A BORING VACATION?

Marco Island

Team VFH tries to get the most out of spending the least and so our excursions are usually wroth with activities and exploring adventures with little “down” time. Relaxing on a vacation is a foreign concept as we run hither, thither, and yon.  Our reasoning is that we’ve spent so much money we’d BETTER enjoy the trip and see EVERYTHING! Gosh, after our vacations another vacation is needed for us to recover. With this current thinking about currency and travel it has been a good long while that our main objective was to simply relax on a vacation, but this was our very aim for our recent trip to Marco Island in southwest Florida. We were traveling there with Janet’s expansive family, including her new grandchild, so our antics would have to be somewhat curtailed. We would not be able to just flit off on a whim. Janet warned me that it could be boring, but looking back on our week is was a wonderful time.  Perhaps this is a new concept in travel for us? Imagine…relaxing while on vacation.

Marco Island Beach

PATRICK TV

Courtesy of Janet’s cousin the family was arrayed throughout several apartments of the Charter Club of Marco Beach time share with our balconies overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The water was warm and placid the beach hard packed powdery white sand with sea shells. We spent much of our days at the beach, either lounging on the chaises we rented for the week from the club or lolling about in the water just chatting with other family members.

Starfish and sand dollars could be found in the water and shelling was a week-long activity for us. Free activities at the Charter Club also included ocean kayaks and paddleboards and Hobie Cats. We also went Parasailing, rented a Waverunner for an hour and went on the Calusa Spirit Eco Tour through the 10,000 islands of the Everglades, these last three, courtesy of the Marco Island Watersports.

Sunset from the porch

By far though our favorite pastime throughout the week was watching the young Patrick, Janet’s five month old grandson; frolic in the water or sleep on one of the rented chaise lounges or flounce about in the pool. Some people like to toss a ball or a Frisbee on the beach, but we took turns holding onto the cooing Patrick. (Of course, when Patrick TV switched to the Creature Feature of the day, he was foisted upon his Mom.)

THE CHARTER CLUB MARCO ISLAND

MARCO ISLAND WATER SPORTS 

 

Turtle nest on Marco Island

TURTLE NESTS

Sea turtles drag themselves onto land to lay their eggs. Nightly volunteers walk the beach looking for signs of these large lumbering, endangered creatures and their nests are cordoned off by police tape so they would remain undisturbed. After 9 pm the curtains in the apartments are to be drawn tight so no light would be emitted which would lure the turtle hatchlings away from the sea. Evidently hatchlings are attracted by the heavenly lights reflected off the water and any other artificial light will lead them astray and sadly to their demise. We got a phone call one night telling us to close our curtains and one time when we were out for dinner someone from the Charter Club entered our apartment to draw the blinds. We were embarrassed that we had not done our civic duty! No one wants to hornswoggle a baby turtle.

PROTECTION OF SEA TURTLES IN FLORIDA

CRITTERS GALORE

Sadly the sectioned off nest sites were the only visible signs of the sea turtles. We did not see any turtles swimming in the waters off shore, like we did last year in Hawaii, although, we had the great fortune to see a manatee passing by one morning, looking like a massive swimming potato. Dolphins were a regular sighting. One afternoon while out on paddleboards, one dolphin breached a few times within just a yard or two of us.

Little silvery fish darted about in the surf line to poke at the sand kicked up by our thrashing and curious schools of larger fish with black stripes on their back circled us at times. If we remained still enough we could “pet” their tails as they slowly swirled around us. The water was warm and gentle. On one occasion I picked up a shell for collecting and discovered it was still occupied by the original tenant. I had already taken the little fellow up to the room when his foot nudged my hand looking to make a speedy escape. I marched him back down to the gulf where incredibly there was another of his kind right there and they began to fornicate.

She's a Manatee!

CONCH FRITTERS AND GROUPER!

We ate a lot of seafood while in Florida although we did gravitate to less fancier restaurants. Nonetheless the food was fresh and good wherever our palate alighted.

