TripOut Gay Travel:
Hawaii: The Big Island’s National Parks by Marc Leonard

Share

• 2
  Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park Honaunau
• 2
  Hale Ohia Cottages 11-3968 Hale Ohia Road
• 2
  Punalu’u Bake Shop Route 11
• 2
  Kehena Black Sand Beach Kapoho Kalapana Road
• 1
  Kalapana Lava Viewing Station
• 2
  Lava Tree State Monument Pahoa
• 1
  Thai Thai 19-4084 Volcano Road
• 0
  Kiawe Kitchen 19-4005 Haunani Rd
• 3
  Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
• See All Recommendations

It’s my first trip to America’s fiftieth state and I’m astonished by how much the islands of Hawaii have to offer in diversity of landscape and activity considering the relatively small size of the land masses. Oh, and yes… It’s all staggeringly beautiful.

Take for example the actual singular island of Hawai’i also known as The Big Island (Note: The groups of islands which comprise the U.S.’s fiftieth state are known as Hawaii; the singular island which is the largest of this chain is called Hawai’i – yes, with the apostrophe. That’s why you’ll find different spellings within this article.): While the northwest is a patchwork of giant resorts and tourist attractions, the southern half of the island offers a variety of gorgeous natural phenomenon with fewer crowds. On a recent road trip, I visited some of the highlights of this region.

Steam escapes a lava field in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

As with its similarly noncontinuous cousin Alaska, it’s hard to get lost in the state of Hawaii. The geography limits the road system to a simple network of mostly two lane highway with some of the best views anywhere. You can cruise around the entire island on the highway system in a day but you’ll miss the opportunity to jump out and explore some of the more interesting sights. The island terrain varies greatly from one region to another; to get a sense of how much check out the satellite view of the island in Google maps and you can get a pretty good idea of the dramatic changes of scenery you’ll see along the way.

After staying a few days at a resort on Hawaii’s Kohala Coast, I left Kailua Kona heading south on Highway 11 which rises sharply uphill into the coffee plantations growing from the rich volcanic soil high above the Pacific Ocean. Bed and breakfasts dot the famous Kona region, as do multiple outlets to buy coffee directly from the growers. Even here in Hawai’i you’re not likely to find Kona coffee for less than $20 a pound, and if you do take careful note of the label because it’s likely a blend. I’m amused to note that some of the more touristy shops mark up the cost of pure Kona coffee to $27 a pound, which is more than the $24 per pound cost I can find across the street from my Manhattan home.

I’m not driving more than 40 minutes before I turn down the mountain through a series of switchbacks to reach my first stop, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. It’s a beautiful December morning and I’m the only visitor to this ancient cultural heritage site. You can walk through the experience in as little as a half hour and it turns out to be definitely worth the stop.

Ki’i statues at Pu’uhonua o Honaunau. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

Pu’uhonua o Honaunau is a sacred refuge so I’m careful to respect the few rules about visiting the site, which is a collection of old buildings and large ki’i, traditional statues of human form. A quick self-guided tour leads you around the royal grounds past a variety of structures, ponds, the very cool ki’i statues, and honu, Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, basking in the sun. Having spent a few days in a resort up north the peaceful site provides me with a welcome respite from the noise and crowds. I spent an hour enjoying the gorgeous Hawai’i weather capturing photos of palm trees reflected in the serene ponds that dot the premises.

I return to Highway 11 and follow it south through the southwestern regions of the island. As I enter this less populated region there are fewer cars on the two-lane highway and I begin to see the clouds that frequent the east side of the island. Occasionally a light spray descends from the sunny sky and at one point a perfect rainbow forms. I can see where it appears to touch down in a field and resist the temptation to swerve off the road and chase after it.

Ninety minutes later I turn on to South Point Road where I’m looking for the area called South Point, the southernmost point in the United States; I remind myself to keep this in mind the next time this question comes up in a trivia game (sorry Florida!) The South Point Road winds through desolate wind swept fields, past wind farms and grazing cattle, and abruptly becomes an unpaved bumpy single lane winding south towards the tip of the island. But South Point itself turns out to be difficult to find as it’s situated in an area that’s difficult to navigate and at times quite treacherous.

View of the ocean from South Point. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

The rough unfinished lane becomes a series of unmarked paths winding around high bluffs overlooking the ocean. At one point I make a wrong turn down a narrow embankment on the side of the cliff and find myself in the uncomfortable position of having to back out, my wheels treading disturbingly close to the cliff’s edge. Another time I’m facing a car coming up the lane from the other direction, which stops and asks if I’ve been able to find South Point; I’m relieved to not be the only one who can’t figure this place out.

