Aloha!

This year, my wife and I are celebrating our 30th Anniversary. Normally, this would call for a multi-week holiday to exotic locations. For our 20th and 25th anniversaries, we celebrated each with two trips for 3 weeks in Southeast Asia. But in the times of Covid, a long stay in an exotic destination is out of the question.

We were desperate to get away, so when we found super-cheap flights for 7 night stay on the big island of Hawaii, we jumped at it. It may not be a 3-week adventure, but one week in the warmth of Hawaii is just what we need.

Hawaii has strict entry requirements. We had to show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test. And the first thing we did upon arrival to the airport was take another Covid test. We even had to show our test results to the rental car company in order to pick up our car.

So, you have just arrived to Hawaii. What is your first stop? That's easy for us. Costco! Since we are staying in a condo, we stopped by Costco for food, beer, wine, fruit and snacks. Pretty sure this was the biggest crowd of people we saw for the entire week.

Just across from Costco is an awesome Poke joint - Pau Hana Poke. Delicious, fresh, tasty poke. Perfect first Hawaii meal.

Turning left onto the highway, we immediately saw a sign for a national park. Remembering our annual National Park Pass, we quickly turned in to visit Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. We hiked around a lava-encrusted trail, eventually finding our way to Alula Beach. What a hidden gem! Only a few people enjoying this gorgeous stretch of beach. And, as an added bonus, this was a sea turtle beach, with several turtles relaxing in the shallow waters.

After our hike and turtle exploration, we headed to Kailua Kona towards our condo. A quick detour in town to stop for a beer. There are plenty of tourists in Hawaii, and our first stop had a very long wait list. We popped in to a second-story bar, and enjoyed the amazing view.

We finally made it to our condo on Ali'i Drive, just south of Kailua Kona. The location is great. Quiet. Nice pool. While there is no beach in front, it does have a man-made sand area with comfy chairs, fronting the ocean, where waves crash on volcanic boulders. We made a quick drink and ran to the waterfront to witness our first day's beautiful sunset. So far, Hawaii has proven to be a great choice for our quick getaway.