Hawaii Big Island D2- Today we got a better look at the island, leaving Waikoloa on the West side and driving South on the West cost around the bottom to Punalu’s Black Sand Beach.
Lots of people in the distance
Overall it was a nice drive, but I’ll be frank, from about the Kona Airport to Waikoloa Village about 25 mile stretch of old lava fields is ugly, desolate, relatively barren, reminiscent of the moon with some grass
, and the resort we are staying at is right in the middle of it, however there is a nice swath of green the surrounds the resort and the resort is very nice.
That said when we got past Honalo and the road started rising above sea level we got into what I expected to see in Hawaii, nice, lush vegetation, those big glorious trees, walls of philodendrons cascading down embankments, and small picturesque villages. Tomorrow we will explore North and West, maybe take the Saddle road up between the two volcanoes.
Now, these lava fields, something curious about them, sections are undisturbed lava flows, where you can see how it flowed before cooling, but other huge sections look like a lot of bulldozers went at the lava breaking and churning it up with the dirt underneath, mikes and miles, far into the distance of the climbing terrain to the volcano. So I looked up “lava field restoration/recovery, but not a peep I have found.
I am strongly suspecting for tourism neither the The State, nor the Resorts are going to be advertising their lava fields as a great feature. They are interesting in a bleak scientific way, and fortunately there are the green belts of what you expect to see. Even the woman we met on the plane who lives here unsolicited said,
Hawaii is not the prettyist Hawaiian Island, but there are fun things to do.
Not said as a critique, just an observation, everything is expensive, breakfast at the resort was $60 for 2 egg and bacon breakfast, for 2 of us. I was expecting that, off resort is usually always better. Gas for the car is running $5.09 per gallon. I know, by European standards that’s a huge bargain.
As of today, subject to change having been to Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii, for natural beauty I’d rank Oahu No. 1, but Honolulu is a congested mess, Maui No.2, Hawaii No.3. Maui has some nice enchanted locals. Both Maui and Hawaii with so few people living on them, they feel more like the frontier in a way and that’s good too.
That just delayed the boarding process.
), Keys (Tavernier) , Orlando/Universal/Hard Rock, Hershey PA, might to an extended DC trip again, that's work + play.
htbg.com
not the case, but the fault is ours for wanting to fly from the States directly to the big island, and sticking with a specific airline without considering other possibilities, and the most direct flights are to Oahu.
