Blue Water Hawaiian Bliss-With a Price

By Julie Z

Feb

22

We camped at Makalewena Beach with our two children and two other kids last night. All the kids hiked in down the extremely rocky road while my husband taught me how to drive our 4WD truck. I made it half way and gave back the wheel with relief! The road is jarring up to that point and then it just gets nasty. Imagine driving down a river bed with boulders. We have seen a few people in Jeeps and trucks parking and deciding to either turn around or walk from there.

We hope that the Department of Land and Natural Resources keeps it this way. Yep. Because while there were hundreds of people this past President’s Day weekend at Kua Bay to the north, there may have been 30 people at Makalewena. Actually, Kamehemeha Schools owns the land at Maks and they have protected this natural gem even with all the pressures of development that have occurred up and down the coast in the past ten years.

There are four “vignettes” of Maks. A large sandy bay with some pine trees, two little rocky bays, and then the large white sand beach that looks like something out of Tahiti or…Hawaii! ;-)

I took a sweeping video of the space so you can see it (hold on for YouTube link)

I am showing this to you, knowing that many of you will never have the gumption to get down here. It’s a 25 minute walk down from the highway and then another 20 minute walk along the coast to get to the beach. Or you can try and get down the road to Kahakai State Park and walk 25 minutes from there across the lava field to get to the Southern part of the beach. It’s a big deal for a big reward.

Our favorite part is that you can camp there for free..but you need a REALLY good 4WD to get in and there are no facilities. We bought a port-a-potty at Sports Authority to make it easier for our family, but even then, our daughter refuses to stay for more than a night! The cool things that we saw included a herd of about 50 goats, who greeted us in the morning as they wandered through the campground and whales breaching in the distance.

The treat though is swimming in nature’s bath tub. 78 degree crystal clear water, powder white sand, and enough room to put your towel down anywhere with space to move. Ahhh, heaven.

You Can’t Catch A Fish or Watch a Whale Sitting on Your Couch

By Julie Z

Jan

24

I wrote the title of this post after taking a sportsfishing charter and speaking to Captain James at BiteMe Sportsfishing. Words of wisdom..read on.

I got on the BiteMe boat at 6:15 am last Thursday and excitedly learned the ropes of hauling in “the big one” from the BiteMe crew. (Of course, I was slightly terrified by the actual prospect of  hooking a 500 pound marlin and reeling it in!) The crew told us that striped marlin and spearfish were prevalent in the winter months. He shared that the steep slope of the ocean bottom places deep sea sportfishing within a short distance from the shoreline. Just three miles straight out of the harbor, it’s over 6000′ deep. Six species of billfish cruise the Kona coast along with six species of tuna, mahi mahi (dorado), ono (wahoo), and  a wide variety of big-game bottom fish. (He also shared with me towards the end of the charter that the best time to fish is during the summer months. Hence, why all the bill fishing tournaments are in July and August. ) We watched him bait the hooks with lures that looked like squid and were slightly amazed at the size of some of those hooks..four inch claws.

The BiteMe crew taught us how to spot jumping fish, circling sea birds and floating marine trash as indicators for the signs of a large fish.We kept a keen eye out for these signs of our possible dinner while driving about 9 miles out to open ocean with four lines of hope dragging behind us. After our “orientation” we were free to just sit and relax and watch the sun come up over the volcanos showcasing the beauty of the island. The guests were from areas of the country experiencing some very cold weather and once again, I silently high-fived myself for living here. 

During the time we were searching we saw something very large jump out of the ocean in a “C” formation..prompting yells of “MARLIN!” from the passengers. I was excited to see what it was and when we steamed over there, we found it was a very ecstatic dolphin. Not a Spinner dolphin, which are the kind I am used to seeing along the coast, but a larger dolphin species. (I heard someone say it was a razor toothed dolphin, but can not back it up with web research!)  We also saw groups of migrating whales and a few Bottle Nosed dolphins, as well.

We started to head back in after about four hours on the water without having a hit on any of the lines. I asked Captain James if it bothered him to go out and have the passengers come back empty handed. What he said was just perfect, “If they were sitting on a couch right now they would not have even had the chance to catch anything. At least you folks got out here, put a hook in the water and had the opportunity for a grander to catch your line.”. Think about that as a metaphor for life, right?  He was right and I knew that even if I did not get the thrill of watching someone haul in a huge catch, I watched whales, dolphins and discussed life with the other passengers. Fish or no fish, I had a beautiful day out on the blue Kona water!

