Welcome to the second installment of Hale Hilo - The Big Island of Hawaii!
Located in Hilo is the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory. You can take a tour, eat and buy several varities of those delicious round morsels, and even take a photo with a life-sized mac nut! We also drove up Mauna Kea, the 4,200 meter high summit that houses the world’s largest observatory for optical, infrared, and submillimeter astronomy. The drive up, and down, is a little scary (no guard rails!) but definitely worth it. You’re above the clouds in the freshest air you’ll ever breathe. They do warn you to eat something at the mid-point stop so you don’t pass out. Cup ‘O Noodles did it for us!
As far as dining goes, there are a few “fancy” restaurants there but mostly you’ll find small mom and pop eateries. Our two favorites, however, are Ken’s Pancake House for breakfast, and Cafe Pesto for lunch and/or dinner. Ken’s has THE most amazing mac nut pancakes, to be eaten with coconut syrup of course! The nice-sized portions will keep you full until lunchtime. And that leads me to Cafe Pesto. They have two locations - in Hilo and on the south Kohala Coast in Kawaihae, closer to Kona. They have pizzas, seafood, salads and more. Being creatures of habit, and true believers that if something is really good why change it, we got the same thing each time we went. The Pizza Luau is to die for, with Kalua pork, local sweet onions and fresh Hawaiian pineapple. My favorite, though a simple dish, was the Blue Caesar Salad, with crisp hearts of Big Island romaine, gorgonzola and anchovy buttered croutons. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
One warning though - if you like to eat dinner late, say, past 8pm, be warned. Many restaurants in Hilo close early, so make sure you check hours of operation before you go out to dine.
All in all, we loved Hilo. We did go over to the Kona side of the Island, but I’ll save that for another post!
Having never been to Hawaii together, when Mark and I were looking for the perfect honeymoon spot, we chose the Big Island of Hawaii. What helped our decision was the fact that my friend’s parents owned a house in Hilo, and were giving it to us for a week as a wedding gift (thanks Anea!)!
I won’t mince words - Hilo is a sleepy town. If you’re a party person and want nightlife, shopping, and all night entertainment, don’t go there. If you simply want to relax and explore the island, as we did, definitely go there!
Among the sights to check out in Hilo is, of course, Kilaeua, the active volcano. Because of the recent lava flow (my favorite island drink by the way), you may not be able to see as much as we did. We were able to walk across the hardened, black lava over to a cliff where we saw the lava flowing down the volcano and into the ocean, leaving a cloud of what the locals now call Vog (volcanic fog). It’s really amazing to imagine just how HOT that lava is, and it’s not terribly far away from you!
We also walked through a lava tube, and hiked down into the crater. It’s a trek but once you’re down there it’s pretty cool. Just a vast landscape of dirt, rock, and not a whole lot of vegetation.
Since this is the BIG Island we’re talking about, I have a lot to say about it. So stay tuned for Hale Hilo - Part 2!
Perhaps one of my favorite things to do while in Hawaii is watch surfers. Just sitting on the sand, watching them paddle out, and then ride back, darting in and out of waves. And there I am, secretly wishing I had learned how to surf as a kid so I wouldn’t be so terrified of it now. Surfing is, by far, the favorite pastime for Hawaiians. Why not, they’ve been doing it for years. We even joke when we’re there that the locals arrange their work hours around their surf time. But it’s no joke; it’s probably true!
While on the North Shore of Oahu last year, we visited the famed Sunset Beach where they were prepping for the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing. The waves were, quite simply, amazing. Just like I’d seen on TV. And watching the experienced men and women maneuver their way through rip curls and more was awe-inspiring at best. Surfers say that the waves at Sunset are among the most dangerous and challenging they have ever ridden. Waves easily go over 10 feet and can reach heights of up to 40 feet. I definitely recommend checking it out, and don’t forget your camera.
No matter which Hawaiian Island you’re visiting, you will find surfers. Some surf spots aren’t as exciting as on Oahu’s North Shore, but you’re guaranteed a good show wherever you go. On our trip to Maui, we saw a lot of paddle surfers, something I hadn’t seen much of on previous visits. Very impressive as well.
