Kona Overnight & the Big Aloha

A friendly welcome by the host was my introduction to the Surf Hideaway, a basic room with bed, bath and a galley kitchen. I loved that the door and floors had been painted with tropical leaves, and the place was spic and span. No AC, but a fan that made the humidity bearable. Definitely a place for people who are good at entertaining themselves: heavy readers, sleepers, late-night partiers (no TV! – a blessing, not a curse!) who can’t be bothered by cooking (considering the limited but carefully chosen kitchen goods) and TV tray table. A very cool place.

Kona was shockingly deserted, and the shops seemed to be hurting pretty badly.

Fortunately, the parrots weren't the least bit upset about this, as long as the seeds kept a'comin.

I made one more stab at a beach, and found the old airport park beach, which had a lot going for it. It’s big, with both lawn and sand (all facilities shut down, of course), and the requisite lava path to the sea. But the sunset was spectacular…

My flight was the next day at one, so I gassed up the Chevy (prices here 10 cents more a gallon than in Hilo). 

Made a stop at the local L&L (they MUST have one around here) for Katsu chicken (basically, three meals in a box for $9), which I had to leave in the Hideaway fridge. Cruised to the airport, got through all the rigamarole in no time at all, and enjoyed an uneventful flight back to SF, the airporter, and a pick-up by T. Thanks again T!

Is this, my 14^th trip to Hawaii, my last? Could be. I left my fins and snorkel gear for other guests at the Surf Hideaway. It feels like it’s time for the big Aloha…

The Road to Kona

I made the recommended stop at the Punaluu Bakery in Naalehu, famed for their Hawaiian Bread. I bought a couple of Malasadas (think dough bombs liberally coated with sugar) and coffee for breakfast. 

I should have listened to the counter girl when she told me they make all their baked goods with whole milk (“It’s what makes them soft”). Not a happy tummy down the road.

south coast parking solution

Determined to find one beach where I could access the water without shredding my sandals and feet (beaches here have a lava rock barrier of several feet out into the water), I turned down a few roads to the coast, only to find no parking at the smaller beaches.

Frustrated, I decided to go to church.

St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church in Honaounau is on the National Register of Historic Places. Known as “The Painted Church”, it was built between 1899 and 1904 by the Belgian Priest John Veighe. Since he spoke no Hawaiian, he built a miniature Gothic cathedral, painting the interior walls and ceiling himself as a teaching tool until he could learn the language to preach. 

The congregation, made up of families in economic transition, could relate to St. Benedict, a sort of “all-purpose” saint, patron to poison victims, agricultural workers, civil engineers, the dying, those afflicted with fever, those with gall stones, those with inflammatory diseases, those with kidney disease, members of religious orders, monks, schoolchildren, and spelunkers (cave explorers).

It's a pretty little church, easily explored in a few minutes. 

Joe's farm manager and tour guide

 

 

A little way down Painted Church Road is Joe’s Macadamia Farm, big macadamias at better-than-store prices and a free tour on request.

While your arteries harden at Punalu'u bakery, you can enjoy the gorgeous garden

I got a text that my stay in Kona was ready, so I made my way to the aptly named Surf Hideaway

Volcanoes Beckon

 Click Here for a crunchy Video of Kilauea Crater and steam banks

I was in Volcanoes National Park many years ago, before it was fancied up as it is now. We drove down the road to the edge of the Kilauea crater, and could actually hike across it if we wanted. Extraordinary, considering Mauna Loa and Kilauea are among the most active volcanoes in the world, and Kilauea has been spewing lava – often changing the landscape - every few years. One eruption was along a rift zone called Pu’u’o’o’ on the east side of the park; it lasted from 1983 to 2018. Another, from 2008 to 2018 caused the Kilauea summit – where we would have been hiking - to collapse. The latest eruption was in 2021, though it’s quiet for now except for dozens of little earthquakes. 

 

One word to describe this park is “vast”. To the north, the summit crater of Mauna Loa is over 13,600 feet. The entrance to the park, Kilauea Visitor Center, is near the Kilauea summit crater at 4000 feet.

 

 

Marked "August 1887"

It was intermittently cloudy but warm when I started on a 1.75-mile hike recommended by a ranger, beginning at the visitor’s center along the crater rim, ending in the steam banks, crossing the road to the sulphur banks and back through a forest to the visitor’s center.

The sulphur banks

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Since the ranger said the Thurston Lava Tube would be most crowded between 10 and 2, I opted to drive the 20-mile-long twisted Chain of Craters Road through a rain forest down to the sea. 

The forest opened up to mind-blowing vistas – what I initially took to be the bluest of sky turned out to be the sea set against miles of new land created by the eruptions. I was disappointed that the petroglyphs required a mile-plus walk in the hot sun; I had to choose between them and the Thurston Lava Tube if I was to leave before dark. I’d advise visitors to begin around 10 in the morning to see everything, not starting at noon as I did. The Chain Road takes time to drive, especially if you stop off at one of the many sites along the way.

The end of the road

I was pleased to find that, though Hawaii is the "newest" island, another one is forming out in the Pacific to the south, about 30 miles away and 300 feet below the surface of the water.

I returned to Volcano House, waited a few minutes for a table at the small restaurant, and had a decent sandwich to revive myself. Then it was back down the road to Thurston Lava Tube. It’s situated in a beautiful, dripping, screaming green rain forest, and when I was there, was nearly deserted (about 5PM). The tube itself reminded me so much of the caves of France and Spain; it was surprisingly long, cool and wide. A must-see.

I made my way out of the park, west along the Hawaii Belt Rd. (Rte.11), foolishly assuming that sunset would be around 7:30. I forgot I was much closer to the equator, and by the time I was ready to find the turnoff to my next AirB&B, the sun had fallen with a thud. 

It's pahoehoe, not Aa, or ow ow, which is what you say when you step on it

This proved to be a problem.