Note: BiteMe Sportsfishing also owns the BiteMe Fish Market and if you catch something, they will actually prepare and serve it to you! “Eat what you catch”, as they say.


Family Adventure on the Kohala Coast

By Julie Z

Jan

3

Who gets to see a mammoth whale come barreling out of the ocean behind a group of surprised surfers? My children and I last Friday! We were on a “Mauna Lani Area” adventure to discover the Holoholokai Park and Puako Petroglyphs on Thursday night and Friday morning.

What did we find?

1. A secluded park (Holoholokai) wrapped behind The Shops at Mauna Lani and the Fairmont Orchid. This is a pretty swanky area of the Kohala Coast and to find a park with numerous picnic tables, BBQs and a stunning view of Maui, the Kohala coastline and the Kona sunset was a real treat.

We had a picnic dinner while we watched the sun set into the red voggy glow of Kona. It was high tourist season and there were only a handful of people there to enjoy this serene sight with us.

2. We went to The Shop’s at Mauna Lani’s free Polynesian hula show from 6-8 and enjoyed the way the hula troupe incorporated their entire family into the show including a ten year old and a three year old. My kids really enjoyed watching the keiki up on stage twirling batons and dancing to the pounding Polynesian beat. There were also fire dancers and women wearing coconut bras..yes, really. We sat on the terraced lawn steps in almost the front row, which gave my husband the chance to have one of the performers come up with a scary warrior stance and then shake his hand after the effect of shock was created. Pretty funny.

The next day the kids and I came back around 10 am and went out to the beach park. There we found a very easy to walk beach path and did some exploring. That’s when we saw the breaching whale. It was pretty close to shore and the splash he made literally created ripple waves for the nearby surfers. Then the whale flapped its fins a few times on the water to the delight of everyone watching. Glad to see the whales are back for the  season.

3. The Puako Petroglyphs were an easy walk from the beach park. As soon as we passed the sign that explained that these petroglyphs were created between 1,000-1,800 A.D., we were able to walk around a large circle where the most interesting and deeply carved petroglyphs had been cut out of the rock and placed for easy viewing. They were a showcase in cultural artistry. Another circular area contained a few more well placed carved stones and then we followed the path into the Kaiwi trees which led us through the forest where we found few more along the trail. I took a video so you can see it.

It started getting warm so the kids asked to go play in the fountains at The Shops. They had a ball playing with a toddler who was also there to cool off. The water runs in unpredictable spurts and this kept them entertained for awhile until the 4D movie started. After the movie, we got sushi from Foodland Farms, had a nice lunch and headed home.

When I asked the kids what was their favorite part of the day, they said the fountains, but educationally, I was glad that I took them to see the petroglyphs! My daughter made me laugh when she said a possible explanation for the petroglyphs could have been children carving into the rocks when their parents were out fishing! Who knows?

Things To Do in the Waikoloa Area For the Holidays

By Julie Z

Dec

9

Every Christmas, I take my kids up to the Waikoloa area when they are on break from school and let them experience the holidays at the resorts and shops in that area. I am going to write a few posts about  some of the fun things we have planned to do this year if you need some help with ideas for holiday adventures!

Starting with North Waikoloa:

1. The Shops at Mauna Lani – (My friend, Laura Kinoshita, is the web marketing pro there and gave me some tips to share with you)

First of all, many of my friends from Kona STILL don’t know where this mall is located. It’s about a mile NORTH of the Waikoloa turn off. It’s the same entrance you would take to go to the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. As you are heading towards the hotel, look on your right and you will see the Shops.

My kids LOVE the Great 4D movie ride and they are excited about going up there during their break. Kama’aina Kids RIDE FREE during December-Cool, huh? Bring your kids up to the 4D movie ride and let them experience one of six different rides. The rides start at noon.

Yummy tip..the Foodland right next to the 4D ride has gourmet gelato by the scoop, so I am going to surprise the kids and treat myself, too..can you say MINT CHIP?There is also Juice 101 for healthy smoothies and they are opening up a taco restaurant, too.

