It’s always summer in Hawaii…or so we like to tell ourselves, once autumn takes hold.

One of my favorite versions of Hawaii, the northeast coast of the Big Island, has lush and frondy jungles, windswept coves, freakishly enormous flowers, tumbling waterfalls — and the comfortable elegance of the Palms Cliff House Inn.

The northeast edge of the Big Island, called the Hamakua Coast, is where you’ll find the island’s deep, green heart and a healthy dose of its tropical romance. About 15 minutes north of downtown Hilo, I was thrilled to discover a luxurious little cliffside bed and breakfast amidst a landscape that can easily make us forget the rest of the world.

Perched a long, quiet ways off the 19 near Honomu Town, at first glance the Palms Cliff House looks like someone’s sort of large, Victorian-y and whitewashed clapboard house. At the front door, though, you’re welcomed into the deceptively sprawling home of owners (and married couple) John and Michelle Gamble; these forty-something folks fell in love with Hawaiian culture and the Big Island back in 2000, and have since filled their inn with Hawaiian artifacts, crafts and a sense of place.

If you need a hit of ocean air right away, breeze on past the lobby’s sunken sitting room, waft through the French doors and lean against the railing on the first-floor porch. Or better yet, go check out the view from your digs.

There are only eight rooms here, all with ocean views; we were given one of the most popular with couples, Hawaiian Views (room #5). The room was huge and impressive, the decor a curious mix of stately manor, luxurious bordello and Hawaiian feather work; at first, this struck me as odd and a little garish, but soon began to blend into comfort with a bit of panache.

Schmancy perks like a gas fireplace, big ol’ flat-screen, marble Jacuzzi tub and balcony looking out over the water encouraged us to scurry back here from our adventures. The king-sized bed was full of pillows, allowing each of us to go all Goldilocks and find the one that was juuussssst right; tucked up in high-threadcount sheets, the fireplace turned down low, the sliding door open and the rumble of waves in our ears, we had ourselves a delicious night’s sleep here. (Hawaiian Views Suite, $349 US in summer and $449 US in other seasons)

Earlier that afternoon, leaning on the balcony railing with the soft blue glow of ocean in my eyes, I’d struggled a bit with myself: I could easily have convinced Adam to spend the rest of the day here with me, reading books and looking up occasionally to catch a drifting pod of dolphins. Or even a delightful spot of afternoon tea ($45 US per person).

But no — there was much exploring to do. (And just about all of it would require comfortable walking shoes with grippy soles.)

The Palms Cliff House is about three minutes south of Honomu Town, an early 20th-century sugarcane settlement that looks like a Hawaiian version of the Old West, and the spectacular Akaka Falls, a soaring 442-foot waterfall set amidst a big loop of walkways through a towering rainforest. Take a left from the 19 onto the 220, and you’ll find that it costs nothing to park in two-block-long Honomu (where you can score a turkey burger, ice cream and some local handicrafts) and all of $5US to park at Akaka.

About 7 minutes south of the Inn is the gorgeous Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden, a Northern California couple’s (seemingly insane) man-made celebration of otherworldly plants and flowers that spills down a steep hill into a rough tumble of stunning coastline. We sprayed ourselves thoroughly with insect repellent, picked our way down the initial path (watching lucky older folks get driven down in golf carts), and meandered amongst tiki idols, rare idols, rocky streams and giant ferns. Dee-lightful.

Tooling along the 19 back towards the Inn, we stopped by rushing rivers beneath tangles of vines, smuggled guavas from roadside trees, and gaped at sheer hillsides of palm trees that melted to verdant valleys and plunged to the rushing sea. Nice neighborhood they’ve got here.

For dinner that night, we got adventurous and headed north — way north. After about a 40-minute drive, we arrived at the Waipi’o Valley overlook, at the northernmost tip of the Big Island, in time to see the sunset. Sure, we could have caught the last blush of the day from our own balcony back at the Inn, but don’t judge until you’ve seen this wild slice of Hawaiian coast for yourself.

