After leaving Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, we started our journey back to Waikoloa Village, but rather than cut through the center of the island as we did on our morning drive, we went north to enjoy coastal views.

We were surprised to discover the Mauna Loa factory.

I love Mauna Loa chocolate covered macadamia nuts. As an adult, my best friend’s parents would give me a box every year for Christmas and I would devour it in a single sitting. I’m powerless to resist the chocolatey-macadamia nut goodness!

We took the detour to the factory, driving along a beautiful road through orchards.

The Mauna Loa Factory is small and offers a free, self-guided tour. We walked to a second floor exterior ramp, which allowed us to peek into the factory. Our family enjoys factory tours and even more so, when the factory is operating. We were able to see the machines running at full-steam, packing those nuts!

We went inside the store for product samples. Obviously delicious, but we also had a nice surprise when my stepson, who can be a picky eater, enjoyed the chocolate covered macadamia nuts. In fact, he loved them enough to spend his own pocket money to buy a bag! This is a kid who had never tried nuts, so quite a big deal. There were a few moments when he tried new foods on our vacation and we know it’s hard for him, so we were proud that he took the challenge.

The Mauna Loa Factory was our best unexpected surprise on the trip.

Afterwards, we drove to Hilo, which is the most populated area on the eastern side of the island. We found a cute fish & chips shop called Mohala’s Bayfront, where we ate dinner.

The restaurant was very family friendly and one of my favorite touches were these conversation-starter napkins.

Just down the street we discovered a local ice cream shop for dessert. Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack has an adorable tiki theme and delicious mango ice cream.

Our drive took us past lush greenery, waterfalls, and ocean vistas. The landscape was dramatically different from the moon-like rocks of the Kona coast. The east side of the big island is certainly the landscape that most people would associate with Hawaii. We even saw a rainbow!

Just as we were a few miles from our hotel, we ended the day with a gorgeous sunset.

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!

Hawaii 2019: Mauna Loa Factory and Hilo

Hawaii 2019: Telescope Protest and Dimple Cheek Cafe