Drive in the Clouds

We have mentioned in previous posts that you plan your day around the weather. Often, we choose to use rainy days for errands, which may seem backwards.  Our thinking is that we would not be outside in the rain if we were home, so why not run errands.

Such was the case yesterday, when we found a lovely queen sized mattress for our ohana -- all the way up to Waimea, but the price was right, and it was a perfect day for a ride (round trip would be four hours.)

Anyway, as we left, both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa were blanketed with rain clouds, and even though we could not see either of the 13,000+ peaks, we thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic light show on the lower elevations.  Fortunately, we always travel with rope and plastic in case of sudden showers.

We chose to ride of the "saddle" between these two spectacular volcanic peaks, and on the way home, the clouds were at the ground level and visibility was limited, dropping our driving speed from 65 down to 35 for safety.


We wanted you all to know that not every day on the Big Island offers blue skies!  The weather is changing every hour.   Below is a map that shows the FIVE volcanoes on our island.  Mauna Loa erupted in the 1980's for a while, but lava has been flowing constantly from Kilauea's Pu'u O'o crater since 1983!

And, we can't forget our newest volcano, Loili, who is currently underwater of the south coast.

"The Long and Winding Road..."

Although we don't drive it often, when there is a Costco/Kona trip involved, it is one of the highlights, despite its bad reputation.  The road is over 50 miles long and crests at about 6500 feet, which is impressive itself.  But even more impressive are the views as you drive between both Mauna Kea (home to over twenty astronomical observatories) and Mauna Loa.  Both active volcanoes stretch into the azure skies at over 13,000 feet.

The Saddle Road is so named because it rests, like a saddle between these two volcanoes.   It was built in a rush by the military in 1940's and was only intended to be a fast military route between both sides of the island.  For many decades it has only been one lane, and even now, it narrows in many places to one-way traffic.  For the past several years, road crews have been converting it to accommodate the heavier traffic demand.  On this trip, it look as though the project would be completed this year.

The variety of landscapes is phenomenal, and includes large cattle ranches, stark high deserts, and mountain sized cinder cones.  There are also rolling green hills and tropical forests and many views that are quite otherworldly.  This road is the only access to Mauna Kea -- an unusual and delicate  ecosystem to flora and fauna and a scared site to the Hawaiian people whose tradition includes the mountains in many legends and songs.  Along the way there is also a huge military training facility complete with tanks and helicopters.

In addition to all these amazing view for the eyes, the road is akin to "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" at Disneyland....if you remember that far back.  I LOVE driving this road, but the views are so distracting, it's important to keep your eyes on the road -- and pull over to appreciate the views.

The visit itself to the west side was wonderful and included lots of leisurely time with friends and swimming at some of my favorite beaches  -- with dolphins.  It is the best way to make a trip to Costco a wonderful experience.

Lunel Heads to Kona This Week

Expect a pause in the BLOG for a few days as Lunel is headed for Kona on Monday where she will visit her dear friend Yani and visit Humboldt friends visiting from Blue Lake.  In addition to spending time with friends, she is planning to get in some serious snorkeling time at some of her favorite beaches.


Before heading back to the lower east side and PUNA, she's planning a stop at Costco, returning home at the end of the week via the Saddle Road.  It will be a nice break from subcontracting and all the 'boy energy.'