Hawaii Vacay: Part 3 - Kona on the Big Island

Have you ever signed up for something thinking you knew entirely what you were getting yourself into, then noticing little things along the way that contradicted what you had in mind, until finally you are presented with something similar to what you know but also completely foreign and new at the same time?

That was what it was like flying on Mokulele Air.

Had we known anything about this airline prior to showing up to the airport we probably would have gone about our day a bit differently. Like for instance, instead of showing up to the airport two hours early to check-in and go through security we would have probably played on the beach, had a relaxing breakfast, maybe jumped in the ocean for a bit, and shown up ten minutes before the flight left because we didn't have to go through security at all and checking in was simply flashing our IDs to the gate attendant. And, instead of downing a few shots of rum at 8:00AM because I didn't want to see it get thrown out per typical TSA regulations, since the Mokulele airline attendent didn't check our bags, I would have stayed sober a few more hours and just brought the rum with me (except that part really wasn't all that bad). Then there was the airplane itself. I thought our little fifty seater from Sea-Tac to PDX was small, Ha! What did I know? As the attendant called us out to board the plane, up the ramp we walked to an eight seat plane (not counting the bench along the back like you might find on a bus). It looked like a toy. It was so small that you were practically sitting in the cabin with the pilot and co-pilot. In fact, it was the pilot himself who stood at the ramp escorting passengers onto the plane (how personal!) And you think back to when you had to buckle your seatbelt on that big Boeing plane that flew you from San Diego to Maui - that wasn't turbulence. Turbulence is big ten feet drops in a miniature plane as you're flying from one island to another watching schools of dolphins weaving in and out of crystal clear water along the shores of uninhabited beaches.

About to board our Mokulele flight to Kona.

Not even 40 minutes after boarding our teeny, tiny airplane, and we were in Kona.

We called up our friends who had landed just an hour prior and asked them what method they used to get from the airport to the hotel, hung up the phone, and threw up our thumbs. Within ten minutes we were picked up by a young couple on there way into town. The couple had only been on the Big Island for about four months, having recently moved from New York City in search of a change of pace. The wife was working doing snorkel tours, and the husband was an out-of-work personal trainer (but Aaron and I both agreed it was just Matthew McConaughey trying to keep a low profile).

After much friendly chit-chat and an exchange of business cards in case we needed anything or were ever in the area again, the friendly couple dropped us off in front of Uncle Billy's Resort, where we were meeting our friends Mike and Catherine. Uncle Billy's was an out-of-date family resort, dimly lit by blinky fluorescent lights and an inadequate bathroom at best. That being said, the sleeping quarters were comfortable and a little less outdated than the rest of the unit.

After dropping off our things we realized that we were hungry (as we always are after a flight) and decided to walk a few blocks to Huggo's On the Rocks, which had been recommended to us by the couple that had picked us up (and after some speedy research on my phone, proved to have great Yelp! reviews). Unfortunately, we were too early for happy hour, and too hungry to wait. We all ordered beers, which were reasonably priced, but served to us warm and in plastic tumblers. Okay... well the food must be good because it was roughly $14 per entree. Not the case. Aaron and I "splurged" and split a cheeseburger which was served with what must have been the worst beef I had ever eaten in my life. (Two days later we decided to come back for the happy hour and try the fish tacos which everyone had raved about. Happy hour prices were absurdly steep, the beers were still warm, and the taco was "meh" at best.) Would I go to Huggo's On the Rocks again? Absolutely not.

For the rest of the day we wandered the town, walking up and down Alii Drive, poking our heads into the shops, scoping out the beaches, and keeping our eyes peeled for a better happy hour. We ended our day by a trip to the grocery store, a dip in the pool, and some mango mojitos in the hotel.

The next day served us a little more exciting as we hitched up and down the Alii Drive, and spending part of our morning at a beach called Magic Sands and then to a beach just a bit further down the road which was ideal for snorkelers. Aaron and Mike wanted to go surfing, and so we ended up hitching a ride all the way to a beach called Pine Trees, located near the airport. The beach here was sandier than most of the others we had seen, and the surf was great! After several hours we went back into town where we ate dinner at Kimagure's, a delicious hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant. In the evening we went for shave ice at Scandinavian Shave Ice and then continued walking until we made it to the small, sandy, man-made beach just outside of the Marriott. Here we sat in the sand for hours, drinking beers and rum which we had purchased across the street at the ABC Store. From where we were sitting you could see boats as they sailed up to the dock, and watch the moon's smooth, glowing reflection gently ripple across the glassy water.

We spent the next day at Pine Trees, but this time we got there early, and left a little early too, with enough time to hit up a happy hour (are you seeing a trend yet?). Having learned our lesson at Huggo's, we decided to check out Bongo Ben's. During our first trip to Pine Trees we had been picked up by a friendly local who had been on the island (off and on) for about ten years. He told us about how he was a hasher, about his family, about life on the island, and about his adventures in picking up hitchhikers. When he dropped us off at Pine Trees he tossed Aaron one of his hand-woven palm-leaf hats and told us if we were ever in the area to stop by Bongo Ben's, the restaurant that he managed. Following his advice and looking forward to his friendly face, we sat down at a table outside and feasted upon their "pizza and beer for $8" special.

Our stay in Kona was short but rich, and it was time for Aaron and I to move on to our next, and final destination: Kauai.

From left to right: Me, Mike, and Catherine. 

xo.