I insisted on getting conch fritters each time we went out although I was hoping for a ceviche of the delicacy, but never found it on the menu. We had a full kitchen in our apartments, but we never used the facilities except to keep our beer and wine cold.

Here’s a quick list of some places we ate during our week.

CAPRI FISH HOUSE

I was overdressed in my Aloha shirt as we sat at the water’s edge at this very casual restaurant a few miles off Marco Island proper. The fritters were so so and expensive, but the Grouper Sandwich was huge and was excellent. Ja net says her fried oysters were “yummy.” Drinks, like Margaritas were reasonably priced. They made a very good seafood chowder.

http://www.caprifishhouse.com/

 

Goodland FLA awaits

LITTLE BAR RESTAURANT

Locals in the small community of Goodland, population 267 +/- tool around in golf carts and the Little Bar Restaurant was hopping. There was a band playing inside and hundreds of nutcrackers staring down from the walls approved of our presence. This popular local joint served better fritters and Grouper Balls for appetizers. Janet and I both had blackened Grouper drizzled with a mango curry sauce.  http://www.littlebarrestaurant.com/

THE SNOOK INN

A very popular Marco Island bar and restaurant, The Snook Inn is also located at the water’s edge, although the seating was all out in the open. The other two had screened in seating. A busy but convivial setting, the wait staff handled our large group readily without getting too many of our drink orders wrong. The menu was massive and varied. There was a seafood buffet but we all ordered. Great fritters and spicy blackened Caribbean style Grouper for me. Afterwards we posed for pictures along the dock.

http://www.snookinn.com/

MARCO ISLAND SUNSETS

It is great sport to gather on the beach to watch sunsets in Southwest Florida. Marco Island, our home for this week is on the Gulf of Mexico and the light here is fantastic. Open air brilliant views of the vast sky and horizon. The clouds change colors with the waning sun and people come down to the white sand beach to see pinks and blues and yellows dapple on the water and glow in the clouds and stand awestruck by the majestic display.

Each evening at sunset we stop everything to stand in reverence.

The summer solstice sunset 2015

THE DUDE HATES CANCER, MAN

THERE'S A BEVERAGE INVOLVED HERE
The Dude and all his fellow Duderinos will be represented this Saturday, May 16, in South Philadelphia. I'm sure a number of Walters and Donnys will come along too, as they shuffle around East Passyunk Avenue seeking out the best White Russians and all for a worthy cause. This "Big Lebowski"-themed bar crawl will raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and well, the Dude hates cancer. 

This bar crawl has been going on since 2006 in Philadelphia and over the years this laid-back movement has extended into Buffalo, Cleveland, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Dude Hates Cancer bar crawl has raised over $500,000 so far. You see, the Dude is NOT a nihilist and this cancer will not stand, man! 
NICE MARMOT 
The Dude is the character played by Jeff Bridges in the 1998 cult classic Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski. Here's your opportunity to evoke the Dudeness in all his glory, drink a bit, go bowling and maybe win a prize! Being one of the top three fundraising "teams" of Dudes  will get you that coveted thing, whatever it'll be. Go to their website for details:THE DUDE HATES CANCER

Later in the summer there will also be a Charity bowling tournament. The flat rate registration fee for that is for a team, three hours of bowling, free shoe rental, free t-shirt and free admission to the Jackie Treehorn After Party. Currently details for that event are sketchy, but follow them on Facebook for future details.
B.Y.O BATHROBE 
To properly participate in this worthy cause this Saturday show up in your bathrobe (pajamas optional) at 12 noon at Stogie Joe's Tavern. For a $10 donation special "Dude" sunglasses will be sold and these sunglasses will get you drink specials at the seven bars participating in the event. 

They are:  
1)  STOGIE JOE'S TAVERN
2)  LUCKY 13 PUB
3)  BIRRA
4)  PUB ON PASSYUNK EAST (POPE)
5)  DEVIL'S DEN
6)  RAY'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAR
7)  GARAGE


Philadelphia is a great beer town and the Dude is well the Dude. This winning combination is a good way to spend your Saturday afternoon. Come down and get a beverage.

