On Saturday, October 1st, I headed to Kikila, the north shore plantation where the wedding was to be held the next day, to go through rehearsal and help with last minute preparations (like picking up three, thirty cases of beer). The actual rehearsal was brief, with the wedding planner walking those involved through their paces. For the most part it was a chance for the brideal party to play most every conceivable game from Mahjong to frisbee golf and paddle tennis. Some reading this blog might be thinking Kikila looks familiar. This is because the family gathering for the movie, the Descendants, was filmed here over the last 10-15 minutes of the movie. It is a unique setting not to be duplicated anywhere on Oahu, and is choke full of games and activities for all ages. Throughout the morning and afternoon, Granddaughter Sloane would make an appearance with the nanny and consistently steal the show for whatever else was going on.
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| One of the bridesmaids with my granddaughter Sloane |
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| Andrea, Dane, Anna and Boyd at the Wedding Oct. 2nd. 2016 |
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| Now Anna & Dane McCleary |
The wedding itself was a story of beauty and Aloha, complemented by a grand wedding party of 26. Dane and Anna, looking like cake-top models, presented a radiant picture of happiness. This happiness pervaded the affair; a reminder of the quality relationship they have fostered together, couple with an obvious pleasure in sharing daughter Sloane with family and friends. There was a short, heartfelt ceremony led by Dane's best friend, a buffet dinner of special Hawaiian foods, and a rousing party under a large white tent for 140, which had been set up in the courtyard between the cottages and pool/tennis area. I need to give a shout out to my former wife, Kate Saavedra, who did an outstanding job organizing this complex affair in coordination with the wedding planner.
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| Dane removing the garter from Anna |
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| Ryan Ley, Dane, Anna and Andrea post wedding |
The champagne and Mai Tais stoked those assembled into a festive mood, two local Hawaiians sang during the dinner and then it was over to the DJ for a mix of millennial and old rock and roll music. Somewhere into the evening I was pulled into a small mob of young bridesmaids, for some frenetic dancing. Endurance not being what it used to be, the dancing was measured out over the evening. The best part of the evening was taking my beautiful bride Andrea onto the dance floor and "cutting the rug" as my parents were oft to say. Apparently we made quite a hit with our old-school fast dancing, as Dane stated "you two are on fire and rocked the night". We too sensed a certain electricity from the crowd that had circled around us on the dance floor. My friend Bob summed up the wedding and setting by saying " I felt like I was on a movie set". Beyond the stunning setting, food, and entertainment, the wedding was reflective of the love and Aloha Dane and Anna bring to their relationship and to those fortunate enough to have attended.
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| Andrea, Boyd, Bob & Barbara Pawlishyn and Beth Gasiorowski on front lawn of Kikila |
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| Dane, Sloane & Anna McCleary - the reason for our trip to HI |
The Monday after the wedding was given over to yet another afternoon party with food, beer, wine and swimming at our home away from home, with some of Andrea's closest friends, Beth, Jill and their families. Dane and Anna stopped by with granddaughter Sloane, and Dane and I got a chance to skin dive Shark's Cove and recover the sense of awe and splendor we had originally experienced together, when as a ten year old, he would hang off my scuba tank's Octopus or secondary as we explored the undersea coastline.
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| Ryan Ley, Beth Gasiorowski, Andrea McCleary, Ellie Heath and Cassie Ley by Sharks Cove |
The next day we headed south along the coast back to Kailua town, where Ryan, John and I parked our butts on a small patch of the two and a quarter mile crescent beach. Andrea, Susan, Ellie, Cassie and Andrea's friend walked around Lanikai, our old running route, then joined us for some sun time. After having our fill of lying on the beach and soaking up the tropical rays, Ryan and I put on our swim googles and swam the 1/4 mile out to Flat Island. It was an invigorating swim, made a little more challenging with the currents sweeping in around the island, which were prone to moving you off coarse. Not hitting the small twenty foot sand beach would have been problematic as the balance of this small island is a rocky shore. We returned to the shore with the wave's behind us this time, catching sight of some Puffer fish along the way, who were busy finding morsels to pick at amongst the coral heads.
