Big Island Hawaii 30th Anniversary Trip Report: January/February 2012:
My 1st Swim with "honu" green sea turtles; Mauna Kea: Romance & Panic at 13,000 feet
The Big Island of Hawaii is now my #1 favorite island in the world! (I have visited Kauai, Maui, Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and Dominica.) I love the Big Island. 
The wide open spaces are refreshing to the spirit – natural features with stunning beauty, from the west coast where the dark volcanic rock meets the sea, to the awesome heights of Mauna Kea at 13,000 feet. The Big Island feels more "Hawaiian" and less touristy than the other islands, to us. We felt more in touch with Hawaii's history & cultural heritage on the Big Island.
Mauna Kea left me breathless at 13,000 feet, literally, 
where I marveled at the view with cold wind whipping my face. I love the colors at Mauna Kea, where the 2 hills called “cinder cones” are streaked with a fire-red color. At night stars lit the sky, although the sky wasn't black due to the moon. I battled my fears to make it up to 13,000 feet to the highest mountain peak upon which I have ever stood. 
Reports of the terrors of Saddle Road to Mauna Kea are exaggerated, in our opinion. My husband drove us up Saddle Rd. to the summit at 13,000 feet, and I didn't feel nervous at all about the road itself; but the high altitude made me feel so breathless, I panicked and feared I was having a heart attack! (More details to follow.)
Hawaii Volcanoes National park is a treasure! We didn't see lava flow at the time of our visit, but we loved the volcano for its majesty & beauty...stark and mighty, a glimpse of the powers of creation of the islands. The eerie glow of the lava lake in the center of the smoking crater behind the Jaggar Museum is especially beautiful at night, with stars winking overhead. (Halema'uma'u Crater behind Jaggar Museum.) On our next trip to the Big Island we will return to Volcanoes National Park.
Hilo:
We spent 5 delightful nights at the Shipman House B&B in Hilo on the green, lush, and rainy east side of the island. The island was experiencing a drought and it barely rained at all during our visit. I love Hilo which is a local community, and the locals outnumber the tourists, which is very refreshing. There are lots of interesting local cafes & shops in Hilo.
Shipman House B&B
131 Kaiulani Street, Hilo, Big Island
www.hilo-hawaii.com
Breakfast at Shipman House B&B in Hilo was a fabulous treat we looked forward to for every one of our 5 mornings at the B&B, with an unsurpassed offering of a gorgeous fresh tropical fruit platter artfully displaying a delicious rainbow of fresh tropical fruit. Fresh lilikoi butter (passion fruit) was made every morning, and it is addicting when spread on a slice of gently toasted Portuguese sweet bread, or on a whole wheat English muffin. Healthy oatmeal or quinoa was also offered, along with yogurt, wonderful home-made macadamia nut granola, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, and a different home-made baked treat each morning.
The tropical fruit was fresh and local and exquisitely ripened...much of it grown right on the grounds of Shipman House. My husband and I both miss the Shipman breakfasts, and I long for a return visit to the Big Island just to feast on the addicting tropical breakfasts! There were a dozen different tropical fruits at breakfast each morning, and the supply of fruit seemed unending, so we could have seconds of our favorite fruits. I was delighted by the sweet papaya with a scoop of passion fruit and a squeeze of a lime-like fruit.
I'm a foodie so I had to gush about the breakfast! We had booked 2 nights in a cottage room at Shipman, and 3 nights in Aunt Carrie's room in the main house. Both rooms were lovely and comfortable, with queen beds, and ensuite showers with an overhead shower head plus a hand-held personal shower.
Shipman B&B has 5 guest rooms...3 in the house and 2 in the duplex cottage. On our next visit I will be happy to book any of the rooms that have a Queen bed. If you are choosing...the airy cottage rooms have more of a feeling of romantic seclusion, even though they are close to the house; while lovely Aunt Carrie's room in the main house has a slightly better shower, and being in the main house makes it convenient to explore the very interesting main house. (Note: even though the 2 duplex cottage rooms are connected, we never heard a peep out of the other couple in the other cottage room! It felt very private.) I'm happy to answer questions.
