When I told my Board at Responsive Caregivers of Hawai’i, where I serve as the President & CEO, that I’d be taking off five weeks to travel on the mainland in the spring, they were encouraging of me using some of the vacation time I’d accumulated after a year of riding the corona coaster. Our nonprofit organization, which offers programming for adults with developmental disabilities, has not only survived the public health emergency but is emerging as a leader among service providers and becoming an agency of choice among participants and their families.
After shuttering our adult day health program from March to November of last year, we were happy to obtain approval to reopen with limitations on the numbers of persons and with the proper safety measures in place. With the introduction of vaccines and an adequate cash flow, I felt comfortable taking the time off. The reliance on remote work has continued to prove beneficial and I can keep up with some of my tasks while on the road.
The journey started when my partner, Sam Yoder, left Honolulu on April 1st to pick up a new luxury motor coach in California, which he drove to Dallas. His mom, Geri (aka “Mama G”) and I flew to Dallas two weeks later and enjoyed some time with family there before making our way to see relatives in the Shreveport/Bossier City area of Louisiana. We also visited one of my favorite places, New Orleans for a few days.
After some setbacks, including the hospitalization of our beloved Mama G for a few days due to complications from congestive heart failure, we finally got medical clearance after purchasing an oxygen condenser and boarded the beautiful Prevost Millenium with our provisions and our two Yorkies, LuLu and Spike, in tow. Our journey toward our home state of Ohio was planned to allow for stops along the way in five states that I haven’t yet visited, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. Sam also needed to visit Oklahoma to check off all 50 states.
Our first stop was Hot Springs, Arkansas which one of my Board members had recommended. Hot Springs is a city in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. It’s known for naturally heated springs, many of them in Hot Springs National Park, where we parked the RV at Gulpha Gorge Campground, which offers picturesque camping spots along the river bank, with full hook-ups for only $30 per night. We got a half off discount for senior citizens. Not a bad deal considering the water and electrical hook-ups enable full use all of the luxuries on board the coach, including the full size marble shower.
I’m not much for camping but this form of travel is considered glamping. Indeed, my friend Laura in New Orleans calls the Prevost a “Ritz on Wheels.” We have a king size bed, comfortable living room furniture, dinette, full size refrigerator/freezer, washer/dryer, and even a Starbucks machine to make iced lattes on board the Prevost, which is the ultra luxury brand for tour buses. Indeed, many people stop to stare and wonder who’s inside. Little do they know, there’s two lucky dogs on the bus curled up in their bed thinking that all dogs live this way.
After resting for the night and having some breakfast sandwiches with guava jam we brought with us from Hawai’i, we got ready and headed into town. The resort town of Hot Springs is a hybrid of sorts. One side of the Main Street includes hotels, boutique shops and restaurants, while the other side belongs to the National park with its medicinal waters, miles of hiking trails and the historic Bathhouse Row.
In 1832, 40 years before the creation of Yellowstone National Park, Congress established Hot Springs Reservation to protect hot springs flowing from Hot Springs Mountain. In 1921, Hot Springs became the 18th national park in the National Park Service. Today the park encompasses 5,500 acres and protects eight historic bathhouses with the former luxurious Fordyce Bathhouse housing the park’s visitor center. The entire Bathhouse Row area is a National Historic Landmark District that contains the grandest collection of bathhouses of its kind in North America.
We visited Quapaw Baths & Spa, the perfect place to immerse in Hot Springs’ acclaimed thermal waters. The Quapaw was built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style and sits on the site of two previous bathhouses, the Horseshoe and Magnesia. It was established in 1922 and named after a Native American tribe that once held land in the area.
For centuries, Native Americans, early European explorers, and visitors from around the world have come to the mineral-rich natural hot springs to bathe in the healing waters. Early explorers gave the first detailed account of bathing in the hot springs, “We found at the Hot Springs an Open Log-Cabin and a few huts of split boards, all calculated for summer encampment, and which have been erected by persons resorting to the Springs for the recovery of their health.”
Our bathhouse experience was more modern than that witnessed by explorers and offered amenities such as cold peppermint towels. There are various spa services, including a variety of massage therapies as well as facials that can be added. You can join others in the public baths or have private individual or couples bathing experiences. There’s also a café offering refreshments.