Another feature that is quite entertaining is the water fountain at The Shops. It plays like a mini-Vegas show and the water is warm..hence, kids love to play in it. My son spent over 40 minutes in there one time! There is a dancing/chasing feature that little kids love because they don’t know where the water streams will burst from next. Good news: Even in December, the mid-day temps are in the 80′s, so kids can play in the fountain all year long.

If you are a tourist or visitor here, The Shops is doing a great promo right now for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. If you go today until December 22nd, you can get a free appetizer up to $15 with the purchase of two entrees. Get your coupon here.

The Shops also has a FANTASTIC and FREE Polynesian Hula Show every Monday and Thursday starting at 6. The performance troupe, Te`E`a O Te Turama, have been performing for over 20 years and provide a show that is  just as good, if not better, than any you will see on the island. After the intermission at 7 pm, they perform a FIRE dance. How cool is that? Here is a short video clip of the fire dance portion of the show; http://bit.ly/tgmgeO.

My next post will be the petroglyphs and the Mauna Lani Christmas trees!

Top 10 Places You Can. Not. Miss. on the Big Island

By Julie Z

Nov

16

Who needs a guide book when you have seasoned explorers who live here! I have been on fire in taking visiting family members and friends around the island while they have been staying nearby. For the past three weeks, my husband and I have played tour guide and taken the knowledge we have gained from living here for the past year exploring the nooks and crannies of this island and shared it with our friends. Why just let them enjoy our favorite places when I can also share this information with you, my readers!? So, let’s start with #10 and end up at the BEST place you HAVE to experience while you are here. Ready?

#10-Volcano National Park-Most people would put this closer to the top as we have the only live volcano you can visit safely on the islands. It’s a VERY long drive from Kona and basically takes 11 hours to fully enjoy the trip down and back. I suggest this trip if you can spend the night in Hilo..or have some very patient friends who don’t mind desperately trying to stay awake while they drive the long dark road home back while you snooze peacefully in the back seat.

#9-Makelewena Beach. This is further down the list simply because it is so hard to get here. The beach is BEAUTIFUL and since hardly anyone is there, you may only see 10 people on the entire beach. The swimming is perfect, with some reefs for snorkeling and my kids just love the little bays they have to play in. You need a 4WD to get there from either of the two access roads, but we made it with our van on the easier road that leads to the State Beach. You can park your car and walk about 20 minutes to the beach across the lava. Like I said,,it ain’t easy, but it sure is worth the effort.

#8- Two Step-This is the bay right next to the Place of Refuge at Honaunau. (The picture shows Kealekekua Bay, which is right nearby) We take our friends who have at least SOME experience with snorkeling. The entry and exit from the water is a bit of a challenge, but the swimming, snorkeling and fish are EXCEPTIONAL. The coral is 20 feet down, so tourists can not ruin it by stepping on it, so the reefs are AMAZING and pristine. That means you can not stand up and readjust your mask or get a lay of the land like you can do at Snorkel Beach in Kona. You can see vast arrays of tropical fish here and if you come in the morning, the dolphins are usually in the bay, as well. We have had friends FREAK OUT when the 20 foot water gradually descends to 50 feet and all you see is deep blue. If you are scared of deep water, just don’t go out to the middle, stay around the edges and you will be entertained for as long as you can swim.

#7-Gourmet Coffee with a View-Java On the Rock

If you love a great cup of deep, rich and flavorful Kona coffee, come get a big cup and breakfast with a view at  Java on the Rock between 6 am-11 am.

The restaurant is owned by Bruce and Andrea and they grow their own coffee and hand roast it. Three Stone is my FAVORITE coffee! They are located on the ocean side as soon as you come into downtown from Keauhou.

#7.5-Cheap Pupus and Drinks at Huggo’s On the Rocks. At least for one night of everyone’s trip, we have to hit Huggo’s on the Rocks. The happy hour menu which goes from 4-6, let’s even the most cost concious traveler splurge for an evening. $4 mai tais and $3 beers along with $3 food specials makes this a fun and tasty place to watch the sun set with your feet in the sand. Great for that picture with your friends that you post to Facebook and make people jealous.

#6-Pololulu Look Out and Valley hike-Another GORGEOUS view and fun hike down to see the island’s stunning beauty. Located about 15 minutes out of Hawi, the trip down to the valley should be given most of the day to fully enjoy. If you can get here in the later part of the day and stay until sunset, you will not be disappointed. A photographer’s dream.