Eventually using a combination of my Blackberry’s GPS and a vaguely written guidebook description I find a clearing that contains a couple of parked cars and some fishermen casting lines way down the side of the cliff. I get out and check out the view. The Hawaiian islands are the most remote populated land mass in the world, so when you’re standing at South Point looking out over the Pacific Ocean you’re actually seeing one of the biggest patches of uninterrupted ocean on the planet. Strangely this spot reminds me of Dunnet Head, the northernmost point of mainland Britain, located on the northernmost tip of Scotland. Even with completely different weather there’s a familiarity about the windswept fields perched high above the ocean, dotted only with wind farms and cattle.

The sun peaks out of the clouds over the Hawaiian landscape. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

I retrace my steps and after rejoining the highway decide I’ve earned a stop at local tourist stop Punalu’u Bake Shop, located in Naalehu, the southernmost town in the United States. It’s a bit of a tourist trap but worth a stop to try the delicious sweetbreads, malassadas, and shortbread cookies. Malassadas are a Portugese confection similar to a donut and which the Bake Shop makes in a wide variety of types including mango, chocolate, and lemon, and are freshly made and quite good. This is also a good place to stock up on gifts – coffee, postcards, and the bakery’s popular gift sets of shortbread.

Heading out of Naalehu the road heads north up the Big Island’s east coast and past the Kau Forest reserve to the west. The road cuts briefly through a thin expanse of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and I turn off just a couple minutes past the park entrance to my destination, the Hale Ohia Cottages. A favorite of National Geographic Traveler, the gay-owned and operated cottages are very comfortable and eco-friendly. I’m checking in for the next couple days as the rest of the places I intend to visit are within a short drive of this bed and breakfast.

Gay-owned and operated Hale Ohia Bed and Breakfast. Photo by Len Jenshel.

I stay in the “#44,” a cozy and romantic cottage jutting out of a converted 77-year old water tower which now holds a good-sized bedroom featuring a single queen sized bed. This tiny cottage in the woods isn’t lacking in comforts, it’s got two fireplaces and the bathroom holds a Jacuzzi tub in addition to a stand-alone shower. This is the first bed and breakfast I’ve visited in which your breakfast is left in the refrigerator each evening for consumption the next morning at your leisure. A coffeemaker and local coffee are joined by fresh mango juice, freshly baked banana bread, and a variety of exotic fruits. This is a great, unique touch for those of us who don’t necessarily like having to be up in time for group breakfast, and/or those who find it hard to make conversation before their first cup of coffee.

Breakfast at Hale Ohia. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

After checking in at Hale Ohia, I follow Highway 11 north to the junction with Highway 130, which drops south to the coast and the Kalapana Lava Viewing Station. This is the best spot to watch the lava flow from Kuu Oo, which has been erupting continuously since 1983. From here you can see the spot where the lava tumbles into the ocean, creating a plume of steam and gases that can be seen from almost anywhere on the southern coast of the island. Unfortunately the wind is blowing the fumes back towards the land today so the road to the viewing station is closed off. But I get a consolation prize, just off the sealed portion of the road is a huge black lava field where some folks are clambering over the huge rifts of black stone to get photos of this beautiful phenomenon. It’s the first recent lava field I’ve seen up close and I spend a while admiring the view.

View of the lava fields at the Kalapana Viewing Station. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

I turn up highway 137, also known as Kapoho Kalapana Road, in search of the unmarked Kehena Black Sand Beach which should be just a short ways up from the Highway 130 junction. My host at Hale Ohia told me I’ll know I found it when I saw a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road for no discernible reason. Helpful advice – I never would have found it otherwise. I pull over and follow a barefoot couple through a copse of trees on the edge of the cliff, to an unmarked rough path that descends steeply down the face of the cliff, dropping sharply in a couple places to a series of small landings. When you drop down from the last landing you’ve found Kehena Black Sand Beach.

View of the ocean and the surrounding coast at Kehena Black Sand Beach. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

Aside from the eponymous black sand, this small beach is famous for attracting hippies and nudists, and sure enough the location delivers on all three. The sand is gorgeous and otherworldly and defies my expectations. I was somehow imagining sand that was sort of grayish black, but not actually really jet black, which is exactly what this is. I take a lot of pictures but out of respect I’m careful not to point the camera towards the clusters of naked people enjoying the breeze in this sheltered cove that’s completely hidden from the road. A couple rough shelters populated by aging hippies suggest that some of these guys are enjoying an extended stay, and why not? It’s certainly comfortable here. Beyond the black sand there isn’t a lot to see here that I haven’t, uh, seen before, so after a contemplative rest on the short beach I head back to the road.

