The first week we spent in Kailua-Kona at a beautiful and comfortable air b'n'b near the Keauhou Bay. Just down the street one way was the quiet bay, which we swam in the first day. This walk past and around the Sharaton Hotel and to the piers became a regular route to put Kingston to sleep.
In the other direction was a spot to hike around some seriously jagged and large lava rock. The ocean felt so wild and huge as the waves crashed onto the shore. Kingston, Blake and I got to catch the Kona sunset here one night and it was so magical. I noticed Noni trees growing around the dry and "lava dessert" area. Noni is an amazingly healing fruit that is stinky beyond anything you've smelled before, but loved that I knew what this odd looking fruit was and knew how to harvest and use it in the next few days. And that it just pops up amidst this crazy rocky terrain in such a dry climate is a fun way to realize new life can grow out of rough terrain. We played at the pool a lot and Kingston became confident in water and learning to keep his head above water.
We set up an epic beach spot one day at Hapuna State Beach and played in the ocean. Then from there we headed north to the little town of Havi. We grabbed snacks at a cool deli that served local foods and window shopped the boutiques.
On another day we headed south and asked for directions to a good beach and found Two Steps and the Place of Refuge. We brought snorkel gear and first started out in the shallow area where we saw a white baby turtle and a couple different kinds of fish. Then Blake and I were able to head to the rocks where you jump down onto a ledge ("two steps") where we had to avoid the current picking us up and bashing us against the rocks right as we jumped off. The adrenaline before snorkeling in the great blue felt so good. Kingston made a friend on the beach and then we took a family picture.
After naps we got in the red Jeep and headed west over Saddle Road then up Mauana Kea. The Jeep was able to take us to the very top right at sunset. It was amazing to see snow and the huge telescopes. As it became darker out, we saw the glow from the volcano on the south side of the island. We stopped at the visitor center on the way down to listen to the "Star Tour" and looked through telescopes at Venus and other planets and stars. Without the light pollution, and I'm sure being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and on top of the highest mountain on earth (from base below the ocean to peak,) made for black skies and a clear view of what felt like every star in the sky. The Milky Way scattered across our entire view. We could see the different colors of the different ages of some stars. It was by far one of the best things I've seen.
One morning Blake, King and I got dropped off at a beach right in Kona while Shawn and Mary headed into town for a birthday breakfast. It had beautifully perfect soft sand with some jagged lava rocks leading out to the ocean, but there was a little wading pool that was perfect for Kingston to play in. The waves would sometimes crash into it, which brought fresh, cold, clear water. It was a perfect spot to watch the surfers and play a little frisbee. It's fun when you don't really know where you're going or where you're at, but you find these treasure spots that are the epitome of what you envision Hawaii to be.
We had a great time exploring downtown Kona with all the shops and restaurants and interesting mix of locals and tourists. I think Kona is too busy for us, but taking a break from one side of the island to be in a different climate and environment on the other side is only an hour and a half away.
The day we packed up to head back to the Hilo side was a full day! We ventured a little north and east to Weimea. Weimea is a beautiful country island town with old school character. The farmer's market was cute and filled with local vendors. We stopped to let Kingston play at this incredible wood playground. It was so fun, but I'll remember it as the place where Kingston chipped his front tooth on a slide... he rebounded quicker then Blake and I did. Then we ventured through Honokaa to Waipeo Valley. Do you want to see and feel the most incredible thing ever? Come visit this valley and play frisbee on the black sand beach and pet wild horses! Good thing Grandpa got the 4WD because we put that baby to work. Climbing down to the beach was a fun trip, one Kingston surprisingly slept all the way through. After playing in the ocean we drove the rest of the way south to be dropped off at the farm, but first we took the little detour to Akaka Falls. We were back on the farm before we knew it and back to our routine.
Shawn and Mary stayed at the Grand Naniloa in the Hilo Bay for a few more days. We listened to an acoustic jam session at the hotel one night and then Kingston and I went for a swim in the pool. We are thankful Blake's parents got to see the town we currently live in. They've been so good about visiting us wherever we move to see the streets we roam and the places we sleep in.
If you know us, you know that food is a big part of our lives, for better or worse. Being concious to what we all are really being fed, and trying to vote with our money about the situations we've put our planet in, makes us work harder to know where our food comes from and exactly what we are putting in our bodies. So before we headed to the west side, we harvested taro, ulu, kale and herbs. We cooked up the taro and ulu and kept it in the fridge at our condo all week. We shopped at our favorite grocery store on the island, Island Naturals, and ate out a few times. There was a great pizza place close to our condo (we got a bbq one with mushrooms, artichokes and onions!) We found an amazing vegan deli, Evolution, in downtown Kona that served all vegan, organic and mostly local food. We got lox bagels and pancakes with macadamia nuts and bananas (Kingston napped so it felt like we had a breakfast lunch date. When he woke up we pulled the stroller over next to a beach spot and he grubbed his pancakes, lucky boy.) One morning we had breakfast with Shawn and Mary at Lava Java. We sat out front where we could see the waves crash across the street and the sun was shining on us. We had a bowl of fresh fruit and fresh juices. At the Weimea farmer's market was a food truck that offered a vegan grilled cheese (it's been years!) with taro chips and lilikoi lemonade... so. good. At the deli in Havi we got fresh veggies with salsa and guacamole and then found a kava bar that made vegan lilikoi truffles (the car ride home was nice.) Blake was great about making amazing meals at the condo. We had taro tacos a few times and lots of ulu burgers (my favorite was bbq ulu burgers with pineapple salsa packed up for a late dinner after the star tour on Mauna Kea) and large fresh salads. One night while in Hilo we got sushi take out and ate on the patio of the hotel. We also took Shawn and Mary to our favorite Indian place (their first time at an Indian place.) The balance of quick meals on the go and not having to do dishes and taking the time in our own kitchen preparing our own meals is a hard one to keep at times. I think because we have spent about half of our lives in the restaurant industry, and loving food, we do love to check out local places (knowing it can all be a hit or miss.) But we take comfort in preparing our own meals and knowing the ingredients, besides the fact that Blake just loves to create in the kitchen.
Dream Big Ride Far
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