SHAD FEST

April 25-26, 2015

Depending on where you live, this weekend in Lambertville, New Jersey will either be a fun time or a nuisance. Having lived in this beautiful river town for 26 years, Shad Fest, held the last weekend in April, has been the source of civic pride, a 48 hour party and a bane. 

The population swells as visitors descend on this usually quiet, artsy burg, rendering the downtown nearly immovable as pedestrians ply the streets hovering over crafts for sale from vendors and children’s games, music and food and beer tents. Parking for residents becomes prized commodities. Local business establishments, mostly antique shops, complain they lose out although the town brims with people. Lots of residents either avoid the Festival or flee the town altogether for the weekend, while other residents embrace it and partake in the antics. As my family grew we volunteered our time and participated in some of the events; my daughter danced as part of the ballet school ensemble one year; and invariably faces were painted, snacks were consumed, Shad Fest shirts purchased (no matter how ugly they were) and bottles were filled with colored sands to sit proudly on shelves at home.

 

my daughter in 1997

But, overall and despite all the pros and cons, Shad Fest is a great excuse to party. Sadly, my favorite stop, the River Horse Brewery beer tent closed down a few years ago when River Horse moved into larger digs in Ewing. It was held in the parking lot down by the canal and it was always crowded. I had to get there early enough to get the commemorative pint glass before they sold out. This weekend there will be several other beer tents set up around town, but none will hold the cache of the River Horse Brewery. Resident block parties can be found; live music blaring into the night; and there are a number of private parties throughout town. I have been known to host a few of those. The end of the night had my house littered with passed out revelers. It is a fun time even without a perfunctory stroll through the Festival itself.  

Shad Fest t-shirt

Shad Fest began in the early 80’s as a celebration of the resurgence of the shad population.  For years there was an oxygen block inspired by pollution in the Philadelphia area preventing this fish from migrating upstream to spawn. The only commercial fishery along the Delaware River is in Lambertville and they have been doing it since the 1800’s. As pollution levels dropped, the shad came back and the celebration in town began. There once were parades and Shad Kings and Queens, but now there are arts and crafts and food and beer and parties. You can still see how they haul for the shad in the time honored tradition during the Shad Festival on Lewis Island just off Lambert Lane and you can get up close and personal with the scaly critter either there or at many of the food stalls set up serving the fish. Demonstrations by the Lewis Island crew are at 10:30 am and 1 pm on Saturday and 1 pm on Sunday, but if you miss coming to the Shad Fest you can still watch and even help the crew seine for the fish nightly for at least another month. They go out around 6 pm and 10:30 on Saturdays.

 

John Baker Shad 

Lambertville is an artistic community and her talent is on display during Shad Fest with window displays in some of the shops and banners flying from the street lamps. Amateur and professional artists also create posters for the festival. They are put on display at the First Presbyterian Church Recreation room on North Union Street and then auctioned off Sunday. The funds raised benefit an art scholarship for area students pursuing a career in the arts. After the River Horse Brewery beer tent, my second favorite activity was to look over the posters. I once sat in on the auction and found the whole event too rich for my pocketbook! Some of the art is absolutely incredible. Pictured here is a poster from this year submitted by Rita Koch.

Rita Koch

Then there's mine... not in the same ball park I know...

greg dunaj

Shad Fest is free to visit and starts tomorrow, rain or shine.

PSAMMOPHILES IS US

SAND WORTHY

Partly because I am a collector, partly because I am cheap, and partly because I have had the great fortune to see a goodly amount of this planet, I collect sand. What better way to remember a place than to bring some of it home with you?

my sand...sigh

At first collecting sand was a curiosity, a random act, or an afterthought. There are places early in my travels that I failed to grab a sample and some places just a thimble-full. But now, after decades of traveling and collecting (and being cheap) that has completely changed.

Now there’s a whole personal science to collecting sand! Travel destinations are considered viable because I need a sample from there. Is it “sand worthy”?  Itineraries are planned not only for sights and museums, but for sand. After all these years I guess I could truly label myself an arenophile.

