First stop....Seven days on the Big Island, Hawaii

Our first stop was a week on the Big Island.  We rented a two bedroom villa called Kona View Estate.  It's essentially a duplex located on a hill with a coffee plantation that overlooks Kailua-Kona.  The owners live on one side and they rent out the other side.  The property has a pool, large deck, hot tub, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and bbq, washer/dryer, beach chairs/towels/snorkeling gear, and just about anything else you could possibly imagine.  The owners were around if we needed anything, but were not overbearing or obtrusive.  It was a great rental property.

We spent a considerable amount of our time on the Big Island exploring.  While our intention was to hang out at the pool and relax, we quickly found that there were more things to do than hours in a day.  And, the roads are terribly curvy so getting from point A to point B was slow going.  I spent the whole week doped up on Dramamine.  Sigh.

The weather was hit or miss on the Big Island, so the pictures aren't the best.  When I say hit or miss, I mean we could leave the house and it was sunny, drive 30  minutes and it was raining.  Taking pictures with beautiful blue skies was essentially non existent.

It took about 2.5 hours to get from our villa to the Hilo side of the island.  While on the Hilo side we went to Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, Umauma Falls, Waipio Valley, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory and had lunch at Cafe Pesto in Hilo.  Below are a few pictures.

 Akaka Falls - this pictures doesn't do the falls justice.  The falls fall about 400 feet into a pool of water.  It takes a bit of effort to get to Akaka Falls.  The road to the park is a bit off the main highway, so follow the signs and hang in there.  Once you get to the park, there is a small parking lot which requires a $5 fee per car.  Alternatively, you can park outside of the parking lot on the side of the road and pay a fee of $1 per person.  There is a lot attendant at the entrance to the paved trail where you pay your fee.  The trail is about a half mile of asphalt, a few hills and steps.  Skip the stroller or anything with wheels.  The trail winds through some beautiful landscape, so enjoy the walk to the falls.  

Waipio Valley is located about an hour north of Hilo.  There is a small parking lot overlooking the beach and bay located in the picture below.  If you want to drive down to the beach, you NEED a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  While on the Big Island, it's best to just rent a Jeep.  You won't regret it.  The hike down to the beach probably takes an hour or so and you share the one lane road with vehicles also making the journey.  If you drive down use a low gear and go slow.  There are vehicles traveling in the opposite direction and very small pull off areas where you move over as you yield to traffic heading up the hill.  

Umauma Falls or Umauma Falls and Zipline Experience as it is advertised is located about a 5 minute drive from Highway 19.  Parking is free near the visitor center and then you walk up a driveway/hill for about 10 minutes to view the falls.  There is a small parking lot at the top of the hill, but the spots are reserved for those individuals that require additional assistance.  There is a fee (I think $6) to view the falls and the gardens, but the admission is good for 7 days, so if the weather isn't cooperating, you can always go back again.

Near Umauma Falls is the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens.  While we didn't go to the gardens, we did take the Scenic Drive and pulled off to hike down a little hill and check out the beach on Onomea Bay.  This hidden little cove is adjacent to the park and even has an 'entrance' into the park....but depending upon who is guarding the entrance, they may not allow you to pay and enter.

After leaving Hilo and heading north on Highway 19, we stopped at Laupahoehoe Point Park and Beach.  The water here was a beautiful aquamarine blue with large pieces of lava rock jutting out into the sea.  I could set up a chair and sit there all day.  It was rainy overcast day, so again, the pictures really don't do it justice!