The Big Island: "Field Trips"

Hapuna Beach

Yesterday, we really goofed off. We had lunch at the Macaroni Grill in Waikoloa, which was delicious. We particularly liked sitting in the area outside, by the bar. Next up was beautiful Hapuna Beach. After my huge salad, I should have done a lot more swimming, but I just bobbed in the waves. More photos:

I like the fact that Hapuna has lifeguards.

Pretty large crowd.

On the Road, Again

Recently, we were delighted to be invited to lunch with old friends at the new Sam Choy's restaurant (Kai Lanai) in Keauhou. Because the "Saddle Road" is now fully paved, we decided to take it. It is a beautiful drive and we always see lots of wildlife. Here we are, heading up. Those are ohia trees in the photo.

Mauna Kea

Almost to Pohakuloa military training area. The sign says, "Sheep Crossing."

Wild turkeys!

Coming down the road, onto the Kohala side.

Entrance to Sam Choy's "Kai Lanai" Restaurant

Wonderful ocean views

Oh, YUM.

I must apologize for the fuzzy photo. To explain: see the nearly-empty beer glass in the background.
It was DELICIOUS! This is the marinated fresh fish salad. The fish of the day was ono, one of my favorites. We all enjoyed our lunches. Service was great and we will definitely go, again.

Field Trip: The Kinoole Farmer's Market, Hilo

Last weekend we decided to go to the Kinoole Farmer's Market, which is much less crowded than the downtown market. I was so happy we did, because we were able to re-acquaint ourselves with the folks from Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee. This coffee is a treat, and it had been about two years since we had enjoyed some. Founder Rusty Obra had a vision for Ka'u coffee, and it is wonderful to see it coming true.
The market features beautiful flowers, fresh breads from Miriam's Old Hawaii Bakery, vegetables, fruits, and plants. It is also close to Hilo Rice Noodle, which made for a handy lunch spot.

Field Trip: The Sally Shop, Hilo

My friend NJ describes thrift-store shopping as being like a treasure hunt. You never know what you'll find. I agree with her assessment, and that is what keeps me checking at thrift stores like The Sally Shop, in downtown Hilo.

Made a beeline for the dishes first, dishaholic that I am. Too much beige on the shelves. Better pickings near the front -- some Franciscan, but not my pattern.

Colorful mu'umu'u on the left; vintage ones on the right. Went so far as to try this one on but couldn't justify buying it.

I went away empty-handed, but it was fun to look!

Field Trip: Rozett's Nursery, Kea'au

Zinnias

Today we stopped by beautiful Rozett's Nursery while out in Kea'au. Besides their great plants, they have very friendly and helpful employees. We found something fun: Blueberries! See Gardening.

Field Trip: Around the Island in One Day

Coffee cherries at the Hilo Coffee Mill, Kurtistown.

Roughly once a month, Mr. Logistical and I make a pilgrimage to Costco to load up on bulk stuff. We like to make a day of it, stopping here and there and having lunch. I grabbed the camera this time so you could see a little more of the Big Island. Because our coffee pot had died (that's another post), Mr. Logistical was feeling a little caffeine-deprived. We decided to stop at the Hilo Coffee Mill in Kurtistown, which turned out to be an excellent spot. Not only could he get coffee, but there was also a farmer's market and (drum roll) a petting zoo!

Left: "Moose," the goat. Apparently he was getting a massage. At right, "Mr. P.," the peacock, in front of his mirror. His owner said he is just beginning to learn to preen his feathers. He likes to look at himself. I know people like that. In case you were wondering, these pets, were rescued, rehabilitated, and seemed very much loved.

Not part of the petting zoo . . .

The Hilo Coffee Mill has lots of chickens and roosters and I was delighted when Mr. Logistical spotted these chicks. Mama would not let me get very close.

Papa'a Palaoa Bakery

Whoops. I need to work on this. One of the vendors at the Hilo Coffee Mill was the Papa'a Palaoa Bakery, and I meant to take a picture of this loaf before I ate it. I keep forgetting. Anyhow . . . this is a small loaf of Sourdough Wheat. Papa'a Palaoa makes 15 different types of bread. Here is their Farmer's Market schedule:

Hilo Farmers Market Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 to 1
Na'alehu Farmers market Saturdays from 8 to 12
Farmers Market at the Mill (Hilo Coffee Mill) in Mountain View Saturdays from 8 to 2
Volcano Farmers Market Sundays from 6 to 9 (we serve a great breakfast too)
Pahoa Town Farmers market Sundays from 8 to 2
www.facebook.com/papaapalaoa

I toasted slices of our wheat and it has a great sourdough, nutty flavor. Check it out.

