The coffee tour was interesting, if in your wheelhouse.

https://www.greenwellfarms.com...IFHiOi7BhNS2a4GlZdW2

Hey it’s free too, may like you to buy some.

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, figured on checking out the volcano. The helicopter tour if it’s flowing is a neat idea. Also heard touring the ranches is a thing. We’d be up for some atv tours.

Water sports is a bit passed us….

Not a bad idea to city hop. Thought we would stay bk Kona but a couple nights in Hilo is a good idea.

Thanks.


Merry Christmas

You need to try some Hawaiian brew.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

And of course, Kona Costco

Best place to pick-up souvenirs (caramacs for everyone ) and beach gear like towels, cooler bags & toys, and Hawaiian coffee. Unless you're chasing some small-batch, exclusive brand, Costco's coffee aisle is jammed with all variety of local stuff that you can bring back.
Also cheapest gas on the island.

Speaking of cars, understand that Big Island is MASSIVE and trying to hub-n-spoke your daily excursions is not advised; best to break it up by staying several nights in multiple locations. Total driving-time to loop the entire island is 12-hours...without stops. One night we went to a luau and the couple sharing the table with us did just that, the husband's head was on the table passed-out before food was even made available. Just plan your travels carefully, while on the mainland its not unusual for people to do lengthy commutes, when you're a tourist its a different deal as you're in a new place, you're stopping a lot to check out new sights and vistas, while mixing in stops at roadside stands and bathroom breaks.

My data and observations are 24 yesrs old but:

Kona Beer - excellent
KMC - great place
Saddle Road - must do cool
Kona Coffee - hangover killing great

Hilo Walmart- Check it out snd see if they still have a whole aisle devoted to Spam. They also sold squid jerky, which was delish.

quote:

Originally posted by hberttmank:
I have never been to Hawaii but I think going to Pearl Harbor and seeing the USS Arizona and the the USS Missouri would be top of the list.

Pearl Harbor is Oahu, not the Big Island.

Fly in to Honolulu, spend some time touring Oahu (USS Arizona Memorial, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific also known as the Punchbowl Cemetery). Disregard if you've seen these before. Then fly to Hilo.

Keep in mind, you will be majorly jet lagged flying west. A rest day or two in Honolulu isn't a bad idea. Or just get the next flight to Hilo. Take a milk run flight to Hilo. It's early and most of the passengers are going to work. Cheaper flight if i recall. We had one guy with a 5 gallon bucket filled with scaffold knuckles and one guy had a suitcase with a vent in the side---that suitcase was "clucking". Pretty sure it was a fighting Cock.

Okay. Another question.

Getting confused on where to stay. Any recommendations on hotels or air b&b places? It’s just going to be two of us.

Thanks

Retired military?

Some of my favorites:

Volcano
Puako Petroglyphs
Big Island Brewhaus
Donkey Balls
Kona Brewing Company
Kona Inn Restaurant
Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill
South Point

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Retired military?

Nope.
Typically, we’ve done the resort thing. There appears to Eva lot of B&B’s on the island. Found a couple to research further.

Always good to find a good recommendation

Lots of great advice upthread. To add a bit:

quote:

Puako Petroglyphs

Well worth going to, and Puako has good snorkling not to be missed. There is a couple of great resort properties near that have solid lunch food as well. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was built by Laurance S. Rockefeller and is world class. Food is not outrageeously priced for a good lucch (like the rooms are).

Puakō Petroglyph Park is worthwhile, but all along that coast are petroglyphs, so if you are hiking on rock anywere west side, look for them. A search on "Kings Highway Foot Trail" in google maps will get that info for you. There was a trail which circumnavigated the island, and the east side has disappeared, but the west side has well marked sections. North of Puako also has some great snorkling. There is a rail terminal up there which was used for cane shipments over a hundred years back. The elderly retired local ladies still meet daily and swim out to the reef @ 1/4 mile offshore to snorkel. It's that good. Kona has a Costco which sells masks, no need to pack one. Has a Walmart as well and they have all that and more.

Further up, weimeau valley was recently restricted as locals who still live there were getting overwhelmed, generally not worth the visit anyway, but interesting for the history as King Kameahameaha (yes, my spelling sucks) grew up there. You can do all this west side stuff in a day.

