More Places to Explore on the Big Island, Hawaii
Another beautiful day on the Big Island driving along the Kohala Coast to Waimea. Waimea The mid week farmers market in Waimea sells vibrant produce grown in the rich volcanic soil. I can never eat enough of the juicy tomatoes and green leaf lettuce during my visits. Fresh from the earth is best and this...
Finding new treats and a new friend on Big Island, Hawaii
One of our favorite restaurants on the Big Island, Hawaii, is Mai Grille by Chef Allen Hess. The restaurant is the “Home of Bacon” cured in-house. We invited a woman sitting by herself to join us and learned Arianna was from Sicily, Italy. Arianna is working on her PhD in bioengineering and was on Hawaii...
Big Island, Hawaii-Coffee and Chantilly Cake
Anytime is coffee time, and I discovered the Kona Mountain Coffee store on the Big Island. The coffee is 100% grown and hand picked on the family’s Kona farm, then roasted in the store. I met the owner Bill Dwyer and his daughter Heather, and they are committed to producing the smoothest coffees. Chocolate candies...
Big Jake and Randy Serving Big Island Style BBQ
BBQ at the roadside stand Big Jake’s in Honaunau, south of Capt Cook, Big Island, Hawaii. It’s all about the barbecue ribs, meats and chicken cooked over keawe wood by Jake. Jake was raised on the island, cooked in many established kitchens and is a certified bbq pit master. You know its good bbq when...
Clucking about Fried Chicken in Hawaii
Hawaii makes one think of pineapples and poi, but who would have thought a gas station makes delicious and crispy fried chicken in paradise. Minit Stop food counters are located inside Ohana gas stations throughout the Big Island and Maui. And they are nothing like the convenience stores I know with hot dogs rotating around...
Big Island Local Food Favourites-Kailua-Kona Hawaii
I’ll admit I like staying in 5-star resorts in Hawaii but when it comes to eating food, I want the local and family owned places. While visiting the west coast of the Big Island and around Kailua-Kona, don’t miss these authentic Hawaiian eateries and soak in the local flavor. Drive 20 miles south from Kona...
Mac Nuts and Ice Cream on the Big Island, Hawaii
Back in the 70’s, Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. owner Richard decided Hawaiian Macadamia nuts needed to continue to grow on the island and limit the importation of nuts. His business, Hamakua Mac Nut Farm, processes and sells 100% Hawaiian nuts. The visitor center is full of flavored nuts, popcorn, chocolate and coffee-all nutty and packaged...
Big Island Poke Contest and Preserving Hawaiian Culture
Poke, Hawaiians will tell you, is pronounced Po-kay, ending with an “e” and not pronounced as if its spelled poki. With that in mind, I was ready for the annual poke competition in Waikoloa, Big Island, and an event of the Hawai’i Island Festival. I made my way past a royal guardsman of the Queen’s...
South Point on the Big Island, Hawaii
The Southern Most Part of the USA If you want to get into a lively discussion with a fellow traveler, ask where the southernmost part of the USA is located. Many areas in the USA claim this special recognition, but at 19 degrees latitude, South Point beach on the Big Island takes the pineapple. Known...
Growing Chocolate in Hawaii
Hawaii the state of scenic sunsets, gorgeous beaches, and chocolate? Yes, the “food of the Gods” is grown on the Big Island near the fertile lands where coffee and avocados abundantly grow. A bit south of Kona, in a lush tropical setting with sweeping views of the ocean, sits the gardens of the Original Hawaiian...
Southernmost part of the USA is pretty and delicious
On the way to the “Southernmost” part of the USA (19 degrees latitude) is South Point beach with a scenic look out and informational plaques about the beginning settlers of this strategic area on the Big lsland. Portuguese sugar workers made their native sweetbread back in the day and it’s still so popular, Nearby, Punalu’u...
Chocolate grown in Hawaii!
Chocolate, grown and made in Hawaii and off to Kona we went to explore the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory. Over 1400 cacao trees bear vibrant pods and are harvested every 2 weeks. Through a detailed process, and much done by hand, the beans are dried in the sun to develop flavors. After tempering, chocolate is...
