I just got back form 7 days on the Big Island of Hawaii, and I want to thank everyone who posted trip reports, restaurant reviews, and advice about beaches! Our group consisted of me (30-something female) and my parents, who are in their 50s.

Our first day was very short since most of it was spent traveling. We got in on the late evening American flight and stayed at the Kona Seaside Hotel downtown. It was clean and comfortable, especially since we were so tired!

The second day, we drove from Kona around the southern tip of the island. Along the way there, we stopped at the Punalu'u black sand beach. The tide was coming in, so we didn't get into he water, but we did enjoy walking along the beach. There were two sea turtles in the surf, too! Unfortunately, we missed several turnoffs for things we had wanted to see: Place of Refuge and the Painted Church. The traffic on the single-lane highway was just awful, and we were so busy focusing on it that we didn't see the signs. We didn't go to South Point because we'd heard that the road there wasn't paved, which we later found out wasn't true. Oh well. That night, we stayed in Volcano Village at the Country Goose B&B. The B&B was great! Joan's breakfast was great and the room had everything we needed. After checking in, we drove into Volcano NP near sunset. We stopped at the Kilauea caldera, and then drove down Chain of Craters Road to where it ended. We debated about walking out to the lava flow, but Mom was hesitant since it was an hour's walk over the unmarked lava flow trail, so we decided not to do it. We did have dinner at the Volcano House, which was excellent.

The next morning, after the wonderful breakfast, we headed back into the park. We did the Crater Rim Drive this time. We walked the Devastation Trail, Thurston Lava Tube, and out to several of the other caldera and craters. The park was amazing, and we really enjoyed it. We wished that we had started with the museum after the Visitor's Center because it provided more answers and was a better guide than the Visitor's Center. We stopped at the Lava Rock Cafe in Volcano for lunch, and headed on to Hilo. Along the way, we drove down the beautiful Highway 137. We stopped several times to admire the scenery and to walk on the coast. The surfers at the state park were neat! In Hilo, we stayed at the Wild Ginger Inn. It is a B&B style place that is the worker's quarters of a former sugar plantation. The rooms are very basic, but the beds were comfortable and each room had a fridge. We tried to have dinner at Uncle Billy's, but even though the restaurant was half empty, the hostess said there was a 45-minute wait, so we left. We ended up eating at the Kuhio Grill, which was good Hawaiian food. Mom didn't like the LauLau, but Dad and I enjoyed our food.

The fourth day, we drove north from Hilo. We stopped at Rainbow Falls and the Boiling Pots, which were both gorgeous. Mom had heard of a scenic drive just outside Hilo, and it was a small road, wending its way through the jungle! Neat! We managed to arrive at Akaka Falls just as a tour bus was leaving, so we walked the entire circle trail and saw both sets of falls. The foliage and the falls were very beautiful! Continuing on, we drove to the Waipio Valley Overlook, which was just spectacular! The little town of Honoka'a had a great art gallery and shop, so we stopped and looked. We ate lunch at the Tex's Drive In, and the malasadas (Portuguese donuts with filling) were great! The next stop was Waimea, and the Parker Ranch. I bought quite a few gifts at their store, and was impressed at how low the prices were. We also stocked up on groceries at the store there. Finally, we checked in to our condo at Paniolo Greens in Waikoloa and relaxed for the evening.

The fifth day was a busy one! We went to the activities orientation at the resort, and booked our tours for the rest of the week. We got a Diamond Card, which provided a substantial savings on most of them. That afternoon, we did a 2-hour flightseeing trip with Mokulele Flight Service. It was wonderful! We all took lots of pictures, and our pilot was very informative and friendly. Afterwards, we bought supplies for dinner and grilled outdoors at sunset. This was the only clear evening on our entire trip, and we saw the summit of Mauna Kea with its observatories. Neat!

The sixth day we headed to the beach. We wanted to go to Spencer Beach, but the gates were shut and it was closed for maintenance that week, so we headed back down to "A-Bay" park instead. The snorkeling there was pretty good, but the water was somewhat cloudy. We did manage to see lots of big, colorful fish, and a sea turtle. That evening, we did a tour to the Kahua Ranch, up on the north side of Kohala. The ranch is a family operation, and the very friendly owner and the staff greeted us. The food (teriyaki steak) was excellent, and the Kona Brewing Company beer was ice cold. The ranch cat discovered that Mom is a cat lover, and was waiting for us when we sat down after getting our food. She sat beside Mom during dinner and waited patiently for bites of chicken! After dinner, there was a sing-along with a good local country singer, dancing, branding on wood shingles, roping, and s'mores. If it hadn't started raining, there would have been stargazing, too. We really enjoyed the evening.

