Hwy 19 Along The Hamakua Coast

Scenic Route Coastal Drive

PIck up Hwy 11 (Hawaii Belt Road).  This will take you directly to Hawaii’s Volcanos National Park.  The park alone can be a separate daytrip in itself.  However, depending on the time of year, you can easily spend 2 – 3 hours at the park, and still make it back to your hotel before dark.  Continue on Hwy 11 past the barren lava fields, towards South Kona.  If you’ve got time and it’s still day break you may want to stop at Punalu’u State Beach Park (aka Black Sand Beach).

The Big Island - Scenic Lookout

There are so many scenic stops along the way, and it’s an effortless way to see the island. Stop for a picnic at Kolekole State Park.  And, if you’re lucky, you may see a zebra that is a pet in someone’s backyard garden.

Zebra in Backyard

Leave your mark with Rock Graffiti

As you walk along the beaches in Waikaloa, there are white pieces of coral all along the beach that you can use for your artwork.   Do NOT dive or snorkel for them as this is viewed as tantamount to eco-terrorism.  If you can, I would say start collecting them on the first day, and by your last day you should have enough to do something really fun.

Rock Graffiti Along Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy

Hawaii Volcano National Park
This is a must do.  The bottom line is this, if you go to an island that has an active volcano, you have to go check it out.   If you can, make this an all day trip.  Spend the day, check out Halema’uma’u Crater; the steam vents (yes, you can see steam venting from the ground reminding you that she’s alive and well); go to Jagger Museum, hike Mauna Loa’s Observatory Trail (there are numerous other trails depending on your level of fitness, some are even wheelchair assessable), see ancient petroglyphs; and walk through Lava tubes.

Steam Vents At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The View From Craters Rim

Punalu’u State Beach Park

Famous for its black sand and basking green sea turtles, this is a popular beach with both the tourist and the locals.  It’s not a good beach for swimming, but the park has several picnic pavilions, rest rooms, and drinking water, making it the perfect pit-stop while you’re circumnavigating the island.  There are two exits between mile maker 56 and 57 that will get you there.  And, if you’re lucky, you will see the turtles chillin’ on the beach.  And, remember don’t touch them!

Green Sea Turtle

Get You a Shave Ice
We say “shaved ice”, Hawaiians say “shave ice.”  Either way, this fine cut Hawaiian version of a snow cone is the best ever.  I feels like silky snow on the tongue.  There really is no  better way to cool of while walking the streets of Kailua-Kona than with a shave ice.

Dude Making My Shave Ice

Fly over waterfalls!!  Go Zip Lining!!
Yes!!  I’m saying it again…it’s a must do.    This activity isn’t for everyone, there are age and weight restrictions and certain medical issues (ie back injuries, pregnancy) that one may want to consider prior to participating.  There are several operators on the island.  The Honolii Mountain Outpost boasts the longest zipline in Hawaii with their Umauma Falls Zipline Experience.

The Zipline

Hanging on a Zipline

Room Balcony with a View

Sunrise View From Room

I can’t remember a lot of  the day to day details, as we went on this trip to Cancun in April 2007, before my days of blogging and Facebooking.  This was also the period in which my vacation photos contained a lot of photos of me or us “in front of stuff.”   I think photo quality was the last thing on my mind, it was if I wanted proof I had been there.  What I do remember is that most of the time I seemed to have a styrofoam cup with a Margarita in it.   And, with that being the case, it’s a wonder I remember as much as I do.   Looking at the photos in chronological order helped a lot.  It’s even a wonder the photos were half way decent considering that we were using disposable cameras we picked up at a roadside store in the middle of the jungle just outside of Cobá.  It was on our road trip to Cobá that our camera batteries went dead.

Following is what I semi-remember doing :

Tulum and Cobá:

We decided to rent a car for a day trip to Cobá.  It was approximately 1.5 hours to get there from our hotel, and the drive was straight forward and easy.  We started out early that morning after a stop at a “7-11 type” store on Blvd Kukulcán for road trip provisions.  For me, that typically means water and something chocolaty (like Raisinets, M&M’s, etc).  Since this was a quick getaway, we didn’t have much of a plan, however, before leaving Seattle I had picked up a Lonely Planet guide.  I carried it along, just in case I needed a reference type guide.  Well, the description for Cobá in the LP guide read, “ascend to the top of Nohoch Mul, one of the few pyramids in the Yucatán visitors are allowed to climb.”  There was also a mention of bike riding through the jungle amongst the ruins.  I was sold.  So, we set out for Cobá.

