hilo – Hilo Brokers Hawaii Big Island Blog

April 23, 2010

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Pig Season, Again

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran

Pig Season, Again

After a dry winter in which we got only about a third of our usual rainfall, Spring rains have come. It was an “El Niño” year, in which the surface water in the central Pacific ocean gets somewhat warmer than normal. This causes ocean currents in the Eastern Pacific to warm up, encouraging whole schools of California’s coastal fish and squid to head north into cooler water, which in turn lured seals and sea-lions up to Oregon.

Here in Hawaii, El Niño enables a zone of “high pressure” to stall over or near the islands, and thereby to keep otherwise wet trade winds at bay. Hamakua and North Kohala have had a severe drought – its effect on farmlands being also aggravated by the loss of agricultural irrigation ditches that were damaged in the earthquake of October 2006.

So, rain may be returning; but here in Hawaii we don’t get the conventional four seasons that characterize more northerly (or, across the equator, more southerly) latitudes. Winter months can bring snow to the tops of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, but days are not much shorter than they are in summer months, and rain can fall any time. The original Hawaiians divided the year into two seasons: wet (i.e. Winter) and hot (Summer), which is probably more accurate than our four-season convention, even though we may giggle at the certainty that our “hot” season, here, will probably also be “wet.”

Distinguishing the seasons can be done by looking at trees. A sure sign of Spring is the pastel crepe myrtle, which is in bloom in Hilo, right now.

Flowers of the crepe myrtle are born in panicles of crinkled flowers with a crepe-like texture.

There’s a very nice stand in front of the County Building (which is scheduled to re-open soon, after a multi-year renovation), and another in the little parking lot at the intersection of Waianuenue Ave. and Keawe St. As Summer approaches, we’ll see the “shower” trees along Kamehameha Avenue come into bloom; and of course, the farmers’ markets will start to carry those most popular of summer fruits: mango and lychee.

The Hilo Farmers Market is a must-see experience when you are on the Big Island. Over 200 local farmers and crafters sell their produce, crafts, gift items and tropical flowers in a festive outdoor atmosphere that recalls back to the old "plantation" days of early Hilo.

But I think there’s another marker for “Spring” here: the reappearance of pigs. Oh, they’re active all year long, of course; but they seem to emerge from the woods in greater numbers right about this time of year. They are increasingly common, as you drive uphill, and hunters are gearing up to take them down.

These pig images are not telephoto shots: you really can get this close to them!

Pigs first came here with the Polynesian voyagers, though only men were allowed to hunt and eat them. They resembled pigs still found in East Asia: relatively small and relatively hairless. Captain Cook and the first Western settlers brought European pigs with them, which were larger and had thick coats of black hair. Interbreeding, in the absence of any four-legged carnivores big enough to seize and kill them, enabled subsequent generations to grow quite large. The pigs we see today are about as big, and weigh as much, as people do.

What’s extraordinary, though, is how little these pigs seem to care about us. Drive uphill, beyond where most houses are, and you may very well see whole families of pigs alongside or crossing the road, and doing so quite slowly, with no fear at our approach. The adults are typically sows, shepherding their piglets, since boars (other than the father of the piglets) tend to keep to themselves. When you see pigs, they will generally be nosing in the ground for earthworms, grubs and roots, or sniffing around for new places to find food.

4pigs

Their eyesight is weak; their senses of hearing and smell much stronger. But they do not seem to regard the sound or smell of an automobile or even of a human being as an automatic threat. Unless you are making a lot of noise, or approaching them at a fast clip, they may not notice you – or may even ignore you – until you are within a couple of yards of them.

And even if they do notice you, they will probably walk – not run – away, ducking into whatever bushes or ferns offer them cover. (The scent or the sound of a dog, however, will send them fleeing swiftly.)

