Kona

Ke ahole-Kona International Airport

When you land at the new Ke ahole (KOA) Kona International Airport. The first impression of the Big Island of Hawaii is almost always, "I am on the moon". The large lava fields of the 1800's were used for building the new Kona International Airport as the little one closer to Kailua-Kona was too short and had no future as an international airport. Today the old airport is a park and a nice place to play tennis, have a picnic or get some sun & sand. The newly enlarged Ke-ahole Kona International Airport (KOA) is fast becoming a final destination point for the wise visitor to Hawaii. Due to the new runway extensions, 747's are flying directly into Kona from many countries around the world including United from the US. The airport just 8 miles north of the lush tropical village of Kailua-Kona and takes only 15 minutes on Hwy. #19 to reach the village.

Travel Tips and Links... Getting There: Most visitors either fly into Ke-ahole International Airport on Hawaiian Air or Aloha. It is common to rent a car at the airport because it's the easiest way to get around. Taxi's and shuttles are also available but much more expensive and very limiting.

Heading south from the airport, note the Natural Energy Lab (an experimental station which supports aquaculture products such as spirolina and produces a small amount of electricity from deep cold waters). At the Kalaoa turn off next left you can find your way to a lovely B&B just 5.5 miles above the Airport on a 3 acre Up-Country Estate, El. 2100 ft., Sleepy Hollow Bed & Breakfast and the Owners also have a beautiful Big Game Fishing Boat called "Legend" Next is Honokahau Harbor (where most charter boats depart from is search of the big game fish). At the harbor The Gentry Marina, is an excellent down home place to stop for a fresh fish lunch or dinner, home fries, full meals and a really cold beer. Also enjoy feeding a few birds and watching the boats in the harbor. Comfortable place to kick back and unwind with reasonable prices.

The Royal playground of the Hawaiian Kings of Old Hawai'i.

Kailua-Kona overflows with Hawaiian history. In 1812 King Kamehameha resided at Kamakahonu (Kailua-Kona) until his death on May 8, 1819 on Kailua Bay. The missionaries first landed in Hawaii at Kailua-Kona on April 20 1820 nearly a year after the Kapu system had been destroyed by the Hawaiian People. The first church, Mokuaikaua was dedicated in 1837 and is one of the most beautiful wood/stone structures anywhere. In 1838 Governor Kuakini built Hulihe'e Palace. The Daughters of Hawaii have restored the structure and made it into a public exhibiting hall of Hawaiian artifacts. The lawn is a beautiful place to have a picnic right next to the bay. The little village has been locked in time by the County Fathers and with the pier and bay is a wonderful sunset experience. The Sunny Kona Coast has lots of beautiful places to go, great beaches and many activities: Game Fishing, the best in the world, Guide Hunting for wild boar, Skiing Mauna Kea, submarine excursion, para- sailing, jet skis, sailing and on and on. Kahalu'u is one of the finest protected snorkeling beaches anywhere.

Kailua is the hub for many Kona Coast activities: a submarine excursion or sunset dinner cruise, para- sailing and wind surfing, fishing or whale watching, and so on. Follow Alii Drive to nearby  Keauhou to visit Kahalu'u Beach, one of the best protected snorkeling and scuba beaches, among many that stretch along the rocky but gentle coast. The Kona Coast hosts the International Billfish tournament in August, the International outrigger canoe races in September, and the Ironman Triathlon and Kona Coffee Festival in October each year.  KailuaKona hosts the Ironman Triathlon in October each year, the Kona Coffee Festival begins at the end of October. The rainfall in Kailua-Kona is a very moderate 30 inches per year. You should allow at least 4 days to make a quick overview of the Big Island. To have time to relax and go home renewed you should allow at least a week for the Big Island, As you drive through the Village you will find a nice sandy beach just to the north of the pier that is very protected. To the south side of the Kailua Pier you will find activity boats and children playing in the surf and sand. In the center of the Village you will find the county parking lot. If you walk west you will find Alii Drive, the main street of Kailua-Kona with many really nice places to eat. Also look for the Hawaii Visitors Convention Bureau (808-329-6748) below and behind Pancho & Lefty's Mexican Restaurant, (2 for 1 on Tuesdays). HVCB is good place for maps and general information on the Big Island.

Hale Maluhia Country Inn B&B (house of peace), only 3 miles from Kailua-Kona, providing hospitality, seclusion and comfort for visitors for a time of sightseeing in the Kona Coast and the Holualoa Village areas.

Holualoa, A touch of old Hawai'i

A slight detour of only 3 miles off Hwy. #11 will take you to upcountry Kona Coffee land and to the quaint artist colony of Holualoa. Many small local shops share their crafts in the many old store fronts nestled along the roadside at about the 1,400 ft. elevation on the west side of Hualalai Mountain. The old coffee town is still the Kona center of the coffee and macadamia farming from the 1930's up through today. It is also home to some of the most colorful and talented artists that you would want find any where.

Gallery owner Hiroki Morinoue, contemporary Big Island artist, owns Studio 7, with his isei (first generation Japanese) wife, Setuko, where their woodblock prints, paintings, sculpture, and pottery are displayed. Their studio lies on the foundations of an old pool hall and laundry built and run by Hiroki's parents half a century ago. In the same building is Sam Rosen's Hale O Kula Goldsmith Gallery, with very unique, high quality original work. Hiroki, whose art has received much acclaim, was mentored by two other Holualoa artists just down the main street.

