Category: 2022 Hawaii

Sunday, March 13 – transit from Hilo to Kona

I’m heading to Kona today, to finish out my trip there. I’ll be turning in my rental car today too. The route to Kona will be via the north coast, and I plan on making a few stops as I make my way to the airport. By going in this direction I will have completed a full loop of the island by traversing the belt road that is called the Māmalahoa Highway.

Travel Note: Daylight Savings Time (DST) began this morning in most of the country. However, Hawaii is one of two states (along with Arizona) that do not observe DST. Hallelujah! I won’t be losing an hour of the precious remaining time I have left on the islands.

My main point of interest this morning is the Pololu Valley, which is the most northern of the valleys that are carved into the Kohala volcano. It is a 2 hour drive from my hotel. There is an overlook to the valley and a hike that goes from the overlook down to a black sand beach. I was hoping to do the hike, but I had a deadline to get my car back to the airport, so ended up just viewing the valley from the overlook.

Located close to the valley is Keokea Beach Park. It’s kind of off-the-beaten-path – which you know I like! A perfect place to have a snack and take a break.

On my way to Kona, I’ll be passing through the little town of Kapaau, which is the birthplace of King Kamehameha I (KKI). To commemorate this, a statue was erected there of him in front of the historic county courthouse.

You may recall that I previously posted of photo of a KKI statue located in front of the the Aliʻiōlani Hale government building in Honolulu. You may further recall that the statue in Honolulu looks strikingly similar to this one. Well, it’s not a coincidence, and there’s an interesting story as to why…

The statue here in Kapaau has its origins in 1878 when it was commissioned to commemorate the 100 year arrival of Captain Cook to the Hawaiian Islands. An artist in Europe was chosen to create the statue. The finished brass sculpture was shipped from Germany in 1880 en route to Hawaii, but after encountering a storm in the south Atlantic, a fire broke out on deck and the ship sank near the Falkland Islands. Its entire cargo, including the sculpture, was presumed lost. When news of the shipwreck reached Honolulu, officials decided to commission a second cast using the insurance funds collected after the loss of the original. Ironically, and unbeknownst to Honolulu officials, fishermen managed to recover the sunken statue, which was recognized and bought by a British ship captain who then sold it in 1882 to the Hawaiian government. Now in possession of two identical statues, government officials decided to place the second cast, in considerably better condition than the original that had been damaged in the shipwreck, in the location originally intended to receive the statue, Honolulu. After some debate, the original was installed near Kamehameha I’s birthplace in North Kohala. Due to the shipwreck, neither statue was on-hand in Hawaii to fulfill the original plan of celebrating the 100th anniversary of Cook’s arrival to the islands.

After dropping off the rental car at the Kona airport, I headed to my accomodation in nearby Keauhou for the next two nights (via Uber: 25 minute drive, $35).

Travel Note: As predicted, the larger rental car I had here couldn’t match the milage I achieved with the smaller vehicles on the other two islands: 36 mpg (not as bad as I thought it’d be though!).

Travel Note: Distances that I drove on each island:

• Oahu: 0 miles
• Kauai: 298 miles
• Maui: 474 miles
• Big Island: 779 miles

Monday, March 14 – Keauhou

I have to admit, I am beat today. Kind of hit the wall. It’s probably partly a mental thing too, as I know this is my trip’s last day. After taking it easy for a couple hours though, I’m ready to explore a little bit of Kona.

The condo complex where I’m staying is located on Alii Drive, the main road in Kona along the coast. And there’s a trolley service that runs an hourly loop along the route, so my plan is take the trolley from the south end (where I’m located) up to its finish in the north and then walk back.

I finished the day by chillin’ out at the condo’s pool. Ahhh…

Tuesday, March 15 & Wednesday, March 16 – Transit from Kona to Madison

Sadly, after a little over 9 weeks, my time in Hawaii has come to an end.

My journey back to Madison begins early – a 5:30am Uber pickup ($35; 20 minutes) to get me to the airport for my 7:30am flight to Las Vegas.

My return itinerary isn’t pretty, but I really can’t complain after this great trip!

• Kona to Las Vegas; 5 hour flight
• Four hour layover in Las Vegas, which turns into 5 1/2 hours as departure is delayed (not that big of a deal though – I have to wait for the bus in Milwaukee anyway!)
• Three hour flight to Milwaukee; arrive at 2:30am
• Take the bus from Milwaukee to Madison; departs at 6:20am, arrives at 8:30am ($23)
• Ride home from Lake Street bus stop – thanks Chuck!

