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Big Island Diary: Smile...Enjoy Life By
George Medovoy, Editor "Smile. Enjoy life," says the sign on the road. And
that's easy to do here on the Big Island, whether it's exquisite tropical fruits,
a "live" volcano, funky little towns, or rich Kona coffee. Slowing Down in Hilo: Located on the eastern side of the island, Hilo forces you into the slow lane, like the King Kamehameha shopping street around Hilo Bay, where faded wood-frame buildings have stood the test of time.
(Rainbows are a common sight in Hilo) A casual Farmers Market with flowers in riotous colors is held every Wednesday and Saturday, and nearby Banyan Street, where Naniloa Volcanoes Resort looks out on peaceful Hilo Bay, is lined with rows of giant banyan trees - planted by celebrities like Babe Ruth -- just perfect for a leisurely walk. Hilo gets 128 inches of rain annually, yielding a lush tropical setting and many rainbows, like the one we see through the window at Shipman House, an elegant bed-and-breakfast that's all about gracious living in nineteenth-century Hawaii…transplanted to the twenty-first. We take off our shoes before entering - it's an old Hawaiian custom that protects the polished wood floors.
(The Shipman House B&B has been in Barbara-Ann Andersen's family for generations) This grand old house has been in owner Barbara-Ann Andersen's family for generations. She and her husband, Gary, care for it with great love, from an original hallway grandfather clock to a dining room table where Hawaiian Queen Lili'uokalani would come for poi luncheons and then play piano while smoking a big cigar. Truth be told, the best part of Shipman House is breakfast on the big lanai, where Barbara-Ann joins guests for a feast of fruits dripping with sensual textures and tastes: avocado, sliced pomelo, blood oranges, a reddish, porcupine-like fruit called rambutan, limes to squeeze on the papayas, passion fruit, star fruit, apple bananas, honey mandarins, and tart Surinam cherries.
(Barbara-Ann Andersen joins her guests for breakfast) Breakfast also comes with hard-boiled eggs, cheese, macadamia-nut granola, whole-grain English muffins, and a creamy spread called liliko'i butter I can't get enough of that's made with passion fruit.
(The lovely, delicious fruit served for breakfast at the Shipman House) Steamy Kilauea and Wine: From Hilo, we drive 4,000 feet up Highway 11 to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We can hike with a ranger, but, like so many others, we go it alone on a well-marked road that circles the volcano. First we pick up a copy of a visitors guide with warnings about volcanoes issued by the U.S. Geological Survey. The Hawaiian Islands have four historically-active volcanoes, but Kilauea is the only one currently erupting.
(Sulfur-scented steam pours out of cracks in the earth at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) At one stop, we lean over a railing and smell sulfur-scented steam pouring out of cracks in the earth. Then, at the edge of a roped-off crater, we see distant yellow sulfur dioxide oozing out of the earth.
(In a dramatic show of nature, lava pours into the sea from Kilauea) The current flow of lava has changed dramatically. In recent months, the lava has been discharging from a fissure higher up the volcano and outside the boundaries of the park.
(Volcano Winery produces a variety of wines made with local fruit) The nearby Volcano Winery, located in the hamlet of Volcano, produces wines made from Big Island fruits, so what better way to wind up our volcano outing than with a tasting, including Macadamia Nut Honey Wine, our favorite! A Diner Named Tex: We follow the Hamakua Coast, passing little towns along the northeastern coast in a landscape of waterfalls and flowers, and stop in the village of Honokaa for breakfast at Tex Drive-In - as off-the-beaten-track a place as you'll ever find. Tex isn't fancy: breakfast of scrambled eggs and hash browns comes on paper plates in a cavernous building, with rain hitting the metal roof like a million tiny nails. Locals fill the place, the brainchild of the Texeira family, whose Portuguese malasadas, square donuts without a hole in the middle, are renowned on the Big Island, like the two we stuff ourselves with -- Chocolate Cream and Bavarian Cream. North Kohala Coast: This northern tip of the Big Island, perched on sculptured cliffs that drop into the Pacific, is a destination many see only on postcards. The birthplace of King Kamehameha the Great, it hides restored taro gardens, spectacular waterfalls, and endless strawberry guava fruit ready for picking. The best way to get to it is with Hawaii Forest & Trail, whose local guide, Kalie, drives a six-wheel "PinzTrek" jeep, a rugged machine originally manufactured for the Swiss army.
("As Hawi Turns" is a charming boutique in the rustic town of Hawi) After a brief stop at the village of Hawi (pronounced Ha-vee) to browse through boutiques behind historic storefronts, we drive to the Mule Station at the end of Highway 270 to meet Kalie.