The entire time we were there I couldn’t get the lyrics to the old Barbara Mandrell song, “Fast Lanes and Country Roads” out of my head: “Down in Hot Springs Arkansas, you can get an overhaul. I sure could use one.”
This seemed fitting as Mama G is on a path to restore her own health. Even though she didn’t join us in the thermal baths, she was able to walk around the visitor center without having to use oxygen and thankfully her health continues to improve.
On our way out of town, we drove by the Bill Clinton Boyhood Home. Also known as the Birnbaum-Shubetz House, it is a historic house at 1011 Park Avenue. Built about 1896 and redesigned in the Tudor Revival in 1938, it was the home of President Clinton between 1954 and 1961, teenage years in which he first determined to enter politics. In addition to this national historic significance, it is locally notable as an example of Tudor Revival architecture. The house, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, is a private residence and is not open to the public.
We marveled at the lakes and hills with lush green trees and yellow fields with resting cows as we made our way across Arkansas and into Oklahoma on our way to our next destination, Broken Bow, OK.
On the highly anticipated day of our departure, we anxiously put on our brave faces (underneath our masks of course) and our neighbor, Aunty June, delivered us directly to the private Lana’i Air lounge where we were escorted to the tarmac like the Kardashians and boarded with our two Yorkies, LuLu and Spike, otherwise known as High and Maintenance, in tow.
It was a beautiful day to fly with bright blue skies and a few cotton candy clouds. Departing Oahu, the waters off Waikiki and Hanauma Bay were an electric neon turquoise due to the lack of pollution from tourists. Justin offered to fly us over the resort to have a bird’s eye view before landing, which was a special treat. 
The resort is an oasis that requires a 30-minute long drive on a two-lane road that begins with a straight, long stretch lined meticulously on both sides with stately pine trees. The road almost looks like something out of a children’s storybook that looks and feels more like England or France than Hawai’i. Spotting axis deer and wild turkey along the way only adds to the enchantment.
The pine trees are a signature of Lana’i and have an interesting history and purpose. The first thing you need to know is Lana’i is a rather dry island. It has the least amount of rainfall of all the Hawaiian islands because the mountains on Molokai and Maui capture most of the rainfall which comes its way.
The automatic black out shades were perfect for sleeping in late in the feather beds, which LuLu and Spike would burrow into and snuggle for hours. The hotel staff even had a pet welcoming package with dog bowls and dog beds with their names spelled out in sponge letters that doubled as toys as they flung them around the room. Every time we returned after housekeeping had been there, all of the letters were perfectly returned to their beds, spelling out their names, only to be quickly and delightfully destroyed.
On the southeastern shores of Hawaii’s last unspoiled island, Four Seasons Resort Lana’i is your gateway to an exotic, private paradise where opportunities for adventure and relaxation abound. By land, sea and sky, Lanai’s riches are all yours to discover. 
MALIBU FARM
VIEWS
Earlier this year, the Four Seasons Lana’i was named the No. 1 Best Hotel in the USA by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice. The 10th annual Best Hotels rankings evaluated more than 30,000 luxury properties across 400-plus destinations in the United States, Europe, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.
Fronting the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i and named one of America’s best beaches, Hulopoe Beach is the best spot on the island for snorkeling and swimming. Located on Lanai’s southern coast, Hulopoe Bay greets you with a stunning expanse of pearl-white sand and crystal blue waters. We could even see a blow hole from our lanai. 
In fact, we could have spent the entire time lounging at the resort, but we rented a Jeep for a day and set out on an adventure far away from the comforts of our temporary home to explore new territory. Passing through Lana’i City, we headed toward Shipwreck Beach. 
On the sand road, we went down into a dip and never came back up. I tried to shift to 4-wheel drive but it wouldn’t work. Then we went back and forth between reverse and drive, kicking up sand and promptly digging ourselves so far into the ground that sand was practically coming in through the doors, and the axle was almost buried in the earth.
To make matters more alarming, I couldn’t get cell phone service. Thankfully Mama G was able to call roadside assistance, which costs $500. At this point I thought it was my fault we were stuck so I was prepared to pay the outrageous bill just to get us out of there. We lost time (about an hour and a half) waiting for roadside assistance but met a lovely local couple, James Truman and Carol DeShay-Truman, who came along and offered to assist us. 
