Kona on the Big Island

We got into Kona airport and immediately started to explore. We drove to Holuakoa, about 1000 feet up the side of Mauna Kea. This is an old Hawaiian town that has become something of an artist’s colony amid the many coffee farms. We went in for lunch at the Holuakoa Gardens, which bills itself as a “slow food” restaurant, using only environmentally sustainable products and locally grown food. The food was fabulous; the chef was trained in Europe. We were the only customers since it was mid afternoon. We followed up with cappuccinos at the Holuakoa Café, which was the original restaurant and was adjacent.

Across the street a short distance was the Inaba’s Kona hotel, a big pink building that seemed to be a hangout for guys that primarily hung around. Don’t know if there is any family tie to Carrie Ann Inaba of Dancing With the Stars, but being Hawaii there probably is. The whole town was a trip.

On the way down the mountain we stopped at Blue Sky Coffee for a tasting and to buy some genuine Kona coffee. Coffee tasting rooms were everywhere. We also checked out the coffee beans on the tree.

We checked in at the Marriott Waikoloa, which was located on Anaeho’omalu Bay and Beach, known locally as A-Bay. It was a long crescent shaped sand beach interspersed with outcrops of black volcanic rock. We took an early evening walk along the beach to see the sunset, and while admiring the beach nearly tripped over a beached sea turtle. We saw nearly a dozen in the course of the walk, including a group of eight that we missed on the way out but found on the way back.

They blend in well if you aren’t looking for them. According to a professional photographer we ran into out there, they beach at night to avoid predators that tend to feed at night, sharks I guess.

The next morning we were out with our snorkel gear and found several turtles in very shallow water near the hotel.

Also at our hotel was a planning conference for what looked like a training exercise involving the US Air Force and the Indian Air Force. We saw several officers from both countries, including a USAF 4-star general. They had four conference rooms in use. Not bad duty.