Molokai Hawaii Anniversary Trip

Sunday November 11   This trip is planned to celebrate our 8^th wedding anniversary.

We drove to Seattle Saturday to spend the night.  Molly woke us up, surprised us with a Hawaiian beach song that included the sound of the surf.  She drove us to the airport to catch our Alaska Airlines flight at 8am.  Got through TSA with no problems and off we went.  Bumpy flight a big part of the way.  After landing in Honolulu, we had four hours before of Hawaii Air flight to Molokai.  The turboprop twin engine plane flight to Molokai Hoolehua airport was 30 minutes and it was dark when we landed.  While Judy was waiting for our bag I went to the Alamo rental to pick up our car.  We had about a 20 mile ride to get to our condo unit at Wave Crest resort.  Found our first floor room C-107.  The key was in a lock box by the door.  Took a few tries to figure out how to open it.  Inside we found a nice one bedroom studio like apartment.  We got ourselves organized then went to bed.

Monday November 12

We got up and had some coffee on the lanai.  The grocery store was closed when we landed so we had brought our own coffee and snacks for breakfast. 

Judy making coffee first morning.

The view from the lanai was pretty.  We had a view of the ocean and lots of flowers and coconut palms, doves and myna birds.

                         

We drove the 13 miles back to the main town of Kaunakakai and the Kanematsu bakery for a real breakfast.  Very good.  The town and/or the island we heard had about 8-10 thousand permanent residents on the 38 by 10 mile island.  Next to the grocery store.  No Safeway, Fred Meyer or Costco here.  The store was very small and the aisles were barely passable even with the small carts.  Drove back to the condo to unload our purchases and had some lunch.  Went for a drive.  Headed West through town and drove north on 470.  We stopped at the Coffees of Hawaii store and checked it out.  Found out Tuesdays from 10-noon there was free Hawaiian music.  We drove further west to the end of the island to check out some beaches there.  Papohaku beach is 2.8 miles long.  

Vines on the sand dunes.

Three young people were there when we got to the beach and left so we had the beach all to ourselves.  In the parking lot we met James and Julia (and old hippie and his nurse).  Very interesting couple.  He gave us a CD of his music.  We had dinner at the Hotel Molokai.  We had dinner at a table right next to the ocean.  The deck was decorated with flaming Tiki torches.  This called for double Mi Tias.    We ordered chicken cordon bleu for me and chicken marsala for Judy.

A wonderful first day.  Sunny and warm 80 degrees during the day and a cool 68-70 at night.  A large stand up fan for a cool breeze.

Tuesday November 13

Egret on the lawn out our lanai.

 Coffee and breakfast of OJ and cereal on the lanai.   We headed to the Coffees of Hawaii store and listened to the mostly Hawaiian music played by 12 locals.  One girl got up and did a hula for the group.

 After the music was over we went to the Macadamia nut farm and met the “nutty” owner Tuti who showed us the trees, how they grew, how he processed the nuts and let us crack and taste our own.  We had heard he was different and it was true.  Trees produce nuts all year, when the fall to the ground you pick them up and dry them, take off the husk, crack the nut pod open and oven dry the kernel.  Processed this way they will keep about 30 days.

Macadamia nuts on tree.

Big commercial farms have to oven roast the nuts with preservative to make them last for longer on the shelves. 

We then headed up the mountains to the Kalaupapa lookout.   There you can see the old leper colony way down below.  A national park by permit only.  You can hike 2.5 miles down the steep cliff and take the tour for $60, ride a mule down and tour for $100, or fly in and tour for $250.  We opted out of all choices.  All alone in the park we ate our lunch among the huge old trees. A trail from the lookout leads to Phallus rock which is a sacred place for the locals.  According to their beliefs, a woman can spent the night and wake up pregnant?

Sacred phallus rock.  reportedly the best in Hawaii.

On the way home, stopped at the Hotel Molokai for a drink.  We cooked salmon for dinner.  The only two places on the island where you can have drinks with food are at the Hotel Molokai and Paddlers.

Wednesday November 114

Slept in.  Breakfast on the lanai.  A handy man George P. came at noon to fix the bi-fold doors in the bed  room which we found off track and unusable when we arrived.  He had fixed to lanai screen door the day earlier.