Aside from the pursuit of sheer beauty, our mission was dinner: come evening, there’s little to eat around Honomu. You can easily trek the few minutes back to Hilo, but we chose instead to take Michelle’s suggestion and head up to Honoka’a for homemade calzones at Café Il Mondo. A wise and delicious choice, we took refuge from a sudden rainstorm in a small, cozy storefront-style dining room with scuffed wooden floors and table-fulls of friendly locals. Excited to find that the dough here is made fresh in-house, we chose a light, chewy, olive oil-kissed Greek calzone with salty feta and (instead of marinara) the cafe’s signature pesto. It was absolutely wonderful, and fully worth the 25-minute drive back in the dark.

Morning back at the Palms Cliff House was a mix of strong winds, showers and intermittent rainbows, so we took our sweet, dense slices of homemade Dutch apple pancakes in the inn’s public room, sipping mild Hilo coffee, waiting out the rain and chatting with Michelle and John about their passion for the culture of hula. Their happiest (and busiest) month is in April, when the 3-day annual Merrie Monarch Festival is in full swing and a feathery flurry of hula dancers call the Palms Cliff home.

For us, we were content to explore the wilds of the Hamakua Coast and then sit awhile on that splendid wraparound porch, gazing off at the bay — with no place else to be.

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My stay at the Palms Cliff House Inn
was sponsored by the Big Island Visitors Bureau,
but all observations and opinions are my own.

Nightly rates include breakfast and range from
$199 US-$349 US during the summer and $299 US-$499 US in other seasons.

United/Continental offers direct, six-hour flights to Hilo from both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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See also
A Hui Hou, Hilo
Hawai’i in Bloom
Shipman House: Back in Time, Hawaii Style
Hawai’i's Big Island: Go With the Flow
Dreaming of Hawaii
TWT Travel Binder: Hawaii

Travels With Two

Shipman House Bed and Breakfast Inn, Hilo, Hawai'i

When we saw the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast Inn rising tall, proud and Victorian at the top of a long, manicured driveway, I said aloud:

“Oh, wow. This must have been the finest house in Hilo, back in the day.”

But actually, it’s still the finest house on Hawai’i's Big Island — even now.

When I travel, I love to feel like I’m inhabiting someone’s home, briefly trying on their life and history. Shipman House offers this opportunity in a unique and poignant way, mingling a family’s story with the history of the eastern side of the Big Island itself.

At the turn of the last century, W.H. Shipman, stepson of a successful Hilo rancher, became the big kahuna in these parts; his wealthy ranch stretched over 70,000 acres from the coast to Kilauea Volcano. In 1901, he bought this then-state-of-the-art mansion as a surprise for his wife, thus becoming the envy of the whole neighborhood.

(For the record, I think a nice silver bracelet makes a lovely gift, but to each his own.)

The front porch and first floor of the Shipman House

Shipman’s descendants have lived in the house since then, and his great-granddaughter, Barbara, has run it as a B&B since 1979. Her family’s empire may be smaller now, but still amounts to 17,000 acres of commercial real estate and agricultural interests; a legacy of having saved Hawai’i's native goose, the nene, from extinction and brought the first orchids to the islands; and assembling a gorgeous collection of Victorian furniture and Polynesian art.

Upstairs at the Shipman's main house

A modern-day stay at Shipman House is just a few blocks up from downtown Hilo and yet steeped in antique luxury; in the main house, for instance, you’ll find custom-made stained glass, oriental carpets, clawfoot tubs and even an electric elevator. Take a wander down the residential street to cross an old iron bridge and peer into a deep, green river gully. Or take a seat in a rocking chair on the big wraparound porch, surrounded by a tropical jungle fed by a mix of languid humidity, cool breezes and brief but astonishingly powerful rains.

Shipman's side porch and its comfy rocking chairs

Since all of Shipman’s rooms average $210 a night with a 2-night minimum, I’d still choose our room out in the adjacent guest house.