The seventh day was my day to go to Oahu. I booked my day tour trip through Polynesian Adventure Tours on the internet. I flew over on the morning Aloha Airlines flight, and met up with the group at the airport. I'm not usually a bus tour person, but after seeing the Honolulu traffic, I knew I made a good choice! We started the day at the USS Arizona Memorial. Of course, the visitor's center was very crowded, but we only had to wait an hour for our ticket number to be called. The film was very moving, and the Memorial was even more so. I really am glad that I went! After the memorial, we went to a scenic overlook (which most of us wish we had just skipped) and through the Punchbowl Cemetery. Then, we stopped in Waikiki for lunch. I managed to find a Japanese restaurant and had some very good shrimp tempura. (Most everyone else in the group went to the Cheesecake Factory!) I also did some shopping in the International Market, and got some good bargains on gifts. After lunch, we went back to the Navy base, and did a tour of the USS Missouri. It was very nice to see it had been well restored, much better than the Battleship Texas! The tour guides were all very well informed, and our group found it ironic that the Japanese tour groups didn't flock to the Missouri like they did to the Arizona... After the Missouri, it was time to head back to the airport for my quick flight back. My parents spent their day doing the Fairwinds Snorkel tour, and we all went to Cassandra's for good Greek food that evening.

My last day on the island, we saw the Kohala area. I really enjoyed shopping in Hawi, and we had a very good lunch at the Bamboo Restaurant. We also saw the Pololu Valley overlook, which was even more beautiful than Waipio! We hurried back to the condo, grabbed my suitcase, and headed to downtown Kona. We stopped at the airport and bought leis from me to take home (the lei stand closes early) and kept them in a cooler while we went to the King Kamahameha Luau. I enjoyed the luau a lot since it was my first one. (No, I didn't try any poi!) I really liked the imu-cooked pig, and I teased Mom by eating laulau in front of her. ;-) We all enjoyed the dancing, and I just hated to have to leave during the end of the Samoan Fire Dance, but I had a plane to catch.

Overall it was a very enjoyable trip!

I forgot to mention one of my favorite restaurants: Ken's House of Pancakes in Hilo. We went there for breakfast on day four. The food was great, especially the coconut pancake syrup! Get there early, because the small parking lot fills up really fast on weekends.

ChristieP,

Thanks for the report. My husband and I are leaving for the Big Island on Friday and I'm going to print out your trip report to take with us.

Although you didn't walk out to the lava flow, did you hear any comments from people who did? The walk isn't a big deal to us, but I'm wondering if it's un-marked, how hard it would be to find.

ChristieP, did you remember my mentioning Ken's House of Pancakes on here a few weeks ago? When we ate there af few years ago, it was just by chance but we loved the breakfast there. Your report really took me back, especially talking about Akaka Falls, the Waipio Valley, etc. It's a wonderful island............ thanks for a great report!

ChristieP - thanks for the report. Sounds like a great trip.

I traveled to Hawaii with my mother in March, and we spent some (but not enough) time on the Big Island. We, too, enjoyed the drive up to North Kohala -- the Polulu Valley overlook, Hawi, etc.

Sorry you missed the Place of Refuge, but I hear you on the traffic in that area and the ease of finding the turn-offs. The book of maps that we got from National with our car was invaluable, particularly in that area.

Yes, I did find out about Ken's from this site!

We spoke to people coming away from the lava flows, and they said it is an hour's hike over the old flows to the new one, and the Ranger told us the trail is unmarked. Mom recently had a knee replacement, so she didn't want to chance it. For a healthy, fit person, it shouldn't be a difficult hike as long as you bring LOTS of water. The dried, black lava flows are very hot, and the new ones are hot, too!

Thanks for the report ChristieP, I really enjoyed it. I hope to get to the BI someday soon.

WOW! You did more on one trip than alot do in 3! WAY TO GO!!..Sounds like you had a great time.

Especially like the drive down hyw 137....glad you did that...sort of what you really think Hawaii should be!

Nice report.

Thanks ChristieP... We'll take the hike, with lots of water. I look forward to posting my trip report! We have lots of ideas, but not an established itinerary.