Remember our theme for this vacation was “Get as much in as possible” and that included today as well. After all our flight wasn’t until 11:00 p.m. anyway so we tried to make the most of it.
After we pack and store our luggage at the resort for pickup later that day, we pile in the car and head back to Kona. We had decided at earlier over breakfast to see a coffee plantation and to get shopping done before heading home. The person at the concierge desk highly recommended a stop at the Greenwell Coffee Plantation. They told us it was the best. So we decide to make that our first stop.
I don’t know what others were expecting but when I hear the term Plantation; it conjures up visions of what you might see in the Deep South back on the main land. You know, huge houses, big properties, etc. But that’s not exactly what you see when you stop here. Should have known for two reasons: one, you’re on an island. And two: we were high in altitude and not level but on a hillside.
It was the smallest ‘plantation’ I’ve ever seen but the information we received, the taste test of the Kona coffee and the friendly people at this small establishment were all top notch. We also came across this fellow…. A Jackson chameleon. See, we even had entertainment! Before leaving, we purchased their wonderful Kona coffee.
Next stop was Kona Joe’s. What a difference! This place was huge and he was marketing the fact that his coffee was ‘trellis’ grown. "where Kona coffe is grown like wine grapes."
Monday, May 19, 2008
Hawaii Day Twelve – Last full day and evening on the Big Island.
After having a long drive the day before, Tom and Pam decide to relax a bit and enjoy the comforts of Mauna Lani Bay Resort for the morning with hopes of shopping in nearby Kona in the afternoon.
Dave and Linda, on the other hand, decide to go to Kona for an outing on the Atlantis. Instead of snorkeling to view coral and marine life up close and personal, you actually go in a submarine that goes about 100 feet down in the water. Having only one car for the four of us, they assure us they will be back in time to pick us up to go shopping.
Tom and Pam head to the beach, get a cabana and of course a few pictures are taken. While talking on the cell phone to the kid who is stuck in AZ, a waitress walks along the beach asking guests if they want anything from the bar and/or grill. Yes! This is the life! Mimosa anyone? :)
But like any sunny day on the beach, the sun becomes intense. Since our drinks are gone and we want to be ready for shopping, we head back to our room.
At the same time Pam and Tom are on the beach, Dave and Linda drove down to Kona for their underwater adventure. They call afterwards and learn that Pam & Tom are still interested in shopping in town. Dave and Linda say they will be there in about a ½ hour. As Tom and Pam wait, they decide to work on the blog. But it took Dave and Linda longer than the estimated 30 minutes and in the end no one went back to Kona for shopping that day.
Since no one had lunch that day, early dinner reservations were made at the restaurant here at the resort.
THIS JUST IN! A PINEAPPLE UPDATE!!! One of the pineapples is ‘sacrificed’ as a snack before the early dinner reservations. Pictures are taken to capture this special event. The pineapple is apparently accompanied by ‘pineapple wine’. Total number of pineapples planning to attempt to leave Hawaii is now 3! Stay tuned for more on this story….. We now return you to the original story…
We enjoyed dinner at the Canoe House. This restaurant is at the resort and offers an Asian influenced cuisine served on the beach. Both the food and service were excellent! Of course with any fine dining experience, especially in Hawaii, there is a price to pay. We anticipated, especially since this was our last night in Hawaii, a rather large bill for the four of us. Imagine our surprise when we opened the folder to find a check totaling no more than half of what we expected. As we looked around for our waiter, we noticed the stunned faces of the young couple at the next table. They are staring in disbelief at their check. Without speaking to each other, we are now looking for the same waiter. When the waiter realized what happened, he quickly swaps checks between the tables. The look of relief that came over the young couples face was priceless. The comment by Dave, “Now that’s more like it” caused both tables to break out in laughter.
We ended the night at the Honu Bar where we played a few games of pool (it’s something none of us have done for about 30 years – and it showed…ouch!) and enjoyed 20 year old tawny port.
Dave and Linda, on the other hand, decide to go to Kona for an outing on the Atlantis. Instead of snorkeling to view coral and marine life up close and personal, you actually go in a submarine that goes about 100 feet down in the water. Having only one car for the four of us, they assure us they will be back in time to pick us up to go shopping.
Tom and Pam head to the beach, get a cabana and of course a few pictures are taken. While talking on the cell phone to the kid who is stuck in AZ, a waitress walks along the beach asking guests if they want anything from the bar and/or grill. Yes! This is the life! Mimosa anyone? :)
But like any sunny day on the beach, the sun becomes intense. Since our drinks are gone and we want to be ready for shopping, we head back to our room.
At the same time Pam and Tom are on the beach, Dave and Linda drove down to Kona for their underwater adventure. They call afterwards and learn that Pam & Tom are still interested in shopping in town. Dave and Linda say they will be there in about a ½ hour. As Tom and Pam wait, they decide to work on the blog. But it took Dave and Linda longer than the estimated 30 minutes and in the end no one went back to Kona for shopping that day.
Since no one had lunch that day, early dinner reservations were made at the restaurant here at the resort.
THIS JUST IN! A PINEAPPLE UPDATE!!! One of the pineapples is ‘sacrificed’ as a snack before the early dinner reservations. Pictures are taken to capture this special event. The pineapple is apparently accompanied by ‘pineapple wine’. Total number of pineapples planning to attempt to leave Hawaii is now 3! Stay tuned for more on this story….. We now return you to the original story…
We enjoyed dinner at the Canoe House. This restaurant is at the resort and offers an Asian influenced cuisine served on the beach. Both the food and service were excellent! Of course with any fine dining experience, especially in Hawaii, there is a price to pay. We anticipated, especially since this was our last night in Hawaii, a rather large bill for the four of us. Imagine our surprise when we opened the folder to find a check totaling no more than half of what we expected. As we looked around for our waiter, we noticed the stunned faces of the young couple at the next table. They are staring in disbelief at their check. Without speaking to each other, we are now looking for the same waiter. When the waiter realized what happened, he quickly swaps checks between the tables. The look of relief that came over the young couples face was priceless. The comment by Dave, “Now that’s more like it” caused both tables to break out in laughter.
We ended the night at the Honu Bar where we played a few games of pool (it’s something none of us have done for about 30 years – and it showed…ouch!) and enjoyed 20 year old tawny port.
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