Something else we saw on our last trip - Wakeboarding. I never really knew what this was. Basically, wakeboarding is a surface water sport where the rider is towed behind a boat, typically at speeds of 18-24 miles per hour depending on water conditions, rider’s weight, board size, and most importantly, the riders personal preference. Now, since I’m too chicken to surf, this might be the water sport for me. I might even try it out the next time we’re in Hawaii.
If you’re interested in Wakeboarding, here’s where I’m going first to find what I need. If you want to take surfing lessons the next time you’re in Hawaii, use our Expedia link at the top of the page to book it!
By far one of the most popular places to snorkel in West Maui is Black Rock and for good reason, it’s incredible. Located just in front of the Sheraton Black Rock offers a beautiful location to swim in a living fishbowl. In fact, you’d have to swim with your eyes closed to not see any tropical fish because they’re everywhere.
What makes Black Rock so breath taking is the massive lava formation (from one of Maui’s last active flows) on the beach’s north end. Underwater, the lava rock is encrusted with coral which makes it a great habitat for fish.
Black Rock is also one of the best locations to see Honu or Green Sea Turtles as they tend to stay very close to the rock. If you’re a strong swimmer (and only if) kick around to the back of the rock to the lava rock cove just out of view of the beach. You’ll see tons of fish there but be careful, the current is strong here and you can find yourself in trouble if you’re not capable in the water or aren’t wearing fins. In fact, the best way to enjoy the cove area is to drift in facing out toward the ocean and always keep kicking away from the rocks while the current holds you in place. This way if by chance the current gets stronger and pushes you deeper into the cove you can quickly kick away from the sharp coral not that far beneath you. Once again, consider yourself warned, this part of Black Rock is not for novice swimmers.
Black Rock is also held dear to Hawaiians as a very sacred spot on the island. It was here that they believed the souls of the departed jumped off into the next world. Those souls who didn’t were left trapped to wander the earth causing mischief. For those of you who feel inclined to do a little jumping off yourself, beware. While some do make the climb to the highest point of the rock, there are no steps and if you’ve never fallen on lava rock it can be very sharp. Once up there though you have no other way down other than to jump so just make sure to take a peek and check that no snorkelers are swimming beneath you before you leap.
If you’re like us, i.e. traveling with children, you are constantly looking for things to do that you all will enjoy. When we went to Oahu last year, having never been there as a family, we wanted to find fun activities that would please all of us!
One of the excursions we found was Sea Life Park , on the South side of the Island in Waimanalo.
We call it “Mini Sea World” because it’s just that, only a more scaled-down version. And a huge difference is, while watching the dolphin show, the background was the always breathtaking blue-green ocean.
While there, we saw, as I just mentioned, the Dolphin show which was a bit short but amazing all the same. We also saw a cute Sea Lion show that our son absolutely loved. They have a small play area for kids, called Pirates Lagoon, which we had a hard time pulling our son away from (why he wants to climb and run around when he can see amazing sea life is beyond me, but I digress, he’s 3 years old).
You can also see and feed Sea Turtles, visit with funny little penguins, browse through the incredible Reef Aquarium, and watch dolphins, penguins and more at the outdoor Hawaiian Ocean Theater. If you’re adventurous, you can book a Dolphin Encounter where you can actually swim with dolphins. We even saw kids who did it and they all seemed to have a great time. What a wonderful experience for them!
For a park, the food actually wasn’t terrible. They had plenty of options for everyone, young and old.
We didn’t go to it but they also have a Luau every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 6pm. The luau has a polynesian review, fire dancers, dolphin show and more.
All in all, we really enjoyed Sea Life Park. We could have stayed all day, especially if we went to the luau (which we didn’t do because our son is really too young to sit still for a luau!). We definitely recommend Sea Life Park even if you don’t have kids with you. And if you’re like me, you’ll hang out by the dolphins the entire time and just stare in awe and wonder.
Sound good? Book your trip to Sea Life Park here and have a wonderful time!
On our last night in Maui (sniff sniff) we decided we wanted to go have a nice meal that involved a view of the ocean and some fresh Hawaiian fish. We went to Front Street not knowing where we’d end up. Where we did end up, with a very short wait and no reservations, was Lahaina Fish Co.
