorkel and one day, probably Thursday, will be our hang around the pool and resort day. We bought some steaks for that and my wife has a tele-visit with one of her doctors on that day. On other day will be the Volcano but we may go over there twice. Don't know the days on that yet.

 

[DaveNV]

You're in a great spot. That resort is quiet and comfortable. If you want to give the manta ray trip folks a land-based idea of what they'll be doing, head down the street to the Sheraton around Happy Hour, and hang out on their viewing lanai after dark. They point a big light out into the water to attract the plankton, and that attracts hungry mantas. You can see them from the lanai. It's a free thing.

Dave

 

[SmithOp]

The old Kona airport has a small botanical walk, very flat easy walking, managed by local folks. The beach there has nice tidepools with picnic tables if you grab lunch to go in town, easy parking with restrooms.

 

[lynne]

The old Kona airport has a small botanical walk, very flat easy walking, managed by local folks. The beach there has nice tidepools with picnic tables if you grab lunch to go in town, easy parking with restrooms.

The restrooms were destroyed by fire so there are no longer facilities at the park:

Fire destroys only working bathrooms at Old Airport Beach Park in Kailua-Kona | Big Island Now

The fire occurred just months after a public-private partnership with the Kona community worked on painting and replacing the roofing of the bathrooms facility at Old Airport Beach Park.

bigislandnow.com