Missing Trip Report - 2 of 4
Jun 28th, 2004 | 02:07 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
Missing Trip Report - 2 of 4
May 19th
Got up early and headed to Port Allen for our helicopter trip. We had booked the two-hour Waterfall adventure with A-1 Inter-island Helicopters. It was almost an hour drive but definitely worth it. There are only 4 passengers and we ended up with the two back seats, which meant we both had a window. But wait a minute; there were no windows and no doors! I think my husband was a little nervous at first but I had a blast. No doors meant that nothing was in the way for picture taking (and his pictures were amazing). Part of the tour is a 45 minute stop at a waterfall, where we swam in the pool below it and then had a very good deli lunch. I still can?t believe we landed in such a small area. It was a trip we?ll always remember. At $500 US ($675Cdn) we?ll be paying for it for ever. <g> When we were leaving, there was a women getting on with a long white dress. I asked about it because it didn?t seem appropriate and it turns out that she was getting married at the waterfall. Wow! Now that?s a ceremony she?ll always remember!
After our trip, we then drove to the end of #50 to Polihale Beach. This included 3.3 miles on a dirt road full of potholes. The beach is beautiful and worth the visit. We then stopped at Jo Jo's for shave ice. My husband passed.
May 20th
Drove north to Banana Joe's fruit stand for bananas & sliced pineapple & then to Guava Kai. Back in town we stopped for lunch at L&L Drive In. I had heard about this place in my Hawaii magazine and boy is it an interesting place. A mixture of Chinese and local food. LOTS of food for very little cost. We then drove to the south shore and drove Poipu Road to both ends. At the east end, we went all the way possible on the dirt road and then hiked from Gillin's Beach to see the lithified cliffs. Nice easy hike. We then drove to the other end of Poipu Road visiting Sprouting Horn.
We went back to Safeway to get a chicken meal deal for $7.99 and ate half for dinner. Good deal and easy after a long day.
May 21st
Started off the day having my nails done. Thanks again to all the helpful people on this forum. (You know which ones you are <g>)
Drove to Wailua Falls & then back via the scenic route (Kipu Rd) to Lihue. Nice side trip to see the kayakers on the river and the Menehune fish ponds and then it was home for lunch.
After a short nap, it was off to snorkel at Lydgate Park. Nice area with lots of fish. Home for a quick shower and then drove to the Princeville Hotel for the Friday Seafood Buffet. We arrived early and I thought we could have a look at Queen's Bath but the trail was too muddy for our dress shoes and then we couldn't even find Hideaway's Beach.
Now a lot of people on this forum have mixed comments on the seafood buffet but we loved it! We got a nice romantic table for two on the balcony just as the sun was setting. I?m not a big seafood fan like my husband, but it was quite nice. He kept wondering why he was the only one going for the oysters. I?m always surprised that an expensive buffet ($49.95/person) always has someone filling up on bread and rolls. My husband & I dressed up and we were surprised at how many men were wearing shorts to dinner. (I made my husband wear pants.) All in all it was a nice evening.
May 22nd
We slept in and then headed over snorkel at Lydgate Park. It was the first time we took the underwater cases for our digital cameras and we were quite pleased with the results. There were tons of fish and they are use to be fed so they were not camera shy. Got some really good shots. Also got a lot of fish butts.
We then went back home for lunch before heading out to hike Kuilau Ridge Trail. This is a nice easy hike at the end of #580. It was a nice gradual climb and provided some nice views of the island interior. We didn?t go all the way (only 4 miles) but you must go past the picnic table for the best views! We ended up back at the picnic tale to eat our snack and talk to fellow hikers from Texas and Hollywood.
After another 2 hour nap <g>, we headed over to the Coconut Market place where my husband bought me a beautiful necklace for our 10th anniversary. Then it was back home to pack for our move to the Big Island.
May 23rd
Up early to return the car before catching our 9am flight to Honolulu and then our 11am flight to Hilo. Once again, security was bad and we had every piece torn apart and this time including us. They even checked the bottom of your feet. By now my husband is miserable again. We arrived in Hilo to pouring rain, which I am told is the norm. We picked up our rental car, a brand new Alero and we?re off to find our new home for the next week. This time it?s a vacation rental and not a B&B. It was called Deep Hawaii and is located off #130 in Puna. We had the one bedroom house for $400US a week. They also have a studio and 2-bdrm house available. It was brand new and quite spacious, but it didn?t have all the extras like a Bed of Roses. No basics like napkins, sugar, beach towels, etc. It also had a problem with cockroaches, which I understand is the norm for the area but I?m sorry, I?m from Canada and our cockroaches (which I don?t have) are small compared to these tropical ones. Yuck! That freaked me out so bad I wouldn?t go into the kitchen.
