Denise Goldberg's blog

An experience on two feet instead of two (bicycle) wheels
Denise's 2004 adventures in Hawaii

Monday, August 30, 2004

Dreaming...

What's different about this trip? Well, the first and biggest thing is that my mode of transportation will be a car instead of my body and my bike. I'm still planning on circling the island though; this will not be a sitting on the beach vacation.

My thoughts right now are to start with a day in Kona just to recover from my flight. I don't land there until 9 PM local time, which given the six hour time change makes it 3 AM in my time. My next stop will be Na'alehu and two nights at Macademia Meadows B&B. From there I'll wander to South Point to do some hiking, and maybe I'll spend some time at the beach. Next, on to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park for a few days of wandering. Then I'll spend some time along the east side of the island before ending my stay with two days of rest and relaxation at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.


Ah... the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has a wonderful beach for a bit of relaxation.


I have some reading to do between now and when I set foot on the island. Hawaii, The Big Island Revealed is a great guidebook from Wizard Publications that I used when I planned last year's trip. (You're right, I do like the name of the publisher!) It needs another reading.

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Traveling on two wheels?

...no, walking! Plans are apparently made to be changed

It was April when I planned a trip to Hawaii for late October of 2004. I enjoyed last year's bicyle tour around the Big Island so much that I decided that I would repeat a variation of it this year. That was an easy decision to make, but the ultimate decision for the form this year's trip will take was a hard one for me.

On May 20th, I had a somewhat spectacular bike crash on my way to work. When I was released from the hospital, I was still set on this trip being a bike tour, but I think that I knew in the back of my mind that it would be a stretch. I gave myself until the end of August to decide whether my trip would be a bike tour as planned, or would be something else. It was a hard decision for me to make, because I really wanted to do it as a bike tour.

I've been back on my bike since the 3rd of July, six long weeks after the crash. My docs have told me to expect it to take six to twelve months (from the date of the accident) to return to what I'd consider normal. I'm definitely not there yet. The longest ride I've managed so far is 28 miles, and that's a long cry from what I'd need to be able to ride comfortably for a happy multi-day ride around the Big Island. Looking back at distances from last year's tour, there are three days that I think would be a big challenge to me in my current condition - two days between 50 and 60 miles that have a few long uphills in them, and one day of 40+ miles that is all uphill. At this point in my recovery, I'm a long way from a 50 to 60 mile day, to say nothing of the hills. And while two months is definitely enough time to prepare for a trip like this one when I'm in what I'd consider to be normal physical state, it just doesn't feel like reality to me right now. I wasn't too concerned about the extra weight on the bike from carying my gear since I'd already decided to do the trip with just 2 panniers (the smaller front panniers carried on the rear rack) and a minimum of gear.

My decision is to go to Hawaii in October without my bike. I don't think anyone will disagree that the Big Island of Hawaii is a wonderful destination, even without a bicycle. I'll still be wandering around the island and I can't imagine taking a vacation that doesn't involve some physical activity. I'm sure I'll do some hiking in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and in some other spots around the island. Maybe I'll spend a little rest time on a beach. Maybe I'll do something different like find a place to rent a kayak and do a little paddling in the ocean. Maybe...