I have driven miles out of my way to grab sand from some unique place. Readers of this blog may remember how Team VFH hiked 2.5 miles across windswept, arid south point on the Big Island of Hawaii to collect green sand at Papakolea Beach, one of only four green sand beaches in the world.  And, the samples I collect have grown in size. Only filled water bottles or baggies will suffice. Sadly, extra amounts of sand, after the sample has been recanted and labeled for display, clutter my basement. Janet anxiously taps her foot with arenophilia as she anticipates the conjoining of our fortunes! I keep the labeled glass bottles in a little kiosk in my office. I could use more room… or get smaller bottles I guess. I’m sure Janet will put the kibosh on this.

extra sand!

I also receive sand as gifts. Friends who have the great luck to travel to places I have yet to visit sometimes return with a sample for me. A dear friend in Australia has sent me sand from Ayers Rock, or Uluru in the native tongue. My darling daughter, a charter member of Team VFH, brought back sand from Normandy Beach while there on a high school trip. I have never been to the Canary Islands, Cozumel or Belize, but I got sand from each country because of the generosity of friends.

Believe it or not at times I also part with some of my precious sand to give as gifts. It's better than a t-shirt, isn't it? 

DISCOVERING THE WORLD GRAIN BY GRAIN

Personally, I feel the array of countries in my burgeoning collection is remarkable. I had always considered my quirky hobby to be rather unique, but in researching for this blog entry I have learned sand collecting is a well-established activity. It turns out there are collectors with samples from every continent, including Antarctica, and there are groups of collectors that actively trade and even chat online about sand. I think this is a bit extreme, but it you’re interested:

SAND COLLECTORS CORNER

MORE SAND COLLECTORS

Evidently there is something to learn from a sand collection too, although I feel this certainly takes all the fun out of collecting. Here is a NY Times article on collecting:  

NY TIMES SAND COLLECTING ARTICLE

SANDS OF TIME

I have traveled to Hawaii several times over the years and have collected sand from such storied places like Waikiki, Hanauma Bay, Waimea Bay, Malaekahana Bay, Punalu'u, and the Banzai Pipeline, but there’s always another beach somewhere! Here is a listing of the beaches I collected from this last trip.

Oahu

Kaena Point

Oahu is the most populated Hawaiian island, but we stayed way out in the country, in Waialua town. It is pretty much the last town out in the northwest area of Oahu. From there it was a short ride to the end of the road and then the trail to Kaena Point, the jumping off place for spirits into the next world. The shore here is mostly small coves and treacherous waves. 

Maui

Maui was a brand new world of opportunity for me. In all my travels to Hawaii I have never visited the Valley Isle. It is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands and has some of the nicest beaches in the state.

Ka’anapali Beach

We stayed on the resort stretch of the Ka’anapali Coast and got a sample near Black Rock, a lava formation that is a great place to snorkel.

 

Hana Bay Beach Park

Hana Bay Beach Park 

We traveled to Hana on that treacherous road, not only to say we survived the hundreds of turns and switchbacks, but to get sand at the Hana Beach Park, down the road from Wai’anapanapa State Park. This was the first black sand beach we would see on our travels to Hawaii, although they are everywhere on the Big Island. Visiting this silky smooth beach area was a glimpse of old Hawaii. Sadly it was raining when we finally arrived so did not really explore the area or the sleepy town of Hana.so it was somewhat anticlimactic, although while there I did eat my first Loco Moco!

WHAT THE HELL IS A LOCO MOCO? 

Little Beach

Makena Beack Park is on the south coast of Maui. It is a beautiful scenic beach, but can be a dicey place to swim. Often the waves are rolling and it’s a great place to swim and boogie board, but every once in a while a rogue wave breaks dangerously close to shore catching swimmers unawares and earning its dubious nickname. Makena Beach is sectioned into two parts. The first is Big Beach. It is very wide and over half a mile long and the locals call it “Breakneck” Beach. If you swim here, or at Little Beach, located on the other side of a lava rock formation, make sure you NEVER turn your back on the ocean.