#5-Waipio Valley-Another all day adventure, and a place only accessible by 4WD. The beauty of the taro fields with the mountains as the backdrop will be etched in your memory for a very long time. We take our friends through the back end of the valley and drive through rivers to see the taro fields. We usually see the wild horses on the beach or on the road and the wildness and serenity of this valley are unmatched anywhere else on the island. The waves can be unpredictable and the terrain UNDER the waves is especially unpredictable. The river that feeds into the ocean has a way of changing the landscape around the entry point into the ocean, so go in carefully. I had the time of my life one time here body surfing and wish it was like that every time.

#4-Green Sand Beach-We just love this place. It takes a 4WD to get here and the road is an adventure unto itself. However, for the adventurous traveler, the climb down, the feeling of being on the only green sand beach in the islands and the waves crashing against the walls of the small bay is fantastic. We are experienced swimmers and body surfers and have quite a time here sometimes. Don’t go in if the waves are up and you feel unsafe. We have entertained a few friends who decided to sit it out and just watch us enjoy ourselves in the waves.

#3-The Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai. My guests were VERY impressed with the elegance, landscaping, pools and views from this resort. I love this place because the beach is NEVER crowded, so even if you are hanging at this swanky property, everyone is in the pool, not at the white sand beach or the little protected bay in front of the hotel. You can grab a beer here for $7 and just lounge and people watch and enjoy the sun and view. (You can also easily grab a $20 glass of chard here, too!) I would suggest checking out the fresh/salt water lagoon which has all kinds of tropical fish. Dining here is exceptional and this is where celebrities often come to get away from it all.

#2-Mauna Kea Resort beach view. The bay is gorgeous and the view from the lobby and terrace are stunning. I could lounge here all day enjoying the view. You can get tasty cocktails at the beach bar and go swimming here as a non-guest. You have to tell the guard at the gate you want to visit the beach and they will give you a guest pass if there are any left. If not, pay for valet, walk through the property and go swimming anyway.

#1-Kua Bay. I have now been to this beach four times in the past few weeks and each time our guests have said it is one of their most favorite beaches. I would have to agree. LOTS of fine white sand, BLUE water, plenty of room to put your towel down, sets of waves that challenge body surfers, but kids can play in the surf, too. The bathrooms are now working and so are the showers, which is fantastic after having them closed down recently. Easy access from the highway, parking without a guard scrutinizing you, and best of all, the whales are coming back for the season and this is a great place of on shore whale watching. (Last March I was diving under the waves and hovering at about five feet under the water and I could hear the mommas and baby whales singing. HEAVEN!)


Kalopa Campgrounds Immerse You in the Ancient Hawaiian Forest

By Julie Z

Mar

29

My family and I ventured up to the Kalopa Campground, located above Honokaa, this weekend and was blown away with the Ancient Hawaiian forest! We did learn that you need to contact the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to get a camping permit at least seven days in advance. Here is a link for a “Wiki Permit” You will thank me for this later.

We got up there and thought we could catch the caretaker and get a permit to stay in the cabins on a Friday afternoon. Nope. We ended up sleeping in our truck!

The forest made the tight sleeping quarters worth it in the end.

The VERY Long Road to Makalewena

By Julie Z

Jan

24

Makalewena is a beach accessible only by a four wheel drive vehicle down a crazy bumpy road between Kona and Kohala on the other side of the cinder cone from Kua Bay.

My husband and I decided to go to this beach about four months ago because we had heard it was one of the most beautiful beaches on the Big Island. (In fact, according the Big Island Revealed, one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire Hawaiian Islands). Why wouldn’t you want to find a beach with that kind of reputation!?

SO, the FIRST time we tried to step foot on this magical beach, we followed the “Big Island Revealed” map and got down the crazy unpaved road in our mini-van. We then proceeded to turn left on a walking path instead of right and walked for a mile looking for sand while surrounded by lava. (the picture with the black and white rocks was the closest thing we found to a beach)

We found some local camper dudes and they asked us what a nice little family of four was doing out wandering around near the north end of the airport. We told them we were trying to find Makalewena..they then told us we were at least a mile from the road we needed to take to walk another mile to get to the beach. UGH! Then they told us to hurry back to the road before we got locked in from the highway at 7 pm.  First strike.