Trip Comments

Spending 9 weeks in Hawaii was amazing. I had a wonderful time! And how lucky did I get with the weather? Unbelievable! No rainouts throughout. Incredible!

I guess the only negative of the trip would be the disappointment of some Covid-related closures; specifically the Keck Observatory and Kalaupapa National Historic Park.

I have now visited 33 of the 51 states (incl Washington, DC). I’ve also been to two of the five U.S. Territories (Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico). Sadly, my country count has been on hold at 70 for the past two years, but hopefully that will change soon!

I remain thankful that I have been blessed with the time, funds and health to allow me to experience so much of the world!

Steps Update: I ended up averaging 16.2k steps per day for the trip (66 days). I was curious how this compared to my other winter escapes:

• 2019 South America: 14.4k per day (75 days)
• 2020 Europe: 16.1k per day (33 days)
• 2020 South America: 14.5k per day (30 days)

My friend John asked me a good question: With all of the walking that you did, how much weight did you lose? The answer: 4 pounds. He was rather surprised that it was so low! Understandable. I have a couple theories though: a) I was already rather light when I departed in January (160 pounds), and b) I have to admit I wasn’t eating the healthiest when I was staying in the hotels! (and my hunch is that weight loss is probably 80% due to diet, with the remaining 20% a result of exercise)

When I determined that I’d be spending my entire time in Hawaii I figured that a reasonable budget would be $300/day. I ended up coming in much lower than that though; mainly due to my extended stay in Oahu (long-term Airbnb and no rental car).

Thank you to everyone for following along, and for your feedback and comments. I enjoy working on these Journal Entries, and it means a lot to me that you are interested in its content. And it’s wonderful hearing from you as I travel solo on these long escapes.

And a big thanks to those of you who provided me with the awesome Hawaii travel tips and inside information: X & Linda, Ed, Kathy & Ray, Karen, Chuck, Debbie & Ron, Georgina, and John’s (de facto) sister-in-law Joyce.

Until next time, Mahalo and Aloha!

Thursday, March 10 – Hilo

I’ve been doing a lot of driving lately, so I think I’m just going to stick around Hilo today.

After a somewhat leisurely early morning, my first stop is the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens.

Next on the agenda is the Lyman Museum and Mission House.

Price Check: There is a McDonald’s close to the museum, so I had to stop in for a cone. But wait, they’re sold out! What?!? The price of $1.69 though would have placed this location near the least expense on my Hawaii survey.

Friday, March 11 – Hilo

I’ve got a fair amount of driving ahead of me today, as I’m going to explore the south of the island and then loop around to the west to finish up around Kona. So another early start is in order!

Travel Note: As I made my way south, my next planned stops were going to be to Ka Lae (South Point), followed by a hike to Papakolea Beach. Ka Lae is the southernmost point on the island, and thus, in the United States as well. Papakolea Beach is known for its unique green sand. Access to both from the main highway is via South Point Road. However, just before leaving the hotel this morning I happened to glance at the map provided to me by the rental car company. There in bright red letters is the notation that it is forbidden to drive rental cars on South Point Road! It’s a paved road, but apparently in rather rough condition. Oh well…

As a substitute for the planned visits that were now sadly off limits, I inserted into the itinerary a nearby park that happens to include a hiking trail. Let’s check it out!

Making my way now around the southern tip and traveling north on the west side of the island, the last stop of the day is Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Up until the early 19th century, a puuhonua (place of refuge) provided a safe haven for those Hawaiians fleeing for safety or seeking absolution after breaking kapu (laws), and this one is the best preserved in the state.

Instead of making the loop back to Hilo, I cut across the middle of the island (the same route I took from the airport last Sunday). The drive took about 90 minutes.

Saturday, March 12 – Hilo

I’m making a return visit to Volcanoes NP this morning, to take a hike I didn’t have time for on my first trip.

A surprise is awaiting me at the park! The rangers have posted notices indicating that there is a slight eruption occurring in the Halemaumau Crater. And a viewing area has been established. Awesome!

