A lonely and lovely road in Puna, Hawaii. Perfect for a Sunday drive.
Sunday serenity
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Tag 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.
Sunday salsa secret ingredient
One of my favorite things to do when returning from Hawaii is to bring a taste of the islands home with us. Whether it’s macadamia nuts, special Hawaiian spices, coconut syrups, Kona coffee, decadent Maui Caramacs (yum!) and more. The options are endless. We love to give away a taste of Hawaii to friends and family, but we also like to keep a secret stash in the home pantry.
Today, my husband is making fresh salsa. We stopped by our local farmers’ market for the tomatoes, peppers, onions and cilantro.
Then, we couldn’t believe our good fortune when we remembered the special Ono Hawaiian seasoning we had purchased last March. We use this for all kinds of recipes instead of regular or kosher salt, so why not give it a try with a tiny pinch thrown in each batch. Who would have thought that homemade salsa could taste even better with a touch of aloha?
Delicious.
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.
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 breathtaking end of the road
A visit to the Big Island is a study in ecologic and geographic diversity. Drive in any direction and the landscape and weather are likely to change, often rather dramatically. Now, I am not an expert in climate zones, but depending on the classification system used there are at least eight on the Big Island—from humid tropical to arid and semi-arid, to temperate and even polar on the tops of two of Hawaii’s mountains. Yes, skiing and snowboarding in Hawaii. It’s possible and yet another reason to love this island.
One way to spend an amazing day on the Big Island is to drive to the northern tip, past the charming town of Hawi. Be sure to stop at the local stores and restaurants on the way. There are some gems here and besides, you aren’t in a hurry.
Be sure to enjoy the jaw-dropping twists and turns of this road and drive slowly (and quietly) to take it in.
When you get to the end of the road on the Big Island’s Northern Kohala Coast, you are in for a stunning, gorgeous vista—one of the places forever ingrained in my mind for its breathtaking beauty. Welcome to the Pololu Valley Lookout. This is the image one might imagine from a postcard or calendar of Hawaii. The cliffs and the sounds of the waves crashing against the shores. It’s almost overwhelming. Stop and look—and listen. This is a sound that never gets old.
More to come in future posts on this gem, including a hike down to the beach. For now, enjoy the view.
Aloha Journal 