Rimmed by tropical plants and up a semi-steep flight of stairs, the big, airy Makai Room features the koa wood footboard of the same bed where Jack London slept — as a guest of W.H. Shipman — back in 1907. There’s a wide, plushy window seat, a shower big enough for two and a shared, screened-in front porch. (During our two-night stay, we never heard or saw our neighbors.) Japanese kimonos, a nod to one of Hawai’i's greatest cultural influences, hang in the big closet, and a ceiling fan kept us comfortably cool at night.

The Makai Room in the Guest House and glimpses of the Shipman's grounds

Come morning, Shipman’s breakfasts are pretty darn epic. You’ll meet couples from all over the world here, swapping island adventures over homemade muffins, passionfruit-flavored lilikoi butter, a seaweed-salt-herb combo that tastes great with hard-boiled eggs, and much more.

However, regardless of how hungry you might be, be prepared to rein yourself in while Barbara points our the offerings on her enormous/exotic fruit plate. Yes, she does this every day, and yes, she could probably just make up little signs telling you what each fruit is called/tastes like/comes from, but if you consider it part of your personal introduction to Hilo and Big Island culture, you’ll learn some cool things and be stuffing dragon’s eye fruit in your gullet within a few minutes.

The Shipman House fruit plate in all its glory

Come evening, before you turn in for the night at Shipman House, open a window or have a seat on the porch and you can hear the sparkly, metallic whirring of frogs all around you.

Have a listen here:

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My stay at the Shipman House Bed & Breakfast Inn was sponsored by the Big Island Visitors Bureau,
but all observations and opinions (as well as a new obsession with dragon’s eye fruit) are my own.

_____________________________________________

While at Shipman House, know that you’re:
a half-hour’s drive from the Hilo Coffee Mill and the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
a 45-minute drive from Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
a 10-minute walk from downtown Hilo, where you’ll find the Hilo Farmer’s Market;
ice cream at Hilo Shark’s Coffee; and dinner at the delicious Cafe Pesto

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See also
A Hui Hou, Hilo
Hawai’i in Bloom
Hawai’i's Big Island: Go With the Flow
Dreaming of Hawaii
TWT Travel Binder: Hawaii

Travels With Two

Mural in downtown Hilo, Hawai'i, depicting its fishing industry past

In Hawaiian, a hui hou means “until we meet again.”

Rather than say goodbye to Hilo, the biggest small town on the eastern side of Hawaii’s Big Island, I’d rather just bid it a brief adieu. And with new direct flights from Los Angeles to Hilo launching today, it’s a darn safe bet that we’ll be back soon.

We first visited the Big Island back in ’06 for a friend’s wedding on the dry, western Kohala Coast (aka “the Kona side”), and after a whirlwind trip around the whole island, only had a rushed hour or so to spend in and around Hilo. Our experience of Kona was snorkel-happy beaches, shopping plazas and fancy resorts; pretty to be sure, but for us, it lacked a spirit of exploration.

Just recently, thanks to the Big Island Visitors’ Bureau, we finally got to spend a few days exploring the more lush and friendly “Hilo side.” The verdict? Love the shoes-free livin’; the soaring hillsides of palm trees; wild ocean coves; tumbling waterfalls; powerful rainstorms that yield vibrant flowers and exotic fruits; vintage architecture; blend of Asian cultures; and nearby Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

Used to be, though, the only direct flights from the West Coast to the Big Island took you to Kona — a three-hour drive from Hilo. Getting to Hilo has always involved a plane switch in Honolulu; this is the way we had to go just a few weeks ago, and with layover time, our journey from L.A. to Hilo took over eight hours.

In a world of limited vacation days, lots of time-crunched visitors to the Big Island (which is 4000 miles from the U.S. mainland) have never even made it to the Hilo side.  That’s a shame — and yet, sadly understandable.

