After leaving Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, we started our journey back to Waikoloa Village, but rather than cut through the center of the island as we did on our morning drive, we went north to enjoy coastal views.
We were surprised to discover the Mauna Loa factory.
I love Mauna Loa chocolate covered macadamia nuts. As an adult, my best friend’s parents would give me a box every year for Christmas and I would devour it in a single sitting. I’m powerless to resist the chocolatey-macadamia nut goodness!
We took the detour to the factory, driving along a beautiful road through orchards.
The Mauna Loa Factory is small and offers a free, self-guided tour. We walked to a second floor exterior ramp, which allowed us to peek into the factory. Our family enjoys factory tours and even more so, when the factory is operating. We were able to see the machines running at full-steam, packing those nuts!
We went inside the store for product samples. Obviously delicious, but we also had a nice surprise when my stepson, who can be a picky eater, enjoyed the chocolate covered macadamia nuts. In fact, he loved them enough to spend his own pocket money to buy a bag! This is a kid who had never tried nuts, so quite a big deal. There were a few moments when he tried new foods on our vacation and we know it’s hard for him, so we were proud that he took the challenge.
The Mauna Loa Factory was our best unexpected surprise on the trip.
Afterwards, we drove to Hilo, which is the most populated area on the eastern side of the island. We found a cute fish & chips shop called Mohala’s Bayfront, where we ate dinner.
The restaurant was very family friendly and one of my favorite touches were these conversation-starter napkins.
Just down the street we discovered a local ice cream shop for dessert. Makani’s Magic Pineapple Shack has an adorable tiki theme and delicious mango ice cream.
Our drive took us past lush greenery, waterfalls, and ocean vistas. The landscape was dramatically different from the moon-like rocks of the Kona coast. The east side of the big island is certainly the landscape that most people would associate with Hawaii. We even saw a rainbow!
Just as we were a few miles from our hotel, we ended the day with a gorgeous sunset.