On the Road Again . . .

I love the drive to the Ka'u area. This was taken not far from Volcanoes National Park. Is this what you imagine Hawaii looks like? Mr. Logistical kept a sharp eye out for feral pigs and nene (geese). We usually see both on this road.

The Punalu'u Bake Shop

This is a great place to stop. Their specialty are varieties of sweet breads, but they also have a delicious bakery, and you can get a delicious local-style lunch. I picked up a loaf of Taro-Guava-Mango bread. See the Cooking page to see what I did with it. Caution: you will get hungry.

The sign says it all . . .

Cool outdoor seating.

Yum.

Sorry that the picture is so small. You are looking at: Apple, Taro, Vanilla and Mango-filled Malasadas. On the bottom row: Peach-Apple, Coconut, and Mango turnovers.

Yes, that is a zebra.

No, I do not know why there is a zebra on the Big Island. However, there it is, between mile marker 87 and 88 on Highway 11. There is room to pull over and take a picture.

Lunch Break:

The entrance to the Kona Brewery.

Kona Brewery

Left: Porter Pipeline. Right: Big Wave Golden Ale.

The Kona Brewery is a great spot for a refreshing beverage (right) and a delicious meal. My apologies. I meant to take a picture of my Barbequed Chicken Pizza and Baby Greens, but I got halfway through that Porter Pipeline, above right, and forgot all about it.

Heading Home.

Having shot our wad at Costco, it was time to head home.

Clouds at base of mountain.

Field Trip: The St. Joseph School Country Fair

Say "Fair," and I'm there. The St. Joseph School Country Fair is is part fair, part school carnival, part farmer's market . . . you get my drift -- something for everyone. An annual October event hosted by St. Joseph School, it also has live entertainment and a variety of foods. This booth of beautiful flowers met me at the entrance.

For the orchid-lovers

Old car show. LOVE the color of this one.

Pickled stuff!

A train for the keikis.

Field Trip: The Puna Hongwanji Bazaar

I think you can get a lot of the "flavor" and culture of a town by attending a bazaar or a festival. September and October bring out the bazaars. I'll share some photos and show you some of the wonderful things you can look for. This bazaar took place at the Puna Hongwanji Mission in Keaau. I love this beautiful old building. The grounds are lush, cool, and resplendent with flowers. You could buy flowers, plants, foods, cinders, rummage-sale items, silent auction items . . .

Ladies selling flower arrangements

Statue outside temple

And look . . .

I was tempted to buy one of these "bento boxes." These little boxes were used by the sugar cane plantation workers to carry their lunches.

Blue Willow Pattern

Mystery Plates

The Bazaar also has a rummage sale, and it's a good one. If Mr. Logistical hadn’t been lurking, I’d have been sorely tempted to buy the plates pictured above. At left, classic "Blue Willow" pattern, in great condition. As to the plates on the right, as best I could make them out, they said “Vernon Plains CA” on the bottom. I did look for them on the internet but had no luck. Would love to hear from a reader on this mystery. I have a severe addiction to dishes, and it was really hard to leave these behind.

A "Mochi Maker" in the silent auction. You don't see these every day!

Sights on The Big Island

Hilo Bay

This is Hilo Bay. That is Mauna Kea in the background. Yes, that is snow on top of the mountain. Where else can you throw a snowball in the morning, and surf in the afternoon? The large white building is the Bayshore Towers, which are condominium units. The old town of Hilo runs along the bay, to the left of the Towers. This picture was taken from Coconut Island, a great place to picnic, swim, and play.

This is a sea turtle ("honu"). You can easily see them at bays, County parks, and oceanside throughout the island.

This beautiful white tiger lives at the Pana'ewa Zoo in Hilo. His name is "Namaste" and every year the zoo throws him a birthday party. His feeding time is at 3:30. Zoo admission is free!

Check back for more island photos!