Now, merged airline United/Continental has stepped in to give the Hilo side the boost it deserves: Two daily flights from LAX will get visitors from the West Coast to Hilo inside of five hours. Make a whole trip out of the wild, jungly eastern side of the Big Island, or start in Hilo and work your way over to Kona for a couple days of beachy unplugging. Hassle-free in, hassle-free out.

So, here’s just some of what you’ll find in and around Hilo…in case you’d like to fall in love with it, too.

In the heart of downtown Hilo, a reflecting pool in a public park serves as a memorial to local soliders who served in World War II

Just outside of downtown Hilo, the spray from Rainbow Falls often makes a...rainbow

The epic fruit platter at the historic Shipman House B&B includes local favorites like lychee, longan and soursop, all introduced to Hawaii by a pan-Asian population

At the Hilo Farmers Market (held downtown on Wednesdays), we laughed long and hard over soaps from local company The Filthy Farmgirl -- and then bought a whole bunch

At the Hilo Farmers Market, you'll find the island's Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Polynesian melting pot in the food, crafts and locals

At Hilo's laid-back Bayfront Coffee Company, try the strange and refreshing kava, an ancient and ceremonial Polynesian root drink that makes you feel (legally) happy

Not far from town, the Hilo Coffee Mill grows and roasts the Hilo side's only local coffee; here, you can take a tour and try the wares

Orchid porn, anyone? At the Akatsuka Orchid Farm, glory in varieties you've never seen

The path to the Thurston Lava Tube in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is surrounded by a jungle of some of the biggest ferns on Earth

At the bottom of the lush and painstakingly-planted Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden in nearby Papaikou, you'll find a dramatic stretch of Pacific coves

Akaka Falls State Park near Honomu Town has the tallest falls in Hawai'i and a thick tangle of jungle towering over its walkways

Like a miniature version of Hilo's historic downtown, Honomu feels like a frontier Main Street...albeit one where you can get a nice ahi burger

Near Honomu, the view from the porch at the Palms Cliff House includes whole pods of dolphins

Back in Hilo at the Pana'ewa Zoo, you'll find Namaste, a rare white bengal tiger

In the coastal parkland of downtown Hilo, you'll find lots of space, a little peace and the huge, exotic arcs of monkey pod trees

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My trip to Hawai’i's Big Island was sponsored by Big Island Visitors’ Bureau,
but all observations and opinions here are my own.

Direct flights on United/Continental from Los Angeles to Hilo (LAX>ITO) begin today, June 9, 2011.

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See also
Hawai’i in Bloom
Hawaii’s Big Island: Go With the Flow

Travels With Two

If you ask a couple of gardeners, one of the best things about visiting the Big Island of Hawai’i is a chance to see amazing tropical flowers and plants you’ll rarely see anywhere else.

We spent the first half of this week on the Hilo side of the Big island (the east/northeast), and saw incredible blooms at Pana’ewa Zoo & Botanical Garden (famous for its white Bengal tiger, Namaste); Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park; the Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden (as advertised, “A Garden Valley on the Ocean”); Akaka Falls; at the farmers market in downtown Hilo; along the side of spectacular Highways 11 and 19, etc.

Rich volcanic soil, extremely regular (and sometimes horizontal) rains, and an equal dose of strong sunshine make the Hilo side of Hawai’i a perfect storm for growing nearly everything to its full potential. Plants and trees here tower over the land, forests are thicker, jungle vines stronger and flowers glow more brightly than anywhere else we’ve ever been. It’s a little like “Steroid Island”…but with fewer lawsuits.

We only know what about half of the flowers on Hawai’i are actually called, but knowing their names isn’t the real joy of discovering them. Just discovering them has been enough for us.

Travels With Two

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

We were in full awe of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on Hawai’i's Big Island.   Regular lava flows from the Kilauea Caldera have turned the landscape into its own particular version of Planet Earth: Charcoal-black, undulating and seemingly endless.

But in fact, the park is made up of seven distinct ecological zones that stretch from the Mauna Loa volcano to the Pacific Ocean far below.

Since Hawaii evolved 3,000 miles from nowhere, 90% of what you’ll see here isn’t found anywhere else. It’s as unique as love itself.