I have an un-scientific theory about pig behavior, which I will share with you for what it’s worth. Pigs are, after all, highly evolved omnivores; so I believe that they have some way to pass along abstract concepts to their young, and if I could understand the way they communicate, I fancy that they would be saying something like this:

“We’re pretty big animals, and any predator that might want to catch us and eat us would have to take us by surprise. So if you notice that one of those human beings is nearby, you may not need to run, because it has surely already noticed you, and yet it has not done anything to threaten you. That said, however, if you hear a loud BANG, and one of us pigs suddenly drops dead, then you may well be in danger, and you should run away. Otherwise, just keep doing what you’re doing; you’re perfectly safe.”

April 20, 2010September 15, 2017

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Live from the Met… in Hilo

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran

Live from the Met . . . in Hilo

It’s almost 5,000 miles from the Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. But now you can get all the way to the Met by simply going to the mall – specifically, to the multiplex movie theater there.

Prince Kuhio Plaza, 111 East Puainako Street, Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Operas have been broadcast over the radio, live from the stage of the Met, for the past 79 years; they’re on Hawaii’s NPR affiliates: 91.1 in Hilo, 91.7 in Kona, every Saturday afternoon during the Met’s season, which is autumn-to-spring.

Operas have been filmed and shown in theaters, of course, but such filming was almost always done in movie studios, and was therefore a huge expense over and above producing the opera itself. And opera is just about the most expensive theatrical production there is.

But four years ago, the Met’s general manager, Peter Gelb, arranged to have one Saturday matinee a month televised. I know, I know: operas have been shown on TV before. But home-size sets with tiny speakers and (until recently) rather low screen resolutions, simply can not convey the scope and scale of seeing a fully-staged opera in a theater, much less at the 3,000-seat Metropolitan Opera House. (It’s not called “grand” opera for nothing.)

Gelb’s innovation was to broadcast the performances in high-definition video, and to have them shown exclusively in theaters. After all, most movies are no longer distributed on film in cans. They are digitally downloaded through satellite dishes on theater roofs, and are projected in high-definition. Taking advantage of these new technologies, the Met’s operas are seen on big screens with full stereo sound, in more than 40 countries around the world. (Go to www.metopera.org for more information.)

Go to the Prince Kuhio Theaters, pay $22 ($20 if you’re a senior), and you are, in effect, seeing an opera at the Met, right along with the audience in New York. Yes, that price is about double what a movie costs; but it’s far, far cheaper than a good seat in a world-class opera house. Besides, at the multiplex, you won’t feel embarrassed if you don’t dress up; and you can eat your popcorn or candy, and drink your water or soda during the show, which, believe me, you can not do at the Met.

The broadcasts are subtitled in English; and it goes without saying that all the performances are first-rate: the Met is where the world’s top talent wants to be seen, and there is really no other way for us in Hawaii to see them there without spending a fortune on travel and tickets.

The shows generally are hosted by the renowned diva Renée Fleming (unless she’s singing that day).

"America's Beautiful Voice", soprano Renée Fleming has a devoted international following wherever she appears, whether on the operatic stage, in concert or recital, on television, radio or on disc.

She typically says a few words about the opera’s composer and its stage history, and interviews the leading singers, either before the show starts or during an intermission. The conductor and the opera’s theatrical and/or musical director will also talk about the dramaturgical choices they have made (even the oldest of chestnuts get new-concept staging, nowadays). Such inside-stuff may seem of interest only to longtime opera buffs, but how else will a new generation of audiences be introduced to opera: it’s an open window into how this most complex of entertainment forms gets made.

Many of the Met’s broadcasts are later shown on Public TV (PBS), and the increasing popularity of opera as television programming has made an interesting change in casting. No longer is it only someone’s voice that matters. TV viewers and movie-goers expect to see close-ups of the stars, and watch vigorous action-scenes. So, to be believable, heroes have to be handsome, leading ladies have to be gorgeous, and villains have to look sufficiently evil – at least in makeup.

The next hi-def Met broadcast, "Armida," starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday May 1st.

The next hi-def Met broadcast is “Armida,” by Gioachino Rossini, and it starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday May 1st. “Armida” is not a famous opera, but Fleming herself is the star, and Rossini’s music is always tuneful. It’s the last show of the season, but the next season starts in September, and will include the first two of Richard Wagner’s four operas in his “Ring Cycle” – arguably the most dramatic work in the operatic art-form. If you’ve never seen a professional opera performance, or haven’t gone in a long time, for whatever reason, take it from me: it’s worth twenty-two bucks to go to the Met.

