Big Island Bliss

Posted on March 8th, 2017

Let the record reflect that as I write this final Hawaii post, it is currently 39 degrees in Seattle, it is raining, and the gusts of wind are causing the windows on our high rise to shudder and shake.  A poetic contrast.

Ian and I were definitely in agreement that while we wanted to have some uniquely Hawaiian experiences, we were also tremendously excited to just relax and enjoy a week away with the sunshine and with one another.  The Four Seasons Hualalai was the perfect jumping off point to make that vision come to life.  Only fifteen minutes from the airport and harbor and twenty-five minutes from Kona you do have easy access to a range of things… except that the resort makes it kind of difficult for you to find the motivation to leave.

They set the tone upon arrival, when you’re greeted in the lobby with warm towelettes, mai tais in coconuts, and skewers of fresh pineapple.  As you’re escorted to your room, they fill you in on the property’s pools, restaurants, spa services, health club offerings, and all of the other things you would expect to find in heaven.

We arrived that first evening just in time to watch the sunset on the beach, drink in hand.  After dinner, we headed to bed early to be extra ready for our helicopter tour on Monday.

On Tuesday, we rented a car to explore the area a bit.  Our first stop was clear: doughnuts.  Doughnut research has become a standard part of my vacation planning process, and I knew I had to try the flavors at Holy Donut in Kona.  We ordered a sampler, but the PBJ was my personal favorite.  They’re definitely paired best with the ocean view just across the street.

We were fueled and ready for a hike along the beach and through the lava fields, where sea turtles were pretty much our only company.  Before heading back to the resort, we also stopped for a coffee plantation tour at Hula Daddy, an operation started by two retirees who just kind of wanted to move to Hawaii and grow coffee.  I was relatively ignorant about the journey my espresso made to reach me, so it was so interesting to go straight to the source.

Tuesday evening was another huge highlight of the trip– nighttime snorkeling for manta ray feedings.  Our little boat left as the harbor as the sun was setting, but because it was dark and we were in the water, unfortunately I do not have a ton of photos– but trust me, it was amazing.

Wednesday and Thursday we devoted all of our time to the serious endeavors of Relaxing and Doing Absolutely Nothing.  Morning runs were followed by hot showers in our private outdoor lava rock shower, followed by the most extravagant seaside breakfast buffet, followed by sitting by the pool.  We read books, we talked about the past, present, and future, we ate.

When we woke up on the plane on Friday morning after our overnight flight, we felt as peaceful and refreshed as one can feel after sleeping for four hours on a plane (in part because of a first class upgrade– thanks, Alaska!!).  We are in absolute agreement that we should routinely take honeymoons celebrating the privilege of being together.  I only hope they are half as good as this one was!