Before dinner, we drove to Kaumalapau Harbor, located on the southwestern coast and the main commercial seaport for Lana’i. The original harbor breakwater was built in the 1920s by James Dole, the founder of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. After years of hurricanes severely damaging the harbor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a new breakwater. The project was dedicated on July 7, 2007 and now Kaumalapau Harbor has a one of a kind look with a $28.2 million price tag. Buttressed by 819 white 35-ton Core-Loc armor units — the largest of their kind in the world — the harbor appears to be surrounded by giant, jack-like concrete blocks. The aerial photo below is courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
For dinner that night we went back to town and dined al fresco at Lana’i City Bar & Grille, part of the Hotel Lana’i. Comfortable and elegant, the bar and dining area recall Hotel Lanai’s plantation history with rustic, vintage charm and warm Hawaiian hospitality. Head to the open-air lanai to enjoy an evening dining under the stars among towering Cook pine trees, often with live local entertainment. We endured the sprinkles of a passing shower but were quite pleased overall with the ambience, service and food. Mama G raved about the pulled pork sandwich. Be sure to ask for the baked-to-order cookie skillet, which is a chocolate chip cookie featuring both milk and white chocolate chips, baked in a small cast iron skillet and topped with vanilla ice cream. 
In Lana’i City, we stopped at the service station in this tiny town because when Mama G asked someone if there’s anywhere to shop, they replied, “You can buy T-shirts at the gas staton.” It felt like we were on Green Acres going to town, excited to visit the general store. Not only is there a small population, there is no traffic. In fact, there is not a single traffic light on the entire island of Lana’i. 
Another evening, we visited the Four Seasons’ sister property Sensei Lana’i. A shuttle took us from the beach resort to the lodge and a chauffeured Tesla returned us after we enjoyed dining at the extravagant Sensei by NOBU. 
The Sensei by NOBU restaurant offers a menu with health conscious choices since it’s a wellness retreat. Guests can dine morning, noon and night surrounded by the beauty of nature. A glass pavilion sits upon a reflecting pond, offering indoor and outdoor tables. A 16-seat communal table, welcoming you to gather with friends old and new, is temporarily closed, a victim of social distancing. There were a handful of other tables occupied and scattered around the large, spacious dining room. 
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa has long been at the forefront of innovative cuisine grounded in Japanese sensibilities and clean ingredients. Guests of Four Seasons will enjoy a wellness menu created by Chef Nobu and his team in close collaboration with Sensei’s nutritionists. On the Sensei by NOBU menu are such favorites as the world-renowned black cod with miso, as well as a new selection inspired by the bounty of the steps-away Sensei Farm Lana’i, and the neighboring islands and waters of Hawai’i.
To work off some calories and take in the unique natural beauty of Lana’i, I went horseback riding at Lana’i Ranch at Koele, across the street from the Four Seasons Sensei Lodge. I rode through the fog and into the hills surrounding Koele – once the center of ranching operations on the island – and explored the lush woodlands, home to axis deer and wild turkey. 
Back at the stables, I told Alexis, one of the ranch hands, that I love goats. She said, “All you have to do is yell, ‘Goats, Goats, Goats!’ and they come running!” I thought she was kidding me until she hollered, “Goats! Goats! Goats!” and sure enough a herd of goats came running at me so fast that if the fence hadn’t been between us, they’d have stampeded me. What a joyful delight! She even let me feed the Tita (female bully) of the pack.
On our last day, Bradley, the Four Seasons beach resort manager, arranged for us to have a late check-out as well as a private driver in a Tesla to take us up to the top of the mountain for one last lunch in heaven at The Views restaurant at the Manele Golf Course. Following lunch, our driver escorted us to Sensei Lodge where we were treated to a private tour, led by Luis, the Sensei manager, himself. He drove us around on a state of the art golf cart to inspect the breathtaking gardens up close. We were in awe of the natural beauty and took turns guessing at the amount of manpower and hours required to maintain the immaculate grandeur. There are separate hales (houses) for spa treatments and wellness classes. There are huge ponds and outdoor sculptures. Flora and fauna from all around the world rival any botanical gardens’ collection.