Carol and Bob Rogers opened the nonprofit Kona Arts Center in an abandoned coffee mill, in the 1960's. Bob has passed away but Carol still wonderfullly operates this renaissance establishment, painted in bright pink and gray. The workshop offers inexpensive painting and crafts workshops five days a week. Potluck lunches are shared at the Kona Arts Center each day and Carol is still teaching with an atmosphere of aloha and with fun in the doing as well as the finished project. The first visit is always free for the day and the lunch is included.

Another Big Island resident to receive his beginning lessons in art at the Kona Arts Center is Wilfred Yamazawa, today a well known and highly regarded blown glass artist. He works in his home studio, and is available by appointment when he's not picking coffee.

Across the street from the Kona Arts Center is Holualoa Chapel. A replica of a little New England Church built around the turn of the century. Services are being held for the faithful each week in the form of the early Hawaiian Congregational Churches.

Where scenic Mamalahoa Hwy. 180 intersects Hualalai Road, 182 you will find Mrs. Kimura's Lauhala Shop. On display there is a large selection of woven lauhala pandamus hat and purses. The shop was started in 1915 as a general store and during the depression became a grocery store. Now Mrs. Kimura, now in her 80's, talks to folks about the old days and works in her shop on hat linings, lauhala finish work, crafts and beautiful feather hat bands

Other places of interest right in the town of Holualoa and in easy walking distance are, The Banana Patch, the old post office, which offers unique import gift items from around Hawaii and the world. Dahlia's Flower Shop, filled with exotic flowers, and direct shipping available. Holualoa Cafe, owned by Meggi Worbach, of Germany, offers an old country charm express bar and pastries. Local people gather there to chat in the garden atmosphere. Sing alongs are on Thursday evenings. For groceries, visit Paul's Place. His store history goes back forever, you will not find a friendlier place anywhere. Everything you need is there, somewhere.

One of the finest galleries in town is the Holualoa Gallery, http://www.aloha.net/~mlovein/ home of the master potter, Matt Lovein and his beautifully talented painter wife, Mary. They are now focusing together on creating very large vases. Together they provide an exquisite treat for the artistic eye. Chuck and Kelly Hart have the Country Frame Shop and Gallery. Shelly Maudsley White shows her water colors and those of other artists at her White Garden Gallery.

On the way up to Holualoa at the 940' elevation, 1.5 miles above highway #11, when the first papaya trees come into view on the road less traveled you will find the off the beaten path, a very special Plantation style Inn: Hale Maluhia Country Inn

Kahalu'u Beach Park. Want to swim with and feed the fish and see the big sea turtles in a very safe place? Kahalu'u Beach Park is the place on Alii Drive. Going south on Alii drive from the Kailua-Kona Village in about 4 miles you will find the disappearing Magic Sands beach, great for surf play (when the sand is in). But a little further south you will run into Kahalu'u Beach Park. With some bread scraps from Hale Maluhia and an underwater $10 camera from Wall-Mart (great pictures) fins, mask and snorkle you can have a great day of real Hawaiian exploring in the beautifully clear and warm water world of Kailua-Kona for very little in the way of coconuts.

Next on our list is a Visit to the Amy B. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden or the Kona Historical Society with its living history coffee farm nearby. Horseback ride or hike to the tip of Kealakekua Bay Marine Preserve, where Captain Cook was worshiped at first as Lono but then killed on a second landing by angry Hawaiians when they found that they had been deceived. Join locals as they play music on Honaunau Beach most Saturday evenings. Note the historic Aloha or Kona Theaters, once attracting troupes from around the world and now home to cafes fragrant with local products, or join Hawaiian, Tibetan, Chinese, or Japanese cultural celebrations if you are lucky enough to arrive when they occur. Historical kayak and Hawaiian sailing canoe trips are a treat, or just watch the canoe clubs in the tradition of outrigger racing off the famous Honaunau snorkeling beach. For scuba divers, certified instructors are a phone call away.

A Great Day with Captain Cook: Going south on Hwy.#11 head to the Honaunau turn off down the hill to the "Painted Church" and to the "Place of Refuge". You will see the sign to the painted church on the right, St. Benedicts Painted Church, don't miss this experience. A Catholic Priest wanted his parisiners to experience the feeling of a European Cathedral so he painted the inside of this church to look like a very large Cathedral. Very nicely done and well worth the time. Roman Catholic services each Sunday.

Next down the road is the "Place of Refuge" Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. If a Hawaiian of the Kapu days broke the law and could get to this place before he/she was killed he/she was safe as long as he/she stayed there or were in time restored. A broken Kapu could be a shadow falling on an Alii (King) or for a woman, eating a banana or a yellow tang fish. The system was barbaric and was destroyed by the Hawaiian people in 1819 shortly after the death of King Kamehameha and prior to the arrival of the missionaries on April 20 of 1820. Next across the lower ocean road, good but rough, to the Monuments to Capt. Cook and Henry Obookaya. Capt. Cook discovered Hawaii and Henry O. (As he is lovingly called) was the moving force for bringing the missionaries to Hawaii, a wonderful story. A great place to Kayak with the dolphins, snorkel and hike. A stone beach however so not a good place for surf and sand. Now back up the hill to Kahikolu Church, the beautifully & fully restored mother church of all the smaller churches in the area and a little further up the Napoopoo Road you will find one of the oldest Coffee Mills in Kona, I understand they still have tours and a cup of Kona Coffee. The back up the hill to Captain Cook and south on highway #11 towards the volcano