I’d never been to the Big Island of Hawaii, so we took the opportunity to escape the long, dark PNW days of February 2025 for a 10-day trip. The big island is the favorite Hawaiian island of many travelers – it offers amazing tropical rain forests on one side and drier lava cast hills and beaches on the other, split down the center by volcanoes – at least three completely distinct environments, all existing together on a tiny island in the middle of the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. While there are plenty of tourist attractions, one doesn’t feel so much of a human crush like the crowded islands of Oahu and Maui. There’s a feeling of room to spread out, and take deep breaths.
We tried to not over-plan ourselves for this trip because one thing we really wanted was time together. We rented a studio condo on the ground floor of a complex that overlooks a golf course. It was a cozy, clean and comfortable home base. It was – by far – the nicest vacation rental we’ve ever stayed in, and we’d go back anytime. During those ten days we went to the Waimea mid-week farmers market and bought fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood for about half our meals and ate at the dining table on the lanai with views of the golf course and the ocean in the distance. Our VRBO hosts provided pancake mix, butter and syrup, along with coffee so we woke up to breakfast amidst the flora and fauna of Hawaii – just breathing it all in, which felt like a luxury. There were bananas growing within reach, and the numerous bird species made rounds of the area daily to greet us; we kept an unspoken agreement with them to live and let live, at a friendly distance.
Whale Watching
We didn’t just lie around at the condo – we sprinkled a few plans into our trip between our ‘chill’ days. The first activity we planned was to go on a whale watching trip. February in Hawaii is known as the final month of humpback whale mating season, before the gentle giants head back to Alaska to spend the warmer months in the cool arctic waters, so we weren’t disappointed. With a naturalist onboard, our trip included plenty of opportunity to learn about these magnificent creatures and ask questions. We sailed for about an hour after leaving the coast, and the naturalist lowered a microphone into the water. We could hear the hums and clicks and squeaks and squeals of the whales deep below the surface and were told to be patient. It didn’t take long before we saw the tell-tale spray from a whale rising up from the depths to exhale.
As quickly as we’d notice the spray, the humpbacks would be in the middle of their next dive, leaving us with nothing more than a wave of their flukes as they said goodbye.
It was a fantastic feeling to be so close to the humpbacks, knowing they are so powerful, but also seemingly as curious about us as we were about them. It was the rare kind of buzz that comes along rarely in life – we were so glad we went! We had many other opportunities to see whales from our ocean views back at the condo with the help of binoculars, and while sitting at various beaches.
Volcanoes
One day we drove over to see the Kilauea volcano which had been erupting frequently during our visit. It was a long drive to the southern end of the island, and when we got there, we saw a big wide steaming caldera but no lava erupting. While there was a lot to learn, there wasn’t much to see. But we had a nice drive to the southern-most point in the US, and some great tacos, recommended by a friend back home, so it was a win-win!
Gourmet Good Life
- A few facts you may or may not know:
- Vanilla comes from an orchid flower.
- We grow orchids at home and are fascinated by them
- There is a very small area of the world where vanilla orchids can grow
- There’s a little hillside on the rainy side of the big island where vanilla orchids can flourish, so The Reddekopp Family has painstakingly established the Hawaiian Vanilla Farm in that area, near the village of Paauilo.
As soon as we learned about this place, we signed up for their Vanilla Experience Luncheon & Farm Tour. This package provided a fantastic meal featuring gourmet foods accented with vanilla used in things such as chutney, a dry rub, marinade, glaze, salad dressing and of course ice cream. 
After lunch we walked around the property with our guide who told us the fascinating and heartbreaking story of the Reddekopp family, along with entertaining detail about the lengthy and complicated process of growing the orchids and producing vanilla. He was so engaging, and the tour so interesting that we completely geeked out, asking questions and learning many details that probably weren’t as interesting to a person who doesn’t love orchids the way we do. (Who are those people?) The intellectual jolt made us want to get jobs there and never leave!
Waterfall Wandering
On a follow up day, we decided to try visiting as many of the known waterfalls on the island as we could. We drove a lot that day but the payoff was spectacular. We spent a few minutes over the morning pancake and coffee plotting out a bit of a route, and found that smack-dab in the middle of it we would be going near the Mauna Loa Macadamia plantation, so we added a stop there to pick up some goodies. Here’s how the day went:
- Drive a bit
- Park, short walk to a breathtaking waterfall
- Ooh and Aah and take some photos that don’t do justice to the beauty of the site
- Repeat a few times
- Eventually show up salivating at the Mauna Loa plantation and buy so many ‘gift’ bags of nuts to take home that the suitcase doesn’t close
- Drive a bit further
- Park, short walk to a breathtaking waterfall
- Ooh and Aah and take some photos that don’t do justice to the beauty of the site
- Repeat, repeat, repeat
How could anyone be bored with the Big Island?
The Space Between
On the days we didn’t make plans, we’d throw the beach chairs and umbrella provided by our condo hosts into the car, drive to any one of the dozens of beaches or parks within a few miles of our home base, and breathe.
Stunning coastline, surfers, enormous waves, sun, shade, sand, the occasional mongoose, sea turtle, pod of spinner dolphins or colony of feral cats, all there for our enjoyment.
The color of the water. Every place and every view, another shade of blue that you wouldn’t think could exist naturally. Yet there it was.
We snorkeled, and watched the fish.
We became speechless at the superabundance of different birds.
We gazed up at the observatories wayyyyyy up on top of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and wondered what they gazed at.
We searched for the Shave Ice shack of our dreams.
We talked. And laughed. Those were the days we went to Hawaii to enjoy. Not to be in the car for hours at a time, not to be worried about a dinner reservation or getting stuff done, not to be ‘doing’ anything.
We are human beings and we felt the call to reconnect and just ‘be’. To enjoy the company of each other, to talk, to wander together hand in hand. To while away the time just being together. It’s the best part of being human – connecting with each other.
We will return soon.
Later on, IRL 
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