I’m hiking the Mauna Ulu Trail this morning. It’s a 2 1/2 mile round-trip that features a diverse landscape that was created during the 1969-74 Mauna Ulu flow.

Steps Milestone: Today I eclipsed the 1,000,000 step mark for the trip. Nice! And how appropriate that it occured while I was hiking in Volcanoes National Park!

In celebration of my milestone, I decided to enjoy a proper sit down meal!

Monday, March 7 – Hilo

I spent the morning getting caught up on the necessities of everyday life (email, finances, etc.) and working on a journal entry. In the afternoon I took a walk around the area near the hotel, and came across a nice little park on the waterfront.

Travel Note: I forgot to mention in yesterday’s entry that my flight to Kona was only about half full. That goes against what I encountered in my other two interisland flights – they were filled to capacity. Is the Big Island less popular? I’m guessing no; many other factors are in play (including my very small sample size!).

Tuesday, March 8 – Hilo

I’ve been looking forward to today’s excursion – a visit to Volcanoes National Park! The park covers over 500 square miles and includes two of the five volcanoes that formed the Big Island half a million years ago.

The VNP website includes detailed information about parking capacity at various spots throughout the park, as well as typical hourly occupancy at each location. They warn to have backup plans in case a lot is full. The trailhead for one of the hikes I’m interested in happens to be at a popular location. Mmmm…

…I therefore decided an early start was in order (the park is open 24 hours). I left the hotel around 6:30am; the drive to the park took about 40 minutes.

I’ll start the day off easy with a short hike to Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), which is one of the most popular attractions in the park.

Adjacent to the Lava Tube is the trailhead for Kilauea Iki, which will be my next hike…

I spent the next part of my visit traveling by car to various viewing locations throughout the park via Crater Rim Drive.

I finished the day with a drive along Chain of Craters Road. This 20 mile (each way) out-and-back trek travels from the high elevation of Crater Rim Drive to the coastal region of the park.

A great day in the park!

Fuel Price Check: I topped up on the way back to the hotel.

Travel Note: When I woke up this morning I noticed there was a cockroach in my bathroom. Not a huge deal, but I mentioned it to reception on my way out, in case they use some type of pest control measures. They promised to do a thorough cleaning of my room, and I was happy with that. Well, when I was checking my email later in the day I noticed that the hotel had provided me with a $50 refund. I wasn’t sure why, so I checked with the front desk and was informed it was due to the cockroach incident. Unexpected, but nice!

Wednesday, March 9 – Hilo

Today’s mission is to explore the east side of the island to the north of Hilo.

My next destination was further up the coast, but along the way I noticed a sign pointing out a short scenic drive, so I decided to check it out.

On my way to the next stop I passed through the small town of Honoma…

About an hour’s drive north is my next destination – the Waipio Valley.

There is a hiking trail leading from the lookout area down to the beach. It’s only about a mile long, but has a 1,000 foot elevation change and is known to be treacherous. I was going to give it a shot, but unfortunately the trail was closed today. No clear reason why was givin, but others I talked to at the lookout speculated that the locals are not happy with the tourist hikers and have forced the closure. Apparently it’s been an ongoing battle for years. A shame…

Since my hiking plans were thwarted, I needed to come up with a Plan B.

Fortunately, not to far away is the Kalopa State Recreation Area.

It started raining just as I finished the hike! Close to the trailhead though was a shelter with picnic tables. So I made my way there, had a snack, and then began the drive back to Hilo.

Sidenote: Averted a disaster today! As I was meandering around the island, I noticed a message on my phone: No SIM. Not No Service, but No SIM! Did I forget to pay the bill?? No, I’m on autopay! I tried several restarts to alleviate the problem, but with no success. Fortunately though I was still able to use the phone’s navigator app to get me around. (I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but it’s worth repeating: Once a map is loaded into a phone’s nav app (either via a wireless or cell connection), it is stored there and a cell signal is NOT required to provide navigation, that is done by the phone’s GPS signal. This is an especially helpful tip when traveling overseas and facing expensive data fees.) When I got back to the hotel, I used the wireless connection there to (hopefully) find a local AT&T store. Yesss! There’s one just two miles away. After several failed attempts to correct the issue, the Tech Rep ultimately installed a new SIM card. Whew! Thankfully back on the network. The Rep mentioned that a failed SIM is a rare occurrence, but that mine is rather old! (iPhone 6, purchased fall of ’14) However, he also commented that he was impressed with the condition of my “old” phone (especially considering I don’t use a permanent protective case). Of course, he also tried to sell me a new phone! Thankfully I was close to an AT&T store when this happened. That’s not always the case though when I’m travelling; and it made me realize how dependent I am (we are) on our phones.