No one has mentioned Punaloo yet (southeast side). Amazing black sand beach that the green sea turtles will likely come up and sniff you. Really. (But don't touch them). The snorkeling is decent, there is freshwater showers nearby. Near shore at some spots it's cloudy water due to fresh water infiltration but heading out a bit will clear up. There is a rip current right up the middle of the bay, so if you get caught up in it, parelle the shore until you catch the ride going back in, no worries. Not as good as the best snorkling on the island, which is considered Kealkakua bay (if it's calm), as noted above Captain Cook was killed by natives here in 1779, and there is a monument denoting it. Probably had it coming. Likely didn't know about the City (place) of Refuge, south of kealakua not far, also called Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. Worth a visit.

If you are staying in the area, Sea Mountain is right there by Punalo. Nearby Nalehu, southern most community in the US, has an excellent bakery that gets long lines, Mark Twain went through there well over 100 years back, see the Mark Twain monkey pod tree. Kau coffee plantation welcomes visitors, about a 5 min drive north from the bakery. They'll sell brewed local coffee in cups or in bags as whole beans. The bakery ships hawaiian bread via Fed-x if you are mainland side and get a craving.

A longer drive south will get you to South Point. Folks jump off the cliffs into the water and fish off those cliffs for Ahi/tuna. Last time I was there someone reeled in a sailfish and 3 true beauties in string bikinis were jumping in and climbing up only to repeat the move much to the fishermens enjoyment. There is a green sand beach not far, hard to get too but worthwhile, locals will charge $10 to ferry you down the crap road if your rental car is lacking.

Well north of Nalheu and south of Kalapana is a nude beach if that's your thing. In Oregon where I'm from, there are two prominant nude beaches and you often can't tell the difference between a sea lion and a nude woman. In Hawaii, all of the women on that beach are honest to gosh attractive....if not more. The swimming there sadly is marginal as the "beach" is small rocks, not sand.

If you drive the island, keep an eye out for pigs, Real pigs - not cops, porkers. They're feral and don't know cars from rocks and will jump right out in front of you. On that subject the local cops do patrol and write tickets and I've never gotten one, but I see it happening, so keep to the speed limit. Going through Volcano is federal too, and they are even more strict.

Most of all, remember to take your time, put your feet in the water and breath the fresh air coming off the ocean, and have fun.

I took the family there about 20 years ago.
I thought the Big Island was like California on steroids.
The Volcano is a must see.
We stayed for two nights, out of 5, in a tree house in Waipio Valley.What an experience.

https://archives.midweek.com/c...se_in_waipio_valley/

I researched before posting, about the tree house and was surprised to read its still there and for sale ( old story from 2007).

I was taken by how pale white the people that live in that valley are. They must never see the sun. Its also the darkest night I have ever experienced.

quote:

Originally posted by ugeesta:
Okay. Another question.

Getting confused on where to stay. Any recommendations on hotels or air b&b places? It’s just going to be two of us.

Thanks

Much depends upon what you want to do, as you don't want to be so far away that you're spending a ton of time time driving all around; perhaps you split your trip into 1-2 locations.
There's accommodations all around the island, with the advent of home sharing (AirBnB, VRBO, etc) the options are endless just a matter of location, budget and expectations.

The bulk of the accommodations are along the Western-side of the island the dry-side, the big hotel-resorts are along the Kohala Coast, with established communities and older hotels along the Kona Coast. Nice part about staying at these locations are easy & accessible beaches, wider variety of food options and lots of historical sights to visit; the area is geared for tourism. The Hilo-area has hotels and accommodations but, they are not as developed as the Western-side of the island, this can be a bonus as you get more of the local-charm & vibe without being in a isolated world like you can be at a resort. Nothing wrong with just zoning-out at a hotel for a few days but, just best to know what you're getting into.

First trip we stayed at the then Prince Hapuna which overlooked Hapuna Beach, arguably on the best beaches on the island. We rolled the dice with Priceline on this one, plugged-in our parameters and crossed-out fingers; we were pleased.
Second trip we stayed at the Mauna Lani. This was a more developed resort-area and apart of a cluster of other hotel-resorts, this area had a number of fascinating historical fish ponds you can hike around.