Mike and I were feeling overdue for a self-supported bicycle tour in 2006, so decided to tour the Big Island of Hawaii. We had done this before in 1994, and enjoyed it very much. This time we planned to go the opposite direction, counterclockwise.
March 16 - Wenatchee, WA to Kona, HI
Today was a long day starting with a drive through a mountain snow storm to get to Seattle and ending with an evening drive toward Kona in a rented convertible, balmy tropical breeze whipping our hair, our bike boxes sitting upright in the back seat. Renting a car for 24 hours is often the most convenient and economical method of getting our bikes from the airport to our starting destination.
The best way to transport bikes from the airport
A delay of over an hour on the tarmac in Seattle made for a very long trip to Hawaii, but we made our connections and so did our bikes. It didn’t feel like vacation until we stepped off the plane into Hawaii’s humid, floral scented air, checked into the Kona Seaside and celebrated with a carton of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. We had been up for almost 24 hours when we finally got to bed.
March 17 - Kona
We made the most of our remaining 24 hrs of car rental by driving scenic backroads above Kona this AM, and browsing the galleries in the artist community of Holualoa where we got a lesson on how the ancient Hawaiians made decorated gourds. Finally, a trip to Hilo Hatties for Hawaiian shirts made our transition to tourists complete. Bikeworks bike shop agreed to store our bike boxes for a fee, so we dropped the boxes off there after reassembling the bikes in our room, and headed out to dinner, where we enjoyed live hula for entertainment and a colorful sunset over the Pacific . It was late when Mike returned the car to the airport and took a taxi back to Kona. We’re anxious to hit the road on the bikes tomorrow.
March 18 - Kona to Captain Cook
Beginning our tour on Alii Drive, Kona
Sometimes rituals need to be relearned - It took us a while to load the bikes this morning due to the usual disorganization at the start of a tour. But eventually we were on the road, rolling south down touristy Alii Drive where we stopped for breakfast. The sun was out and the bicycling easy, despite the heavy traffic. Today was a short mileage day, so we took our time and stopped often to take in the scenic overlooks and other attractions, including the farmers market. But eventually we ran out of flat sea level cycling and had to climb 1000 feet in about 3 miles to continue on the highway south.
Hula lessons in Kona
Mike had come down with a cold between Seattle and Kona and wasn’t feeling very strong, and I was in my usual wimpy hill climbing condition so I was often off my bike pushing it up the grade. During one of the few miles I was actually on my bike climbing as slowly as a bike can go without falling over, I tried to release my shoe from the pedal to stop, and the cleat would not release. I was stuck in the pedals, forced to keep pedaling uphill or fall over, my legs starting to quiver. I am all too familiar with the effects of crashing on a stalled loaded touring bike, so I yelped, "HELP!" Mike jumped to the rescue, flung his bike in the ditch, sprinted on foot to catch up to me, and grabbed me like a rodeo cowboy so I could get off the bike.
Our sunny weather turned to rain so that we were soaked by our destination, the historic Manago Hotel in Captain Cook. We settled into our room and had an excellent Japanese style dinner of fresh ahi, sticky rice and side dishes in the hotel dining room. By the end of the day we were beginning to feel back in the swing of self-supported bicycle touring. We had fixed a flat tire on the rear wheel, taken refuge from a rain storm in a carport, broken another kick stand, and finished off the evening at the ice cream parlor next door.
Manago Hotel, Captain Cook
March 19 - Captain Cook to Ocean View
Rain, rain, rain all night and continuing this morning. We woke up to a downpour, thick fog obscuring our ocean view. Over breakfast in the Manago dining room, we contemplated options – if the weather should be like this for 2 weeks, should we continue riding, return to Kona and get a rental car, or try to get a lift to our next destination on the island bus, the Hele-on? Our hotel, being "historic", did not have phones nor TVs, so we called family back home to look up the forecast on the weather channel. Bad weather was forecast throughout the week. It was decided to continue on by bike, mindful that involving a car completely alters the experience, and not always positively. So we headed out in the rain and headwind.
Refuge from the rain with free Kona coffee samples - just what we needed
After about 20 wet and foggy uphill miles, we caught up with a couple of other cycle tourists who were part of a small group touring our direction. They told us that heavy rains had washed out part of the road ahead. This point was beyond their destination for the day, but not ours. They were forced to return to Captain Cook to find accommodations. The road was supposed to be reopened by tomorrow once a downed power line was cleared.