We sat upstairs and had a great view of the ocean. Our very attentive waitress brought out warm, delicious bread right away. Drinks ordered, we pondered the menu. I’m a new lover of Calamari so, on our last night, we decided to splurge and get the Calamari appetizer. Served with a sweet and spicy sauce, the breaded calamari strips were sweet and the perfect consistency you want in calamari. Next I had to decide what my entree would be. I glanced over everything before making my way to the Hawaiian Fresh Fish section and saw Fresh Ahi Tacos, Teriyaki Burgers, Fresh Seafood Chowder and salads including a Seared Garlic Ahi Caesar, which sounded excellent. We had our choice of the Fresh Hawaiian Fish including Opakapaka (which Mark got and loved!), Opah (which I got and loved too!), Ono, Ahi, and Hapu’upu’u. They each came with either jasmine rice or mashed sweet potatoes and Island vegetables with a unique sauce with a delicious Island flare. If you’re not a seafood eater, try the Vegetable Stir-Fry or Luau Style Pork Ribs.
They also have Keiki, or Children’s, meals for kids under 12. If your child is adventurous, order the Island Fish & Chips or Teriyaki Chicken & Rice. Or, if your child is anything like ours, opt for the Corn Dog or Cheeseburger.
The average price for an entree is about $26, but when you consider you’re getting the freshest fish possible, cooked to perfection and onolicious, it’s worth every penny.
Not only was the food surprisingly excellent, the service was spot on. And the view….all I can say is Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
Lahaina Fish Co. is open for lunch and dinner daily from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. So the next time you’re in Maui, stop by Lahaina Fish Co. and let us know how you liked it!
Saw this at SatPrints.com and loved it. Maui as seen from a satellite. I thought it was pretty cool. They also have satellite photos of the other Hawaiian Islands as well as dozens of other states, countries, locations worldwide. You can even see Molokini peeking out there from the south (it’s the brown thing on the bottom left). Man, looking at this makes me want to be there even more. Love the detail, you can really see the mountains and and the topography really well. Gotta get myself one for the office.
My wife’s previous post about Kahekili Beach reminded me of something I wanted to write about. There are a lot of beautiful beaches in Maui, the whole island is ringed with them and a decent number of them are great swimming beaches. Some however, especially in the tourist-heavy Ka’anapali Beach area have coral beds sitting just at the edge of the surf just waiting for your delicate toes and soles. We learned this lesson pretty quickly on our first trip to Maui. Sure, once you get out past it up to the point where you can swim it’s fine but if you tend to just drift or play in the surf you’ll eventually bash your foot against something hard or stub a toe and though the profanity-laden tirade is mostly enjoyable and humorous to the casual observer it’s hardly ever fun for you.
The solution is simple and easy. When we go to the beach anywhere now we bring our reef shoes (some call them water shoes). They’re lightweight, made of neoprene and rubber and offer really good traction and protection for your feet (even for those moments when you’re crossing white-hot sand). When you’re done for the day, you rinse them out, leave them on the lanai to dry and you’re ready for another day of stub-free fun. You can pick up a cheapie pair at any grocery or ABC Store but I suggest getting a decent pair like these. I’ve had my pair of reef shoes for several years and they’ve saved the bottoms of my feet from cuts and abrasions more times than I can count.
On our trip to Maui in 2007, we stumbled upon Kahekili Beach in Ka’anapali. Also called North Beach or Airport Beach, it’s named after the last King of Maui, King Kahekili, who turned out to be King Kamehameha’s Father! Someone had told us about it and we thought we’d give it a try. To our surprise, we loved it!
And now, it’s one of our favorite snorkel spots. As you drive in, there is a large, FREE parking lot and there are always plenty of spots. Just beyond the parking lot are fairly new (and clean!) restrooms, a covered picnic area with BBQ’s, a large grassy area, showers, and, of course, the beach. The sand is hot, but the ocean is a brilliance of blue-green, and very inviting!
The first time we went, we didn’t know what to expect. Our first steps into the water, we looked down and saw fish! Right there at the shoreline! The only downside to the beach is that it is definitely not a swimming beach. There are several hidden (and some not) rocks and coral all over so you have to be careful. If you’re just playing in the water, I recommend reef shoes!
