Howdy to all. Here is a trip report from our 6th visit to the Big Island (2015), my favorite place on the planet. (This trip report was formerly stuck inside the Big Island thread before the creation of a dedicated trip report section).
We arrived in Kona on Sunday night and once again our first stop was at WM. We then stopped by Chabad to pick up some food and off we went to Volcano, where we stayed for the first four nights. We always break up the trip into two parts - Volcano and Kona. This way we get to experience the best of both worlds.
Chabad provides a variety of prepared food for sale. In addition, I was told that they would soon be reopening a falafel place in Kona. (As of February 2016, Falafel In Paradise is open). Also, for those who are interested, Costco sells kosher cornish hens and other items of kosher food. Ask Rabbi Chazanow about which bread you can buy.
On Monday, we visited friends in Hilo and then went off to Kalapana, where there is a nice black sand beach. This year, there was quite a bit of sand on the beach. There have been times in prior years when most of the sand was washed away. We all had quite a bit of fun playing in the sand and surf. Since we were all a bit jetlagged and tired, we took it easy and relaxed.
Kalapana 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Kalapana 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Here is a really cool VW van that one of the locals restored all by himself. He even painted it all by himself.
DSC_0608VW Van by
P Bryan, on Flickr
The locals at Kalapana lead guided lava hikes but this year the lava wasn't flowing in an accessible area. As a result, there were no guided hikes this year (not that I need one).
Information for those who are interested can be found here:
http://www.kalapanaculturaltours.com/ Tip: If you go when the lava is flowing in an accessible area near Kalapana, request a private tour.
When there is ocean entry, another option to view lava is to take a lava boat tour. We did that in the past and it was really nice. Information for those who are interested can be found here:
http://www.lavaocean.com/Even without the lava flowing in an accessible area this year, I still did my share of chasing lava and was not disappointed. That is, of course, the primary reason I keep coming back to the Big Island.
On Tuesday we took a chartered helicopter flight with Paradise Helicopters. Once again, Cal, the owner of the company, personally came out to fly us around the volcano. Many thanks to Cal for another awesome VIP experience. A clip of our flight can be seen here:
Of course, the little guy came along for the flight.
Heli Charter by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Last years flight with Cal can be seen here.
On Tuesday evening we drove up Mauna Kea to the visitor center. We couldn't drive all the way up to the summit since my kids are still too young. Nevertheless, we had a nice time stargazing and looking through the telescopes. I took a picture of the moon from the visitor center.
Moon from Mauna Kea 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
On Wednesday, my buddy drove us down to the black sand beach at Waipio in his Toyota pickup truck, where we had tons of fun. I sat with the kids in the truck bed on the way down. The kids insisted on sitting in the truck bed by themselves on the way up. (For those of you wondering, the baby didn't ride in the truck bed).
DSC_1353 Waipio by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Waipio 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Waipio 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
DSC_1293 Waipio by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Picture of a Taro field in Waipo:
Waipio 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
On Thursday, we went to South Point/Green Sand Beach. This year, we went earlier in the day and it was really crowded. Of course, the little guy came along.
Green Sand Beach 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
A YouTube video from the drive last year can be seen here:
Afterwards, we drove over to Kona, where we stayed for the remainder of our trip.
On Friday, we did a snorkeling trip to Captain Cook Monument. Along the way, we saw tons of dolphins and humpback whales.
Kona Whale 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Kona Whale 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Kona Dolphins 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
A video of the snorkeling adventure can be seen here. As you can see, the water is crystal clear.
On Shabbos, we all relaxed. I was able to see humpback whales from our ocean view porch and I took a very relaxing nap.
On Sunday, we were off to Greenwell Farms, where we go every year for awesome Kona coffee and our annual family photographs. This year we ordered a ton of coffee for our family and friends and for a nominal fee had them ship it to us, rather than shlepping it back. Once you have Kona Coffee, its hard to go back to the other stuff.
IMG-20150201-WA0018[1] by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Say hi to the gecko:
IMG-20150201-WA0008[1] by
P Bryan, on Flickr
On Sunday evening we snorkeled with manta rays. A video of our manta ray adventure can be seen here. And yes, they really get that close - inches away.
On Monday, we went swimming at our secret spot in Kona.
DSC_2061 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Then we were off to meet up with my buddy and his wife for a beach bbq at another secret spot in Kona. I purchased some chopped meat and hot dogs from Chabad for the grill. While grilling, we saw humpback whales very close to the shore. I never saw them that close before and of course they were gone in an instant.
Here is a long exposure I took at the bbq.
Kona Beach BBQ 2015 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Monday evening, we flew back home.
Stopped by the AA lounge - no kosher food. I asked for fruit but it was all cut up. I did get some whiskey.
IMG-20150202-WA0011[1] by
P Bryan, on Flickr
IMG-20150202-WA0013[1] by
P Bryan, on Flickr
Flight home.
DSC08240 by
P Bryan, on Flickr
After each Big Island trip, I think to myself that it can't get any better. However, each year it does get better. It still remains my favorite place on the planet. If DW agreed, I'd move there in an instant and would never look back. As I said in last years trip report, to those who don't think the Big Island totally rocks, go to Maui, Kauai, or wherever you want. I'm more than happy to keep the Big Island to myself. :O)
Can't wait till next time.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this trip report.
A final note: whoever said you can't take kids to Hawaii or have fun with kids in Hawaii hasn't done Hawaii PBaruch style. My little guy was all over the Big Island and went almost everywhere we went. He was by Kalapana, Waipio, Green Sand Beach, up in a helicopter, and he went with us on the snorkeling trip (of course he couldn't snorkel but I still took him in the water). The only activity the little guy couldn't go on is the manta ray trip. My older kids did it all and loved every minute of it.
Stay tuned for the 2016 trip report....