I would be remiss in my storytelling if I did not reflect on the fact that there was an undercurrent of stress during this period of time, as Hurricane Mathews was meandering it's way north towards along the Florida coast towards South Carolina. Our friend Beth, was particularly distracted, she being Hilton Head Hospital's designated lead for Emergency Management. Hilton Head Hospital had to eventually evacuate and close down temporarily, following the evacuation orders from the Governor. Our friends Barbara and Bob, decided to leave paradise a day early to try and fly into Savannah figure:) They made it as far as Dallas before being rerouted to their secondary choice for evacuation, Philadelphia. Barbara's brother looked after them at his home until they could rent a car and return to Hilton Head after the evacuation order was lifted on Sunday Oct. 9th. The same day they left, Andrea, Ryan and Beth went skin diving down at Sharks Cove with her Go-Pro. Unfortunately they left their three small backpacks on the beach, which promptly got stolen with everyones I.D.s and credit cards. The balance of that day was spent on police reports, cancelling credit cards, ordering new cards to be delivered to the Big Island and getting new cell phones.
After tying up as many loose ends from the thefts as we could, we had drinks and a light meal that evening on the lanai overlooking the infinity pool with Susan, John and Ellie and Ryan. With the question of how Beth and Andrea were going to get through security with no/limited I.D. (Beth had her Hilton Head Plantation I.D.), we got up extra early and were on the road by 3:30AM to catch our flight to Hilo. After getting Ryan checked in at the airport and giving him some cash, he took off for Honolulu, as his flight didn't take off for the mainland till four that afternoon. Beth and Andrea had some extra quality time with PSA, as they had to prove who they were, but it turned out to be relatively painless, though a bit longer due to questioning, plus body and bag searches. They noted however that the PSA did their job with Aloha which ameliorated the otherwise stressful process.
For future reference, the flight to Hilo is one of the best scenic passenger airline flights I know of, provided you sit on the left hand side of the plane. You cross over both Molokai, then the uninhabited side of Maui with it's imposing seaside cliffs, before passing right over Haleakala Crater and onto the Big Island. Hilo met us with occasional wet mini sprinkles (nothing new there), and we found our quaint B&B (Hilo Bay Hale) just a short walk from the old downtown area. This old Hilo home had been saved from the wrecking ball by two gentleman who restored the home while adding more bathrooms and individual lanais for each room with varied overlooks of koi ponds, a palm treed back yard with Chinese Cemetery in the background, or Japanese gardens. We had dinner downtown at the Pineapple Restaurant, which is nestled amongst the often forlorn, somewhat derelict looking wooden frame buildings whose storefronts often proclaimed some Chinese or Korean name. The Pineapple Restaurant, sits at a key intersection of two streets, has open air seating and served plenty of tasty local grinds as they say in the Hawaiian vernacular.
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| Andrea and John Brant by the Hale Mau Mau Crater |
The 7th of Oct found us driving up to Volcano with a short stop at the municipal zoo where there were some tiger cubs, now maturing, along with various parrots and assorted tropical animals from around the globe. A short thirty minute drive later, we found the Volcano Forrest Inn where we had all four rooms for our entourage. While near Volcano town, the long driveway in provided complete privacy. This was our base of operations to tour Kilauea Volcano, which started that evening with a view of the bubbling lava in the Hale Mau Mau Crater. Old Dante would have been proud of Pele, as it looked for all the world like the fires of Hell, which danced in the shimmering waves of heat, their orange/red glow piercing the steamy cauldron that is the active crater.
