Hawaii 2019- Big Island Eats: Part One

i’m finally coming to the end of my 2019 Hawaii trip reports. As I sorted through all of our amazing big island culinary experiences that did not already fit into other posts, I realized that there is just too much, so I’m making it a two-parter.

Eating on the big island of Hawaii is certainly not inexpensive and we found ourselves happy to have a rental car, as we often drove outside of the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort, to find cheaper and more interesting food options.

Our first meal of the vacation came about an hour after got our rental car. A Jeep is the must-have rental vehicle for Hawaiian adventures. We upgraded to a four-door, so that it would be easier for the kids.

We drove to a local Walmart ( near to a Costco for those with memberships) where we loaded up on bottled water, sunblock, and room snacks. Walmart is very close the airport and on our way to the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Near Walmart, we found a small sushi restaurant called Sakura Sushi and Grill. Sakura Sushi and Grill was surprisingly good value. Dan and I love sushi and luckily it is a type of cuisine that the kids always enjoy as well. Admittedly, the decor seemed a bit more Chinese than Japanse, but the sushi was tasty.

In the same general area, we found a Denny’s. I realize that Denny’s is a chain-restaurant, but my stepson Felix loves it and he doesn’t live in the US, so it is quite a treat for him. We went for breakfast during the middle of our trip. As far as food quality and offerings, it’s like any other Denny’s in the USA, but this one was located on a hill with spectacular ocean views.

But the best part was seeing a pair of mongeese decend on an uncleared table and devour the leftovers. They are adorable. Mongeese are not native to Hawaii, but they were brought over to take care of the rats in the sugarcane fields. It became a problem when the population of mongeese exploded and native Hawaiian species were impacted. They also didn’t help much with the rat problem, since mongeese are diurnal and rats are nocturnal.

I can appreciate that they are now a pest, but they sure are cute! I was so busy watching them, that I barely touched my eggs.

One of our best food finds was a casual pizza restaurant called Pau, located up in Waimea ( about thirty minutes north of our hotel). Pau was the perfect place for family dining- who doesn’t love pizza? We ate at Pau twice during our vacation and if it had been closer to our hotel, we would have visited more.

Pau is located in an agricultural area and they use ingredients that are fresh and locally sourced. They proudly list the names of their suppliers.

Dan and Zoe shared a pizza, Felix ordered pasta, and I enjoyed the special that included three “slices of the day” and a salad. This was the first time I had tried marinated artichokes on pizza and it was amazing.

We shared a cheesecake with guava sauce for dessert. Pau is an excellent local restaurant with reasonable prices and friendly service. It was one of our best finds on the big island and worth the drive.

Another restaurant where we dined twice was the Kona Canoe Club in the historic Kailua Kona town. The Kona Canoe Club has strong cocktails, juicy cheeseburgers, and a patio with ocean views. It is exactly the type of restaurant that reminds me of childhood vacations on Maui.

We ended our meal with a local dessert: Kona coffee mudd pie. Along with Pog juice and Kalua pork, Kona coffee mudd pie is a taste that immediately brings me back to the islands.

Another sweet treat located in Historic Kailua Kona Town is Scandinavian Shave Ice. I have no idea what makes it Scandinavian, but naturally we had to take my Swedish step-kids there. The kids had already tried shave ice at the Hapuna Beach snack-shack, but the experience at Scandinavian Shave Ice was vastly superior.

The flavor selection was enormous and the options included condensed milk or ice cream. The ice at Scandinavian Shave Ice was shaved finer and the syrups were a higher quality. The staff friendlier and the shop cuter. Of course, this also meant the wait was longer and the prices were higher, but it was well worth the experience.

Please stay tuned to my blog for part two of my “Big Island Eats” series.

Hawaii 2019: Flumin' Kohala

We celebrated my stepdaughter Zoe’s birthday in Hawaii with a Flumin’ Kohala excursion. Flumin’ Kohala offers the unique experience of guided kayak tours through the historic Kohala Ditch, which was built over a century ago to bring water to the sugar cane fields.

The mid-morning excursion started with a quick safety video.

Flumin Kohala is not an intense adventure. There are no rapids and only a few small dips for a short thrill. It does not require much physical effort, although you should be able to handle a small hike, climb in and out of the kayak, and help with a bit of paddling. Everyone is provided with a floatation device that ties around the waist, although the water is only knee-deep and no swimming skills are required. This is truly an adventure that most people in good health can enjoy, the only issue might be with those who have an extreme fear of the dark or claustrophobia. The tour goes into pitch-black tunnels ( a few headlamps providing the only light) and through tight spaces- if you reach out you will touch the wall and in a few spots, ducking is necessary.

We piled into vans for a short ride to the flumes.

Our guide ( the guy sitting backwards in the van) entertained us with local history, corny jokes, and a few songs. Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name, but he was very nice and ended up being the guide for our kayak, which was just big enough for him and our family. I do remember that he was a college student, home for the summer, but going to school in California.

We arrived at our location, a lush, mountainous area with waterfalls. We had a very short, easy hike to the flumes.