Lana’i is truly a beautiful, special and unique island. Traveling there is like turning back time to the Old Hawai’i. Mama G commented that Lana’i City, with its tin roof homes, reminded her of her small hometown of Waipahu on Oahu when she was a little girl. It’s a very tranquil and peaceful slice of heaven. Being there is almost surreal. We got lost wandering through the lush gardens and koi ponds at the beach resort and serendipitously happened upon a hula performance featuring two dancers with the ocean for a backdrop. They swayed in rhythm with each other, both of them in synch with the palm trees blowing in the trade winds behind them. Four Seasons thinks of everything to make your experience memorable.
In addition to natural beauty and outdoor adventures, Lana’i is home to the award-winning twin Four Seasons Resorts (the lodge or the beach) as well as many mouth watering dining options, serving the most exclusive world class gastronomical delights. Flying in the private plane and being whisked to the five-diamond property is like guest starring in “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Juxtaposing the fancy shmancy extravagances and indulgences, the simplicity of the small island life and the sensory pleasures of sitting outside listening to the crashing waves of the ocean while staring up at the spectacular visual display of stars unspoiled by urbanity, contributes to the uniqueness of this extraordinary island gem. The pictures and stories do not substitute for experiencing Lana’i personally.
Bryce Canyon offers two campground sites (one in winter) and lodging is available at the Bryce Canyon Lodge during the summer season. During winter, hotel rooms are available in the park at the Sunset Hotel. We all enjoyed the spectacular Red Canyon on the way out of town.
Just outside of town, the National Elk Refuge was created in 1912 to protect habitat and provide sanctuary for one of the largest elk herds on the planet. A total of 24,700 acres, the refuge is home to an average of 7,500 elk each winter. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
We enjoyed visiting with family and taking in more of the breathtaking scenery of the Wild West. The next, and final, destination on our epic journey will be Salt Lake City where we will see some more relatives and visit Bryce Canyon.
The Canadian Rockies mountain range spans the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. With jagged, ice-capped peaks, including towering Mt. Robson, it’s a region of alpine lakes, diverse wildlife and outdoor recreation sites. National parks in Alberta are Jasper, with the famously accessible Athabasca Glacier, and Banff, site of glacier-fed Lake Louise, which was the next, and arguably the most impressive, place we visited within Banff National Park, and perhaps anywhere on our entire trip.
After leaving Canmore the next morning, we headed back to Kalispell, Montana where we had left the Yoder’s private tour bus at the campground. Our route back took us through Kootenay National Park in British Colombia. Break-neck views enchanted us at every curve in the road, from jagged mountain tops to Marble Canyon and from wildflowers and trees to countless rivers and streams with crystal-clear, blue waters.
We parked the coach at the Greenwood Village Inn and Suites, which is a combination campground, mobile home park and hotel about 45 minutes outside of Glacier National Park. We rented a minivan to drive through the park, including the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, and up into the Canadian Rockies.
We parked the RV at the KOA between Livingston and Yellowstone National Park along the banks of the Yellowstone River. We also booked rooms at the Yellowstone Pioneer Lodge in Livingston. There is a variety of newer lodging closer to the park, mostly in the quaint western town of Gardiner with a population of 875 residents. These options book far in advance and there are many annual repeat guests. Another beautiful option for parking motor homes that had no vacancy is the Yellowstone’s Edge RV park, with camp sites along the riverbank. We rented SUV’s to drive through the park.
We stood in the blazing hot afternoon sun as Old Faithful teased us before erupting into the sky where the steam generated by the explosion billowed into the air blending with ease into the cotton-like powdery white clouds that punctuated the bright blue skies. Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser was named for its frequent and somewhat predictable eruptions, which occur about every 90 minutes. After watching Mother Nature’s spectacular show, we had lunch at the cafeteria inside the lodge which also features a gift store and coffee shop.
I had no idea that the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River existed. The canyon below the Lower Yellowstone Falls was at one time the site of a geyser basin that was the result of rhyolite lava flows, extensive faulting, and heat beneath the surface related to the hot spot. No one is sure exactly when the geyser basin was formed in the area, although it was probably present at the time of the last glaciation.
As development spread across the West, the 2.2 million acres of habitat within the park became an important sanctuary for the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states. The abundance and distribution of these animal species depend on their interactions with each other and on the quality of their habitats, which in turn is the result of thousands of years of volcanic activity, forest fires, changes in climate, and more recent natural and human influences.