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| Beth AKA the Mountain Goat after her climb out of Kilauea Iki |
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| Ellie, Andrea, Boyd, Susan and John on the rim of Kilauea Iki |
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| Andrea with shrimp on a skewer cooking our lunch in the fumarole |
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| Andrea and Boyd along Kilauea Iki Rim Trail |
One of the highlights of this segment of the trip was walking across Kilauea Iki (meaning small) Crater. Having done this before we were well prepared with fresh shrimp from Hilo which we carried out on to the crater and steamed inside one of the fumaroles (a steam vent coming up below with what is usually superheated steam). The interesting twist to this story, is the there were very few active fumaroles unlike our crossing of the crater some 12 years earlier. It soon dawned on us that the lava beneath us had been cooling all these years, and what was left of the molten lava was likely hundreds of feet below us. My travel mates had been informed that the surface temperatures would be hot and bring suitable hiking shoes. They thought this advice a bit strange since the surface was no more hot than any of the surrounding dark lava rock in the area. Time = change particularly in the land of volcanoes.
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| My cute sister Susan on Chain of Craters Rd. by Pacific Ocean Overlook |
That same evening, Ellie, Andrea, Beth and I drove down to the eastern rift zone of Kilauea near where lava was flowing into the ocean. We wanted to see the spectacle at night and did we ever. After renting bikes and riding some 4.5 miles down a gravel roadway we came to the road's closure where off toward the coastline you could clearly see the wall of steam/smoke arising perhaps a 1/4 mile distant. Walking on the ropey black lava, we made our way to the precipitous coast and as the sun set, Pele revealed herself with rivulets of lava often cascading and frequently exploding into the sea. A tour boat ($200 a head) was making circles in towards the lava flows, but generally staying a 100 feet or so from the boiling cauldron. Within recent weeks, one person had died as part of the cliff he was standing on fell away into the boiling cauldron, and then one of the boats sustained significant damage, as an exploding rock turned into a projectile that went right through it's aluminum hull. We were tired puppies upon our return to the Volcano Forrest Inn having hiked Kilauea Iki in the AM then biking to the lava flows that evening.
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| Hot lava flowing into the ocean from Pu'u O'o on the eastern rift zone of Kilauea Volcano |
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| Ellie Heath in backyard of Waimea Gardens B&B with Rainbow |
For our last three days, we chose the town of Waimea in the north of the Big Island. En route, Boyd, Beth and Andrea stopped at Laupahoehoe, a relatively small cluster of homes with an ocean front park, that is down a winding road from the highway. As we got out of the car, I could hear music coming from the open air pavilion. Upon investigation it turned out to be a religious celebration of harvest by the Russian community on the Big Island. This religious service with children singing in Russian and babushka wearing woman in the audience, put me in mind of the theater of the absurd. Just how did this group of Russians come to be celebrating on a beach in Hawaii. I didn't find the answer to that puzzling question in the short time I observed the service. Those in attendance were most friendly and welcoming, while all the while offering to translate the Russian songs for me. That being said, the prospect of a cold beer by the ocean with Andrea and Beth tipped the scales away from my curiosity, to a more traditional way of enjoying a tropical interlude on dramatic Pacific beach.
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| Boyd selfie overlooking Waipio Valley & Black Sand Beach |
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| Visiting horse on Waipio Valley Black Sand Beach |
Further north beyond Honokaa, we parked our car, and the three of us walked down the four-wheel drive only road to Waipio Valley, with perhaps the most picturesque black sand beach in Hawaii. The grade of the road was 25% making it a challenge to get down to sea level some 1000 feet below. As tiresome as the hike down and back up is, it is always worth the effort. There are few more picturesque landscapes than this narrow ultra green valley with falls in the background and the black sand beach with it's transecting river running through it to the ocean. Like many valley communities, this one had been completely wiped out by a tsunami in years past, as is only marginally resettle by a combination of Hawaiians and others who seek a lifestyle removed from the everyday. Many couples and families who were fortunate to have a four-wheel drive vehicle were enjoying a day on the beach and in the surf. While we walked the beach, a lone horse came down to visit, and we found a nest of sea turtle eggs in the sand embankment. After a 45 minute hike back up the steep incline, we found our car and cache of cold beers, downed them, and made our way to Waimea some thirty inland.