But, if you are an avid snorkeler or diver, this is the beach for you! Swim out only about 20 feet and you’ll discover a huge field of coral and tropical fish galore. The water is pretty clear too so visibility is good. We saw a ton of Humuhumukununukuapua’a (the Hawaiian state fish), as well as Moorish Idols, Pufferfish, and my favorite, Sea Turtles. On our most recent trip, I was only out about 200 feet and I was swimming, alone, with two of the largest Sea Turtles I’ve ever seen! It was so peaceful, I could have swam with them for hours, but I probably would have ended up on Lana’i!
Kahekili Beach is right off Highway 30 - just past Mile Marker #25, turn left on Kai Ala Drive and you’re there. Definitely check it out, and say hi to the Turtles!
Before each trip we take to Hawaii, I always like to buy a new bathing suit, or bikini. And, of course, cute beach/casual clothes. That way, I don’t have to spend a lot of money there (prices can get high!) on bathing suits, dresses, shorts, etc.
Most importantly, I truly believe my vacation begins when I go shopping. It completely gets me into the aloha spirit and gets me really excited about the trip. Clothes are easy - but when it comes to finding the perfect bikini or one-piece suit, it can get tricky. Every woman has a different body type and finding the right suit that will be flattering on you isn’t always easy! So, I’m going to share some tips I found that I used when I went shopping, and hopefully they can help you too!
Small Bust Before you think about getting implants, look for bathing suit tops that enhance the cleavage you have. Push-ups and padded tops are very popular nowadays. Don’t want to show too much skin? Then try a top that has ruffles or a horizontal neckline. This draws attention away from your small chest, but also gives off the appearance of a fuller bust. Avoid tops that have horizontal stripes or patterns, as this can make you appear flatter.
Large Bust With large busts it’s all about providing support. Choose a bathing suit top that has wide straps so you get plenty of back support, as well as tops that have foam cups or built-in bras that lift. Tankinis are also another option for busty gals that offer great coverage. To draw attention away from a large chest, wear a solid dark color on top and a solid light color on the bottom.
Tummy Control If you’ve got a little tummy pouch, your best bet is a one-piece swimsuit that offers an empire waist or side shirring. Some styles even have built-in control panels that create a slimming effect. Diagonal lines and patterns, dark colors and high-waistbands are a plus for women who want their swimsuit to hide their stomach issues.
Long Torso The key to finding a swimsuit for long torsos is to create balance or the illusion of a shorter torso. Try out a tankini with a horizontal break or stripe under the bust line with high-cut bottoms. For a sexier look, opt for a one-piece with a cutout in the stomach area. This breaks up the appearance of a long torso. Avoid high neck bathing suit tops as well as vertical stripes, which can make your torso appear longer.
Short Torso For women who are a little short in the midsection, bikinis will become your best friend! To create the appearance of length, go for bikini bottoms that sit low on the hips. If you’re looking for a one-piece bathing suit, choose a style that has a plunging neckline or vertical stripes. Stay away from boy shorts and bottoms with a skirt, since these make your torso look even shorter.
Bottom Heavy Whether you have a lot of junk in the trunk, big thighs or both, there are bathing styles that suit this body type. Draw attention away from the lower part of your body by wearing tops that enhance your upper body like halters, padded and push-up tops. Printed tops with dark, solid colors on the bottom will automatically cause the eye to move up instead of down. High-cut bottoms can slim large thighs and boy shorts provide excellent coverage. Also try a strapless style to balance out your figure.
Have fun shopping and check out the bikini above that I bought for our last trip to Maui at PacSun (Pacific Sunwear)!
August 1, 2008 
Posted in Maui, Tips, Travel, food 
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Perhaps one of my favorite things to do while in Hawaii is watch surfers. Just sitting on the sand, watching them paddle out, and then ride back, darting in and out of waves. And there I am, secretly wishing I had learned how to surf as a kid so I wouldn’t be so terrified of it now. Surfing is, by far, the favorite pastime for Hawaiians. Why not, they’ve been doing it for years. We even joke when we’re there that the locals arrange their work hours around their surf time. But it’s no joke; it’s probably true!
On our trip to Maui in 2007, we stumbled upon Kahekili Beach in Ka’anapali. Also called North Beach or Airport Beach, it’s named after the last King of Maui, King Kahekili, who turned out to be King Kamehameha’s Father! Someone had told us about it and we thought we’d give it a try. To our surprise, we loved it!
