On October 22nd & 23rd I'll be at the Kona Tiki Hotel in Kailua-Kona. I stayed at this very laid back hotel to the south of the main drag in Kona on my last trip to Hawaii. It's a very simple and funky place right on the water. The hotel sits just behind a seawall, so the sound of waves crashing against the wall will be a constant visitor.
October 24th & 25th will bring a return visit to Macadamia Meadows Farm B&B in Na'alehu. I loved this place on my last visit. It's very close to South Point although not walking distance. My hostess, Charlene Cowan, treated me last year with a ride to see South Point - remember my only transportation on that trip was my bicycle, and riding down to South Point and back again after all day on the bike just wasn't going to happen. I was fascinated, and I plan to go back to South Point on this trip and do some walking. And in case you're curious, yes, this B&B is on a working macademia nut farm!
On October 26th & 27th I'll be returning to another B&B that I really liked the first time around - Aloha Junction B&B in Volcano. It's a great place to stay with wonderful breakfasts, and of course it has the side attraction of being just outside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I definitely plan to spend some time wandering on that black lava!
I'll be in Hilo on October 28th, and I'll be staying at Wild Ginger Inn. I've never stayed here before, but it sounds great. The woman who answered the phone when I called for a reservation made sure I knew that there's no pool or air conditioning, which doesn't bother me at all. It sounds like this place has character, and the reviews I've seen on tripadvisor.com made it sound like a place that I'll like.
A quick update after my return home... while the Wild Ginger Inn was OK, it lacked something that I found in my stay at the Kona Tiki - something I expected here too. And that something was a place to connect with other guests. There is a lobby with comfortable chairs (and a hammock) - but I only saw 2 other people there. If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay where you will definitely connect with other people, I'd recommend Arnott's Lodge instead of here. The downside is that it is further from the downtown area (and restaurants). The upside is that it is made for connecting with other guests, and you'll have your choice of lodging - from camping on the lawn to hostel-style accommodations, to private rooms.
For the last two nights, October 29th and 30th, I'll be returning to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Kohala Coast. This place is definitely a splurge, and is much more expensive than my normal abodes on vacation. But I wanted a couple of beach days and I really enjoyed my stay here on my last Hawaii trip. I have a reservation for a room in the Beach Front wing, and I'm looking forward to its ambience.
The last night of my vacation won't be in a hotel, but on an airplane. My flight home leaves Hawaii at 11:30pm, arriving in Los Angeles very early the next morning, and then on to Boston with a late afternoon arrival time. One of these trips I could very easily decide to just stay in Hawaii...
I realized this morning that my trip is just 5 short weeks away. It was April when I made the decision to visit the Big Island again - a vacation planned for six months out. The summer passed by slowly for me with my ongoing recovery, and I made the decision to switch this trip to a journey without bicycle wheels only 3 weeks ago. But the time continues to melt away, and I believe the next 5 weeks will fly away!