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| John on his 75th Birthday with Susan and Andrea |
Waimea was originally a Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) town made famous by the Parker Ranch which owns most of this part of the island, and is know for it's succulent grass fed beef. We took over three cottages at Waimea Gardens B&B. All agreed this was the highlight of our Hawaiian accommodations. Separate cottages tastefully decorated in old style Hawaiian decor, nestled at the base of the foothills with a stream running through the ever green lawns transposed this into a quiet retreat. Rainbows behind the cottages were bestowed upon us daily, and we celebrated John Brant's 75th birthday at Merriman's, a noted local restaurant in Waimea.
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| Ellie at the Haawi Black Sand Beach |
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| Just Chilling on the beach at Kiholo Bay |
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| Black Sand Beach near Haawi |
In the morning, the black sand beach near Haawi on the northern most shore of the Big Island beckoned. Driving some 45 minutes on this pastoral road brought us into Haawi, a laid back, some would say Hippie town. We scored some sandwiches, then headed east to the end of the road where we parked before hoofing it down a fairly steep descent to the black sand beach below.
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| Andrea and Beth at Kiholo Bay, a sea turtle sanctuary |
The sea turtle sanctuary was on the next day's agenda. This brought back memories for Andrea and I of an idyllic interlude before marriage of bathing au naturelle in the tranquil, lite-green, translucent sea water. We parked near mile marker 83 on the Kona Rd. and had about a thirty minute walk to the beach before then proceeding right to Kiholo Bay. The walk was longer than in prior years, as the path used to transect the remains of an old mansion with saltwater streams running through it. This was now closed off with a big "KAPU" (forbidden) sign and evidence of recent construction activity. The lite-green, translucent water arises from the fact that there are fresh water springs feeding the bay. This bay was of vital importance historically to the Hawaiians. The area in the surrounding countryside is relatively inhospitable due to the long expanses of lava and lack of freshwater resources. When the Hawaiians of old had to make the trek from Waimea to Kona, they would stop at Kiholo bay with specialized gourds that could be easily open and resealed. They would dive beneath the water, locate a fresh water spring and fill their gourds underwater. In this way, they could assure enough water to finish the walk to Kona, then a thriving fishing village. Even though this sanctuary has made it into the tourist books, it remains relatively undisturbed and infrequently visited, likely due to the lack of amenities, limited parking on the road and a vigorous walk to the bay. The turtles really don't care about any of that of coarse, and I surmise come to the area to rid themselves of parasites that can't survive the brackish water, and for the easy sloping black sand/ pebble beaches they can sun themselves on.
Beth, our beer connoisseur, had previously scoped out a micro brewery she wanted to visit in Waimea, so that became our go-to dinner place in the evening. A lively place with outdoor seating and a relatively wide selection of brews was found to be pleasurable on all out palates.
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| Andrea, Boyd and Beth enjoying the Waimea Micro Brewery |
All good things come to an end as my mother was prone to tell me in my impetuous youth, and we needed to make the long trek back to Savannah. It ended up being some 23 hours long from start to finish, with the United Lounge in Newark providing a needed respite during the almost four hour layover to Savannah. Arriving in Savannah, there was one more hurdle. I had to get into my SUV without keys (they were Andrea's backpack that was stolen). Prior to my round the U.S. trip in 2015 I had stowed a hide a key on the vehicle and luckily it was still there, and allowed me egress, but wouldn't start the car. Andrea searched in the glovebox and brought out the spare ignition key and after a few turns of the motor, the Toyota that had weathered Hurricane Mathew kicked to life. We returned home to Sun City, which had few visible clues that a hurricane had passed through.
This concludes the latest chapter in Travels Now and Then. Wishing you all Aloha, Boyd
