Big Time in Big Island

Our 32nd state and we knew the visit here needed to be intentional, as we wouldn’t accidentally find ourselves in Hawaii. We decided to spend time really getting to know Big Island and it was an incredible trip.

Big Island, Part 1: Kona & the Coast

We arrived around 5pm on the 23rd into Kona Airport, the easiest airport arrival ever, with a fun open-air setup that immediately signals you’re on vacation. We headed to the Outrigger, formerly the Kona Surf Club, and decompressed after a long travel day. The pool is sprawling and family-friendly, home to the largest water slide on the island (Rawls thought it would be bigger). For dinner we kept it easy and stayed at Piko, the hotel’s main restaurant — open air, pretty setting. The boys loved their Korean pork chops. William and I did not enjoy our meal. Win some, lose some. We crashed quickly after.

On our first full day, we headed out for breakfast at the Coffee Shack, an excellent spot looking out over the water. We all loved the food and the view.

From there we drove to the most sacred spot in the Hawaiian islands: Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park. The mana of many Hawaiian leaders is believed to remain around the burial site, and it was also historically a place where Hawaiians could come to be absolved of their missteps. It’s also an absolutely beautiful location.

Next stop was Ho’okena Beach Park, a mostly local beach that’s a bit of a challenge to get to. Lunch was at Shaka Tacoz, which many claim is the best fish taco spot on the islands. We couldn’t disagree. We stopped at a local market across the way before heading back to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon: pool, more slide (William and I included 🤪), and pickleball.

At around 6:30 we walked down to Keauhou Harbor for a nighttime manta ray swim. This was a truly amazing experience and as the guide was introducing us to the location where we would be stopping, a manta launches out of the water. Apparently this isn’t super common and was a great sign of the many mantas we would see — ultimately dozens of massive manta, up to 1,600 lbs. We drifted in the water holding onto lights that attracted their food source, plankton. Countless times the mantas swam inches from us, and all of us were brushed by them more than once. Will be hard to beat this. (Noting the manta pictures aren’t ours! Borrowed from available pics but representative of the experience)

Big Island, Part 2: Volcano

Quick stop at HiCo Coffee on the way out, then we were on our way to Volcano National Park, with a couple detours en route.

First, the southernmost point in Hawaii (also the southernmost point in the US).

Then, the Green Sand Beach, one of only three in the world. We thought we were walking 0.2 miles, but that turned out to be to the trailhead. The beach itself was a 5-mile hike along the coast. Ultimately worth every step for the cliff and beach setting at the end.

We stopped to recharge at a roadside stand along the way with sausages, sandwiches, baked potatoes, nearly 500 five-star reviews. The owner had moved from Seattle during COVID and is clearly proud of doing a few simple things incredibly well.

We arrived at Volcano House, the lodge inside the National Park, settled in, and walked along the rim looking out to Kīlauea. William and I had a drink at Uncle George’s Lounge, then dinner with the boys at the Rim Restaurant. Through dinner you could see the glowing lava. So fascinating.

The next morning we were out early for the Kīlauea Iki trail, starting along the crater rim, through rainforest, then crossing a solidified lava lake from the 1959 eruption. Otherworldly to walk across it with rainforest growing up all around. We made a brief stop at the Thurston Lava Tubes after.

Lunch back at Uncle George’s was great. William and I shared the somen salad, which was excellent.

After a short read around the lobby fireplace, we went out again, this time through the Steam Vents (Wahinekapu) and Sulphur Banks around the caldera edge, then directly to Keanakākoʻi Crater, where we hiked down into the outer edges of the active Halemaʻumaʻu Crater lava lake. Tired legs after that one.

We wrapped the day at our yurt in Volcano Village and had dinner at Lanikai Brewery with salads, pizza, and ramen.

Big Island, Part 3: Fairmont Orchid & Winding Down

Part 3 was more recharge with a little adventure than the reverse and where we had by far the best food of the trip. On the way, we drove around the Northeast side of the island. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall state park, had lunch with local sweet treats (Portuguese donuts) at Tex Drive In and visited Waipi’o Valley Lookout.

We rented snorkel gear from Snorkel Bob’s and hit three spots: one near Kona and two near Mauna Lani, with great sea turtle encounters at two of them.

On the food front:

Brown’s Beach House at the resort was excellent.
Lunch there was a highlight too: the Maitake “hot” sandwich, a take on Nashville Hot with mushroom as the star, was a standout.
Merriman’s was our best meal of the trip — all local fare.
The luau at Mauna Kea had a gorgeous setting and wonderful entertainment.
Da Poke Spot, a hole-in-the-wall near one of our snorkel stops, had delicious poke.
And we closed out the trip with Binchotan Japanese on our last night.