Hawaii 2019: Hapuna Beach

The Hilton Waikoloa Village is an amazing property with multiple pools, but it does not have direct beach access and sometimes, you just need a little salt water. Luckily, just down the road is Hapuna Beach. Hapuna Beach boasts turquoise waters and sparkling white sand. It’s paradise.

We were advised to arrive early, especially since we visited on a Saturday. The parking lot still had plenty of spaces at 9am and we only had to pay a five dollar state park entrance fee. A bargain.

Growing up in California, I’m used to packing coolers and bringing a lot of gear for a beach day. We went basic, just borrowing towels from our hotel and bringing a tote bag with a few snacks/sodas. We were worried about too much sun exposure, when in reality we could have spent the entire day at Hapuna Beach.

I read that Hapuna Beach can get quite rough, but we only experienced gentle waves and warm waters. Hapuna Beach was one of the loveliest beaches that I have ever experienced and it is a must-do, if you are visiting the Kona Coast.

The beach is very clean, including the bathrooms, which of course is the most important thing to note! A beach with clean bathrooms is a unicorn!

We did discover a rather alarming notice as we left the beach. Luckily we saw it after our visit, otherwise we might have been scared off from enjoying the beach.

We went to the nearby snack shack so that the kids could try their very first shave ice. For the uninitiated, shave ice ( not shaved, grammarians need to let this one slide) is an enormous pile of finely shaved ice that is covered with the liquid flavorings of your choosing. I always pick watermelon, guava, and pineapple for a perfect tropical blend. It’s the ideal treat on a baking hot day and we all got to admire our colorful tongues.

After Hapuna Beach, we ate lunch at the nearby Seafood bar.

Unlike the beautiful views that we experienced at Hapuna Beach, the Seafood Bar was a bit of a dive, located in an industrial area. We ate on the open air deck and here was our view.

That said, the food and service were great. The kids ordered grilled cheese sandwiches, Dan had a seafood stew, and I ate fried rice.

i’m not sure if these tiki guys were decorations or the cups for some tropical cocktails, I’m guessing the latter. When visiting the islands, never turn down the opportunity for an umbrella drink!

Hawaii 2019: Flumin' Kohala

We celebrated my stepdaughter Zoe’s birthday in Hawaii with a Flumin’ Kohala excursion. Flumin’ Kohala offers the unique experience of guided kayak tours through the historic Kohala Ditch, which was built over a century ago to bring water to the sugar cane fields.

The mid-morning excursion started with a quick safety video.

Flumin Kohala is not an intense adventure. There are no rapids and only a few small dips for a short thrill. It does not require much physical effort, although you should be able to handle a small hike, climb in and out of the kayak, and help with a bit of paddling. Everyone is provided with a floatation device that ties around the waist, although the water is only knee-deep and no swimming skills are required. This is truly an adventure that most people in good health can enjoy, the only issue might be with those who have an extreme fear of the dark or claustrophobia. The tour goes into pitch-black tunnels ( a few headlamps providing the only light) and through tight spaces- if you reach out you will touch the wall and in a few spots, ducking is necessary.

We piled into vans for a short ride to the flumes.

Our guide ( the guy sitting backwards in the van) entertained us with local history, corny jokes, and a few songs. Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name, but he was very nice and ended up being the guide for our kayak, which was just big enough for him and our family. I do remember that he was a college student, home for the summer, but going to school in California.

We arrived at our location, a lush, mountainous area with waterfalls. We had a very short, easy hike to the flumes.

What to wear? We decided to put on our bathing suits under shorts/cover-ups. This worked out well. It’s not like we got soaked, but we did get wet. Our guide playfully used his oar to splash us with water and we walked around the flumes a bit, about knee high. The weather was warm, but the water was icy.

Close-toed shoes are required. We didn’t want to get our sneakers wet, so we went to the mall and splurged on Crocs for the whole family. I was very reluctant. It’s not that I was worried about Crocs being a fashion faux pas ( which they are) but that I have a painful association with Crocs. When my mom was having her cancer treatments, all of the doctors in the oncology units wore Crocs. I associate them with the worst time of my life.