April 8, 2010

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Far-Seeing From Here – Part II – Imiloa, the Healing Force

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran

Far-Seeing From Here – Part II – Imiloa, the Healing Force

Besides the summit of Mauna Kea, there are few places on earth where you can see so many stars so clearly. You’re on top of nearly every cloud, nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, and there’s essentially no smog or air pollution at that altitude. Vog from Kilauea doesn’t blow that way, either: it would first have to climb up and over Mauna Loa, which is very nearly as tall as Mauna Kea, and vog gasses are heavier than air.

There’s no “light pollution” here either: as a courtesy to the astronomical observatories, all the streetlights on the Big Island are a dull yellow color that doesn’t register on their telescopes. In fact, hardly any of them are looking for visible light. Most are searching the sky in other “wavelengths,” including infrared radiation (which is invisible but which we notice, mainly, as “heat”), and the even longer wavelength known as “sub-millimeter.” One of the telescopes – the Keck – is actually two telescopes in one, that act like binoculars, and hence give a more three-dimensional image.

The twin Keck Telescopes are the world’s largest optical and infrared telescopes. Each telescope stands eight stories tall, weighs 300 tons and operates with nanometer precision. Image: Keck Observatory

Mauna Kea has been an enormously attractive platform for viewing the heavens. But that does not mean that astronomy has been popular here. Several groups of native Hawaiians and environmental activists have, for years, vigorously protested plans to construct yet another observatory – one which will contain the world’s largest mirror, thirty meters across. (Technically, it’s a cluster of small mirrors, each computer-controlled, that produce an image equivalent to what would be seen if it were one big chunk of glass ground into a parabolic mirror – but such a mirror would be impossible to transport up, and is probably impossible to fabricate, anyway).

The University of Hawaii has never been able to deflect objections to new observatories [see previous blog post], but the UH Institute for Astronomy has recently helped to cultivate a generation of children and young adults who are intrigued by astronomy. The reason is . . . Imiloa.

It means “far-seeing,” and it’s a hands-on science museum, located just mauka of the UH-Hilo campus, and centered on the science of astronomy. It houses the only planetarium on the island, and the only 3D projection system as well. Current shows include two that were locally produced: “Awesome Light 2,” which shows distant galaxies that the infrared and sub-millimeter telescopes have explored; and “3D Sun,” with three-dimensional images of solar flares taken from special satellites. The planetarium also draws in new audiences by showing 3D light-shows with rock music.

Imiloa's digital full-dome planetarium system and 5.1 audio surround sound create a spectacular immersive audio-visual experience! Every presentation includes a live sky lecture featuring the sky as viewed from Maunakea. Image: Imiloa

But if that were all, Imiloa would not be so popular.

The decision was made, in the planning process, to truly honor the Hawaiians’ cosmology and constellations, and to highlight the Polynesians’ remarkable skill in transoceanic navigation, which was accomplished in the main by a knowledge of the stars. These exhibits stand right alongside those about black holes, radio astronomy, globular star-clusters and space travel . . . with equal weight given to all. Moreover, like a museum in another country (and hence with a nod to the Hawaiian sovereignty movement), the exhibits are labeled in Hawaiian as well as English.

The story of the exploration and settlement of the worlds' largest ocean by seafaring navigators is one of the world’s truly epic tales of human migration. The ‘Imiloa experience connects you to the powerful stories of these ancient mariners as it is told through the voices of a new generation of explorers and navigators. Image: Imiloa

There has never before been anything like Imiloa in Hawaii. And if there is a criticism to be made it is simply that somebody should have thought of doing something like this a long time ago!

The piko, or center of the exhibit, focuses on the sacred mountain of Maunakea and its significance to the Hawaiian people. Image: Imiloa

March 31, 2010

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Far-Seeing from Here – Part I: Up The White Mountain

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran

Far-Seeing from Here – Part I: Up The White Mountain

Almost every night, the summit of Mauna Kea stands above the clouds. So, for many years, there was a small shed there, housing a tiny telescope; and University of Hawaii astronomers trekked up to it, all year round, to study the stars under the clearest skies on earth. What they had long wanted, of course, was a fully functional observatory, and in 1970, they got their wish.

