Skip to main content

My Hawaiian Vacay: Kailua Kona

So refreshing to escape the hustle of Waikiki and see one of the other islands. I bought a package to tour the Volcanoes and the waterfalls, got away earlier than expected. The flight over to Kona was brief and I have to say, the flight attendants on Hawaiian Airlines look like flight attendants should!

The island is literally made of lava rock, weird, bubbly formations that create a black rolling landscape. The shuttle takes us to the Royal Kona Resort, a huge hotel right on the rocky shore. Built in about the early '70's, giant tiki gods and torches make up the decor...on closer inspection, it's more like the Royal Tiki Dump. Paul and I are spoiled with his platinum memberships at key hotel chains...I booked this one with the package and instead of our usual suite with ocean view....we get the 'mountain view,' which translates to parking lot. 

Our intentions were to rent a Harley and ride around the island ... The local dealership is a short walk from the Royal Kona Dump. We were shocked to learn the cost for a four hour ride; $189 for the bike, over $55 in taxes/fees, and a $2000 hold on the credit card for liability! Obscene! No thanks. We dropped a hundred bucks on two tshirts and headed back to the hotel.

Spent the afternoon by the pool listening to the hypnotic sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Paul Definitely needed to relax today and this was just the ticket. An early dinner, an evening rain shower and early to bed...our tour/hike tomorrow is supposed be fairly rigorous .

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

#Scattered_TheBox

     Bree sat silent in the passenger seat of Della’s Range Rover as they drove away from the city towards Bree’s farmhouse. Della respected her friends silence, glancing furtively towards Bree, checking for what? Della didn’t know; was there a protocol for ‘how to act when your friend is told she has a few months to live?’ Della wasn’t sure and at this moment her heart hurt as if it were being squeezed by a giant hand intent on crushing the organ in her chest.       Della met Bree Maxwell at the registrar’s office in 1974 at the University of Chicago. Just two long-haired hippie chicks in bell bottom denims and crop tops among thousands, struggling to look cool while simultaneously overwhelmed by the process of registering for classes. The two became fast friends and shortly thereafter they met Tish and Ann, also freshman. The foursome became inseparable and forged a bond that has endured four decades.         Bree is the...

The Waning Light

  There are times I dread the waning light of day, That golden hour which precedes the night. The night brings sad memories. The night brings old terrors. The night brings lonely hours, Sleepless hours, Blackness filled with sorrow. The darkness carries the quiet, the quiet commands the truth. The night accentuates my aloneness; it echoes my fears. The darkness makes me yearn for my children and for my loved ones long gone. The night plays a melancholy tune in my head. The night makes me yearn for the light of day when everything is new once again.                                                                                                     ~ Author: Debi Tolbert Duggar   As a...

SummerRoadTrip2012_Orlando to Calgary

June 28, 2012  My friend Vern and I on the North shore of Lake Superior 2011  The trip was originally planned on the bikes; alas, destiny had other plans for Bessie and Me. I was to connect with my friend Vern (who I met last year on the North shore of Lake Superior in Ontario Canada....that in itself is a whole 'nuther story...) in Milwaukee this summer, after my Midwest visit. It has been my goal for the past three summers to ride across the Canadian Rockies and out to Vancouver British Columbia. When my friend heard of the accident and that Bessie was totaled, he suggested we go ahead with the trip, only on four wheels. I've never in my life turned down a Road Trip - via any mode of transportation - so I wholeheartedly agreed. Only a little apprehensive since I have never had a partner - other than my two daughters - for an extensive road trip, I booked a flight to Calgary, Alberta Canada and packed my bags. Ironically, I find packing for a car trip more challengi...