(The "Pinzie" takes visitors into remote areas of the Big Island) Eight
of us pile into our jeep, nicknamed "Pinzie," as Kalie reassuringly
hands us ponchos for an approaching rain storm.
(Our group hikes down to a secret waterfall) It all makes for a rough-and-ready jeep ride across grasslands and up and down bumpy hills populated by curious old donkeys whose descendents were shipped here in 1904 for Chinese and Filipino workers to haul materials for "the Kohala Ditch" aqueduct system.
(A spectacular view on the Kohala Coast) When we can go no further in the "Pinzie," Kalie leads us on foot down a steep, narrow path to a breathtaking waterfall that we can hear as we approach. It's worth all the snapshots in the world! In warmer weather, you can also take a dip in one of the natural pools. Whales & Dolphins: Nothing beats seeing whales breaching close to your boat. We sail up the sunny Kona Coast on the "Hula Kai," a 55-foot power catamaran of Fair Wind Big Ocean Guides, looking for North Pacific Humpback whales here for the winter.
(Dolphins follow the whales...and play in the water) Our ship's captain eventually makes our day with numerous sightings of the 90,000-pound, 45-feet-long creatures whistling loudly through blowholes, joined occasionally by always-playful dolphins. It's My Birthday: What better place to celebrate my 65th birthday than at a lively place on the water in bustling Kailua-Kona called Huggo's. The Cajun Seared Ahi is great with a glass of Sonoma Pinot Noir. And what a way to end the day: as the sun sets over the water, I have a dessert of luscious Macadamia Nut Pie Ala Mode. Big
Island Resorts: For a taste of what the Big Island has to offer in the "large
resort" category, we sample two on the Kona Coast.
(The Hilton Waikaloa Village is so big that guests can use a canal boat to get around) It's so extensive that guests can either ride a rail tram or boats on the lagoon to get around. A highlight for us is watching the resort's own dolphins cavorting with their trainers. Further on down the coast where manta rays gather most evenings is the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa.
(The swimming pool at the Sheraton Keauhou Resort & Spa) Keauhou was once the playground of Hawaiian royalty, who would have loved the new world-class spa facility and multi-level fantasy pool. Holualoa Coffee: It's the "cup of my dreams" - rich, flavorful Kona coffee at the Holualoa Inn, whose setting is a coffee plantation on the western slope of Hualalai volcano. Coffee has never tasted so rich, and to think, I'm able to repeat this little miracle with breakfast each morning! Up here above the Kona Coast, the rich volcanic soil and just the right amount of sunshine and rain are ideal for growing great coffee beans. The
sign for the inn comes into view as we pull into Holualoa, all three blocks of
it, on the Mamalahoa Highway. In the early 1900's Holualoa was a commercial sugar
cane center, but all that's left now are historic storefronts with art galleries,
studios and tourist shops.
(The swimming pool at the Holualoa Inn overlooks the Kona Coast) A
mind-calming lanai with a distinctly Japanese feel greets guests. Well,
we'll take a slower pace, thank you, in our tasteful Plumeria Suite near a swimming
pool edged by fig trees and lipstick palms.
(Relax in the Plumeria Suite) The next morning we "rejuvenate" with chef Chad Douglas's memorable breakfast, joining six other guests, including a couple from Tokyo just married on the Big Island, at a long table. First, we enjoy elegantly-arranged tropical fruits: strawberry papaya, pineapple, mango, fresh rambutan, and kiwi. This is followed by three delicate crepes filled with apple spice preserves, orange peach ginger preserves, and fresh sliced papaya, served over home fries with caramelized potatoes and fresh garden herbs. And, of course, as much Kona coffee as we want!
(Breakfasts are memorable at the Holualoa Inn) Douglas later takes me on a walk through the orchards, where coffee trees are planted in the Kona "old style," following the contours of the land instead of sculpting the land first and then planting. He explains that the pesticide-free, low-acid Arabica coffee is hand-picked, with only red, ripe cherries selected for roasting. And it's fresh roasted daily, so no wonder it's so…Zen. The inn features Espresso, which has the least amount of caffeine; Dark, with a rich and hearty flavor (my favorite); and Medium, with subtle flavors and the most amount of caffeine. (You can also buy the coffee for home at www.coffee.holualoainn.com, or at the inn). After lounging around the pool that morning, my wife and I take a walk in the village, where the art galleries and Holualoa Ukulele Gallery add "culture" and fun to the day. In early November, an annual "Coffee and Art Stroll" showcases Kona coffee at shops and galleries. By now it's obvious what Hazen means when she says Hawaii has "different vibrations" you can tap into. And we've tapped into many here on the Big Island. WHEN
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