The Big Island Hawaii

A 45 minute flight from Ohau, the big island (Hawaii) is a different world altogether! Hawaii is the youngest island in terms of geological formation, and the largest of the seven islands and continues to grow due to the fact that it is still an active volcano.  The Island has two major towns, each with their own airport, Kailua-Kona and Hilo.  The island is really not that large (we drove around it the whole thing in one day) but most people recommend saying in Hilo if you want to see the Volcano. I think with kids, I might agree, the volcano is 1 hour from Hilo, but there isn’t a whole lot going on in Hilo... If you are looking for some nice beach-side dining and a little more of a nightlife, some shopping, stay in Kailua!

            We stayed at The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls outside Hilo, which has a waterfall right on the premises.  Although Dan loved it, I felt like it lacked a little bit of the luxury I would have expected for the price. It is very secluded, quiet and beautiful, but the website is a little misleading. It is a nice bed and breakfast, but it has some of the associated quirks . However, if  being eco-friendly in your travels is important to you, this B&B is run entirely on electricity produced by the waterfall!

            If you are active duty military and you are primarily interested in seeing the volcano, book a few nights at the Kilauea Military Camp  which is a joint services recreation center located inside the National Park. As the Volcano lodge was closed for renovation during our visit, this was also the only place to get any food inside the park.

            While inside the park you can drive the crater rim, and see steam vents, as well as the cloud of vapors coming from the crack in the middle of the crater. During the day it’s cool to see but based on the pictures at the visitor’s center, at night it glows red, so if you can stay in the park late you should try to see that. Be aware that a volcano puts out gasses that are hazardous to your health, so many areas of the park will be closed based on where the wind is blowing and the air quality.  Also don’t miss the lava tube, and if you want hike to a place where you can see an active lava flow you must have long pants, tons of water, a flashlight for getting back, hiking boots and lots of stamina and endurance for the heat of the sun beating down on black lava rocks! We walked to the end of the road where an old lava flow had blocked off the rest of the road on it’s way into the ocean, but left the rest of the hiking to the more adventurous types!

            Outside of the park, try to plan in advance if you want to go up to the observatory of Mauna Kea, only certain vehicles are allowed, but you can book a tour that includes the use of parkas – it gets really cold up there!! We weren’t able to go because of a brush fire that closed the only access road, but it seemed like maybe booking the tour would have been the way to go anyway.

            There is also Parker ranch – home of the Hawaiian cowboy in the town of Waimea. The ranch is very historic and gives horseback riding and even hunting tours! If you stop in the town of Waimea you must go to Merriman’s restaurant, since is it supposed to be the best restaurant in Hawaii.

            A note on Island hoping – if I was planning this trip over again I would still absolutely plan to do more than just one island. However, I would have minimized the travel time by going to the Big Island (or whichever island you chose to go to) either at the beginning of the trip, or the end. Between waiting in the airport and waiting in rental car lines, the days that be traveled back and forth to Hawaii didn’t leave a whole lot of time to do anything else. Either plan early morning flights, or plan to combine one end of the trip with your flight back home and you will waste less time in airports and spend more time having fun!!

Zion National Park

Here's a good way to know when it's time to PCS: You drive more than 6 hours to see new things on a long weekend. That said, we have started to venture further and further from home base on long weekends. But just because this weekend trip was to Utah doesn't mean it's any further than California destinations.

In fact, Zion National Park ($25 for 7 days) is closer to Edwards AFB than San Francisco. The 370 miles to the park will take you 6 hours (no kids) but is well worth the trip on a 3 or 4 day weekend. There is only one hotel and accompanying restaurant in the park: the Zion Lodge. It looked 'average,' so find more value for your dollar in the towns just outside the park gates (Springdale, Rockville).

Break up your drive to Zion by laying over at Nellis AFB for a night or by going by way of Pipe Spring National Monument. Pipe Spring is a quirky old Mormon ranch, co-located on a Native American reservation. It's said that Stephen Mather (NPS Director 1917-1929) added the monument only because he broke down en route to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the residents helped him out, subsequently telling the history of the ranch.

We stayed at the Dream Catcher Inn in Rockville. The inn's breakfasts were splendid and the room was ample. It's a fun 10-min drive from Rockville to the ghost town of Grafton, UT (cross the iron bridge on Bridge St and follow the signs). And make sure to pick up a sack lunch at the Springdale Fruit Company on your way into the park. In season, they also have U-Pick apples in their orchard.

Plan 2-3 days in Zion. It can be seen in a day, but you'll want to experience the outer stretches of the park to really get a feel for the majesty. A great half-day hike goes to Angel's Landing. Shorter options include loop trails to the Emerald Pools (hanging garden on a sandstone face), the Pa'rus trail and others. During peak times, the park road only allows shuttle buses. Park at the Visitor's Center and embrace the service. A secondary Visitor's Center (a couple stops up the park road) has a great 22 minute film on park basics.

The park also has a road running from just north of the main Visitor's Center to the East. It goes thru an old tunnel (longest in US when it opened) into a completely different zone of the park. You can see the famous "Checkerboard Mesa" and hoodoos on this end of the park.

For a truly spectacular memory, hike the Narrows. You'll need canyoneering shoes (or close toed shoes) and if it's cold, dry-pants, a walking stick and neoprene socks. We rented our entire ensemble from the Zion Adventure Company for $35 and admit it was worth every cent. You can do a "top-down" one-way Narrows hike, but we chose the "bottom-up" out and back. This route starts at the end of the shuttle bus line (Temple of Sinawava). You suit up and walk 4 miles up the Virgin River. Depending on the water flow, you could be up to your chest in water. The day we hiked the Narrows, there was a 67 cubic feet per minute flow rate in the river and the water was around our waist or lower. The Narrows is a slot canyon, so the walls rise very high on both sides of you. It's truly a magnificent site - especially in the area titled "Wall Street."

For those more adventurous, you can try the Subway hike - but that'll involve a little more planning.

Zion is 6 hours away and the neighboring Utah parks (Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon, etc) are even further. But for Nellis or Edwards folks, it's a great place for outdoor adventure.