Originally Posted by
Believer
In the middle of North American winters, few things are more welcome than the embrace of a warm Kona evening. Once you exit the airport and get on the highway in your rental car, the first thing you have to reprogramme yourself about is the slower pace of life. You have to trade the reckless big city driving of 70 mph for a leisurely 35 mph cruise. One thing I could brag about was to have remembered the layout of the town from the previous visit and be able to reach the resort without looking at the map. A good night's rest and a hearty breakfast and we were off to Hilo on the Eastern side of the island. Hilo gets rained on over 320 days per year, but the gods of rain were kind to us and we enjoyed perfect dry weather. The Mauna Loa macademia nut farm/packing plant, the Hilo Coffee Mill farm and roasting house, the Volcano National Park and the various parks with their tropical flora and fauna kept us busy. The Akaka Falls Park in a tropical rain forest setting is a joy to stroll through and to see the 440+ ft water fall. Atop the Mauna Kea mountain at 13800 ft, sit various observatories for star gazing. Who would associate Hawaii with snow, but there it was in all of its winter glory, surrounding the area around the observatories. Of course the observatories are closed to the general public, but the visitor center located at 9000 ft boasts of a lookout point for viewing enchanting sunsets, followed by a treat of the star studded night sky. Some volunteers set up telescopes for visitors to watch Venus and Jupiter. The Laupahoehoe Point Park, to the North of Hilo is a gently sloping lava rock path to the ocean. In 1946 the town was devastated by a tsunami. Many young students and teachers were overtaken by the surprise wall of water appearing from nowhere and perished in the inundation. A plaque commemorates the lives lost in that sad event. The Hilo Farmer's market has plenty of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables from local farmers along with the Hawaiian arts and craft items.
After enjoying the Hilo culture, we headed back to Kona or the Western side of the island of Hawaii. Kona gets lot less rain and is more touristy. The island having been the product the volcanic eruptions does not have much in terms of decent beaches and the coastline is lined with lava rocks. So, one is reduced to walking/jogging along the water or lazing around the hotel pool, overlooking the ocean.
It was all good while it lasted, but I must get back to the mundane till the next trip.
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