Headed out for a drive.  Stopped at Paddlers as we had heard about music on Friday night.  A local band plays from 4-6 and another band come in a 7 to play dance music.  We planned to go. Then drove to Kumu farms where they grow lots of flowers, vegetables, and fruits.  Bought some papayas, carrots, etc. When we got into Kaunakakai we looked around town.  For dinner we went to Molokai Burger for hamburger and salad.

Thursday November 15

Made scrambled eggs, toast and papaya for breakfast.  After packing a lunch we head east to Halawa bay and the park.  Beautiful views and drive through lush forest.

View on the road to Halawa bay. 

View up the Halawa valley.

The east end of the island is the rainy end.  The last seven miles is a mostly one lane road the winds through the hills. At a lookout was a view if the Halawa valley and bay and the falls at the far end of the valley.  Met three people there having a break and we talked for a while.  Met Linda and Brian who we had met earlier and chatted awhile with them.  We walked to a small sandy beach and ate our lunch and watched the waves. Picked up kukui nuts which had washed up on the shore.  A lot of kukui trees in the area with pretty flowers and nuts on them.

Music at dinner time.

Went to dinner at the Kanapuu Cookhouse for prime rib and bacon and crab wrapped shrimp. Very delicious.  Shared our table with nice people from Washington State.  Great conversations.  Music at dinner from two local musicians.  Very pleasant day.

Friday November 16

After breakfast, I drove to Halawa to go on the hike and cultural tour to the water fall at the end of the valley.  Judy stayed at the condo to relax, knit and enjoy.  The guide did not show up at the 9am starting time.  Three other couples showed up.  Greg and Teo from Eugene, OR. A couple from Cleveland, OH and a couple from California.  Teo found a papaya on a tree nearby and cut it up for us to eat.  We hiked in a ways to see if we could find someone but did not.  A local couple came by and told us that the mother of the guide was in the hospital in Honolulu.  So we all left.  When I got back Judy was watching a crew trimming up the coconut trees.  Brave soul climbing up those spindly trees with spikes and a belt with machete hanging down.

Judy and I went to Paddlers for dinner at 4.  We were supposed to meet Linda and Brian there but they did not show up.  Also, the local band which was supposed to play at 4 canceled.  We ordered dinner and as we were eating, Greg and Teo showed up.     He is a classical guitar player and hoped to play with the local pick up band at 4. Teo is a real estate broker in Eugene.  We had a fun time talking with them.  As we were leaving a couple from the ill-fated hike came in for dinner and we chatted a minute.

Saturday November 17

Packed up as much as we could getting ready to leave the next morning. We then drove back to the west end of the island stopping to fill the car with $5.05 a gallon gas.  Went to the small, small town of Maunaloa to the kite factory with gift shop.  I bought Judy a pretty Hawaiian dress and a necklace.  Rain off and on all day but still warm.  So nice, some humidity that gives that special island feeling.

Had lunch and enjoyed watching the weather on the lanai, reading and knitting.  We cooked a dinner of hamburger patties, vegetables, salad and papaya.  We finished packing.

Sunday November 18

Got up early 5:50 to get to the airport at 7 for a 7:50 am flight to Honolulu.  Ate as much of our remaining food and discarded the remaining perishables.  Got to the airport at 7:10 and dropped off the bags with Judy who was to get the tickets while I dropped off the car.  We got all ready and the plane was late arriving so I guess I did not have to worry about arriving at the airport late.  The airport building is very small and the rental car place is maybe 100 yards from the terminal.  The landing strip is not long enough for jets to land.  I guess that is one way to help the island so that it will not become too commercial. 

After half hour flight we were back in Honolulu with four hours to wait until our 12 noon flight home.  Had a little trouble finding the shuttle to the other terminal and finally after asking three people we got to the right place.  Flight home was less bouncy than the one to Hawaii.  Molly was right there to pick us up after arriving at 8 pm.   Spent the night at Molly’s and reclaimed our car for the ride home to Shelton on Monday morning.

Great trip.  Wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary.  We are thankful and feeling pretty blessed.