Wednesday, December 3
Took Crown Taxi to Pearson International Airport
Flew from Toronto to Vancouver on Air Canada 153
Hung out at Vancouver International Airport for almost nine hours
Bought NK Mip Chardonnay for Ari at Duty Free
Supper at Monk's Grill
• White Pale Ale
• Salmon and Chips
• Whistler Black Tusk
• Talked to a firefighter and an Arsenal fan
Flew from Vancouver to Honolulu on Air Canada 1831
Picked up Nissan Versa from Hertz
Thursday, December 4
Ate lunch at North Shore Tacos, 54-296 Kamehameha Highway, Hauula, HI 96717
Polynesian Cultural Centre
• Highly Recommended
• Have people from Samoa, Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawai'i, Tahiti and Tonga
• Women dancing in grass skirts comes from Tahiti
• Village Experience is great to visit and see the shows
• Skip the Tram visit to the BYU-Hawaii campus, it is hardcore LDS
• The Ali'i Luau at Hale Aloha and Evening Show are not as good as the Villages
• Ha: Breath of Life does feature some great firework but I was tired and didn't get the story
• Familysearch.org is worth checking out for ancestry information
Friday, December 5
Bought Breakfast at Foodland, 59-720 Kamehameha Highway,Haleiwa
Hiked the Kamana Nui Trail in Waimea Valley with Kahokule'a Haiku from the Hawaiian Hiking Company
Visited the Dole Plantation
• The Dole Whip is amazing and I bought a pineapple knife in the Country Store
• The Pineapple Express Train Tour is boring and annoying. Seeing old farm equipment is not fun and the music is not good. Skip it!
• The Plantation Garden Tour is cool
Supper at Pearl's Korean BBQ in Ward Center, Honolulu
• Bi Bim Bap
• Mango Bubble Tea
Saturday, December 6
Visited Kaka'ake Farmers Market with Ari
• Bought a pineapple and was given a banana
• Bought Loco Moto at Tohoku Food Wagon
Visited US Army Museum at 2131 Kalia Rd, Honolulu
• Well worth an hour
• Free Admission
Lunch at Chibo in the Royal Hawaiian Center
• Okonomiyaki with shrimp and scallops
• Great experience
Attended XTERRA University presented by Paul Mitchell
• Trail Run Clinic with Amy Bennett
Supper at Buca di Beppo at Ward Center
• Lunch Lasagna
• San Pellegrino
• I liked it and did not know it was a chain
Bought orange at Marukai Market Place
Sunday,December 7
Bought blueberry yoghurt at Marukai Market Place
Monday, December 8
World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument
USS Arizona Memorial
• Very sober and moving. Must see!
USS Arizona Memorial Audio Tour with Jamie Lee Curtis
• Highly recommended
• Allow two hours
You can stop there after spending three hours at Pearl Harbor
But there's more:
Battleship Missouri Memorial
• Recommended and allow a couple of hours
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
• An hour covers everything. You can skip it.
Pacific Aviation Museum
• I paid to see it but only saw it from the shuttle bus.
Bought gas at Chevron
Ate supper at Stinger Rays at Honolulu International Airport
• Longboard Ale – Literally tasteless
• Luau Flatbread – Very good
• French Fries
• Overall very expensive with poor service
Flew from Honolulu to Kona on HA 308
Slept at Ohana Halei Guest House, 77-6530 Naniloa Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Tuesday, December 9
Visited the Kona Coffee Living History Farm in Captain Cook
• Melanie works in the shop and is a tremendous host. She created a great map for me to tour the area.
• Highly Recommended
• Interesting to see how people lived between the World Wars
• Picked an orange from a tree
• Chatted with Margot Knight, Executive Director, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA
Bought lunch at Kona Pacific Farmer Co-op, 82-5810 Napo'opo'o Road, Captain Cook, HI, 96704
• Ham and Swiss Sandwich
• Maui Chips
• Drink
• Banana
Visited Big Island Bees in Captain Cook
• Was given a tour by Laryssa, Honey Bee Docent, on her birthday
• Bought single floral honey, cinnamon and tea
Visited Greenwell Farms, Kealakekua, HI
• Bought Peaberry Whole Beans, Private Reserve Whole Beans, Logo Mug and Koa coffee scoop
Visited Kona Stories, 78-6831 Ali Drive, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
• Cool bookstore
• Bought a shirt
Chatted with Kawika Duncan at Gallery Meld
Ate supper at Kona Brewing Company
• Hefewiesen
• Imu Pork sandwich with papaya slaw
• IPA
• Porter
• Had a great two-hour plus conversation with an engineer from Ford
Wednesday, December 10
Hawaii Forest & Trail
Visited Kilauea Visitor Center and Jaggar Museum
Thursday, December 11
Saw petroglyphs and fish ponds at Puuhonua o Honaunau
Went to Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Park
• It is a hike but what you see is stunning
Bought lunch at Foodland Farms at Mauna Lani
• Sea Dragon sushi
• Arnold Palmer from Brisk
• Became a member and saved $1.40
Took 4 p.m. tour at Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation
Different tour from what I saw on Tuesday
Specialize in "organic coffee"
They roast to three levels: American (410°), Vienna (440°) and French (460°)
Bought Mamaki Tea and Private Reserve Vienna Coffee
Bought sarongs for Carmen and Jenn at Hilo Hattie
• Great service!
Bought shaving cream at the Walmart
Supper at Huggo's On The Rocks at 75-5824 Kahakai Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Friday, December 12
Ate brunch at Johnny Drive Inn in Hilo
Visited the Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hilo
Visited Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo
• Felt sorry for the birds stuck in cages
Toured Onomea Tea Company
with Rob Nunally
Saw the Milky Way from the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station
Saturday, December 13
Breakfast at Subway, 73-4033 Hulikoa Drive #3, KaiLua Kona
• Ham, Egg & Cheese on 12" whole wheat
Supper at Chaya Sushi in LAX International Airport
• Dragon Roll
• Salmon Roll
• Sake Sampler
• Typhoon
• Snow Maiden
• Heaven's Door
NEXT TIME
Kailua Beach Kayaking Adventure
Kualoa Ranch Horseback Tour
• 2 hours
• $99
• Recommended by Matt Ginnella
Two Good Kayaks
Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks
Aloha Kayak
Kona Boys
Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company
• Look for petroglyphs and other ancient sites
Paniolo Adventures
Tea Hawaii & Company
• Eva Lee, Founder
Mauna Kea Tea
Big Island Tea
Native Books & Beautiful Things
• Ward Centers, 1050 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814
Polynesian Voyaging Society
Ambassadors of the Environment
O’o Farm Tour and Luncheon
Pony Express Tours
Surfing Goat Dairy
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