Summit. Photo Credit: Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

To built it, there first had to be a road: a gravel-and-cinder route from the Saddle Road to a point nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. And up that road came trucks and construction equipment, and telescopic machinery, and, when the building was completed, a fragile, polished mirror 2.2 meters in diameter – it seemed enormous at the time – on a truck-trailer, creeping along at just a mile or so per hour, so as not to unsettle or – heaven forbid – shatter the great chunk of glass.

Hawaiians had for centuries held ceremonies at the summit. In their creation myths, Mauna Kea (literally the “white mountain”) is the piko – the navel, the bellybutton – of the people themselves. On the shores of nearby Lake Waiau, more than 10,000 feet above sea level, many Hawaiians still perform a ritual in which they place the umbilical cords of their newborns on tiny stone altars.

Cultural practitioners create a ho`okopu, a ceremonial offering, in honor of the mountain. Photo Credit: Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

So, there were some who expressed discomfort at the new intrusion. But in general, the University’s astronomers – and especially the road that enabled the observatory’s construction and ongoing service – were welcomed. Before that, the summit had been attainable only on foot. Winter snow typically extends from the summit down to about 11,000 feet, occasionally as low as 9,000 feet. But now, anyone with a four-wheel-drive vehicle could attain the summit. This enabled the elderly and disabled to experience what it was like up there, and allowed far more people than ever before to go hiking or – especially – skiing, since they no longer had to hike back up between runs. (And where else in the world but here can you – within just a couple of hours – both ski in the snow and surf in the ocean?)

Small cabins at the 9,000-foot level were expanded into a year-round dormitory facility for the astronomers and the “night assistants” who ran the machinery for them, and who typically worked four nights in a row, then had four whole days off. Thus, no one had to make a daily commute from sea-level that might provoke altitude sickness: the headache, disorientation and shortness of breath that comes from going up too high too fast.

Before the 1970s had ended, however, three more observatories had been erected on Mauna Kea. Sentiment in the native Hawaiian community turned inexorably against further construction. And yet, despite their complaints to the University (which administers the summit), their protests at all levels of government, and their vociferous testimony at public hearings, two more observatories were built in the 1980s, and another five(!) were established in the ’90s.

Although the actual geological summit of Mauna Kea is and has always been reserved for Hawaiian cultural and religious activities – a ceremonial stone cairn marks the spot – almost all of the adjacent cinder cones now sport observatory buildings. And now, another observatory, which would house the world’s largest mirror, has been approved. This, over the objections not only of native Hawaiians, who see this as a desecration of their most sacred place; but also of environmental activists, who are rightly concerned that the summit’s fragile ecosystem is steadily being demolished, to the detriment of the plants and insects that live nowhere else.

At maturity the Silversword, classified as an endangered species since 1986, produces a 6 foot tall flowering stalk with hundreds of flowers. Since silverswords sometimes grow for up to 40 years before flowering, it is relatively rare to see a silversword in bloom. Since the 1970s the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources has eradicated many of the feral ungulates (sheeps & goats) on the mountain first introduced by late 18th century ship captains, and begun reintroducing the Mauna Kea Silversword. Image Credit: Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

Such antagonism would probably have boiled over into outright hostility, by now, had it not been for Imiloa. And I’ll tell you about that remarkable place next time.

February 22, 2010

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Sherlock Holmes at the Volcano

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran

Sherlock Holmes at the Volcano

Sherlock Holmes once visited the Big Island – and now he’s coming back!

Holmes was an early crime-scene investigator. Keen-eyed and sharp-witted, this most famous of fictional detectives solved murders that baffled the police of the Victorian era by focusing on seemingly insignificant clues. Would we have “C.S.I.” on TV today without having first seen Holmes tracing footprints, or examining threads, pebbles and fingerprints with a magnifying glass?

