Driving through horizontal snow behind a public works truck spewing salt and sand, a trip to paradise seemed not just unfeasible, but a ludicrous fantasy. Yet, a day later I sat sipping Kona coffee on a lanai looking out to powder-puff blue skies, the only salt spray coming from ocean waves cresting lava rocks. Two mid-winter months away from the frozen Northeast, nestled in a warm oasis in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, the sunny side of the Big Island. My first extended stay anywhere — this snowbird’s maiden flight.
My Home Away from Home
Armed with the HomeAway app, last Fall I booked two months in a pretty condo a block from the ocean, walking distance to town and, importantly, within my new retirement budget. While many owners list their own homes on the mobile apps HomeAway and Airbnb, a management company handled this one for the absentee owners. Not sure who owns the condo, but my wife and I saw small traces about the place — children’s beach toys, boogie boards, cups for Kinini Jeanie and Lonali Ron.
Our home away from home had all the comforts of, well, a home. Three bedrooms, two full baths, open-format dining room/living room, and a drop-dead gorgeous kitchen with granite counters and a large central island with seating. Since it is someone’s home, it came stocked with dishes, pots and pans, coffee maker, linens, beach towels, dish detergent, spices. Even fancy stuff, like a mini Cuisinart food processor and flat-screen TVs in the living room and bedrooms. And a lovely complementary bag of Kona coffee.
Feathering the Nest
After enjoying our coffee, the next order of business entailed stocking up the pantry and frig. On the advice of locals and seasoned snowbirds, we headed to Costco. Prices there run literally half that found elsewhere on the island, including gas for the car. Yes, you need a membership (but it’s good everywhere in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) and you’re going to get larger quantities than you might want. Still, it was cheaper to leave some behind for the next folks who rent the condo than buy elsewhere.
While we bought most goods at Costco, we found the best produce at farmers’ markets. Local farmers set out a bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits, many of which, like dragon fruit and candy apple bananas, seemed deliciously exotic to us. We often visited the small market in the center of Kailua Village, which is open Wednesday through Sunday. Mid-week, a big market fills the yard at Pukalani Stables in Waimea. Saturday mornings, my favorite market took place in Keauhou Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona. I could never pass by the table selling purple sweet potato pie without stopping for a big slice.
Well stocked, we grilled our best meals out on our private lanai. That first night in paradise — an unbelievably good wild-caught tuna, organic sweet potatoes, and delicate local broccolini.
Paradise on a Budget
Newly retired I reveled in the luxury of time, which my harried work vacations never permitted. When I worked, two weeks was a long vacation. With limited time, I’d always packed way too much into every trip (often over my spouse’s pleas for mercy and rest). Places to go, sights to see, activities to do, etc., etc. Two months offered time to do more — and less.
And then there’s that other budget thing — money. In the past, I worried less about the costs of my adventures than getting all the way there and not doing it ALL. Now my more limited retirement finances played a leading role in defining choices. Fortunately, on Hawaii we discovered an oasis of affordable adventures, most of which brought us closer to nature — and to each other.
Hawaii’s stunning beaches redefine the experience of winter. With free public access to ALL beaches, Hawaii offers ample opportunity for every water sport and activity regardless of budget. Borrowing a boogie board and beach chairs left behind by Jeanie and Ron, we body surfed the waves and bathed our Vitamin D-deprived bodies in the ample sunshine.
Throughout the winter, we interspersed moments of active exploration with those of beach-bumming relaxation. With our apartment in Kailua-Kona as our comfy home base, we took day trips in every direction. Our active pursuits leaned toward cultural explorations, such as a hike through the Puaka-Malama Petroglyph Trail, one of the most important archaeological sites on the island. Petroglyphs carved by ancient Hawaiians pepper a 1.25-mile loop through a pleasant kiawe forest. Graphic versions of some of these iconic line carvings appear throughout Hawaii, such as a honu (sea turtle) and a surfer with a board raised over his head.
While we mostly stayed within an hour’s drive from home, a longer journey took us to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A world apart from Hawaii’s lovely beaches — actually, from anywhere on Earth — the Kilauea volcano makes the top ten on most people’s bucket lists. Entry into the National Park is $20 per vehicle. The kind ranger, however, recommended that I buy a Senior Pass for $10, which gives free access to all national parks for the rest of my life. So, one of the perks of aging well will be enjoying the nation’s wonderful park system.
Winter’s End
Our last evening in Hawaii, we sipped Mai Tais at a favorite beachfront bar and watched the spectacular Pacific sunset one last time.
Winters to come, we will fly away again. Perhaps nesting next in California, Mexico, or southern Spain, or perhaps on a Greek isle — wherever the warm currents take us.
Clay, you have a wonderful way with words. I did feel as though I was there with you and Carolyn.
I so enjoyed meeting you and Carolyn in Peru. Who knows, perhaps one day we will travel down the same path again.
Best Wishes,
Cookie
Lovely
Can’t wait to read where you’ll go next! Girls you look great, Take car.Barbara
I actually felt I was there as you described your days in Hawaii. How wonderful to have had two months there. I look forward to reading about your next trip. Love to you both, Susan
What A place Wish I was there…lol Take me with you, I’m so sick of wood and fires Xoxo Barbara
So fun to read about your adventures! Lovely to see those faces. Xoxoxo