Sometimes you feel like a .... Chocolate-covered Macademia Nut
The sun was breaking through again when we arrived at Bougainvillea B&B, located in Ocean View, a sparsely populated housing development on a lava flow. We had stayed at this B&B in 1994 and found it a welcome and conveniently located retreat, though we were impressed that anyone would chose to build their home on a lava flow. All water needs to be trucked in and tap water is unsafe to drink. The lots were a bargain at $500/acre when the area was "developed" in the mid1960s, though few have bought into it since.
Bougainvillea
We found a small diner open nearby for dinner. I had a BLT and chocolate milkshake, and this, plus being chased by a dog afterward, completed our reorientation to bicycle touring. After watching a video in our comfortable room, we soaked in the hot tub after dark. An opening in the cloud cover revealed a night sky thick with stars, unpolluted by any city lights.
March 20 - Ocean View to Pahala
T
he sun was back out this AM for breakfast on the B&B lanai. Our hosts, Martie and Don, served up a breakfast of fresh Hawaiian fruit and omelets while we visited with other B&B guests. Our route for the first half of the day took us through lava flows, macadamia farms, and agricultural country. In the small town of Na’alehu, we caught up with the other group of cyclists and joined them for lunch at the "most southern café in the U.S". This van-supported group included Jim, Marty, Dan and Barbara, with their organizer, Tim Kneeland, a well-known bicycle event organizer from Seattle, organizer of the Odyssey 2000 bicycle tour around the world, and now founder of Four Seasons Cycling Events. They had many bicycle touring stories and we enjoyed their company, agreeing to meet again for dinner at our common destination in Pahala.
Mural depicting Hawaiian history, general store near Na'alehu
"Lunch" at the cafe in Na'alehu
From Na’alehu, our route followed the spectacular undeveloped Ka’u coastline, dropping 1000 feet in elevation to the black sand beach at Punalu'u.
Panoramas of our route, the scenic Kau coastline
At the beach, several large sea turtles were grazing in the tidal pools near shore when we arrived, and farther down the beach, a small group of native Hawaiians was performing a ceremony involving blowing into conch shells, singing and prayer.
Black sand beach at Punaluu
We were soaked in sweat again after pedaling uphill the remaining miles to the old sugar plantation town of Pahala, where we had rented a vintage 1920s cottage for the night.
Our rented plantation cottage, Pahala
The rest of the cyclists were staying at the historic Pahala Plantation House and had planned a large group dinner, inviting us to join them. Their hosts had prepared a feast - fresh corn, squash, garden greens, pasta, bread, shrimp, lamb, and chicken, and for dessert, macadamia pie and ice cream. A good supply of wine and beer augmented the story telling and we had a fun evening. It concluded with a video highlighting the ongoing efforts to prevent developers from destroying the unique beauty, native heritage, and wildlife of this section of the Ka’u coastline.
Dinner with Tim Kneeland's tour group at the Plantation House
March 21 - Pahala to Volcano
Mike takes in fluids on the climb to Volcano
Today's’ climb up to Volcano Nat’l Park at 4000 ft went better than I had expected. The shoulder was smooth and wide, traffic light, and temperature moderate. We made it to the visitor center just before noon and the start of heavy rain, scoped out the art gallery, then checked into
Aloha Junction B&B to warm up in their sauna. The other cyclists were staying in the park and planned to bike to Hilo in the AM, while we had scheduled a layover day in Volcano. Dinner at the Thai restaurant in Volcano Village was the best Thai food we have ever had.
Outside our room at Aloha Junction B&B
March 22 - Volcano layover day
Unfortunately the day started out wet and gray, though we stuck by our plan to chose a hike and explore Volcano NP. We managed to ride part of the Crater Rim Road, hike down into Kiluea Iki Crater and back out, then retreat to the comfort of our B&B again, wet and cold. I was beginning to feel the mild effects of picking up Mike's bronchitis, so we put on the courtesy terry bathrobes, warmed up in the sauna, and took long naps. Dinner was gourmet pizza in tiny Volcano Village, then back to the B&B to veg out with a video movie, beer, popcorn, and ice cream in our room.
Hiking into Kiluea Iki crater in the rain. Heat from the crater floor creates rising "vog" (volcanic gas + fog).