Travel Note: Hawaii announced that, as of March 26, masks will no longer be required while indoors, becoming the last state to drop the mandate. In addition, the directive that travelers from the mainland provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test will also expire on that date.

Friday, March 5 – Kihei

Today’s going to be fun. I’m heading out early to visit Haleakala National Park.

Established in 1916, the park covers over 33 thousand acres. Haleakala “Crater” is the centerpiece of the park. Although, it’s actually not a crater, but an erosional valley. Nowhere else on earth can you drive from sea level (Kahului) to 10,023 feet (the summit) in only 38 miles!

Leaving around 7am, it took me about an hour and 15 minutes to drive from my hotel to the park entrance. My plan is to visit the summit and (hopefully) get in a couple hikes within the park.

Travel Note: I was originally planning on visiting the park yesterday. Thankfully though the park’s website provides weather conditions and forecasts for the high elevation at the summit (which can be totally different than that at the beach in Kihei!). Yesterday’s forecast was for clouds and rain. Pass!

The trailhead for my first hike of the day is located adjacent to the Visitor Center. The hike is named Keoneheehee (Sliding Sands), which is an out-and-back route that heads downhill into the crater. The round-trip is 4 miles with and elevation change of 2,500 feet! The rule of thumb is to figure it will take twice has long to hike out as it took to go in. I’m not sure if I’ll be making the full descent.

The hike going in was super easy, but I could tell I was feeling the impact of the high altitude (lightheaded, headache), and did a couple turnaround short ascents to determine how I would do traveling back up the trail. Eventually I decided I had gone far enough and that a retreat was in order. Humbling, but necessary. The round-trip took me about 2 1/2 hours, with many rest (catch my breath) stops on the way out. I later spoke to one of the park rangers and described where I had stopped on the trail. Based on that information, she informed me that the hike took me a mile into the crater, with an elevation change of 400 feet. Not terrible, I guess.

Needless to say, my plans for a second hike today were canceled. On my way out of the park though I made a stop at the Kalahaku Overlook (elevation 9,324 feet). It provides another perspective of the crater.

My final stop in the park was a place called Hosmer Grove (elevation 6,750 feet). It consists of a short nature trail (1/2 mile loop) and a picnic area. After a snack and a rest, I checked out the trail…

And I made a few purchases today at the park! Left and lower center are a sticker and pin ($10). Upper center is a Senior Lifetime National Park Pass ($80). I just qualified for this in January, so the timing is perfect! And it should pay for itself on this trip alone, because in addition to visiting this park on Maui, there are also two parks on the Big Island that I intend to see, and the entry fee to each is $30. Finally, on the right is a National Parks Passport ($13), where stamps can be collected from each park visited.

Saturday, March 5 – Kihei

Okay, the park is not going to beat me! I’m going back to Haleakala this morning to tackle my second planned hike.

Before the hike however, I’m going to make a return to the Kalahaku Overlook, hoping for a cloud-free view…

Today’s trail is called Halemauu, and is a 2.2 mile out-and-back route with an elevation change of 400 feet. Similar to what I did yesterday. The difference from yesterday though, is that this trailhead is at 7,990 feet rather than 9,740 feet. Hopefully that will help alleviate my altitude issues.

Below are a couple panorama photos from my phone…

This was a great hike! I felt much better today. It’s amazing what a difference 1,800 feet in elevation makes. The out-and-back took me about 1 1/2 hours.

Not too far from the park is the town of Makawao. This little place is known for its speciality shops and down-home eateries. Touristy? Yes. But I’m going anyway! First things first…Lunch!

I did see some some work by a couple artists that I liked, but nothing specific, so I’m going to check out their websites and maybe have something shipped to me.

Sunday, March 6 – transit from Maui to The Big Island (Hawaii)

My flight to Hilo today is not until noon, so that allows me a nice leisurely morning. Feels good after my early trips to Haleakala the last two days. The Hawaiian Airlines flight ($86 + $15 bag fee) is on the usual 2×3 seater (I think it’s a Boeing 717), and takes about 35 minutes.

