Day 15: Exploring Kailua-Kona

It was pleasant to sleep in a bed that didn't rock back and forth.  I awoke early to enjoy breakfast on the lanai working on the blog and drinking Kona coffee.  It is warm and sunny @ 7:00 with the sight and sound of the surf pounding the rocks in front of the development.   Truly paradise.

We left late morning to explore the region.  Since it was hot we left the top up and headed for coffee country between 1000 and 4000 feet above sea level.  The views are amazing and coffee companies dot the slopes.  We stopped for lunch in Holualoa.  The village consists of a few art galleries and shops.  The restaurant and cafe was recommended so we stopped for lunch.  Marilyn had a salad with grilled ono.  Ono is a deep sea fish that is meaty like tuna.  Also, "ono" means delicious in Hawaiian.  Marilyn agreed wholeheartedly.  Dwight enjoyed a grass fed local beef burger and homemade potato salad.

Next it was of to explore the coffee country south on highway 11.  The Royal Kona Coffee company had a neat mango tree house and a lava tube to explore.  Lava tubes are formed when hot lava flows down to the sea and a crust forms on the top creating the tube.

Mango Tree House with Dwight next to Mustang

Marilyn hiding in a coffee tree

We next stopped at the Painted Church which was founded by Belgian priests in the late 1800's.  This small wooden church has murals covering most of the interior.

We drove back and stopped for hot Malasadas along the way.  The Portuguese brought this tasty pastry to the Hawaiian islands when they came as plantation workers.  The Hawaiian version is thicker but has the same yummy sugar coating.  We devoured two at once and saved the other 4 for later breakfasts.

By now, it was late afternoon and we thought a drive with the top down was in order.  We enjoyed the wind in our hair (at least Marilyn did) and the sun on our shoulders on the way back to Kona.  After some shopping we headed to the unit for a late dinner in after watching the sun set from the sea wall.

We needed rest as we are off Volcano National Park tomorrow!