After checking in (no sign of our host) but the house was ready, we headed off to Pahola to get some lunch and groceries. We had a great lunch at Luquin's Mexican Restaurant. Lots of good food for a fair price. I actually couldn?t finish my quesadilla and had take out. We checked out the local grocery store and decided to drive up #130 to Keaau for our weekly supplies. We went back to the house and took it easy unpacking and doing 2 loads of laundry. I must mention that my husband really wanted to go fishing in Hawaii but all we could find were deep sea charters. When we were passing through Hilo airport, he grabbed a brochure for someone who did light tackle/reef fishing. He called them tonight and we made arrangements to go out tomorrow morning at 9am.
Got up early and headed to Port Allen for our helicopter trip. We had booked the two-hour Waterfall adventure with A-1 Inter-island Helicopters. It was almost an hour drive but definitely worth it. There are only 4 passengers and we ended up with the two back seats, which meant we both had a window. But wait a minute; there were no windows and no doors! I think my husband was a little nervous at first but I had a blast. No doors meant that nothing was in the way for picture taking (and his pictures were amazing). Part of the tour is a 45 minute stop at a waterfall, where we swam in the pool below it and then had a very good deli lunch. I still can?t believe we landed in such a small area. It was a trip we?ll always remember. At $500 US ($675Cdn) we?ll be paying for it for ever. <g> When we were leaving, there was a women getting on with a long white dress. I asked about it because it didn?t seem appropriate and it turns out that she was getting married at the waterfall. Wow! Now that?s a ceremony she?ll always remember!
After our trip, we then drove to the end of #50 to Polihale Beach. This included 3.3 miles on a dirt road full of potholes. The beach is beautiful and worth the visit. We then stopped at Jo Jo's for shave ice. My husband passed.
May 20th
Drove north to Banana Joe's fruit stand for bananas & sliced pineapple & then to Guava Kai. Back in town we stopped for lunch at L&L Drive In. I had heard about this place in my Hawaii magazine and boy is it an interesting place. A mixture of Chinese and local food. LOTS of food for very little cost. We then drove to the south shore and drove Poipu Road to both ends. At the east end, we went all the way possible on the dirt road and then hiked from Gillin's Beach to see the lithified cliffs. Nice easy hike. We then drove to the other end of Poipu Road visiting Sprouting Horn.
We went back to Safeway to get a chicken meal deal for $7.99 and ate half for dinner. Good deal and easy after a long day.
May 21st
Started off the day having my nails done. Thanks again to all the helpful people on this forum. (You know which ones you are <g>)
Drove to Wailua Falls & then back via the scenic route (Kipu Rd) to Lihue. Nice side trip to see the kayakers on the river and the Menehune fish ponds and then it was home for lunch.
After a short nap, it was off to snorkel at Lydgate Park. Nice area with lots of fish. Home for a quick shower and then drove to the Princeville Hotel for the Friday Seafood Buffet. We arrived early and I thought we could have a look at Queen's Bath but the trail was too muddy for our dress shoes and then we couldn't even find Hideaway's Beach.
Now a lot of people on this forum have mixed comments on the seafood buffet but we loved it! We got a nice romantic table for two on the balcony just as the sun was setting. I?m not a big seafood fan like my husband, but it was quite nice. He kept wondering why he was the only one going for the oysters. I?m always surprised that an expensive buffet ($49.95/person) always has someone filling up on bread and rolls. My husband & I dressed up and we were surprised at how many men were wearing shorts to dinner. (I made my husband wear pants.) All in all it was a nice evening.
May 22nd
We slept in and then headed over snorkel at Lydgate Park. It was the first time we took the underwater cases for our digital cameras and we were quite pleased with the results. There were tons of fish and they are use to be fed so they were not camera shy. Got some really good shots. Also got a lot of fish butts.
We then went back home for lunch before heading out to hike Kuilau Ridge Trail. This is a nice easy hike at the end of #580. It was a nice gradual climb and provided some nice views of the island interior. We didn?t go all the way (only 4 miles) but you must go past the picnic table for the best views! We ended up back at the picnic tale to eat our snack and talk to fellow hikers from Texas and Hollywood.
After another 2 hour nap <g>, we headed over to the Coconut Market place where my husband bought me a beautiful necklace for our 10th anniversary. Then it was back home to pack for our move to the Big Island.
May 23rd
Up early to return the car before catching our 9am flight to Honolulu and then our 11am flight to Hilo. Once again, security was bad and we had every piece torn apart and this time including us. They even checked the bottom of your feet. By now my husband is miserable again. We arrived in Hilo to pouring rain, which I am told is the norm. We picked up our rental car, a brand new Alero and we?re off to find our new home for the next week. This time it?s a vacation rental and not a B&B. It was called Deep Hawaii and is located off #130 in Puna. We had the one bedroom house for $400US a week. They also have a studio and 2-bdrm house available. It was brand new and quite spacious, but it didn?t have all the extras like a Bed of Roses. No basics like napkins, sugar, beach towels, etc. It also had a problem with cockroaches, which I understand is the norm for the area but I?m sorry, I?m from Canada and our cockroaches (which I don?t have) are small compared to these tropical ones. Yuck! That freaked me out so bad I wouldn?t go into the kitchen.