To reach Little Beach you have to climb over a lava rock formation. Make sure you have two hands free in order to negotiate the steep climb. It is a somewhat clothing optional beach. Mind the sea turtles if you’re swimming nude!

We did a lot of exploring on Maui, but simply did not have enough time to explore the entire island.  This article is about the top ten beaches of the island and has me hankering for a return trip. 

TOP TEN MAUI BEACHES

Hawaii 

The Big Island is aptly named so it was not possible to see all of it in the time we had. Instead we concentrated our exploring in the southern districts of Hilo, Puna and Ka’u. Having been to the Kohala coast before, I was not concerned about collecting samples from these white sand beaches and had already collected sand from the beautiful black sand beach Punalu’u.

Papakolea Beach

All the beaches on the southern portion of the island are black except for the most southern point of the United States, Papakolea Beach, or Green Sand Beach. It’s a trek to get there, but worth the endeavor. Not only after a 2.5 mile hike the water is refreshing, but to see one of just four green sand beaches in the world is striking.

Papakolea, Green Sand Beach

Kalapana

Kilauea began its most recent eruption in the 1980’s and it eventually covered a number of towns in the Puna district. According to the National Park Service’s estimation this lava flow has added 500 acres to the island. I was last in Kalapana in 1988 to see the lava slowly creeping across the town and roads. On this recent trip we got to see the aftermath. The cooled black lava ends abruptly at the ocean’s edge where it is slowly being pounded by the incessant waves into “sand”. The lava cliffs here are about 10 feet high! The sand is the newest I have ever collected. 

Kilauea Iki Crater Trail

Kilauea Iki Crater Trail

If you travel to the Big Island, be sure to visit the Volcano National Park. This fascinating area has plenty of sights and activities during the day and the evening. There is hiking throughout the park, some trails are long and some, like the Thurston Lava Tube are fairly short. One quite unique hike is called the Kilauea Iki Crater Trail. A moderate, roughly 4 mile trek, it descends through a rain forest and onto the cooled floor of a once molten lave lake which last erupted in 1959. It takes roughly 2-3 hours and no, the soles of your shoes won’t melt, but you can feel the heat blowing through some of the cracks. This otherworldly experience merited a collection, albeit a thimble sized amount. I didn’t want to anger Pele…

VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK

view of crater floor

PELE'S WRATH?

I had heard that bad luck would come to anyone taking Pele's lava. She is the goddess of volcanoes and at best her demeanor can be capricious. At her worst she is quite volatile, and she doesn't like people taking what is hers. The threat of such ill fated fortune certainly danced through my head on my earlier visit to the Big Island in 1988. One morning I drove from my rented room in Hilo to Kalapana, which was slowly being consumed by lava. I took photos and watched locals do various things with the lava. Using a shovel they scooped up a glowing orange blog of molten rock and splat it against the pavement. They then forced a long metal pipe in one end and a mailbox on the other, and without melting either, fused them together. I managed to get a dollop that had quickly cooled to a shiny black with silvery highlights. I carried it back to the rental car with reverence. I intended to bring it home, but I absently left it behind. Secretly I was pleased, afraid of Pele's revenge. 

Kalapana 1988 lava flow (c) greg dunaj

In the past I've also heeded signs that say not to remove sand at various places in Hawaii and would be stealthy in my collecting, but truthfully unless and you pull up to the beach with a backhoe and dump truck no one will care. I foolishly sweated through the TSA checkpoint on the way home. I was afraid they would say I couldn't take the sand home, but they only checked to see if it was an explosive; black sand does look like gunpowder. I was relieved when the hulking Hawaiian native TSA agent did his chemical tests and said, "yep, that's sand," and cleared me to return to New Jersey with my collection intact. 

Kalapana 2014

Mahalo for reading! 

love Janet and greg

GREEN BEANS AND SAND

GOING SOUTH

Do you like green beans and sand?