Travel Note: My Maui rental averaged 42 mpg. I thinks that’s amazing, considering the all switchback roads and high altitude driving.

As I was waiting for the rental, I realized that I hadn’t provided a glimpse of my luggage for the trip. So, here you go…

I flew into Kona, but for the next week I’ll be staying in a hotel in Hilo. The drive took about 90 minutes.

Travel Note: I’m flying out of Kona when I head back to the mainland on the 15th. That’s why I flew there from Maui and picked up my rental there. In hindsight though, I should have considered flying into Hilo, picking up the rental there and then dropping it off in Kona. I’m not sure if it would have been cost-effective, but I should have at least considered it.

My accommodation is the SCP Hilo Hotel.

Thursday, March 3 – Kihei

I decided to forgo any driving today. Not the brightest fiscal move, but I think I need a break. I was up early though and went for a nice long walk along the waterfront (gotta get my steps average back up!).

I ended up walking for a little over 3 hours. It felt great!

The rest of the day was spent on some rather less than exciting pursuits – reading, napping, and planning for tomorrow’s excursion.

Sorry today’s post is rather boring; I promise tomorrow will be better!

Monday, February 28 – Kihei

Woke up early this morning for my sunrise yoga class. Oh, wait…that was actually a dream I had! I’m in Maui now! I was up early though, so I made my way down to the beach to see what’s going on.

I spent the early part of the morning doing a quick update to the journal, then was ready to hit the road!

My first stop is the Iao Valley. This is a State Park that features some hiking trails and the Iao Needle, a spire that rises more than 1,200 feet from the valley floor. It was about a 30 minute drive from my hotel, and the entry/parking fee was $15.

Just down the road from the park are the Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens. Being so close, I had to stop. (plus, it was free, my favorite word!) It was established in 1952 to celebrate the diverse heritage of Hawaii’s immigrants as well as the original people to inhabit the islands.

The Iao Valley is located on the peninsula that is the northwest part of the island. While I was in this area I wanted to take a drive on the road along the the northern and eastern coast of the peninsula that I had read about called the Honoapiilani Highway. Quoting from my reading…Driving this route is not for the faint of heart: the road weaves along coastal cliffs, and there are lots of blind curves; it’s not wide enough for two cars to pass in places, so one of you (most likely you) will have to reverse on this nail-biter of a “highway”.

I can attest to the fact that everything in that sentence is true; including the part about having to go in reverse to let a car pass – that was me! The curves were so extreme in places that along the way I saw two vehicles pulled over so one of its occupants could throw up on the side of the road!

And as a bonus, adjacent to the “highway” is the Ohai Trail. This 1.2 mile loop was a fun hike and offered some wonderful scenery!

This was a fun day! I gotta say though, I was pretty fatigued at the end of the drive. It took a lot of concentration. It was invigorating though. However, I think being a passenger would be pretty cool too!

Travel Note: So, you may recall that a few days ago I predicted the demise of daily housekeeping services in hotels. Well, here at the Day’s Inn they in fact do offer daily service. Not only that, even if you don’t want it, they require that the room be cleaned at least once every three days!

And in light of the high cost of visiting Maui, I have some good news!!! I’ve discovered that there’s a Subway about a mile from my hotel that offers the $3.99 daily special! Yessss!!! (there’s also a grocery store nearby; can you guess where I’ll getting most of my meals?)

Steps Update: The trip is now 75% complete, so let’s see how I’m progressing. As predicted, with the addition of a rental car, my daily average is dropping; it now sits at 16.4k. Daily max is 30k, and the min is 10k.

Tuesday, March 1 – Kihei

Out the door early this morning! (no, not for sunrise yoga – sorry, that joke’s getting old!) Today I’m heading to the southeast of the island and will be accomplishing the proverbial two birds, one stone thing. My ultimate destination is the Waiʻānapanapa State Park; and the only way to get there is via the iconic Road to Hana.

Now, my hotel is in the southwest of the island and the park is in the southeast. So, to get there you’d think I would simply head due east, right? Nope. The only way to get there is to loop around to the north and then south along the east coast. It’s about a 2 hour and 15 minute drive (60 miles).

The Road to Hana (TRH) officially begins in Kahului, and ends in, well, Hana. Like the Honoapiilani Highway, TRH features blind curves, narrow roads and great scenery. Unlike the Honoapiilani Highway, TRH also includes several single lane bridges.