HVNP warrants at least one overnight stay, more if you want to more fully explore the park by hiking.

From Kona’s airport on the island’s west coast, it’s a two-hour drive. Head south out of Kona along the Hawai’i Belt Road (11), past Pu’uhonua o Honaunau Park and Manuka State Wayside Park, then northeast through macadamia orchards and the Kau Forest Reserve.

From Hilo on the east coast, take the 11 southwest for 45 minutes.

When you arrive at the park, you’re asked to pay the princely sum of a $10 entrance fee. Once inside, welcome to another reality.

During the day:

• Visit the Kilauea Visitor Center to learn about area wildlife and the legend of Pele the volcano god
• Tour the Jaggar Museum to get the topographical lay of the crater
• Drive the 18-mile Chain of Craters Road for sweeping vistas or to access a handful of hikes
• Drive the 11-mile Crater Rim Drive Tour

Clockwise from top left: Steam vents, cooled lava flow and the Thurston Lava Tube

Along the Crater Rim Drive, don’t miss:

Or, be entirely alone off by yourselves, looking out over a moonscape of lava all the way to the blue Pacific.

Lava-flow to the Pacific Ocean? Yeah, they've got that.

In the late afternoon:

Go to the end of Highway 130, park, and trek about an hour to see the spectacular, glowing lava flow from the Kilauea Caldera into the Pacific Ocean. Be prepared for rocky terrain, pitch dark, thirst, and hunger; bring sturdy shoes, long pants, water, snacks, and a flashlight. Just before sunset is the best viewing time.

If you’re dressed inappropriately for the journey, any ranger you encounter will be happy to look you up and down, knit their eyebrows together, and point you back to your car. They may even throw in the oft-told tale of the Japanese tourist who walked too close to the lava/ocean miasma, slipped and fell in to her crispy, tragic death.

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is home to the southernmost point in the U.S.

In the evening:

Sleep at Hale Ohia Cottages, which just made National Geographic Traveler‘s 2009 Stay List. We loved waking up in the quiet, cozy Iiwi Cottage, romping across the sprawling, hydrangea-rimmed lawn of the faux-19th century main house, and cuddling with the friendly resident cat, Dixon.

Places to eat inside the park are slim to none. Outside the park in Volcano Village, have:

• Woodfired pizza and grilled Mediterranean specialties at the Kiawe Kitchen
• Beautiful Thai food (and hilarious Thai music videos) at Thai Thai
• A hearty breakfast amidst historic photos of lava flows at the Lava Rock Cafe

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See also
A Hui Hou, Hilo
Hawai’i in Bloom
Shipman House: Back in Time, Hawai’i Style
Dreaming of Hawaii
TWT Travel Binder: Hawaii

Travels With Two

Photo by Judy Kugelmass

We got to reminiscing about the Big Island of Hawaii over the weekend, a place we haven’t been since October 2006…but where Adam’s Aunt Judy and Uncle Hal have now made their half-yearly home.  As if retirement didn’t seem sexy enough.

According to my friend Sheila Beal at the Lonely Planet award-winning GoVisitHawaii, prices to the Big Island have almost never been cheaper.  So enjoy these photos and then visit Kayak.com to check out airfares from where you are.

On the last day of our October 2006 trip, our small backpack, which contained our camera, was stolen at LAX.  Ten days’ worth of gorgeous photos were gone…and in terms of a blog, it’s almost as though the trip never happened.  

So I say a big thank you to my aunt-in-law Judy Kugelmass and to Sheila’s husband, Andy, for allowing me to use their photos to recreate some of our Big Island memories.  

Rainbow Falls, Hilo - Andy Beal/GoVisitHawaii

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach - Judy Kugelmass

Waipio Valley - Judy Kugelmass

Waipio Valley - Judy Kugelmass

Akaka Falls - Andy Beal/GoVisitHawaii

Sunset at Punalu'u - Judy Kugelmass

Travels With Two