Though based in London, he visited the Kingdom of Hawaii in November of 1890 with his friend and biographer Dr. John Watson. It was supposed to be a restful vacation at the Volcano House, but they found themselves confronted by a mysterious calamity of madness and murder with supernatural overtones, that came to be known as “The Volcano Horror.” To discover the cause, and to identify the killer, they had to take a dangerous plunge into a realm of terror and death, right there on the edge of the crater!

This all happens in a stage play written, produced and directed by my friend Hal Glatzer, referencing one of the short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Sherlock Holmes & The Volcano Horror, March 4th, 5th, 6th, 12th & 13th at 7pm.

“Sherlock Holmes & The Volcano Horror” will be performed in the Theater at the East Hawaii Cultural Center, in downtown Hilo, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday March 4, 5 and 6; and at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday March 12 and 13. Tickets are $10 (EHCC members $8), and are available now from the EHCC Box Office: 935-9085.

Several of the actors also appeared in “The House Without A Key,” Glatzer’s Charlie Chan mystery, which was presented at EHCC a year ago, including Jake McPherson (as Holmes), and Steve Peyton (as Watson).

In Sherlock Holmes’s day, the Volcano House was a one-story log cabin, built in 1877, with a lanai on its long side and a big fireplace in the parlor.

It could accommodate 35 guests, and was owned by Wilder’s Steamship Company, an inter-island line. Since there was only a trail to Kilauea from Hilo – not even a road – most visitors were tendered ashore at Honuapo, in Ka’u, and driven uphill in horse-drawn carriages. When a new Volcano House was built next door, in 1891, the old log cabin became an extra guest-wing.

In 1921, a grand 100-room hotel replaced them both on the rim of Halema’uma’u crater, and the 1877 building was moved a few hundred feet back from the edge, to be used only for storage. That was fortunate because, when a fire in 1940 destroyed the big Volcano House, the old building was spared, and was pressed into service as a lodge once more, until the current Volcano House was completed in 1941.

After that, the old building sat unused and deteriorating until the 1970s, when it was rescued by a team of historically-minded carpenters. They restored it to its original appearance, and made it into what it is today: the Volcano Art Center, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Go there now, and you can almost see Holmes and Watson talking and smoking by the fireplace, or sitting on their lanai, gazing out over the crater . . . .

The building that was used as the Volcano House Hotel from 1877 to 1921 now houses a gallery for the Volcano Art Center, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

I learned “The Story of the Volcano House” from a book of that name by Gunder E. Olson, that’s available in the Park’s gift-shop and at Basically Books, on the Bayfront in Hilo.

For more information about “Sherlock Holmes & The Volcano Horror,” phone Hal at 808-895-4816 or email him at hal@halglatzer.com.

February 4, 2010

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Crazy Tobacco

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran

Crazy Tobacco

Folks here call it pakalolo – “paka” being the Hawaiian rendering of “tobacco,” and “lolo” meaning crazy. And “crazy tobacco” is front-page news here because what it is . . . is marijuana.

It should not surprise anyone that a lot of pakalolo is grown and consumed in our tropical climate. Hawaii was also among the earliest states to allow the medical use of marijuana; and is the only state, so far, to have enacted such a law through the legislative process, instead of by referendum.

A discreet backyard greenhouse with four pakalolo plants.

But the Legislature did not create a legal framework for cultivation or distribution; and counties alone can not change state or federal law. Still, in the 2008 election, 35,682 Hawaii County voters approved a ballot initiative that directed Big Island police to make the enforcement of state and federal marijuana laws their lowest priority; and it set the threshold for regarding possession as a serious infraction at 24 plants and/or 24 dry ounces of pot.

The outcome certainly surprised the initiative’s 25,937 opponents, and may have amazed even its proponents.

Where did all those supporters come from? There were no exit-polls, but only a handful could have had medical marijuana certificates. (Approximately 1,500 Big Island residents are registered patients.) Surely some of the rest were recreational users, but no one is claiming that there are more than 30,000 pot-smokers living here. Most of the voters in that majority, therefore, were everyday folks who are fundamentally generous in spirit, and concerned enough about solving local problems to feel that law-enforcement resources would be better expended on more serious crimes, such as those against people and property, and on combating more pernicious drugs, chiefly methamphetamine, which is locally called “ice.”