We started asking around to our friends about the fabled beach and everyone again said it was beautiful and a must see. It was at this point we decided we needed to buy a four wheeled truck in order to get to places on this island like Maks, as they call the fairy-tale beach. SO, after a month or so, we purchased a truck in Hilo and believed we were on way to beach nirvana. Then my husband decided he needed to fix it up…a little…new shocks, new seat covers, new stereo, new upholstery, and steering wheel, too.  Looks great, sounds great, let’s go to Maks!

We grabbed a friend and her child and bounced along the road to the path that takes you to the beach. So, we get out, and excitedly walk down the lava path and found ourselves on a bowl shaped beach with grainy sand and lots of shade trees. I liked it! It WAS beautiful and it had an interesting abandoned homestead and some fresh water ponds, too. Mission accomplished! Or so we thought. Strike 2.

I wrote about the beach and posted pics to my Facebook 365 Kona blog saying how pretty it was and a great place to visit. And then someone posted the most shocking comment I have ever seen on any of my blogs: “Pretty, but that isn’t Maks”. WHAT!? My stomach curled at the thought that I did not even know what beach I had been to and worse..that we still had not stepped foot on the mystical beach of our dreams.

We pulled out Google Maps and did some aerial viewing of the area. Sure enough, we had been on the Kona Coast State Park beach. It was another half mile walk across the lava to get to Makalewena!

SO, we had some friends from the Bay Area visiting recently and we told them about this crazy search for this beach. They laughed and said they would not mind seeing the Kona Coast State Park beach. We loaded them and their two children and our kids in our trusty dusty Toyota and headed to the beach. We showed them the long path across the lava to the magical beach. They decided to go for it. We were elated!  We walked in thongs a half mile across the rock/lava path and finally saw a SAND DUNE in the distance. Walking quicker, we all felt the pull of discovery. I ended up RUNNING towards this oasis to finally say “I GOT THERE”!

I passed under the sign-THIS TIME I KNEW WHERE I WAS!

I was actually surprised to be climbing up sand dunes after just coming off a lava field..and then..I saw it…the beach. Sadly, the beach had been attacked by some giant storm waves and was probably half of its normal grandeur, but it was FANTASTIC to finally be there! I am sure if it was sunny, if we could actually go in the water, and there were not rocks all over the beach, that it truly would be the heaven I had painted it to be. I will have to go back in a few months when the sand finds it way back to where it belongs and I will share pictures and another story with you all…because…we have heard there is an even CRAZIER road from the highway that takes you to the north end of this beach where you can picnic and enjoy..I will be waiting for that day!

The Dream of Swimming With Dolphins

By Julie Z

Dec

20

In 1998, I was at a conference that featured Marcia Weider, a “Dream Coach“. She asked the audience, “What is your dream? You need to focus on this dream in order for the universe to see what you want in order for it to be manifested.” At this point in my life, I had not read “The Secret” or even heard the word “metaphysical” or “laws of the universe”, etc.  Marcia also said to achieve your dream, you had to trust at a deeper level and therefore take greater risks. (as my Catholic mother would say, “That simply means you need to put your life in God’s hands and trust in Him”.)  Although, I love my mom, I liked how Marcia presented this concept and I had a new way of looking at it.  Marcia talked about seeing your dream in your mind and thinking about what that would look like.

Here is what I “dreamed” :

I have loved dolphins since I was a child and started thinking about swimming with them when a friend of mine went sailing in San Diego and they were riding the waves near the bow of the boat. I started collecting dolphin figurines and artwork. I also started to search to discover where I could swim with these majestic creatures. (Yes, these were in the days before Google and you actually had to ask travel agents and folks who traveled. Technology was not there…yet!)

Fast forward to 2005, when my husband and I decided to move to the Big Island. (talk about taking a great risk in order to get what you want!) I heard from friends that charter boat operators let you swim with dolphins in Kona. So, before we moved, I did a Google search (technology was just waiting for me to arrive) and found Dolphin Journeys. I still was intent on making my dream come true of swimming with the dolphins and I felt I was that much closer now to making the dream a reality.

Oddly enough, (or divinely inspired) I met the owner of Dolphin Journeys, Nancy Sweatt, at a church we were visiting two weeks after we moved to Kona. When I found out that she owned Dolphin Journey’s, I was shocked at my good fortune! I had the feeling of knowing she was there at the moment I needed her to be there. That has turned out to be  a common occurrence on the island!