Sidenote: I know that The Road to Hana gets all the accolades, but in my opinion, the Honoapiilani Highway is the better drive. Don’t get me wrong, TRH is great; I just feel like the HH offers better views and a little more of an extreme driving experience.

Entrance to Waiʻānapanapa State Park is by reservation only (which I like). Bookings open two weeks in advance of the requested date. And the reservations are on a timed basis, with four three hour windows each day. The visitor is not restricted to buying only one window though, so I ended up purchasing three reservations that covered the period from 10am to 6pm (the cost of each time slot was only $10, plus $5 per person entry fee for the whole day – so my total cost was $35).

Waiʻānapanapa is popular for its stunning coastal views and rugged lava shoreline that features sea arches, blow holes, and the black sand beach of Pailoa Bay. The park also includes a 2 mile out-and-back coastal hiking trail that was awesome!

And thanks to the late tipoff in Madison, I was able to watch Wisconsin defeat Purdue and win the B1G Championship when I got back to the hotel! A good day!

Wednesday, March 2 – Kihei

I’ve done a LOT of driving the last couple days, so the plan is to stay fairly close to the hotel today. I’m leading things off with an early morning walk on the beach.

There’s a highway overlook a little ways up the coast near Maalaea that’s supposed to be good spot for whale watching, so that’s my first destination of the day.

…and I had an amazing viewing experience! I saw several whales breaking the surface and blowing water, and witnessed two whales breaching. Incredible! Sadly, I have no pictures to show for it. It was nearly impossible (at least for me) to scan the ocean surface for a whale, and when one was spotted, have the camera in place, focused and ready to take the photo. Great memories though!

After returning to the hotel I took a walk down to Subway to pick up a sandwich for dinner. There’s a nice oceanside park nearby; a perfect place to dine! While I was there, I noticed a little activity offshore…

I started the day with a walk on the beach…

Fuel Price Check:

Saturday, February 26 – Kapaa

Sunrise yoga? Check.

Leisurely couple hours? Check.

By late morning I was sufficiently motivated to take a drive to check out Wailua Falls. It took around 20 minutes from the hotel.

The road into the falls is a dead end, and there is an overlook from the road that provides a downward side look at the falls. This is where everyone congregates.

However, I read on a blog about a trail the winds down from the road to the falls. However, it’s steep, muddy, and slippery. But it is fairly short and there are supposed to be ropes along the route to provide assistance. I’m going for it!

And fortunately there were no incidents on the hike. Well, there was one…I forgot to apply insect repellent. The mosquitos were ruthless!

I got back to hotel by mid-afternoon and went for a bike ride.

Sunday, February 27 – transit from Kauai to Maui

Thankfully my flight to Maui doesn’t depart until around noon. That gives me plenty of time for one last sunrise yoga class. Perfect!

I enjoyed my time on Kauai. I’d say a weeklong stay results in a nice relaxing itinerary. Highlights:

• Kalalau Trail
• Waimea Canyon
• Sunrise Yoga (of course!)
• The hotel’s setting / grounds / room with balcony and a great view

In my opinion, the only cons to the island are that it’s rather expensive, and traffic can be congested (although, to be fair, there is some road work going on at the moment).

Sidenote: I ended up getting 40 mpg with my rental. Not bad!

The Hawaiian Airlines flight ($108 + $15 bag fee) took about 45 minutes on a plane that was the same size as the one that brought me to Kauai. I will say though that the Maui airport is huge in comparison to the one on Kauai. They even have a tram going to the rental car complex. Speaking of rental cars…

My hotel for the week is the Day’s Inn Oceanfront. It’s located on the west side of the island and the drive from the airport (which is in the northwest) took about 20 minutes.

Thursday, February 24 – Kapaa

I’m tired this morning people! The hikes of the last two days (especially yesterday’s) wore me out. (and I have not yet taken a day off on this trip, despite Kait’s blessing!) I did over 20k steps on Tuesday and a little over 30k yesterday.

So I think I’m going to take it slow today. But not so slow that I’m going to skip sunrise yoga. I’m on that!

After class I spent the morning relaxing and beginning the draft of my next journal entry.

