In early November we took a week trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. I was not disappointed!
It started off terrible with flight delays due to fog in Seattle. We were an hour and a half behind schedule which was the amount of our next layover. We landed in Seattle just 8 minutes before our next flight to Honolulu was due to take off. The airport was overcrowded so we taxied to the overflow parking and had to take a bus back to airport. So… a bus ride, a tram, and lots of running we made it to our gate in 5 minutes, just 3 minutes to spare! We finally made it to Hilo with some bumps and bruises but can you guess what did not make it? That’s right…our luggage.
After getting our rental car, the next stop was Walmart for some essentials, like shorts. We grabbed some food and some clothes and headed off to the coast to meet up with our property manager and get settled in to our vacation beach house. Unfortunately, neither of our shorts fit! 😩. I called the airline to get the location of our bags and an ETA on when they would arrive, more bad news, the bags would not arrive until the following night. Spending a day in Hawaii at 85 degrees with 90% humidity in jeans is not something I recommend. 😀 Our bags finally arrived and things turned around.
The weather was perfect. Our time spent doing all the things I love, laying in the sun, reading, eating good food, and having some great adventures. And it was the perfect spot for some relaxed reading, right on the edge of the cliff with picture perfect views.
We stayed at an Air B&B right next to Kehena Beach, called the Kehena Beach House. The location could not have been more perfect and the privacy of the property was more than I could have asked for. Empty lots on either side with foliage galore made it seem as though you are on island all by yourself. The beach house was very cute and had almost everything we would need for a perfect holiday. I am a stickler for a comfy bed and most places we visit fall short there, and this was no exception. The bed was more than uncomfortable it was actually broken on one side and my husband kept sagging toward the floor. It is very common in Pahoa that places do not have AC, I did not realize this. For most of the day, the breeze off the ocean and the ceiling fans were enough to keep things comfortable but when it was time for bed, sauna. 🥵 About halfway through our trip we started sleeping upstairs on the couches.
Now I am a beach girl. When we go on vacation I want a nice sandy beach. I looked at places on the beach for Hawaii but they just were not as nice as the ones on the ones on the cliff. So I traded in my beach for spectacular views and a pool. I would certainly do it again! It was incredible to lay out on one of the 4 lanai’s that the house had and then go down and jump in the private pool to cool off. We spent a lot of time here. The only negative I have to say about the pool was the chlorination. In order to keep mosquitoes and other pests out, I know that places need to keep the water very chlorinated but this was almost bleach. I kept my face and hair out to avoid any issues but it was burning my husband’s face.
We split our time between relaxing and exploring the island. I am not one that needs to fill my days with activities as I love to just lounge around with a book but there were a few things I wanted to see. Here are few of those and I fully recommend checking them out if you get the chance.
-Isaac Hale Beach Park, MacKenzie State Recreation Area, Volcano National Park, Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo, King Kamehameha Statue, and Liliuokalani Gardens.
Overall this trip was wonderful and we had an amazing time! Another incredible adventure under our belts and I would certainly go back. Now some of you might be thinking “wait what about the food?!” don’t worry I didn’t forget nor will I ever forget the food. That my friends, will be a page all on it’s own. Stay tuned!