Nancy invited me to come out and enjoy a boat ride “holo holo” (which means to go out, especially for a ride for leisure, in Hawaiian). So, I went on the boat with Nancy and a great friendship, as well as a deeper understanding of dolphins as both beautiful sea creatures and  how they communicate and sense humans, was born. Nancy invited me to work on the boat for a few months when I first arrived in Hawaii to earn some extra money. “I kept screaming in my head, “OMG! NOT ONLY DO I GET TO SWIM WITH DOLPHINS, SOMEONE IS GOING TO PAY ME TO DO IT!” .  And thus the dream, and a bit more, was realized.

Each time I have been in the water with the pods of Hawaiian Spinner dolphins, which can number in the hundreds, I always feel a sense of gratitude and  sheer joy. I have never had a dolphin come up and touch me or had an intense “spiritual awakening” in their presence, but I know that it has happened and Nancy has many stories of people receiving healing energy from the dolphins, as well. Captain Nancy is going to write a book containing her amazing stories from the years she has spent on the Dolphin TLC some day soon, and I hope to share it with my friends.

I am writing about the experience now, because I had a friend and her family visit us this past week. They chartered Nancy’s boat and invited me and my daughter to come enjoy the day with them. This time was different than all the other times I have ever been in the water with the dolphins. This time I had a camera! Nancy let me borrow her underwater digital camera. Again, technology had to catch up to my dream.

As soon as I got into the water, the first thing I saw was a dolphin heading straight at me. I was a bit flustered, because normally, we swim alongside them. I missed that shot as mommy dolphin veered away from me and I saw her baby following her. I can’t even tell you how beautiful it is to see the baby dolphins, too! I then took off towards a pair of dolphins that were swimming very slowly and took some pictures of them with gratitude still in my heart and a big dose of “YEEHAW” that I had a camera, too!

I took pictures of my friends swimming towards the dolphins, and playing around in the water, as well. What a trip it was as we had dozens of dolphins looping around us.  I kept thinking about the years that had passed since I first visualized my dream of swimming in the blue water with these amazingly playful animals. It might have taken me a bit longer than I thought to achieve the dream, but I needed to learn the deeper knowledge these creatures bring to their human friends. They are truly spiritual beings and if you tap into them at a different level, you know they are communicating with you. Nancy says she can talk to them, and I believe her. Everyday,  I continue to learn more about the energies and vibrations that surround us on this island. That’s when I don’t need to have technology to catch up..I just needed to believe.

Check out the video that Dolphin Journey’s took about a week before we went on the charter..this gives you a pretty quick and good idea of what it’s like to swim with the dolphins!

Holualoa Put the “Aloha” into the Holidays!

By Julie Z

Dec

7

When Santa jumps into a convertible, gives you the shaka sign and goes roaring down mainstreet to greet a throng of West Hawaii residents, you know you are somewhere special!

This past Saturday night, December 3, Holualoa held its annual Music and Tree Lighting festivities in its tiny downtown located about four miles mauka (that means up the hill!) of Keauhou on Malamahoa Highway. The town is a delight. There are more art galleries lining the street than any other type of business and the town prides itself as being the center of the Kona coffee plantations and farms. If you want a true taste of “old” Hawaii, this is it.

We have been here for five months now and are deeply involved with our school community and have made quite a few new friends around Kona. They were all there on Saturday night! It was, to me, an old fashioned block party where everywhere you turn around you are kissing cheeks, hugging and taking pictures. I loved it, because it was a shining evening of, “I belong here…I LIVE here!”  (Sometimes, when I say that, I have to do a little happy hula dance and give myself a big shaka!) ;-)

In fact, many of my “transplant” friends were saying that night, “We are so lucky that we live here and are standing here in shorts in December!”  A shout out to Christine (Connecticut), Justine and Adam (Atlanta, GA), Danielle and Theron, (Temecula, CA) and Jenn and Bryan (Canada) for helping us have a fantastic evening with their friendship.

After Santa came back from his mile long drive through town, they lit the main Norfolk Pine tree in downtown and a few hundred people clapped and took pics. Santa then went to do his duties of sitting with children and taking pictures. The cool thing was that he was giving away “real” gifts to the kids, too! Another benefit of a small town!