Travel Note 1: I just noticed that there is no telephone in my room. I guess that kind of makes sense, right? I just don’t recall ever staying in a rather large hotel complex like this one and being in a room without a phone.

Travel Note 2: Since the onset of Covid, hotels have been cutting back big time on housekeeping services. The hotels I’ve stayed at on this trip will only provide towel change outs and trash removal upon request. I did convince them to do a full room clean at my hotel in Waikiki after I’d been there for over a week. I can understand how this policy was put in place during the height of the pandemic, but I’m curious to see how this will play out as things subside. I have a feeling there will never be a return to daily room cleaning (at least at hotels not at a four or five star level).

I was ready to get out a little bit this afternoon, so I grabbed a bike and took off on the path along the waterfront. A posted a bunch of pictures from my last ride, but here’s a new one from today…

On the way back to the hotel I made a little detour to roam around the cute shopping/dining district here in Kapaa. It’s a little touristy, but not terrible.

Fuel Price Check: …

Sidenote: I didn’t use my rental car at all today. For the amount I’m paying for it, I feel a little guilty (stupid?) for leaving sit idle. Oh well…

Friday, February 25 – Kapaa

What did I do this morning at sunrise? Anybody? That’s right! Yoga!

That got me a little motivated, but I still didn’t get out the door until about 11am. I think one more day of light activity is needed.

Travelnote: There are a lot of roosters here in Kauai. A lot. And my hotel doesn’t have air conditioning. That’s really not a problem though, because I just leave the balcony door wide open and the breeze off the ocean feels great. (Would I do that if I was on the ground floor? Mmmm…I digress) Well, actually it is a problem, because the roosters start cock-a-doodle-doing very early in the morning! And they’re loud, especially with the door wide open! Fortunately though I have earplugs. And not just any earplugs; I had these babies custom-fit to my ear canals. They’re amazing. One of my more deft purchases! (along with the ’93 Nissan, haha)

I’m traveling north again today to the town of Hanalei. It’s touted as representing “Old-World” Hawaii, and it even has a cute one-lane bridge just as you enter the town. I think it’s a little on the touristy side though. (I let you be the judge after viewing the following photos…)

Sidenote: Can you believe that my anti-touristy ethos has been defied on two consecutive days? Me neither. Just goes to show you how dangerous fatigue can be!

Anybody remember the song Puff The Magic Dragon? Well, it includes the following lyrics:

Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee

Local folklore claims that Hanalei (Honah Lee) was the inspiration for the song. Sadly, some party-poopers at a local newspaper (of all places!) have since debunked this legend. Booo I say!

The drive from my hotel to Hanalei took about 40 minutes (yay! my rental car is back in use!)

It was a fun little road trip!

Price Check: There’s a McDonald’s close to my hotel, so I couldn’t resist – I had to get a cone! And the price was surprisingly low: $1.87. I was expecting something closer to the $2+ I found in Waikiki.

Tuesday, 2-22-22 – Kapaa

Led off the day with sunrise yoga. I could get used to this! My mission today is to explore the South Shore of the island – mainly to hike the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail.

This is a fairly easy out-and-back trail that runs about 2 miles each way. It starts at Shipwreck Beach on Keoneloa Bay and goes to Mahaulepu Beach near Kawailoa Bay. It’s a beautiful hike along the coast, and features some stunning cliffs. There are two different routes on the trail – a) hugging the coast along the cliffs, and b) along the treeline further inland. I took the cliffs on the way out and the trees on the way back.

This was a fun hike! Following that I made some stops to check out a couple other beaches that were close by.

On my way back to the hotel I stopped at another restaurant recommended by my shuttle bus driver. This one specializing in Hawaiian food. Unfortunately though, it was closed. According to their website, and the signs onsite, they should have been open when I arrived; maybe a one-off thing? Oh well, maybe I’ll try again if I’m back in the area. So for dinner I ended up grabbing some things at a grocery store that is within walking distance of my hotel.

Wednesday, February 23 – Kapaa

…that’s because I have a reservation at Hā’ena State Park on the North Shore. I booked this about three weeks ago. Reservations are required because the park is home to the popular Kalalau Trail. It is claimed to be “one of the most adventurous hiking trails in the world“, and serves as one of the only ways to access the Napali Coast via land.