Here on the Big Island, regardless of party affiliations, there is widespread sympathy for countercultural and/or Libertarian ideals, especially about conservation, self-sufficiency, and privacy. The voters who approved this resolution clearly regarded pot as harmless or, at worst, a benign indulgence; and certainly not as a “gateway” drug to addiction or as a threat to “family values.” It was a state Representative from the Big Island (Faye Hanohano) who in 2009 introduced a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession. Not surprisingly, it was voted down. But some such bill – or at least, one that enables cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana – will surely be introduced every year from now on, and will inevitably pass.

In the late 1930s, just after marijuana was made illegal, a couple of scary movies were released, that painted pot-smokers as brainless dope-fiends, and the drug itself as capable of turning strait-laced teenagers into crazed killers. Such movies have, ever since, been justifiably ridiculed. So, while it may not be symbolic of anything, this weekend and next, at the East Hawaii Cultural Center in Hilo, UH-Hilo drama students are staging the recent pop-musical version of the most famous of those cautionary movies. They are putting on “Reefer Madness.”

January 28, 2010

JUST LISTED! Tropical Estate on 51 Acres of Producing Farmland with Breathtaking Ocean and Mauna Kea Views

On a hill overlooking 51 acres of producing farmland and breathtaking Pacific Ocean views you’ll find a tropical-style residential estate — the ultimate Hamakua home. This over 5000 sq. ft. residence was created to take advantage of unparalleled panoramic Pacific Ocean & Mauna Kea mountain views. Upstairs, massive Douglas fir posts suspend soaring cathedral ceilings, crowned with a custom skylight.

The spacious interior features 5 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, with many unique custom details. In the gourmet kitchen the counters are granite, and custom tilework is found on the floors and in the bathrooms. Furniture-quality vanities and one-of-a-kind teak built-ins give evidence of quality of craftsmanship that went into building this unique piece of paradise.

Wrap-around lanais provide additional outdoor living areas that are ideal for relaxing and enjoying the million dollar views. If you’ve dreamed of getting away from it all, this home offers privacy, serenity, and freedom to generate your own electricity for your home. There are no telephone or power lines to obstruct your views! A complete alternative power solar system provides energy for the home.

Cellular telephone reception is excellent. Multiple options for internet access.

In addition to the generously sized home there is a separate farm/utility building.

And … the current owner leases the farmland to sweet potato farmers, making the acreage profitable!

For Current List Price, Virtual Tour, Additional Photos, Downloadable Flyer & More see:
www.kellymoran.com/230979.asp

March 2, 2009

Hamakua Coast Motorcycle Ride

Since I share a love of motorcycle riding, especially along the relaxing and beautiful roads of the Big Island, I’ll be dedicating some upcoming posts to just that. Helping me as a guest contributor is Aaron Geerlings, fellow riding enthusiast and University of Hawaii at Hilo student. We also have an Aloha Rider page dedicated to this adventure, which includes motorcycle links of interest and a short bio to help you get to know Aaron.

Here’s Aaron’s first contribution about our Hamakua Coast ride:

Aloha Everyone!
Hawaii as long been known for its great beaches and lovely weather, but what it’s not known for is its great motorcycle riding. Most think of it as an island (which it is), but one that is lacking in great riding asphalt — well I am here to put that myth to rest. Over the following weeks I will be introducing you to some great places to ride, eat and relax here on the island, so suit up and enjoy the show.

Map of the ride

Our first ride took us from Hilo, Hawaii up the Hamakua Coast on the Mamaloha Highway that winds along the eastern side of the island. It was simply a stunning day. We couldn’t have asked for better.Our first detour along the way was the 4 mile scenic route along the old Mamaloha Highway. This is a beautiful detour that winds along lush forest, waterfalls, Onomea Bay, smoothie shack and a botanical garden.The road is almost completely covered by plants in some areas, giving a feeling as though you are riding through a living tunnel, and in a way you are — just watch for the moss growing on the road as it is very slippery and can lead to some un-fun sliding.