Road Sign to Cobá

Jungle Road to Cobá

Lake Near Cobá Ruins

Cobá Policia

Good thing we got up early.  We were able to park in the parking lot a short distance from the entrance.  Once inside, we rented two bicycles and started on our self-guided tour.  The lack of the typical hordes of tourist you find at these places made it easy for us get around on the bikes.

Pyramid Structures

Riding to Ruins

We eventually end up at Nohoch Mul.  And, since the reason I was there was to climb a pyramid, I didn’t waste any time in parking my bike and starting my climb.  My enthusiasm was quickly kicked to the curb.   I had to stop and take a brief “break” in my climbing.  I wanted to blame it on the heat, but it was really because I was out of shape. When I finally made it to the top, I let out a loud, exhausted moan to the amusement of a guy from Texas.  The view from the top was totally worth the effort of the climb.

Resting on Nohoch Mul

Working My Way To The Top

View From The Top

inside Nohoch Mul Looking Out

Our stop at Tulum was unplanned.   We had left Cobá about an hour before and still had several hours left on the rental car.  So, when we were at the point where we had to pull into the parking lot we made the spilt second decision to check it out.

Unlike Cobá you can not really around Tulum.  Visitors have to follow a route (think IKEA) around the ruins.  What Tulum lacked in “its lack of popularity,” and its herding approach to seeing the ruins, it made up for in it’s location.  These ruins are perched on top of the rocky coastline, overlooking a soft sandy beach, and the bluest cobalt-blue water I’d ever seen.  Seeing El Castillo resting on top of the cliff with the beach leading to the Caribbean Sea was like, “Aaaaaaaah.”  It’s a beautiful sight and site.

El Castillo At Tulum

El Castillo and the Caribbean

Hanging By The Beach Drinking and Parasailing:

What is a trip to Cancun without at least one beach day?  It’s a beach vacation without the beach!  And, since I can sit on a lounge chair with music, magazines, and a margarita all day long we had a beach day.

After finding a set of loungers under a thatch roof parasol that was as far away from everyone else as possible I set up camp.  Once I got the attention of the attendant, I let him know that I would be sitting here for a while, and I placed an order for our drinks.  It was at this point that I was able to lay back, relax, and chill out.

Chillin With My Margarita

I don’t know at which point I decided to go parasailing.  But, after watching people sailing in the air past me all day without incident, and Roland semi daring me, and another margarita to loosen me up, I went for it.  We decided on the outfit that had the most personable tout hustling at the beach.  After a jet ski ride to a boat that took us out further to the main boat, and a brief safety lecture, I found myself being harnessed in and hooked up to the contraption that holds the parachute.  The next thing I know, the boat starts moving, the wind catches the parachute and we’re airborne, going up, higher and higher.  I’m smiling right now, reminiscing as I write this.  It was cool.

Parachute

Weeeeeeeeee! We're Parasailing

I have vague memories of us hanging out one evening and walking around Cancun Centro, past busy restaurants, packed bars and busy shopping arcades. This is where you go when you want to escape hotel row, and have an authentic experience with the locals.  I may not remember a lot of the nuances and details of my trip to Cancun, however, I do remember thinking that I had a blast and wishing I had more time to spend there.

Roland said, “What was that?”

I was like, “What?”

He said “That sign said something about a park”

I said, “Should I turn around?”

He’s like, “I don’t know.”

Then I’m like, “Yes or no!?”

He said, “Yes.”  So, I made an illegal UTurn and we went back to what turned out to be the sweetest little spot everrrrrrr.

We descended down a narrow road with a rock wall lined with lush vegetation on the left, a drop off to the valley floor on the right, and overhead it was thick with leaves from the surrounding trees, creating a tree tunnel.  I love a tree tunnel!! When we reached the base of this road there was the option to cross a bridge that goes over a stream, or make a right and head into the park.

After stopping to take some photos, we veered to the right and drove along the stream into the parking lot situated in front of a large grassy area that was lined with a few picnic tables.  Next to us flowed the stream, feed by the Akaka Falls about 4 miles away, that lead to a rocky beach where it met the ocean.  As I ate my lunch the view directly in front of me was that of a beautiful small waterfall.

So…here we were, sitting at a nice clean picnic table, eating our fresh salads, next to a stream, with a water fall in the background. It really was picture perfect.  All because we had decided to take a detour.

Have you had your own “Embrace The Detours” moment?  If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Enjoy!!

Click here to view the embedded video.