I swore that I’d never wear them. However, pushed with needing shoes for the excursion, I caved and picked out a pair with flamingos. If you know me or have been reading for awhile, you’ll know that I loathe flamingoes. It seems appropriate.

Long story short, Crocs are the right kind of footwear for this activity. That said, I won’t be wearing them again. Luckily, they are a size too small and gave me blisters, so I have a easy excuse to throw them up on Poshmark!

A picture of our guide. He even played the Ukulele while guiding us through the flumes- Multi-tasking and multi-talented!

We climbed in the kayak with our guide in the front. He did a majority of the paddling. Felix second, Zoe third, me fourth and Dan in the back. Dan had an additional oar to assist with paddling and he got to wear a headlamp.

Dan and I had a problem. We were so physically sore from the Captain Zodiac excursion, that we couldn’t sit comfortably in the kayak. Normally, we would have been fine, but since this was only two days after the zodiac, we were stiff and in pain. We needed to sit with our legs crossed and my legs kept cramping. It was ninety minutes of discomfort.

That said, we still had a blast. Flumin Kohala is a unique tour that blends history and adventure with stunning scenery.

The ride ended near a patch of wild pineapples!

The current prices ( as of March 2021) are 135/adults and 75/children 5-11, this doesn’t include tax or tips. Our entire family enjoyed our experience at Flumin Kohala and the staff is first-rate.

After our excursion, we drove to a nearby town for lunch at a local cafe called Minnie’s. Minnie’s is a friendly burger/sandwich place, where we all went for grilled cheese. The owner overheard us mention Zoe’s birthday and she kindly surprised Zoe with a chocolate sundae. Minnie’s has great food and even better people. It’s the type of local restaurant that you should make sure to visit when in the area.

Hawaii 2019: Telescope Protest and Dimple Cheek Cafe

One of our longest and most exciting days of the trip was our adventure to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We woke up before sunrise to begin our nearly two hour drive across to the other side of the island.

It was a very full day and since so many things happened, I’m going to break this day up into several posts, beginning with what happened on the drive to the National Park.

The first big event happened in the middle of a field. We felt like we were in an isolated area in the center of the big island, but it turned out to be bursting with activity. We drove right down the road that held protestors. We had heard about the protest on the news, the native Hawaiians and their supporters were protesting an international scientific effort to build a massive telescope on the top of Mauna Kea, the tallest volcano in Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a sacred place for many Hawaiians.

We drove right in the middle of the protest and later learned that Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” had been there. As much as I support the efforts of scientists, I recognize that this is a very sensitive issue. Hawaii is a state that I spent many summer vacations as a child, however, I did not realize the way that the US took the Hawaiian Islands until I was an adult. It’s horrific and sadly, not surprising. I can understand how this protest is both about preserving a sacred place, but also just not allowing any more grabbing of their land. I believe this fight over the telescope still continues without resolution.

On a lighter note, we saw a Ne’Ne crossing sign! The Ne’Ne Goose is native to the Hawaiian islands. I’ve seen them on Maui. Adorable.

Close to the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we stopped for breakfast at the most delightful restaurant: Dimple Cheek Cafe.

The owner of the restaurant ( named after her beautiful dimpled cheeks) both served and cooked our food. She was so kind and welcoming. We learned that she is the mother of many children, which made since, as she treated us with a mother’s touch.

The food was one of the best meals on our vacation. I had eggs with rice and soy sauce, which made me wonder why I had not eaten this before??? So yummy and filling. Dan had a Hawaiian dish called Loco Moco, which is a beef patty in gravy. The kids had waffles. The food was good, hearty, and great value. We wished that Dimple Cheek cafe was on “our side” of the island!

We took a picture with the owner. If you’re visiting the big island, make sure to eat at Dimple Cheek Cafe. I can’t say enough great things about this restaurant and its owner. I really hope that her business survived the pandemic.

On the way out, we stopped to admire the plants and flowers for sale. Dimple Cheek is not only a cafe, but also a small market place. I love tropical flowers.

In my next post, I will share pictures from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!