I arrived on The Big Island in the afternoon and travelled south from the airport on the west side of the island toward my hotel. In between the two was my first destination, Keakalekua Bay Historical Park. Not an incredible first stop, not bad, but this isn’t really a travelogue.
I left the park and desparately tried to find my hotel. It was on a map I’d been given at the rental car place, but the map seemed to bear no relation to the actual road system. After two attempts at asking directions failed, I went to call the hotel only to find my folder containing the number (and several other documents) was missing. I drove the 25 minutes back to the rental car place to retrieve it, then utterly furious with myself, drove back to the area I knew my hotel was, and yet again asked directions. The third time was the proverbial charm.
March 3, my birthday, started rather early. I rationalized my 6:00 wake up call with the idea that it was really 8:00 in California. I was shocked to find that it was a 2 ½ hour drive to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park instead of the hour I’d planned. I got there early, and saw the main sights. I’d say more about it but this isn’t really a travelogue. I pressed on to Hilo on the east side of the Island. An unexpected treat was a somewhat restful Japanese tea garden. I say “somewhat” because I had been on the go so much my mind wasn’t attuned much to resting.
My next destination was the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. Now THAT was stunning! I’ve always loved gardens and this one didn’t disappoint. What was that odd sensation I felt? Could it be me starting to unwind? I quickly took care of that by turning the wrong way after leaving the Garden. I didn’t realize this until I saw a roadsign indicating that I was near Akaka State Park, a destination I’d dismissed in my planning as being too remote. It turned out to be closer than I’d thought, and checking my watch, I saw I had time for a quick look. Good choice. Its main attraction is a 442 foot waterfall. Very nice! There was a bit of rain beginning to fall, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
I came down south to my final destination, the active lava flow. Although it rained, it was a light rain and we all coped. Those in charge kept us well over a mile away due to the toxic gas that molten lava emits, but I was mesmarized. I stayed until well after dark. I could (and probably will) write a whole piece on the experience, but this isn’t really a travelogue. Though thoroughly satisfied with my day’s travels, I got to bed about 11:30. I had a wakeup call for 5:00 a.m.
Why 5:00? I’d signed up for a group excursion into waterfall country. I had to plan on an hour to get to the pick-up site at 6:45. I managed. Thank heavens for caffeine! It was a great excursion. The light rain only served to make the waterfalls fuller. Lots of walking was good for me. I’d tell you all about it but... well... you know. I got back to the hotel when it hit me. I was tired. I hit my bed and, two hours later, got up. I wasn’t refreshed at all, just groggy. I wandered around the hotel grounds. I contemplated a dip in the pool or an overpriced massage at the spa. I finally settled on some sashimi and a mai tai in the open air bar overlooking the ocean, but I didn’t feel right the rest of the day.
The next day I made the flight from The Big Island to Maui. Sadly, there is no such thing as a quick flight anymore. Drive to the airport, turn in my rental car, go through security, on the plane, off the plane, pick up new rental car, drive to the hotel, check in... WHEW! My hotel was The Royal Lahaina which I figured to be in the town of Lahaina. What a silly assumption. It was about five miles north. The good part of this bad assumption was that I drove through Lahaina to find the hotel. Very resort-ish. I loved it. I decided to return later that afternoon.
Checking into my hotel, I asked about my two favored destinations. Haleakala National Park has a big mountain that’s supposed to have one of the great sunrises. If I was going to see that sunrise, I’d have to leave by 3:00 and we’re not talking p.m. here! Not happening. The other was the Road to Hana, one of the most scenic drives in the world. But now I was told to plan a 12-hour day driving a twisty road full of hairpin turns. Did I really want that? Again, I kicked myself for not planning any better. I’d decide later. For now, I’d try to make a reservation for a popular luau in town. Though they were already booked, I was told that if I showed up at 5:30 I could get on their stand-by list. I kicked myself again and got in my car to take my chances in Lahaina.
I’ve made a big point about this piece not being a travelogue. So what is it? It’s about a revelation. Despite the recession, Lahaina was a busy place at 4:00 that Thursday afternoon. Despite the hustle and bustle, a free parking spot magically appeared. I strolled up one side of the street and down the other, looking at the many art galleries and t-shirt shops. So touristy. So predictable. So perfect. I turned my gaze west to the ocean. Just beyond the sailboats peacefully moored off shore was the Island of Lanai. Though cloudy, there was no hint of rain. Though somewhat humid, it was neither too warm nor too cool.
I turned to look back over Front Street and suddenly it hit me. There are really two very different Hawaiis. There’s the Hawaii of “do this and see that”, the Hawaii I’d come for. Then there’s the Hawaii of “Relax. Be good to yourself. You don’t HAVE to do anything.”
I never tried to get on the Luau stand-by list. Nor was I to make it to Hana or to the sunrise at Haleakula. Maybe next time. After dinner at a little hole-in-the-wall burger and pizza place which gave me the chance to eat outdoors in a small courtyard, I went back to the hotel. The next morning I woke up when my body told me I should. On the recommendation of a guy at the front desk, I drove a shorter stretch of coast that lead to Iao Valley Park. Perfect.
The next day drew me to the beach. Maui has great beaches. I took a quick dip in the ocean, then up I went to the bar for a mai tai. The bartender asked if I’d actually gone underwater. “Well, yes, briefly.” I told him.
“But did you hear the whales?” I confessed that I hadn’t thought to listen for whales. Into the ocean I went again. It was easy to settle into the warm water and it took just a second or two. Odd that I knew exactly what to listen for from a Star Trek movie, and there they were, clear, distinct, exhilarating. A bit later, strictly spur of the moment, I did a little snorkeling, but mostly I lay on the beach, just taking it all in. Again, with the clouds there was no sunset, but I saw several whales not too far off shore. I suppose I could have gone on a formal whale-watching expedition, but this was just fine.
Don’t get me wrong, both Hawaiis are great. I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday and the “see this do that” Hawaii, with all the driving I did here and there. Next time (and there will be a next time!) I’ll likely even get to Hana! But I’ll also leave time to just kick back and enjoy more of the Hawaii I almost missed.