KOHALA COAST:
We also splurged on a deluxe ocean view room for 4 nights at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel along the Kohala Coast on the west side of the island, to celebrate our 30th anniversary. (I must say that we enjoyed the Shipman House B&b in Hilo equally as much as we enjoyed the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, and I recommend them both for a romantic anniversary celebration!)
At the Mauna Lani, we ended up being “upgraded” to an ocean-view suite, since the type of room we had booked was full...we had booked a deluxe ocean view room with King bed. I had to be rather assertive to get this upgrade. The suite was much bigger than the room would have been, although the suite was further back from the ocean, it did have a lovely view. We couldn't hear the ocean from our room, which was disappointing, but I had expected this.
The Mauna Lani is a luxury resort with a laid-back atmosphere, and a lot of “freebies” (free parking, free lounge chairs & cabanas; free water bottles in room; free guided tour of the ancient fish ponds; free rental of snorkel equipment for 4 hours; free Hawaiian musical entertainment & story-telling outside at twilight on Saturday night...)
The snorkeling on the Mauna Lani's beach in winter was good. I was thrilled to encounter my very first “honu” (green sea turtle) while snorkeling with my husband! We saw a total of 3 honu (green sea turtles) while snorkeling at the Mauna Lani's beach. From the Mauna Lani hotel we also walked to the beach at the Beach Club, for more snorkeling.
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel
68-1400 Mauna Lani Drive, Kohala Coast, Island of Hawaii
www.maunalani.com
Snorkeling at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel's beach & Two-Step:
I'm awash with lovely memories of the warm tropical embrace of the Big Island of Hawaii. I slid into the water in front of the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, and floated along on my noodle, snorkeling. I was thrilled with my first “honu” encounter...swimming with the green sea turtle! I floated above him, and watched him eating. I swam with a total of 3 honu on this trip. I saw a variety of colorful fish and sea urchins.
Snorkeling at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel's beach was adventurous enough for me. My husband also enjoyed even better snorkeling at Two-Step near the Place of Refuge on the west coast, and he was fascinated to watch an octopus change colors and swim. Two-Step is evidently one of the better spots to snorkel in the winter. However I couldn't bring myself to go into the water at Two-Step, as I panic if I fear being trapped in the water, and I don't like to snorkel where you have to enter and exit the water on a rocky coast. The Mauna Lani's beach was better for me, as you can enter the water from anyplace along the beach. Someday I'd like to try snorkeling from a boat in a sheltered cove.
TO BE CONTINUED:
Coming Up Next: Perfect Moments; Highlights, Disappointments; best Meals...and my experience & opinion about driving up Saddle Road, up to the Mauna Kea summit at 13,000 feet.
Big Island HAWAII: My 1st Swim with honu; Mauna Kea: Panic at 13,000 ft
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Great report - and pls keep it coming. We love Big Island - it's 1`A to us with Kauai being A.
Nice report.
I always visit Madame Pele at Hawaiian Volcanoes NP when I visit TBI. It is such an incredible place.
And I always visit the Volcano Art Center because they have beautiful handicrafts.
I
Big Island too.
Love the diversity and the flora and I'm enjoying your report.
We're going to Maui next week as we only have 7 nights which I felt was too short for a trip to BI.. hope I love Maui too!
sassy_cat: Enjoy Maui! We love the diversity and flora on the Big Island as well. My husband, a biologist, enjoyed looking at the Silversword on the Big Island, and other flora and fauna. Maui is a romantic island, and we especially enjoyed several stops on the Road to Hana. My husband was also fascinated with Haleakala. There was also a very casual spot to get a wonderful ono sandwich up on the north side of Maui...ask people if its still there! Like a burger stop, but you can get an amazing ono burger! We liked it so much we went twice. Okay back to the subject...the Big Island!