We stopped in Gardiner on our way out of Yellowstone. Quaint, Old West-style Gardiner sits on the north edge of Yellowstone, making it a convenient gateway town. It’s the only year-round entrance to the park. Pretty much everything in Gardiner is colorful from the scenery and people to the names of dishes on menus.
Montana is known as “Big Sky Country” and on the ride back to town after dinner we were treated to a sublime lighting show that illuminated the outline of the mountains in the otherwise pitch-black sky. Before hitting the road for the next destination, Glacier National Park, on our epic road trip through the North American Wild West, we fulfilled the lifelong wish of the family matriarch, Geri Yoder. Mama G commented that the river streaming through the park took her breath away. “I wish I was back in my 30’s and could run down and dip my toes in that river.” We found a spot with easy access to the water near the campground and she giggled with excitement as she stuck her feet in the Yellowstone River.
Travel is about fulfilling dreams and making memories. The joy of shared experiences bonds a family together.
Our first stop was the iconic Mount Rushmore. About a 20 minute drive from Rapid City, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved into the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Completed in 1941 under the direction of Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln, the sculpture’s roughly 60-ft.-high granite faces depict U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The site also features a museum with interactive exhibits. Having seen the monument on everything from post cards to television and history books to cartoons, it was gratifying to behold in person. Sam’s Mom, Geri Yoder, whom we affectionately call “Mama G” remarked that it had such an impact on her that she would have been satisfied if the sojourn had ended there. However, there was so much more to explore.
About 10-15 minutes down the road is Crazy Horse Memorial. Crazy Horse is the world’s largest mountain carving located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is considered The Eighth Wonder of the World in progress. The Mission of Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians. Impressively, the site features a museum and university.
We made our way along the breathtaking Needles Highway stopping for reflective photos at Sylvan Lake with its mammoth rock formations jutting up from the water like a movie set. This heavenly slice of Americana evoked patriotism and childhood memories. At one point, Sam started singing “Home on the Range” while driving the green hills and pastures of Custer Park before coming upon a heard of wild buffalo. This is, after all, where “the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play.” The giant creatures literally surrounded our vehicles and reminded my parents and I of being on safari in Africa, especially when we saw elongated, open-air Jeeps emblazoned with “Buffalo Safari” logos.
We drove to The Badlands taking in the countless billboards for Wall Drug Store along the way. The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient mammals such as the rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today. The prairie dogs were especially entertaining as they jumped from hole to hole squeaking and squealing with delight. They reminded me of “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and even tough-guy Sam thought they were adorable. A herd of big horn sheep grazing and napping in tall, wild grass with the striped clay canyons and orange sunset in the backdrop was something you’d see on National Geographic Television.
Wall Drug Store, often called simply Wall Drug, is a tourist attraction located in the town of Wall, South Dakota. It is a cowboy-themed shopping mall consisting of a drug store, gift shop, restaurants and various other stores, as well as an art gallery and an 80-foot brontosaurus sculpture. Unlike a traditional shopping mall, all the stores at Wall Drug operate under a single entity instead of being individually run stores. The New York Times has described Wall Drug as “a sprawling tourist attraction of international renown [that] draws some two million annual visitors to a remote town.”
Steak was on the menu for both nights which is no surprise for the mostly meat-and-potato loving crowd visiting the middle of cowboy country. The night before I arrived the group enjoyed Dakota Steakhouse where my Dad devoured a 44-ounce ribeye. We had good burgers and hand cut fries in Keystone despite the annoying flies which are prevalent throughout South Dakota. Local beef production is the norm and Red Rock Restaurant was no exception though the undercooked steaks had to be sent back for more time on the grill. The last day in Sturgis we found Jambonz Grill and Pub featuring southern cooking from Louisiana roots. They even have Po Boys.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is held annually for 10 days starting the first Friday in August, which was the day we happened to be there. Even though it was only the first day, street fairs were already active and motorcycles lined the crowded streets. Young women in bikinis offered “bike washes.” The rally was begun in 1938 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and was originally held for stunts and races. Attendance has historically been around 500,000 people, and the event generates around $800 million in revenue for this tiny town.
From Sturgis we ventured on to Deadwood. The discovery of gold in the southern Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the great gold rushes in America. In 1876, miners moved into the northern Black Hills. That’s where they came across a gulch full of dead trees and a creek full of gold and Deadwood was born.
