Kona offers consistent sunshine, superb art galleries, a diverse range of restaurants, and an array of exciting water adventures - all within walking distance. This is the kind of trip we were looking for, and it's exactly what we got (and more!).
Day 1: Saturday, 2/27
We attempted to redeem some airlines miles through Alaska to take advantage of their nonstop from Seattle to Kona, but our timing did not prevail. Thus, we stuck with our tried and true Hawaiian Airlines morning flight. As always, they were right on time and beat the expected arrival time in Honolulu. We stopped at the Kona Brewing Company in the airport for our usual round of small bites and cocktails. Only this time, the first sip of rum-juice deliciousness was offset by the images on the TV screens: an impending tsuanami was headed for the islands! Just that morning, a major earthquake rocked Chile and sent panic throughout the island chain. No town was more on high alert than Hilo, whose long history of tsunami destruction has left its citizens scarred and anxious.
Our flight to Kona was not delayed, and by the time we boarded there had been no reports of any massive waves. After our brief inter-island flight to Kona, we quickly claimed our baggage and then headed to the car rental transport van. The driver announced that it was a "good day, no tsunami." So any fears we had of a ruined vacation were already allayed, setting us up for a wonderful week in the tropics!
Anyone traveling to Hawai`i (or really, anywhere) knows that screaming deals are bouncing around like a baby in an inflatable castle. Car rental companies are at the top of the list, and I just couldn't resist the convertible for only $15 more per day. I had never drive one before, and as it turned out, Kona was in a drought. So, perfect.
Our good fortune continued when we checked into our hotel. Apparently, due to the evacuation that morning, most of the housekeeping staff took the day off. Many people were waiting for clean rooms, but ours was ready upon check-in! We love the Royal Kona for its convenience, affordable ocean front rooms, and splendid bar. You won't find a lot of glamour or extra amenities, but it's comfortable and we tend to be creatures of habit. Also, they make really really good mai tais!
So, that's where we headed first. Don the Beachcomber's Bar. To our delight, the drink menu now featured "flights" of drinks - including Mai tais.
Later, we walked up and down Ali`i drive, soaking in the atmosphere and scoping out any changes that took place within the last 10 months. We only spent one day in Kona last June, and we missed it.
That night we ventured out to the venerable Lulu's for a comfort food feast of tuna melts and mahi mahi sandwiches (and, of course, heaps of fries). We ended the night with a browse through the ABC Store (on this trip we discovered it's a weakness and purchased so many items we qualifed for gifts at the end of the week!).
Tired from the flight, energized by the velvety air, at night's end we were in that perfectly balanced state of impending unconciousness mixed with grade school excitment over what we'd do the next day.
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