Onomea bay is absolutely amazing (it can be seen in the first video linked at the end), and to think they once unloaded freight from ships there! After we enjoyed the view for a few minutes we continued on past the botanical gardens to What’s Shakin smoothie shack, where we met Tim Withers who owns and operates it with his wife Patsy. Here we interviewed Tim about his upcoming Baja races and his feelings about Hawaii motorcycle riding.

After our fantastic smoothies we continued our ride along the coastal route before coming back to the highway. It was a true detour.As we continued along the highway enjoying the great view, wonderful asphalt and the gorgeous day, we came in contact with one of the few speed traps on the island. Between two 55 mph zones there is a 45mph zone. It isn’t very big so people don’t seem to slow down, so the police sit on the side of the road and enjoy the easy prey as they fly by. But we easily missed this trap as having lived here for quite some time we knew the secrets. Riding through the gulches can be a lot of fun — long wide sweeping turns allow a lot of space to lean and drag your knee. The rest of the ride was uneventful other than the great view and wonderful weather.

We finished the ride at an amazing home overlooking an amazing bay. We relaxed and enjoyed the view before heading back.

This was an amazing ride that covered approximately 120 miles. Although this could easily be added-to if you explored all the various side roads that wind through farms, forests and orchards, it was a fantastic ride in the middle of February.

Stay tuned for the next entry that I can hopefully do this Sunday if the weather holds out. I also hope to take more stills, but this time our still camera broke at our first stop, and all we had is the video camera.

September 25, 2008September 15, 2017

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Overnight Accommodations

HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND

By Kelly Moran

Overnight Accommodations

When it comes to picking a place to stay, whether you’re on vacation or searching for a home, there are almost too many choices here!

RESORTS. Many visitors want a resort experience, with a (full or modified) “American plan” under which all or nearly all activities and meals are included in the room rate. The Big Island’s resorts are on the coast of South Kohala: green oases in the district’s otherwise black lava landscape. Golf courses are abundant, but (compared to resorts on Maui and Kauai) the beaches are small and are typically augmented with swimming pools and ponds. Typical of the South Kohala resorts is the Waikoloa Beach Marriott.

Most resort hotels are mid- or low-rise buildings, with function rooms for conventions. But there’s one prominent exception: guests at Kona Village stay in thatched huts, called hales, that are fully modern inside, but (deliberately) have no phones or TVs.

HOTELS. Hilo doesn’t have resorts, but it does have a string of hotels on Banyan Drive, with extensive views of the bay and the ocean. The tallest are the Naniloa and the Hilo Hawaiian; a smaller alternative is Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel.

Close to Downtown Hilo, the Dolphin Bay Hotel and the Wild Ginger Inn are modest in size and price.

There are dozens of small hotels in and around Kailua-Kona; but for a truly “local” experience, there’s no place like the Manago Hotel, in Captain Cook: a family enterprise for over 80 years.

B&Bs. A Bed-and-Breakfast is, essentially, someone’s house with nice guest-rooms. If you don’t want the all-inclusive resort experience, and don’t need the guest services of a hotel, then a B&B is ideal, especially if you want to stay in a town with no other kind of visitor accommodations, such as Pahoa, Volcano, Naalehu, Honokaa, or Hawi. Start your search for a B&B at the Bed & Breakfast Online website.

Probably the most celebrated (and, arguably, the most beautiful) B&B on the Big Island is Shipman House, in Hilo, originally the Victorian mansion of a prominent local family, where Queen Liliuokalani and author Jack London were house-guests.

Vacation Rentals. If you’re going to be here for more than a week or two, consider renting an apartment. You’ll be on your own for all meals, with kitchen facilities ranging from plain to fancy, and for housekeeping, with services ranging from full to none.

These accommodations are easy to find and compare, especially on the Konaweb site, or at the VacationRentals411 website, both of which cover the entire island.

And if I may make a suggestion . . . do consider my own vacation rental apartment in Hilo, which I call the Lehua Honeymoon Suite.

…