A lonely and lovely road in Puna, Hawaii. Perfect for a Sunday drive.
Sunday serenity
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Category Archives: Travel
Hawaii’s fragile waters
The sad environmental news out of Oahu this week got me thinking about the beauty and fragility of Hawaiian waters.
A massive molasses spill off the Honolulu Harbor is wreaking havoc with the fish and the fragile coral reefs. An estimated 230,000 gallons of the thick and sticky substance has 
seeped into the waters and scientists will probably not know its entire impact for years.
If you have snorkeled anywhere in Hawaii, you know the mystery and beauty of these reefs. You look, admire and marvel from a distance. Even the slightest human touch is dangerous to the reefs, so the thought of a spill of this magnitude saddens me. These reefs are thousands of years in the making and the fish you find in the seas of Hawaii are colorful, diverse and fascinating.
The people of Hawaii take the beauty of the islands seriously. It’s one thing I admire when visiting. With waters and shorelines like this, it’s easy to see the importance of protecting it and keeping it clean for future generations.
And speaking of taking care, don’t ever, ever take rocks or sand from Hawaii home. I’m not particularly superstitious, but this is one warning I would heed. It’s a common belief that it will be followed up by bad luck. More about that here.
Aloha Friday
It’s Friday and the start of a holiday weekend. Time for a Mai Tai? The Mai Tais at the Mauna Lani on the Big Island are impossible to replicate. Perhaps it’s the setting? Still, one can try, right?
After the rain
The average precipitation in Princeville, Kauai is a little more than 71 inches each year with the most rain falling in the month of December. Yes, it is rainy, which also means that it is lush and green. And gorgeous. This much rain also means that there are plenty of rainbows to be found. They seem to be everywhere. In waterfalls, in the sky. If lucky, you will see a double rainbow. Spectacular. It’s difficult to capture the beauty of a rainbow in Kauai. Someday, perhaps, that will be a goal. This is a rainbow seen from the Princeville Golf Course. Five minutes after this photo was taken, it was sunny and the rain stopped for the afternoon. 
Wanted: trade winds and a cool breeze
Make your own bouquet of tropical flowers
Always a great selection of island fruits and vegetables
Colorful flowers always seem to be plentiful in Kona
In the Midwest, land of temperature extremes, we are dealing with record-breaking heat and humidity this week. Yesterday, the relative humidity hit 79 percent, which we were told made the temperature outside feel like 108 to 111 degrees. As the saying goes: It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.
This dry and hot late August weather wreaks havoc on the flowers, trees, vegetable gardens and lawns unless they are watered regularly. Although it’s steamy hot, we desperately need rain. Most of the blooming flowers look exhausted and ready to be replaced with mums or other autumn plants and flowers once the heat subsides.
Yes, we have color everywhere and the farmers’ markets in our region are bursting with vegetables, herbs and plenty from the harvest season. It’s here, and then—poof. It’s gone. So, we enjoy it.
Hawaii residents and visitors are so fortunate to experience color, flowers, nearly perfect weather year-round. I’ll take the high temperatures any day over the cold and snow of January, February, March and sometimes even April. (Yes, it sometimes snows in April, the cruelest month.) One weather newscaster told us yesterday that the temperature was 140 degrees warmer than our coldest day last winter. Yet, today I dream of the next visit to Hawaii. This time it’s to cool off from the heat.
Kona Farmers Market
Aloha Friday
Who knew such beautiful things could grow out of black lava rock? The Big Island’s combination of black lava rock and the deep blue sea always amazes me. Aloha.
Rooster Island
On a first visit to Kauai, you may—make that, you will—notice that there are wild roosters roaming the island, running free and waking you with their early morning crowing.
Rooster strutting his stuff
Searching for food with friends in follow
This guy thinks he rules the roost
The story goes that these roosters, hens and little chicks are descendants of former fighting birds and domesticated birds that somehow gained freedom during a hurricane years ago. Since then, they have roamed the island freely searching for food and people to wake up with a pre-sunrise good morning hello.
No need to set an alarm clock here when you first arrive: these roosters will ensure that you are up and ready to go by 5 a.m.
Another reason they are so prevalent: They apparently do not have mongooses on Kauai, which would be a natural predator for these roaming birds.
These roosters have been the inspiration for t-shirts and other souvenirs from Kauai. We took a number of videos of these fearless roosters as they approached us looking for snacks. They seem fearless when it comes to hanging out with humans. They are on beaches, golf courses, you name it.
By the end of a week, one does get used to the roosters and you almost find them charming. Well, perhaps not charming, but certainly memorable and all part of the experience on this lush, gorgeous Hawaiian isle.
Dining al fresco, Hawaiian style
It doesn’t get much better than outdoor dining in Hawaii, especially when you know it’s snowing at home. Or, anytime really. This was a special anniversary meal at Hualalai on the Big Island. As close to dining on the beach as you ever will find with the perfect view of the sunset. Somehow, a great meal turns unforgettable with the sound of waves and a beachside setting. Aloha.
Kona coffee is the real deal
For most coffee lovers, a cup of 100 percent Kona coffee will be love at first sip. The smell of Kona coffee brewing is enough to get you hooked.
Kona coffee is the official name for coffee grown in the North and South Kona districts on the Big Island. The weather in this region is apparently ideal for growing the coffee, with the volcanic soil and sunny days with a mix of light clouds in the afternoon. Other islands grow and produce coffee, but the Big Island is the home of pure Kona coffee.
A fun way to spend an afternoon is to go coffee tasting, sort of like wine tasting in Napa or Sonoma except you don’t need a designated driver. On our first trip to the Big Island, we discovered Greenwell Farms. We have since been back to visit and our tour guide was once from our home state. We were hooked and have been members of the Greenwell Farms coffee club since—sort of like a wine club, except you don’t need to worry about your shipment freezing in our frigid winters.
We get a quarterly shipment of chocolate macadamia nut coffee. In the middle of January, it’s heaven in a cup.
There are many wonderful coffee farms to visit. Many of them are located on the Mamalahoa Highway 11, south of Kona and hear the Holualoa area. Many of the farms will offer tours, which are well worth the time, often provide a scenic view of the ocean in the distance, and will make you want to sit and sip and stay a while.
The road less traveled
It’s Friday. Time to explore something new. How about this lovely road on the Big Island? Who knows where it might lead? Aloha.
Aloha Journal 