Northwest Vacations
Funny how many of us in the Pacific Northwest go to Hawaii to vacation in the months of December through February. With record cold, rain, wind and snow (sounds like the postal service pledge) this winter, in order to continue loving (and we do love the Northwest) being here is to go away to the exact opposite climate than ours in the winter. Just a month of snorkeling in Kona or hiking the Na Pali Coast or sport fishing for Mahi-Mahi gets us in the mood for the rest of the cold weather ahead and realising how wonderful it is to live with the eagles, clear blue sky and giant evergreens again.
We prefer going to a couple of the Hawaiian Islands-two weeks or so at each, rent a condo. Currently we are stayinng in Kona on the Island of Hawaii at Casa de Emdeko. Kind-of a funny name but we like it. It is clean and on the beach. Beaches here are mostly lava rocks on the Big Island, but the surf is extraordinary when hitting on the rocks.
Our favorite snorkel beach (Kahalu'u) has easy entrance to the water and a favorite morning spot for giant green sea turtles (honu) and lots of reef fish. It has shallow non-currented clear water.
Another good swimming and snorkel area is Kealakekua Bay. Sacred to the native Hawaiians as a place of shelter and great open water, reefs and a bit of white sandy beach.
Down the street is Huggos...our favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner spot. In the morning it is Java on the Rock,a concession apparently rented from the restaurant. They serve their own Kona coffee there and you can kick off your shoes and put your toes in the sand while dining on breakfast wraps, papaya and sipping very strong local coffee. Lunch and dinner is also served out on the beach with a more gourmet (and expensive) dinner menu inside. We stay out on the beach with pu-pu's (appetizers) and live music around sunset...ah Hawaii.
In another week we are off to Kauai for two weeks on white beaches (more plentiful on this island than on the Big Island). Our children will join us there for a week with our newest addition, grand daughter Addie. She is almost 1 year old and this will be her first vacation. Kauai and all of Hawaii is very keiki (child) friendly. Meaning you can go out for a coconut that holds some funny sounding drink, listen to live music with waves in the background and have them with you! Rare to find within the US.
More when we arrive in Kauai...aloha!