Placename: Yes, the Volcano Art Center on the Big Island has beautiful artwork! If anybody hasn't been there, it's right next to the visitor's center in Volcano National park. We enjoyed browsing there, and we bought an interesting piece of art...a picture with 2 birds with an egg...plus I got gorgeous earrings made by an artist. We both loved the incredible Hawaii Volcanoes National Park...and I think it's worth at least 2 days on every trip! We have an excuse to go back, as we couldn't see lava flow on this trip.
Tomsd: Thanks! Yes Kauai is great too...I'd say my 3 favorite islands in the world are the Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai, and Dominica in the Caribbean.
TRIP REPORT TO BE CONTINUED:
Great report! Sounds like a wonderful trip -- for a wonderful occasion.
Your description of those breakfasts has me hungry! I'm just back from Kauai -- and that's still my personal fave, but I loved VNP and the Place of Refuge on B.I.
PERFECT MOMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS:
The exquisitely ripe papaya is delightful with a scoop of fresh passion fruit and a squeeze of a lime-like fruit. The quality, variety and exquisite ripeness of the tropical fruits at Shipman B&B were a highlight of the entire trip for us. This was easily the best presentation of fruit we have ever enjoyed in our lives, anywhere in the world.
We stopped at the Holualoa Kona Coffee Company above Kona, in the hills. We had time for a quick visit, but not for the tour. I tasted the dark roast Kona coffee, made in 2 different types of roasting machines...one which traps the smoke, and the other which lets the smoke out (air roasted). Both varieties made an excellent cup of coffee, but I fell in love with the one which traps the smoke. I am nuts about a good dark-roast coffee, and this coffee is fresh and wonderful! I brought home a pound of it, and I am crying now because I drank the last drop today. The dark roast beans came out of the bag nice and “greasy”, like they should be, from the coffee oils. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Now I am going to have to mail-order another bag! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
We found a little parking area to pull over safely, and I got out of the car. My husband offered to drive me back down the mountain without any complaint. “I feel like something is pressing on me really tight, right here,” I said to him. Then I realized...wait a minute...this isn't a heart attack...my bra is too tight! 
I adjusted the situation...and then I felt much more comfortable! Then I was breathing easier at the high altitude.
Bliss on the BEACH and SNORKELING:
Lounging in my free guest chair on the Mauna Lani's beach, sun-kissed and utterly satisfied with my first snorkeling encounter on the Big Island; warmed by the sun and cooled by my wet swim suit, as the warm tropical air whispered along my skin...I realized I could even be served lunch right here, without getting up! Ah, this is the life!
In that moment I was celebrating having had the courage to triumph over 3 fears so far on the trip:
--fear of snorkeling (death by drowning?!)
--fear of altitude (yes I ascended to 13,000 feet at Mauna Kea) (shortcut to heaven?!)
--fear of the volcano (gorgeous it was!) (death by lava?!)
In that moment on the beach, I was fearless!
BREAKFAST at Shipman House B&B:
Ah, sweet addiction!
KONA COFFEE:
Tasting amazing dark roast 100% Kona coffee, organic & pesticide-free, at a coffee plantation on the Big Island was a highlight for me!
Holualoa Kona Coffee Company
Kona Le'a Plantation
Holualoa, Hawaii
77-6261 Mamalahoa Highway
Holualoa Hawaii 96725
www.konalea.com
BEST SUNSET:
My husband and I stood arm-in-arm and watched the sun set over the water at the Place of Refuge, a mystical, beautiful, and spirit-filled place. Don't miss the historical Place of Refuge on the southern Kona coast at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical park on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can pay a few dollars to park in their lot, visit the park, and also walk over to nearby Two Step for excellent snorkeling. You can leave your car in the park's lot once you pay the fee.