What to wear? We decided to put on our bathing suits under shorts/cover-ups. This worked out well. It’s not like we got soaked, but we did get wet. Our guide playfully used his oar to splash us with water and we walked around the flumes a bit, about knee high. The weather was warm, but the water was icy.

Close-toed shoes are required. We didn’t want to get our sneakers wet, so we went to the mall and splurged on Crocs for the whole family. I was very reluctant. It’s not that I was worried about Crocs being a fashion faux pas ( which they are) but that I have a painful association with Crocs. When my mom was having her cancer treatments, all of the doctors in the oncology units wore Crocs. I associate them with the worst time of my life.

I swore that I’d never wear them. However, pushed with needing shoes for the excursion, I caved and picked out a pair with flamingos. If you know me or have been reading for awhile, you’ll know that I loathe flamingoes. It seems appropriate.

Long story short, Crocs are the right kind of footwear for this activity. That said, I won’t be wearing them again. Luckily, they are a size too small and gave me blisters, so I have a easy excuse to throw them up on Poshmark!

A picture of our guide. He even played the Ukulele while guiding us through the flumes- Multi-tasking and multi-talented!

We climbed in the kayak with our guide in the front. He did a majority of the paddling. Felix second, Zoe third, me fourth and Dan in the back. Dan had an additional oar to assist with paddling and he got to wear a headlamp.

Dan and I had a problem. We were so physically sore from the Captain Zodiac excursion, that we couldn’t sit comfortably in the kayak. Normally, we would have been fine, but since this was only two days after the zodiac, we were stiff and in pain. We needed to sit with our legs crossed and my legs kept cramping. It was ninety minutes of discomfort.

That said, we still had a blast. Flumin Kohala is a unique tour that blends history and adventure with stunning scenery.

The ride ended near a patch of wild pineapples!

The current prices ( as of March 2021) are 135/adults and 75/children 5-11, this doesn’t include tax or tips. Our entire family enjoyed our experience at Flumin Kohala and the staff is first-rate.

After our excursion, we drove to a nearby town for lunch at a local cafe called Minnie’s. Minnie’s is a friendly burger/sandwich place, where we all went for grilled cheese. The owner overheard us mention Zoe’s birthday and she kindly surprised Zoe with a chocolate sundae. Minnie’s has great food and even better people. It’s the type of local restaurant that you should make sure to visit when in the area.

Hawaii 2019: Horseback Riding at Dahana Ranch

On the first full-day of our vacation we drove inland about thirty minutes to the lush, rolling hills of Kamuela for a horseback riding excursion at Dahana Ranch.

We arrived early and went into town for coffee and pastries at Kamuela Kitchen. Kamuela Kitchen was an excellent local find with warm hospitality and great food.

We enjoyed Kamuela Kitchen enough to return after our ride for lunch. Grilled cheese for the kids and avocado stuffed with crab for the adults.

Dahana Ranch is a working cattle ranch that offers trail rides and full-on cattle driving experiences. Dan is an experienced rider, I’ve been riding ( including a few lessons) about twenty times, and this was the first time for the kids. We went with the basic ninety-minute trail ride that accommodates all levels. Dan is very tall and accustomed to riding shire horses in England, so I called ahead to make sure that they had the right horse for him. Some of the other ranches only had smaller horses, so it was definitely important to call, rather than to show up and be disappointed.

Dan was given a beast of a horse that truly only an experienced rider could handle. I was given a brown horse named Abbie, nicknamed “Crabby Abbie” since she was a grumpy old lady that took every opportunity to nip at the other horses. I struggled with her a bit, as I tried to steer her away from everyone else on the ride, including our guide, Melissa. My step kids were given very patient and gentle horses, perfect for beginners.

The kids were nervous about the ride. I thought they might even try to bail, but they didn’t and within the first third of the ride, they were confident and enjoying the experience. The had such a great time, that they wanted to go again. Our trip, with regard to both time and money, was already booked up, but if we return to Hawaii, Dahana Ranch will be a top priority. This was our last major vacation prior to Covid-19, so hopefully after the pandemic, we will be able to find a stable close to our home in Colorado.

I felt confident going into the ride, but I hadn’t accounted for a previous injury that would flare up. I had sciatica back in 2017 and even though the immense pain went away within a few months, I still have a lingering weakness in my legs/hip and the pain occasionally comes back. When we had the opportunity to trot, pain seared down my leg. I had to stay towards the back of the pack and take it slow, which did not make Abbie happy.

Dahana Ranch doesn’t believe in “Nose to Tail” riding and encouraged us to keep the horses from walking in a straight line or even stick to the trails. They wanted the horses to be kept alert and not to be overly familiar with the trail.

Back at the ranch we said goodbye to the millions of dogs running around and to the very friendly pig. I think the pigs name was Meatball. It softly snorted as it enjoyed being petted.

Dahana Ranch has merch for sale and quite the collection of dusty boots ( not for sale).

If you’re looking for a great horseback riding experience on the Big island, look no further than Dahana Ranch. It was the top activity that everyone in the family liked and it happened to be one of the cheapest activities of our vacation- 80 each for the kids and 90 for adults! A bargain!