Both are here in this far away land

Would you like beans in your mug?

Would you like sand in your rug?

You can swim there, yes it’s true

Green sand against the ocean blue

And green beans make great coffee too

The Big Island waits for you

Hawaii, commonly called The Big Island, was Team VFH’s final stop in our visit to the 50^th State this past summer. It’s a huge island, over 4,000 square miles, bigger than the combined land mass of the other islands that make up the tropical archipelago. Sadly we had just five days on Hawaii and so we decided to concentrate on the southern portion. We were staying in the Puna district, south of Hilo, so it was reasonable to stay around here. Everywhere else is so far away. Early on we decided to forego traveling to the Kohala coast in the north for their white, sandy beaches, or to the Kona coast for their coffee, or to the Parker Ranch in Waimea, the oldest and largest ranch in America, well, for some Hawaiian-style beef jerky.THE PARKER RANCH, WAIMEA, HI

No, the distances were too great and we would have spent our entire time on Hawaii driving. The return on investment was not enough, especially with the gas prices in Hawaii. So, apart from one day we pretty much stayed close to home in the southeast corner of the island.

DISTRICT 9

Not a worry though, for there is plenty to do and see in our "neck of the woods". Puna is one of 9 districts of the island in the county of Hawaii. Now, to clarify, these districts are not “counties”, but areas of interest. Counties in the state of Hawaii are either an individual island or a grouping of islands. For example, Honolulu County is Oahu, although it also includes the Northwest or Leeward Islands that stretch out past the Midway Islands. Kauai County includes Kauai, Niihau and a couple of tiny islets. And, Hawaii, the Big Island, all by itself, is also the county of Hawaii. The island is divided into these districts with names like Puna, Hilo, Kona and Ka’u, and each have their own individual attractions.

Puna is home to the little hippie capital of Pahoa with its string of clapboard buildings housing restaurants along a boardwalk that serves as a sidewalk. We ate a couple of meals in Pahoa. A lava flow that began on June 27^th inches closer to towards the town at this writing. Another town, Kalapana, was not so lucky. In 1990 lava partially covered the town, but the community still thrives with the weekly Uncle Robert’s Farmers Market. The weekly event, where the ongoing “struggle” to maintain the Kingdom of Hawaii is centered, is really a huge party that throbs deep into the night.

Also found off the beaten path in Puna are miles of coastline with black sand beach parks and camp sites as well as the volcanically heated Ahalanui Beach Park that is partially open to the ocean which allows sea water to mix with the heated water. There is even a lifeguard here. A great place to go snorkeling is at the Waiopae Tidepools that has several interconnecting pools to explore. The eerily tranquil Lava Tree State Park near Pahoa is another stop where lava molds of trees burned in a flow from the 1700’s stand like sentinels warning of Pele’s destructive might.

AHALANUI BEACH PARK

Ahalanui Beach Park

And, of course there is Volcano National Park which sprawls beyond Puna’s border into the neighboring district of Ka’u. Home to the most active volcano in the world today, Kilauea has been adding to the girth of the Big Island since 1983 making it the longest eruption in recorded history. There’s plenty to do at the park with vantage points to view the lava (from a safe distance), camping and unique hiking trails that includes the Thurston lava tube, Devastation Trail and the Kilauea Iki Crater Trail.

Kilauea Iki Crater Trail

So, you’re thinking with all these wonderful destinations in our relative backyard there really was no reason to venture very far, but in the very next district of Ka’u there are two very, very unique things that should not be missed if one were fortunate enough to travel to this island. Plan to spend an entire day exploring black sand and green sand beaches and drinking great coffee from Ka'u. 


SUN, RAIN AND A KISS OF VOG

Now, many of us with just a passing knowledge of Hawaii know about Kona coffee. It is grown on the western slopes of Mauna Loa. This coffee is known for its smoothness, its rarity and conversely its price.  A pound of pure Kona can be around $30.00 and for over 100 years it was the only coffee grown in the United States. That has changed. While the Kona label was being slapped onto any coffee from anywhere and “blends” proliferate the market; you can even buy “Kona” at your local WaWa; another coffee from the eastern slopes on Mauna Loa in the Ka’u district is growing in popularity.