Www.nps.gov/puho
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK:
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is fascinating and starkly beautiful! It was a highlight of our trip, and I recommend a minimum of 2 days to explore the park. Lava flow wasn't visible during our visit, but the park is amazing. Here you gain a sense of the power that creates a volcanic island. There are many awesome sights, such as the eerie glow of the lava lake in the center of the smoking Halema'uma'u crater, a memorable sight as dusk arrives, and the stars blink overhead as the sky darkens.
I spent 1 day at the volcano park with my husband, and he returned for a second day at the park while I took a slow day to write in my journal and browse around the shops & cafes in Hilo.
We spent 5 nights in Hilo, and Hilo is a convenient base when visiting the Volcanoes Park and Mauna Kea. It's about a 45-minute drive from Hilo to the Volcanoes Park. I liked using Hilo as a base because there are lots of local shops & cafes in Hilo. If you try to sleep closer to the volcano, you will find yourself in a more remote area with fewer choices of restaurants & shops.
Www.nps.gov/havo
MAUNA KEA:
I'm so happy that we didn't miss Mauna Kea! I was very nervous about the altitude, and wondering how bad Saddle Road would be. I left the decision about a rental car vs. a tour up to my husband, who is a biologist and experienced with all kinds of driving conditions including off-road. He rented us a car (either 4 wheel drive or all-wheel drive) and we were both surprised at how good Saddle Rd. actually is, after everything we had read about it. It's a good road, and paved most of the way. Only a part of it is unpaved, and it is similar to other mountain roads. Driving Saddle Road in good weather, with the right vehicle, seemed safe to us, and the road didn't make me feel nervous at all. If you have driven in Costa Rica, many roads there are far worse! We stopped in the visitor's center to inquire about weather and road conditions, and then drove up to the summit. It was a clear and sunny day, although there's a chilly wind up on the summit.
I want to thank all of you visitors who decide to pay for the expensive ($200) “tour” up to the summit, because you are keeping the traffic on the road to the summit much lighter for us independent visitors! Judging from the 8 tour buses that we saw, and the prices we heard being discussed, somebody is making some nice money off of all the tourists who want to be driven up to the summit.
The visitor's center up at Mauna Kea can give you information on weather and road conditions, and whether it is a good day to drive up to the summit. We took some photos in an attempt to show the actual road conditions. Eventually I will get those photos online if anybody wants to see them.
My husband was so patient with me! I was so nervous about the high altitude. We stopped at the visitor's center for a while. Then as we drove up to the summit, when we had almost reached 12,000 feet, I felt so much pressure on my chest, I thought I was getting a heart attack, and I remembered reading about pulmonary edema.
So we did make it up to the summit of Mauna Kea at 13,000 feet! We didn't walk too far once we were up there, as the altitude does make you tired very quickly. We kissed at 13,000 feet to celebrate our 30th anniversary...a new “high” for me!
There are some beautiful sites on the way to the Mauna Kea visitor's center...you can see the fire-red color of the “hills” or cinder cones...so beautiful. Even if you don't go to the summit...go to the visitor's center at least! There are also a few easy walks that you can do, on the way up, before you reach the Visitor's Center.
We stayed to see the stars at Mauna Kea visitor's center. They were beautiful, but the moon was bright, so the sky wasn't really black enough. We felt the starlight at the Volcanoes National park had been just as amazing as Mauna Kea.
HILO FARMERS MARKET:
We enjoyed wandering through the Hilo Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning. The produce was colorful and there were craft vendors.
Www.hilofarmersmarket.com
WAIMEA FARMERS MARKET:
We enjoyed the Waimea Farmers Market even more than the Hilo Farmers Market! We spent hours looking at artwork and jewelry by local artists, and tasting local coffee, tea, and macadamia nuts. Lots of locals come to the Waimea Farmers Market, which is on a Saturday.
Waimea is an easy day-trip from the Kohala coast.
TO BE CONTINUED: (Coming up Next: Best Breakfasts, Lunches, & Dinners...)
