Adventures on the Big Island of Hawaii

There are five diverse districts on the Big Island of Hawaii so here are five unique adventures to experience in each of them.

Let's begin with a relaxing dip in the Ahalanui Hot Pond in the district of Puna. Ahalanui is the largest of three hot springs in coastal Puna. The water temperature is usually in the 90's and the setting is simply idyllic. It is surrounded by rolling green grass, coconut palms and hala trees. As the tide advances and waves from the cool ocean roll in, the pond can become as invigorating as the conversations you will be having with any number of tourists or local intellectuals, who are usually pretty cool, yet very rarely cold.

Adjacent to Puna lies the district of Kau where Volcanoes National Park awaits its visitors. I haven't figured out how anyone can resist parking their cars and peering into one of several primordial steam vents. The hot wet breath of the Goddess Pele literally billows up out of the earth. It is a most memorable experience indeed. If you continue your drive around Crater Rim Road you will behold the most contrasting of landscapes; at one moment - as if on the moon, the next - in a lush fern laden canopy covered rain forest. Eventually you will reach a substantial subterranean cave called the Thurston Lava Tube. This lava tube is easily accessible, well lit, and maintained by the National Park Service making it a safe, albeit tamed, caving experience.

Traveling north in a clockwise direction, the next district is historical Kona.If you happen to be an epicure, when you think of Kona the next thing that hops into your head is the aromatic and sumptuous taste of that one of a kind, world famous, Kona Mocha Java! If your car windows are down, you won't miss it no matter what your thinking about because throughout most of Kona there is usually some coffee bean roasting going on. Several coffee farms now offer tours, so watch for the road side signs so you can check out the century old traditions of growing and processing one of Hawaii's most enduring agricultural products.

Beyond the sun drenched west facing slopes of the Kona district you will be entering the district of Kohala. Kohala with its legendary town of Kamuela where the Paniolo (Hawaiian Cowboy) once rained supreme, also encompasses the birth place of King Kamehameha. Kamehameha was the first to conquer the Hawaiian archipelago, and rule her under a single regime. Uncle Sam was the second. Based on factors such as water quality and temperature, relative safety and the comfort of your toes in the sand, the district of Kohala has some of the most desirable beaches in the world. If you happen to be a lifelong chronic beach junkie such as I, try kicking at Hapuna or Mauna Kea Beach for a day. Someone might have to come out and drag you away.

The next stop brings you to the district of Hamakua which is the home of Akaka Falls State Park. There are actually two incredibly beautiful waterfalls to see here; Akaka and Kahuna falls which plunge over 400 feet down into the steaming jungle below. Stroll through the sleepy little town of Honomu while your there. It's a nice little place to get a feeling of old Hawaii.