After checking in (no sign of our host) but the house was ready, we headed off to Pahola to get some lunch and groceries. We had a great lunch at Luquin's Mexican Restaurant. Lots of good food for a fair price. I actually couldn?t finish my quesadilla and had take out. We checked out the local grocery store and decided to drive up #130 to Keaau for our weekly supplies. We went back to the house and took it easy unpacking and doing 2 loads of laundry. I must mention that my husband really wanted to go fishing in Hawaii but all we could find were deep sea charters. When we were passing through Hilo airport, he grabbed a brochure for someone who did light tackle/reef fishing. He called them tonight and we made arrangements to go out tomorrow morning at 9am.
Jun 29th, 2004 | 08:36 AM
#2
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Aloha BettyinToronto! We will be travelling to Hawaii (3 islands) in October (from Aurora - north of TO) and plan on doing some of the same things that you have done - hiking (Kauai), and lots of snorkelling. One of the hikes that we plan on doing is Nu'alolo Trail/Awa'awapuhi Grand Loop. I have been concerned azbout the one area on the hike that you mention, although your post is the first one I've seen that says how steep the drop is. Is it straight down, as in right off the cliff? How far do you have to walk on that narrow path?
2nd question - We have been thinking about purchasing an underwater camera case for our Canon digital camera. However, the case is relly expensive - about $250 Cnd. Did you find a good place to buy yours, and did you think that the photos were worth the price?
Mahalo for your help. Marilyn
2nd question - We have been thinking about purchasing an underwater camera case for our Canon digital camera. However, the case is relly expensive - about $250 Cnd. Did you find a good place to buy yours, and did you think that the photos were worth the price?
Mahalo for your help. Marilyn
Jun 29th, 2004 | 12:59 PM
#4
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Christie - did you have a particular brand of underwater camera that you tried? We have used them a few times and didn't get good photos, and on our last trip we borrowed an underwater camera from a friend and still didn't have good photos. This time we thought we might consider the underwater case with our digital, but they are so--- expensive.
Maybe I should post this question - what people have used for underwater photos.
Maybe I should post this question - what people have used for underwater photos.
Jun 29th, 2004 | 02:07 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
Pinnacle: Aurora! I'm in Vandorf (Woodbine Ave 1km south of Aurora Rd). Small world. (Joined the forum years ago when I lived in TO and never changed my ID)
1. The hike was hard. Going down Nu'alolo Trail was very difficult. Not fun at all! The cross over is very dangerous. As we were doing the cross over, I kept telling my husband about the women who had posted it here "that there was a really bad section". I kept saying "Ya. Where?" But when we reached it, we thought about turning back but didn't want to go up what we just came down. As I said in my report, I feel you get the most bang for your buck by going down Awa'awapuhi right to the lookout - the better of the two and then right back up again. 1500ft slow descent and ascent. Nothing dangerous about it.
2. I thought the camera casing was worth it. I got great pictures because I don't kick up sand like alot of snorkelers. I also take a breath and go down to where the fish are. My husband has a better camera (Olympus C5060) but he floated on the top and zoomed in.
Betty in Vandorf <g>
1. The hike was hard. Going down Nu'alolo Trail was very difficult. Not fun at all! The cross over is very dangerous. As we were doing the cross over, I kept telling my husband about the women who had posted it here "that there was a really bad section". I kept saying "Ya. Where?" But when we reached it, we thought about turning back but didn't want to go up what we just came down. As I said in my report, I feel you get the most bang for your buck by going down Awa'awapuhi right to the lookout - the better of the two and then right back up again. 1500ft slow descent and ascent. Nothing dangerous about it.
2. I thought the camera casing was worth it. I got great pictures because I don't kick up sand like alot of snorkelers. I also take a breath and go down to where the fish are. My husband has a better camera (Olympus C5060) but he floated on the top and zoomed in.
Betty in Vandorf <g>
Jun 29th, 2004 | 02:36 PM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 0
Aloohaaaa Ms Betty,
If nobody has suggested it yet, maybe you can cut and paste all 4 of your fine TRs on the original post or C&P all of them onto a new one so it can be easier for all of us to find?
Just a thought...and I have so few!
:-?
If nobody has suggested it yet, maybe you can cut and paste all 4 of your fine TRs on the original post or C&P all of them onto a new one so it can be easier for all of us to find?
Just a thought...and I have so few!
:-?
Jun 29th, 2004 | 03:25 PM
#7
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Betty - what a small world! Of course I know where Vandorf is. I have a client or two over in that direction.
We may have to rethink doing the entire loop for that hike. I am not "into" flirting with death.
Where did you find your underwater casing? Did you price around at all? The casing for our camera is about $250 Canadian + taxes. I have found it on Ebay for $250 Canadian inclusive of taxes. It is still a lot of money, though.
We may have to rethink doing the entire loop for that hike. I am not "into" flirting with death.
Where did you find your underwater casing? Did you price around at all? The casing for our camera is about $250 Canadian + taxes. I have found it on Ebay for $250 Canadian inclusive of taxes. It is still a lot of money, though.