Wow...thanks for the report. We're heading to the Big Island this spring and it's great to hear about the places we plan to visit first hand! We're spending 4 nights in Hilo and 7 near Kona.
Utahtea
Utahtea: You will love the Big Island...have fun! We were so happy that we split the stay between Hilo and the west side. I think you have a good plan. I will be posting our favorite places to eat on the Big Island later today or this weekend. When you stay in Kona, don't miss watching the sunset at the Place of Refuge (see trip report above.) It's a spirit-filled place with a lot of history. Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.
songdoc: Thanks! I'll look for your trip report on Kauai...I do remember you are a fan of Kauai! I bet you are missing it already. My husband and I had such a good time on the Big Island that we miss it. Sometimes we just look at each other and smile and say "Hawaii". I am really addicted to the excellent Kona coffee that I bought fresh from the coffee plantation (in my report) on the Big Island...I just ran out of it... ah the sweet power of dark roast Kona! Now I have to order more by mail as I have never seen 100% dark roast Kona in San Diego...only medium roast. It's pricey but the freshness and quality of the Kona from the plantation is phenomenal. Addicting. We just bought some Papayas from our Costco in San Diego and are waiting for them to ripen. But I don't think they will be as good as the papayas we had at the Shipman B&B in Hawaii.
TRIP REPORT TO BE CONTINUED (Coming up Next: Best Breakfasts, lunches, & Dinners...)
BEST FOOD On Big Island !!!
We enjoyed a total of 26 meals on the Big Island of Hawaii on this trip. Here are our top picks for BEST FOOD on the Big Island.
BEST BREAKFAST:
#1 Best Breakfast: (Score: 10/10 )
Shipman House B&B, Hilo
www.hilo-hawaii.com
Shipman House B&B has the top breakfast on the Big Island!!! It is tasty, healthy, and beautifully presented. Our taste buds were tantalized by the gorgeous fresh ripe papayas, passion fruit, and a dozen different fresh tropical fruits every morning!
2nd place Breakfast: (Score: 8/10)
Hawaiian Style Cafe, Waimea
Hayashi Bldg, 64-1290 Kawaihae Rd.
Our 2nd place award for Best Breakfast on the Big Island goes to a local place called Hawaiian Style Cafe in Waimea. We sat at the U-shaped counter between locals. We ordered a huge plate of fluffy macadamia nut pancakes, and another huge plate of Kalua pork hash with eggs & fried rice. We shared this decadent breakfast. LOVE the Kalua pork hash! We timed our visit to Waimea to visit the Saturday Waimea Farmer's Market, which is a fun local event!
3rd place Breakfast: (Score: 7/10)
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel room service breakfast
Our 3rd place award for best breakfast goes to the whole wheat pancakes & side of bacon that we ordered through room service at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. The breakfast was pricey, but I ordered breakfast for 1 person and it was enough food for the two of us! The whole wheat pancakes had a great texture, and the bacon was nice and crispy. We enjoyed this breakfast on our lanai with an ocean view. Coffee is free for hotel guests, although I must say I didn't like the coffee. I think their coffee is only a 10% Kona blend.
BEST LUNCH:
#1 Best Lunch: (Score: 9/10)
The Coffee Shack
83-5799 Mamalahoa Highway, Mile Marker #108
www.coffeeshack.com
Our 1st place award for best lunch goes to The Coffee Shack, a casual, friendly deli/cafe with a gorgeous view. It is located in the hills above the Kona coast. We took our sandwiches & banana bread to go, since we were doing a day-trip along the west coast. The sandwiches are home-made, and even the bread was delicious! We shared 1 veggie sandwich which was stuffed with avocado, and 1 Hot Corned Beef Ruben (with pastrami substituted for corned beef.)
If you are driving up to the hills above the Kona coast to visit a Kona coffee plantation, the Coffee Shack is a convenient stop for breakfast and lunch. The food is home-made and much better than what you will find at a deli “chain”. If I were a local, I would eat at The Coffee Shack twice every week! It's only open for breakfast and lunch. They also serve 100% Kona coffee.