South Dakota is a slice of Americana that is filled with history and natural wonders. Rapid city is a great home base from which to explore many of the attractions. Continuing on, we made our way through Wyoming and into Montana, headed for Livingston from which we would explore Yellowstone, the topic of my next blog.
I walked along the sea wall with waves crashing up onto the sidewalk and found myself at an open air restaurant called The Fish Hopper. With locations in Monterey, California and Kailua-Kona, the restaurant specializes in fresh seafood as well as steaks and features breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. I opted for one of the daily features, Parmesan encrusted mahi mahi.
After dinner, I continued walking along Alii Drive where I stumbled upon San Francisco Bay Gourmet Coffee Bar, which features locally grown coffee and Tropical Dreams locally made ice cream. Unable to decide on a flavor, I ended up trying three: mud pie, kona coffee and macadamia nut. They also have açaí bowls, overnight oats, and baked goods.
From the church, I made my way to Pu’uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (Place of Refuge). Pu’uhonua O Honaunau is an ancient place of sanctuary and one of the best spots to learn about the wealth of Hawaiian culture.
From the park I drove north through the Kohala coast. Kohala is a land of extremes, from the jagged lava fields surrounding Waikaloa to lush mountain ranch lands in Waimea. Waimea is also known as Kamuela, which happens to by my partner’s Hawaiian name (Samuel in English).
With an elevation over 2,600 feet, Waimea/Kamuela is cooler than the island’s coastal towns. It also lies at the crossroads of the Big Island’s lush and wet windward side and its sunny and dry leeward coast — everything grows here. It holds one of the best farmers markets you’ll ever go to and is packed with farm-to-table restaurants that are consistently rated as some of the best on the islands.
I drove through Historic Honoka’a Town, which is where my partner’s mom’s Hawaiian lineage is traced. Her great grandfather Rickard was the town sheriff and the family homestead is now a Salvation Army. The North Hawaiʻi Education and Research Center (NHERC), part of the University of Hawaii Hilo, features an exhibit space all about the Rickard family, for which a street is also named.
Much of the Big Island is a rural dream of wide-open spaces, and the Hamakua region’s small towns, including Honoka’a and Kukuihaele, have a classic small town charm. About a six mile drive from Honoka’a is the Waipio Valley Lookout. I had seen this breathtaking black sand beach with mountain backdrop while watching “Scenic Hawaii” on the television at home and had to see it for myself. Rich in history and natural beauty, the Waipio Valley is best viewed from the Waipio Valley Lookout.
Just down the hill is the Waipio Valley Artworks Café and Gallery, exclusively featuring Hawaii Island artists and koa furniture. I chatted with the shopkeeper, Midge who also told me about the Waipio Valley Shuttle, a four-wheel drive tour of the valley where you see 1,200 foot waterfalls, roaming wild horses and taro fields.
From the Waipio Valley, I made my way to the Waikoloa resort area where recent episodes of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” were filmed at the Marriott Beach Resort. The housewives were on island for the wedding of Camille Grammar, who owns a home in one of the elite private communities in the area. Across from the Marriott are the King’s Shops, featuring restaurants and retail on a man-made lake. I couldn’t resist a Tommy Bahama silk aloha shirt that is exclusive to the islands and is new to the collection—it features vibrant sunset colors, palm trees and a giant hula dancer embroidered on the back.
On Sunday afternoon before heading home, I visited the Hulihe’e Palace. Located across the street from Mokuaikaua Church, on the scenic Kailua Bay’s shoreline, this is one of the most important historic structures in Kailua. Built in the 1800’s for Hawaiian royalty, it is today a fascinating museum dedicated to preserving Hawaii’s unique cultural heritage.
I walked to the opposite end of Alii Drive to the Royal Kona Resort featuring Don The Beachcomber Restaurant, which claims to be the home of the original mai tai. The waves crash against the sea wall at the ocean front restaurant and lounge, where you can enjoy pizzas, fish and chips and burgers.
After lunch it was time to head to the airport and return to Oahu, just as it started to rain. With each island offering its own unique flavor and vibe, I am getting used to island hopping as a way of playing tourist and enjoying a change of surroundings in this island paradise in the middle of the pacific, which I’m now fortunate to call home.
World Traveler Pro 