I decide to drive back by a slightly different route by following Hwy 137 north, as it eventually rejoins 130 via a big loop. Along the way I pause to check out the Lava Tree State Monument, which offers views of an unusual phenomenon. The lava “trees” are actually molds of trees that were caught in a 1790 lava flow, and are now surrounded by lush jungle and gigantic towering trees with a very high canopy. The lava trees are a curious sight in a strange and beautiful environment. Fans of Lost might look at this scene half-expecting the smoke monster to start shaking the high tree tops at any moment.

Lava Tree State Monument. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

I head back towards Hale Ohia Cottages and the small town of Volcano, which offers some surprisingly good restaurants considering the remote destination. Thai Thai, located on Old Volcano Road, offers truly excellent and authentic Thai cuisine. Here I sample a variety of rich and quite spicy curries, and discover a new favorite beer. Mehana Volcano Red Ale is a full-bodied local ale from a Big Island brewery that I promise myself I’ll visit on my next trip. The red goes great with spicy Thai food and I decide I’m going to miss having access to this local wonder. Just up Old Volcano Road from Thai Thai is the very popular Kiawe Kitchen, a popular lunch spot for visitors from the nearby Volcanoes Park. It’s worth the short wait for a table just to sample their famous pizza and fresh sandwiches.

The next morning I get an early start for the main event of this trip, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Having visited a dozen national parks ranging from remote west Texas to Alaska to southern California, I already know I’m going to want to spend a couple days here – and with an annual membership I guess I qualify as a National Parks buff. Like many of our Parks this one offers an extensive range of activities for those who want to drive, hike, or camp. I spend a couple days enjoying the park.

Lava covers several roads in Volcanoes National Park. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

I try out the moderately difficult Pu’u Huluhulu Trail which starts out as an easy stroll across a brushy plain before crossing a rocky sloping lava field towards a single forested hill. A series of short but steep switchbacks lead to a viewing station at the crest that overlooks Mauna Ulu’s frozen lava lake and a gorgeous 360 degree view of stunning lava fields as far as the eye can see. The trail is short at only about two and a half miles round trip and is a great choice if you have limited time in the park or aren’t looking for extensive or more difficult hiking.

Even more impressive is the classic 4-mile Kilauea Iki Trail, listed as moderate to challenging, and a must-see. The hike winds through the rain forest cresting the giant Kilauea Iki crater and then drops along the rim down into the crater, which houses an enormous frozen and still-steaming lava lake. From a distance you can see tiny dots, people, moving slowly across the floor of the crater. The trail eventually leads out of the forest and onto the floor of the mile-wide crater for an unimaginable experience that’s likely the closest one can come to walking on the surface of the moon. Just after completing the crater crossing a series of switchbacks leads you back to the trailhead. From here head down the main road a bit to visit the lava tube. Try to slip in between busloads of tourists to stroll through one of the biggest lava tubes I’ve seen anywhere, and a very impressive experience.

Volcanoes Park also offers a couple of great drives; follow Crater Rim Drive to the Jaggar Museum for an incredible view of the Halema`uma`u Crater, set in the staggeringly huge Kilauea Caldera. I was still trying to grasp the scale of the Kilauea Iki crater I’d just hiked across when I realized that was just a fraction the size of this caldera, which could hold several cities. Winds were blowing the fumes back over areas of the park during my visit and signs in this region as well as others cautioned visitors to stay in their cars or in the buildings because of the fumes. Sure enough I discovered after standing on the rim shooting photos for a few minutes that I was starting to cough uncontrollably. A bad sign, so I stayed out of the fumes from that point on.

Vast lava fields in Volcanoes National Park. Photo courtesy of Marc Leonard.

Back in my car I followed the Chain of Craters Road down the mountainous terrain to the southern region of the park, where massive flows in the early 1970’s overran huge expanses of land. The drive is spectacular and beautiful and ends where the road is swallowed up by the frozen stone flow; a “Road Closed” sign juts out of the flow where it will be forever trapped. From here you can see the other side of the Kalapana lava plume, and if you time it right the sunsets are gorgeous. The southern region of the park boasts beautiful open landscapes and features like ancient petroglyphs and a sea arch. As with most of our national parks it’s hard to get bored here and even after a couple days I find I still haven’t covered everything I wanted to see.

After one last night at Hale Ohia Cottages I’m back on the road to the Kona airport, which is easily managed in under three hours if you drive straight through. I’m off to Maui this morning for a very different experience, but I get one last spectacular view of the Big Island. I’m booked on a Mokulele airlines flight, on a Cessna 9-seater that climbs quickly above the island affording fantastic views of the rapidly changing landscapes of Hawai’i. Within minutes we’ve crossed the ocean and are over the heavily developed beaches of Maui which are beautiful in a different way. But I’m distracted wondering whether they have Mehana Red Volcano beer, and lost in thoughts of Volcanoes National Park.