The sandwiches & banana bread from The Coffee Shack were fresh, home-made, and delicious! We ate them on a picnic table by the sea, at the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National historical park (west coast, south Kona area.)
2nd place Lunch: (Score: 8/10)
Cafe Pesto, Hilo
S Hata Bldg, 308 Kamehameha Ave.
My 2nd place award for best lunch on the Big Island goes to Cafe Pesto in Hilo. I dined alone, since this was my shopping & relaxing day, and my biologist husband needed an active hiking day. I loved my salad with fresh organic greens, topped with Ono, a very tasty fish. Service was friendly. The Passion iced tea which I ordered was better than others which I had tried on the Big Island.
BEST DINNERS:
BEST DINNER SETTING:
Canoehouse
Mauna Lani Hotel, Kohala
Our award for best dinner setting goes to the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. We had reserved a table outside for our anniversary sunset dinner. It was a memorable atmosphere for an anniversary. However the food, while good, fell short of excellent, and for the price, I felt it should have been excellent. We both ordered seafood.
BEST DINNER FOOD:
#1 Best Dinner: (Score: 9/10)
Village Burger, Waimea
(in Parker Ranch Center, Waimea)
www.villageburgerwaimea.com
Our #1 pick for best dinner is burgers & fries at the Village Burger in a shopping center called Parker Ranch Center in Waimea! This was an unexpected treat. We ran out of time for a sit-down dinner, so we ate here near the food court because I liked the info on their sign. WOW! My Hawaiian Red Veal burger was the best burger I ever had!!! It melted in my mouth like butter. The taste was so pure and unprocessed. My husband ordered a different burger, also tasty. Good fries as well.
I don't normally eat Veal because it isn't usually raised in a humane way. But apparently the Village Burger's food is all locally sourced, supporting island ranchers, and it is pasture-raised beef, hormone & antibiotic-free, ground & handcrafted fresh daily. I am told that these babies are put out to pasture with their mothers.
The Village Burger also offers Ahi burgers, vegetarian Taro burgers, and Mushroom burgers. If I was a local, I'd eat here once a week!
2nd place Dinner: (Score: 8/10)
Hilo Bay Cafe, Hilo
Waiakea Center, 315 Maka'ala St.
We enjoyed 2 great dinners at the Hilo Bay Cafe. Don't let the location scare you off...in a parking lot near a Walmart. Once you are seated in the Hilo Bay Cafe, it has a nice atmosphere. Make a reservation as it's small and popular. We enjoyed the seafood & salads. The chef is talented and creative. My only complaint is that one of my meals came with home-made beans, but they were tough and should have been cooked longer to soften them. This little cafe feels fancy enough for a special occasion...we had a table reserved for my birthday dinner.
3rd place Dinner: (Score: 6/10)
Seaside Restaurant, Hilo
1790 Kalaniana'ole Ave., Hilo
Our 3rd place award for best dinner goes to the Seaside Restaurant in Hilo. We had a reservation to sit with a view of the water in the back patio room. SEAFOOD is the reason to eat at this restaurant. The quality and portions of their seafood are excellent. However their side dishes are just ok. I ordered Mahi-Mahi and it was excellent, and the portion was so generous that I couldn't eat it all. This family-run restaurant raises some of its own fish. This restaurant has a casual atmosphere...nothing fancy, just big portions of fresh tasty fish.
4th place Dinner: (Score: 6/10)
Sombat's Fresh Thai Cuisine
We love Thai food, and being from San Diego, we are used to spicy food of all types, and we can handle some jalapenos and chile peppers. HOWEVER the food at Sombat's was way too spicy even for us. I feel this is partly the waiter's fault, as our waiter didn't seem to know the food very well, and he told me the ginger chicken doesn't come with veggies for example...however it came with plenty of veggies, to my delight, and he apologized and said he got confused. HOWEVER I also made it clear that we wanted our food to be somewhere between mild and medium, as far as the spicy heat goes. But our dishes came out very very spicy. The ingredients were nice and fresh, but the dishes were just too spicy to enjoy. I could barely eat mine.