Even as Kona has taken steps to protect the brand name, Ka’u, with deep, rich, volcanic soils, a temperate climate of morning sunshine and afternoon clouds (or as some would call it VOG or Volcanic Smog) and a healthy amount of yearly rainfall, has been slowly making a name for itself in coffee competitions. Mostly mom and pop endeavors the Ka’u brand is slowly growing. When the Kau sugar plantations closed in 1996, the displaced area sugar workers were provided inexpensive leases for 5 acre plots by the former sugar plantation owners in order to grow coffee.  At first it was difficult to just break even, but when Ka’u coffee placed the top ten of a Roasting Guild Cupping Pavilion Competition of 2007, coffee in Ka’u starting gaining a reputation of growing very good coffee. Although Ka'u prices have risen with this new-found popularity, it is still a cheaper alternative to Kona.

Embarrassingly Team VFH had never heard of Ka’u coffee before visiting the district, so we don’t want you to make the same mistake. Evidently since 2011 you can purchase Ka’u coffee at a Starbucks, but it wasn’t until we saw a sign along Route 11 near Pāhala, HI that invited us to taste the coffee at the Ka’u Coffee Mill along Wood Valley Road that we sampled this superior coffee. 

Serendipitously following our taste buds we passed through the modest town of Pāhala and climbed up the hill passing groves of Macadamia nut and coffee trees to the very new facility. The mill opened in May 2012 and provides a service to the local Ka’u growers which previously had to either bring their crop west to Kona or north to Puna. It also provides jobs to the local inhabitants and it helps raise awareness of Ka’u coffee through a yearly Coffee Festival and Beauty Pageant and a half marathon called the Ka’u Coffee Trail Run.

KA'U COFFEE FEST APRIL 24-MAY 3, 2015

The mill opened in 2012 and the clean facility is staffed by great Aloha spirited people who explain the process of coffee washing and roasting. There were plenty of samples of coffee to drink and several flavored varieties of macadamia nuts to taste. We purchased a 16 oz bag of Hawaii Fancy Ka'u Washed Green Beans to roast when we got back Stateside.

Miss Ka'u Coffee Queen
Amery Silva

KA'U COFFEE MILL

The Ka'u Coffee Mill is a worthwhile stop if you are anywhere near Pāhala, but you can also order from them directly or any of the other Ka'u coffee farmers to get a taste of this great Hawaiian coffee at home. Here is a listing of the farmers of Ka'u. KA'U COFFEE GROWERS

Looking back, it is fascinating to think that this entire world of Ka'u coffee was revealed to us from one lone street sign along Route 11. This is a very rural area of the island. To have the spirit and inclination to "explore" is what traveling is all about. Never plan every waking moment on a trip because you will miss so much. Of course, fair readers, now that you know all about Ka'u Coffee you can plan your excursions to the area accordingly. 

LEAP OF FAITH - KA LAE

The cliffs at South Point

The Ka'u district is the southernmost point in the United States. Stand at the tip of the island and stare out onto a great expanse of the Pacific ocean that will not be interrupted until you hit Antarctica! It is thought the first Polynesians who landed on Hawaii did so near South Point somewhere between 400 and 800 AD. Throughout the area of this National Historical Landmark there are ruins of ancient Hawaiian temples. 