There are two forms of day-pass reservations to the park: a) entry with parking, and b) entry via a shuttle bus. The former option is hard to come by, as many parking spots are reserved for Hawaiian residents. So I booked the latter ($35). The first shuttle runs at 6:30am and the last one leaves the park at 5:30pm. The morning shuttles into the park depart every 30 minutes, and the reservations are on a departure time basis. My booking was for 9am. (And you do NOT want to miss the last shuttle out of the park at 5:30pm, because there is no cell service in the park, and it’s a 6 mile walk back to the shuttle park-and-ride lot!) The buses hold 25 people, and the ride into the park takes about 30 minutes.

Checking Google Maps this morning, the drive from my hotel to the park-and-ride was going to take about 40 minutes. I was super stressed though, because the park’s website warned that any late arrivals would need to go standby on a subsequent bus. So I left the hotel around 7:15. And…I arrived at the P&R pretty much right at 8:00. Now, here’s the cool part: The staff at the P&R were very accommodating and held the bus for some folks with 8am reservations that had just pulled up to the lot. And because of that, I had time to ask if a seat was available on that bus, and if so, could I grab it? The answer: Yes and Yes. Awesome! I’ll be arriving at the park an hour ahead of schedule! (You’re probably wondering why I didn’t just make an 8am reservation? Well, the usual answer would be because I’m an idiot; but in this case the 8:00am (and the 8:30am) slot(s) were fully booked when I made my reservation. This one hour advantage will prove to be critical to my hiking plans.

The Kalalau Trail offers two options for hikers with the day-pass (like me)…

The first option is to go from Ke’e Beach in the park to Hanakapi’ai Beach. This 2 mile (4 miles out and back) route is the most popular with hikers.

The second option is to continue a further 2 miles (4 miles out and back) on the trail which culminates at the Hanakapi’ai waterfall. This portion of the trail is not maintained however, and becomes more difficult as it meanders over rocks and fallen trees.

And I should point out that the option one hike is no cakewalk, with severe elevation changes, rock obstructions and a creek crossing. So, my plan was to do the hike to Hanakapi’ai Beach, see how that went, both on time and effort, and then determine if I wanted to continue on to the falls. (with the 5:30pm hard stop in the forefront of my thoughts!)

I was a little worried that the trail would be packed with people, but it became obvious that the reservation system that the park has implemented is working, because the trail was sparsely populated.

So, enough of my yapping, let’s do this!

On our arrival, the park ranger mentioned that it rained here yesterday. The bad news? That means the trail is going to be muddy and slippery. The good news? How lucky have I been with the weather on this trip? I booked this reservation three weeks ago, and missed out on rain by a day! I’m just waiting for the weather karma God to bite me. Hard!

I’m happy with my time so far, so the plan is to continue on the trail to the waterfall, with a status check on my location in 1 1/2 hours.

There is no doubt that I’ve experienced more impressive waterfalls in my travels, but the effort it took to reach Hanakapi’ai makes it special.

After a short break on the beach, I started the hike back to the trailhead in Hā’ena Park. This final leg of the trail required 1 hour and 5 minutes to complete. So, all told, the hike covered 8 miles, with a duration of 6 hours, of which I figure breaks and photo ops accounted for about 45 minutes. This was a good day; I’m pretty happy that I accomplished this. I have to admit though, I’m beat!

Sidenote: I must say that I’m so impressed that I did not see one piece of trash along the trail during my hike.

On the drive back to the hotel, I made a stop at the roadside Hanalei Valley Overlook.

Monday, February 21 – Kapaa

“Go West, Old Man!” That’s my motto as I travel to the west side of the island today. I’m going to take the west side highway to its very end in the northwest part of the island. The route will take me from my east side hotel, then loop along the south shore and finish by heading north along the west side. There are no options – that’s the only highway. It’s about a 40 mile drive, but will take about an hour and a half; rather slow for a few reasons: mainly two lane roads; low speed limits; and a switchback route to the north due to elevation gains.

This road trip has two main viewing objectives: the Napali Coast and the Waimea Canyon. This will be achieved via some lookouts along the route and one short hike.

I have a reservation on Wednesday morning to enter Ha’ena State Park, which includes another Napali Coast hike. Looking forward to that!

My rental car shuttle bus driver was very friendly and provided me with some local dining suggestions (I was the only passenger on the bus!). One happened to be on the way back to the hotel, so I stopped there for some takeaway.