THAT'S IT for my report on the BEST FOOD on the Big Island of Hawaii! Ah, such delicious memories...
TRIP REPORT TO BE CONTINUED: (I'm almost finished! Plus I will post a link to photos.)
ALOHA, HAWAII, I MISS YOU!
...Birds twittering... It will be cold tonight (53 degrees) and I miss Hawaii. I miss the flip flop weather. I miss the sweet ripe papayas with a scoop of passion fruit and a squeeze of Hawiian “lime”. 
My yard is a-twitter with birds, and the purple lupines are blooming along with yellow and red flowering native plants.
We snorkeled before breakfast, no sunscreen, yay, and worked up an appetite for breakfast. I said goodbye to 2 honu (green turtles) in the water that morning, and Aloha to the Big Island of Hawaii...see you next time!
Sipping smooth sweet dark roast Kona in my sunny back yard in San Diego...
How I wish I could do a quick snorkeling swim before breakfast now! On the Big Island, we walked straight out of our hotel room into the calm clear water.
MAHALO to all the fodorites who helped us plan our trip to the Big Island! I appreciate the answered questions and the Trip Reports!
THE END!
PHOTOS: I'll post a link to our photos as soon as I can.
Awesome report! Thank you so much. I just booked airfare for ten days on the Big Island for me, DW, DS (13), and DD(8). We are trying to decide how to split our time between the two sides, so I really appreciate your detail.
Thank you for the report on Mauna Kea. We have rented a vehicle from Harpers. According to the Visitor Center Web site, they have a caravan that drives up to the summit on weekends and makes the observatories available.
Melissa, What did you wear at the summit. We are going in May and I don't want to pack too much but I don't want to freeze. What kept you warm?
DawnCt: You asked what I wore to keep warm up at the summit of Mauna Kea. Good question. Wear layers! I wore a thin light-weight pair of zip-off pants under a pair of stretchy jeans. (Jeans with latex.) I wore two pairs of socks and leather walking shoes. I wore a long-sleeved shirt, a medium-weight fleece, a thin unlined waterproof/windproof raincoat, and on top of all of that, I wore a winter jacket, which I borrowed from a kind lady at my b&b who offered to lend it to me! I get cold easily and I needed all of that. Plus I had a small ski cap and gloves. My husband was warm enough in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a thick water-resistant winter weight fleece. (But he doesn't feel the cold like I do.) NOTE THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME UP AT THE SUMMIT! The longer you stay up on the summit, the more you will feel the cold. The wind freezes your face, so once we got up there, I understood why some people had caps which included a face-protector. (I just wore a small ski cap.) Enjoy your visit to the summit! We didn't get to do the caravan up to the summit as we weren't there on the weekend...let us know how that goes! It's cool that you will get to see the observatories. By the way if you are up at Mauna Kea on a sunny day, even though its cold, the sun does warm you a bit. But if you stay to see the stars, it really gets COLD when the sun goes down! Brrrrrr!
DanM: You are welcome! The Big Island is a great choice for a family. I think the Volcanoes National Park is a fascinating choice for all ages. Plus snorkeling with turtles would be a fun experience for you all, if you can do it. Have a memorable trip! Also, if I were you, I'd look into booking this experience, which is snorkeling from a boat: (We didn't do it but it has been highly recommended and I want to do it next time):
Snorkel Kealakekua Bay/Captain Cook Monument:
Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides
www.fair-wind.com
PHOTOS coming soon...sorry it's taking me so long!
Thank you Melissa. I hope I can fit enough warm stuff in my suit case!