This desolate area of the island is well worth exploring. Between the actual Point and visiting the green sand of Papakolea beach, expect to spend a good portion of your day. There are no facilities in the area, so make sure you pack a lunch and bring plenty of water. Although South Point Road has been much improved in recent years and is okay to drive, when the pavement ends  the road gets very rutted and rough and rental cars companies wouldn't appreciate you driving on them in their cars. So, once you get to the end of the road you will either do a lot of hiking, the green sand of Papakolea  beach is 2.5 miles away from the parking area, or you will pay a local to give you a ride out there.  

cliff diving at the point

Ka Lae, the Hawaiian name for the Point, is very far off the open road. Turn off Route 11 in the town of Naalehu onto South Point Road and keep going. There are miles of rural open ranch lands as far as you can see. You will pass a line of otherworldly wind mills, but the rest of the scenery is ranch lands with few buildings. The Pacific is far in the distance and as you drive it feels like you are racing towards the end of the world, and when you finally take the right fork in the road and come to the end you literally stand on the cliffs and there's no where else to go except back. It truly seems like the end of the world! 

fishing at the point

Now the actual point is a short walk down the "road" where there are no cliffs. But we never got that far for we were mesmerized by the cliff diving. We stood awestruck  as we watched several brave souls leap off the cliff into the blue ocean 50 feet below. Friends applauded and photographed them. There evidently is a ladder they used to climb out of the water, but I was not about to lean over the edge to see it for myself. To this day Janet is disappointed she not take the leap herself, but I was quite happy watching from a safe distance. 


PAPAKOLEA BEACH 

rutted road to Papakolea

We lingered for awhile in the hot sun gazing out onto the endless Pacific watching the divers and locals fishing, but our true reason for venturing out this far was to visit the green sand beach, Papakolea.  

green sand beach Hawaii

I have to admit that I love collecting sand wherever I travel and my sand collection includes samples from several continents and countless islands. Mostly the samples are well displayed in small glass jars with tags detailing particulars, sometimes even the date I visited the beach. (There's also a lot other samples in water bottles scattered throughout the house...) Friends too have given me sand as a gift whenever they have the good fortune to visit a place I have not yet graced. My sands are white, red, black, grey and beige, but until today, not green. 

Green sand is rare, although olivine, the silicate that is a product of lava, can be fairly common. Some say there are four green sand beaches in the world; on Guam, on the Galapagos Islands, in Norway and the green sand beach in Ka'u. Papakolea Beach is a collapsed cinder cone open to the sea. It last erupted 49,000 years ago. Olivine is denser and tougher than the other materials spewed out by the volcano and tends to accumulate on the beach, while the other materials wash away in the surf. This gives Papakolea its unique coloring. 

Punalu'u

Tiny amounts of olivine can be found on many of the black sand beaches of the Big Island, but because they are so geologically young they are still mostly black sand. Two black sand beaches nearby are Punalu'u and Kalapana. 

The beach at Punalu'u is easily accessible. You can drive right up to it, but the green sand beach of Papakolea is very remote. From the end of the paved road it is approximately 2.5 miles along the rutted tracks that serve as road. When you drive down South Point Road take the left fork until the end. After this only four wheel drive vehicles are suitable here. There were plenty of locals offering to drive us to the green sand beach for a nominal cost, but we decided to hike it and then pay someone to take us back. 

It was dusty and windy and humid and hot. Sunscreen and water and sturdy shoes are necessities. There is no shade from the sun. Also, once you reach the cone you have to descend into it. It is very steep and slow going and there is a severe rake into the water. The water can be very rough. Do not allow the surf to pull you out of the cove. There are no lifeguards. All this seems treacherous, but after a long hike getting into the water to cool off was wonderful and a soothing experience. Curious sea turtles swam nearby. We were definitely aware of the powerful waves here and stayed very close to shore.

When it was time to leave I surreptitiously gathered a sample of sand for my collection, ignoring the weather worn wooden sign that said we shouldn't and we climbed out of the cinder cone. At the top we were approached by a local kid who offered us a ride back to our rental car in his rusty pick up truck. It was the best money I had ever spent. It would have been too much to hike both ways. 

Tired and hungry we stopped in at the Shaka Restaurant in Naahelu for a much needed beer and some food. It is the southernmost bar in the United States! I had a Loco Moco and Janet had some Ono. It's a bit of a dive bar, but it's very close to the green sand beach and a great local hang out. Cash only. 

For those of you who might be interested in visiting Ka Lae to jump off those cliffs... here's a taste:

you're crazy...just sayin....

Mahalo for reading! 
love Janet and greg