Then the music started in three different venues…slack key, traditional folk singers and musicians, and even some hula. The galleries were blazing brightly and served cookies and hot and cold drinks. Just a very sweet, quaint, and merry event.

The next surprise came when we ventured down to the church with our children. The church grounds had come alive as a free festival and my children tore off and played games with prizes, ate hotdogs and cotton candy, and jumped in a jump house, all for free. To say that this was a treat in Hawaii, is an understatement. My nine year old grew up that night when she was able to say hi to all her school friends, wander around, play games and eat, all without us standing next to her. (which goes to show you how much authority you have when you are holding the wallet!)

We ended the evening with a free showing of “Home Alone” in the Holualoa Theater. We invited our friends to join us and laughed with the dozen or so people in the theater with us and kept the kids out past 10 pm. Through it all, the gallery owners, musicians, shop keepers, and attendees were all so kind and gracious.  Once again, I was touched by the Aloha Spirit flowing through the air.


A Golf Course For A Sunset? SURE!

By Julie Z

Jul

28


I’m not saying that people who visit Kona will all of a sudden decide that running down a golf course to watch the sunset is part of their vacation plans….BUT, it sure is fun!  The sun was out for most of the day today (its the rainy season, so you never know quite what you are going to get for weather) and we decided that tonight we would take a stroll down the 11th hole of the Kona Country Club Golf Course near our condo in Keauhou. Its such a fun place to watch the sunset because the kids can run, it’s a beautiful setting and the pictures we take there are sometimes FABULOUS! (During the winter it is REALLY good because there is a blow hole near one of the tee boxes and the waves can make the water spout dozens of feet in the air).

Tonight, however, we found that the sprinklers were on. Instead of dismay, this caused my kids great excitement at the prospect of running through “Super Sprinklers”. We decided to let kids be kids and let ‘em at it. Soaked, screaming, and creating memories for a lifetime, they ran a half mile in the sprinklers all the way down the course. AND we were greeted with a pretty sunset, too. If you have ever considered moving to an island, this is one of those evenings that makes me happy that I traded my hour long commute in the San Francisco Bay Area for a chance to watch my kids enjoy themselves in the 80 degree evening of Kona. Its a good life.

Kona Sunsets Are a Must Attend Event

By Julie Z

Jul

23

What better way to relax and  breathe out the stress from your day to day life when you purposely sit down to watch a sunset? Kona has MANY places to watch the  sunset and you SHOULD! The volcanic fog in the air creates very colorful and dramatic sunsets here on the Kona side of the island.

We have done the more expensive sunset watching from Jamison’s restaurant, located at White Sands Beach. They have a patio that juts out over the ocean and you are treated to not only the sunset, but a bunch of crazy boogie boarders in the surf right below the dining patio. For a less expensive way to watch them, we take our friends for sunset cocktails to Huggos on the Rocks near downtown Kona. And then for those family sunsets, we simply walk down the golf course in front of our condo, bring a snack picnic and let the kids run around on the green.

This week, we took the kids to White Sands Beach just as the sun was setting and took some GORGEOUS pictures. The restaurant you see in the photo is Jamison’s. We often see the fabled “Green Flash” and all the tourists ooh and aaah…I never get tired of it.

Aloha! Kona Awaits!

By Julie Z

Jul

23

I was standing above the ocean, at the top of a hill, over looking a golf course and a lava field. Then a tourist ran up to me and said, “What are these hills!? Someone told me Alli Drive was flat!” And after talking to her for over an hour about where to run, where to snorkel, where to watch the volcano, if it was safe to run alone, how come there are wild goats on the golf course and when the sun rose, I knew that I had ALOT of knowledge to impart on people who wanted to discover Kona, Keauhou, and the Big Island. And, so this blog will follow my journey for the year that I live here, in finding new places, new deals, and new experiences. These will be intertwined with my experiences and thoughts about what I have learned from living on the Big Island for a year in 2005-06 and coming back for numerous visits in 2007-2008, and now living here until 2011.

I will fill these pages with photography, my hobby, and video clips, my newfound way to truly show what I mean, and lace it together with my natural enthusiasm for showing people things I get excited about living on this island. Join me on a tropical and fun adventure!

Lava + Ocean = Kona