Thanks for the report, makes me want to go back to the BI! I'm waiting for the pictures.
emalloy: I'm waiting for the pictures too, as I've got a few but I'm waiting for my husband to give me his...then I've got to remember how to make a web album that I can share. Soon!
DawnCt: The main problem will be fitting a winter coat in your luggage! Consider wearing your coat on the plane. Someone suggested picking up a coat in Hawaii at a discount store such as a Good Will or Salvation army store? In my case, I brought everything except for a winter coat...and a kindly guest at my b&b insisted I borrow hers!
I can't wait to see your pictures! What a great report.
Really enjoying your report - and LOL. When I went to the top of Mt. Haleakula on Maui to greet the Sun God - (and I never take a coat to the Islands - except a light sport coat for dinner - plus am part "polar bear" despite now also living here in SD) - I did grab a towel on the way out of the hotel room at oh dark thirty - and boy am I glad I did.
I unabashedly wore it around my shoulders as we were waiting for the Son God to appear - as it does get chilly in the dark at altitude - even in Paradise.
Tomsd: Good thing you had a towel handy when it got chilly in paradise! My husband and I also enjoyed Haleakula on Maui...but it was so windy when we were up there! Thanks for your comments.
willowjane: Thanks for the compliment. Yes I will have those photos on here soon! We are choosing one of our photos from Switzerland trip to blow up and hang on the wall. We will do the same for the Big Island of Hawaii. It's challenging because you have to choose a photo which isn't too grainy when you blow it up!
PHOTOS coming up soon!
Thanks for the great ideas.
PHOTOS
Sweet memories! Our photos of Big Island Hawaii are ready to share! See link below.
https://picasaweb.google.com/wingsonmysandals/BigIslandHawaiiJanuaryFebruary2012AnniversaryTripPublicAlbum?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJqVkNT74cWzYQ&feat=directlink
Thanks - love the pics, even though I am on a diet. Could jump in and devour all of it.
And yes, compared to Costa Rica Roads -the Saddle Road looks like I 5.
Tomsd: Thanks for your comment.
Glad you enjoyed our photos of the Big Island. Go ahead and jump in and devour the tropical fruit...it's healthy, and fruit is low-glycemic! However the pancakes were definitely a high-glycemic indulgance. 
We took the photos of Saddle Rd. and the road up to Mauna Kea summit past the visitor's center to help other travelers.
Melissa5, Thank you for sharing your pictures. It makes me so excited about our upcoming trip!
Utahtea
Utahtea: You are welcome. Enjoy your upcoming trip to the Big Island! Which side of the island are you staying on?
Melissa5, We have 4 nights in Hilo and 7 nights in Kona on the Big Island then we fly to Maui for 8 nights in Kihei. http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/hawaii-first-time-help.cfm
It's been a while since I've read your report, but I plan on using it for more planning!
Utahtea
utahtea: I think you have a nice balance with 4 nights in Hilo and 7 nights in Kona.
Plenty to do using Hilo as a base! I know you will enjoy the Volcanoes National park as a day-trip from Hilo. If you like coffee be sure to head for the hills above Kona where there are coffee plantations. I mention in my trip report where I bought the best organic Kona coffee I've ever tasted...now I'm spoiled and I find myself disappointed with the coffees that I used to like here at home in San Diego. I'm going to mail-order some of that Big Island fresh Kona. I've also been to Maui which we found romantic for an anniversary trip, although a bit more touristed than the Big Island. Enjoy!
Meli: Haven't looked lately - but in such places as Ralph's - they had Kona coffee - sometimes on sale.
They also had a good brand from Costa Rica.
Most kona coffee on the mainland is a blend, not the same at all as the real thing.
mzt: It's been a couple years - and now buy most of my strong coffee at Starbuck's now - but I thought I saw the same bags/brand on the Ralph's shelf that I saw in Paradise. Had brought some back from Kona/BI - so didn't buy any more Ralph's - so maybe they do blend what they shipped - but this looked like the real deal.