6/29/2006 Thursday - The run tod

6/29/2006 Thursday - The run today is a Poker Run that ends on the other side of the Island, to Kailua-Kona, we'll spend the next week on the west side of the island. Registration and the first stop are at The Prince Kuhio Plaza and the prize is $1000.00 cash! Its about 120 miles around the south of the island thru the volcanoes park. The two airports are in Hilo on the east and Kailua-Kona on the west. Kailua-Kona is the most populated place.

The second stop was at Na Paio Park, in the Volcano National Park and Patrick and their Granddaughter met us at the entrance and Renee and their daughter did the cards at the stop. They had their 51 Ford today.

Third stop at Tex Drive-Inn in Pahala was a little hard for us mainlanders to find, but loved the drive into the small town. Herbert handed out the cards here. Everyone grabbed something to eat and headed to the next stop.

At Manuka State Park, Cecil & Rosemary Sweatt from California were there in their Mustang convertible. Love that gal! Loaded in Oakland with us and had been to the 2003 cruise, and they'll be back for 2009! We will too.

Got our cards, checked out the papas growing and were on our way to Kona.

The last stop was at the old airport in Kona, its a ball field now. The poker run draw, was like you were playing with only one deck, if you drew a 2 of hearts at one stop, you couldn't draw another. If you did you just kept drawing till you got something you didn't have already! Was a good way to do it, easy to know who had the winning hand. After there was a Show & Shine at the field. There was music and food. Around 6pm we headed to the hotel.

What a fun day. We didn't win the $1,000.00, but had a great time.

Checked into the King Kamehameha Hotel. The 460-room King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel stands on the grounds where King Kamehameha once resided, and is located in the heart of the historic fishing village of Kailua-Kona. Another great view from the 5^th floor room of the bay and you can see the cruise ships coming into the bay. The hotel is right downtown so you can walk to eat and shop.

The Ahu'ena Heiau is on the register of National Historic Landmarks as one of the most important of Hawaii's historic sites. In the heiau or ancient temple, the dominant temple image was of Kalaemoku, a chief deified for his healing of acute diseases. Carved upon Kalaemoku's helmet was a perched bird. Other images in the Heiau were of ancestral gods with whom Kamehameha maintained close rapport for the benefit of his kingdom. This site was reconstructed by King Kamehameha the Great between 1812-1813, and is on the grounds of the hotel.

6/30/2006 Friday - Today the cruise is to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, south of Kona. Mom, Aunt Raine & Cousin Fay met us there to spend the day with us. Pu`uhonua O Honaunau, formerly known as the City of Refuge Park, was set aside as a national historical park by Congress on July 1, 1961. As we walked around the park you could see the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, Honu feeding in the shallow water. Lots of them!

The park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu or one of the ancient laws against the gods could avoid certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge or "pu`uhonua". The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle.

The grounds just outside the Great Wall that encloses the pu`uhonua, were home to several generations of powerful chiefs. Included in the pu`uhonua is a complex of archeological sites including: temple platforms, royal fishponds, sledding tracks, and some coastal village sites. The Hale o Keawe temple and several thatched structures have been reconstructed.

There is good snorkeling near the adjacent Honaunau boat ramp in the Kealakekua Bay, where Captain Cook landed and was killed, and is a 5 minute drive north of the park.

The next stop was the historic Saint Benedicts Painted Church located just off Highway 160, about 2.5 miles from the park. This small Catholic wooden church south of Kona at Captain Cook and is well worth turning off road 160 to look at, not only because of its lovely setting but because of the original painted the interior. The gardens had so many different plants and flowers. The fence on the bridge across the small stream had a Stephanotis vine growing all over it; also know as the Hawaiian wedding flower, the small waxy white flower has a sweet tropical scent sort of like jasmine. Wow what a great smell.

The drive from the church back to the main road was up a winding road thru the jungle like growth. We also saw lots of coffee plants along the road. Kona has many coffee plantations on hills. Cruise ended at the ball park but we got in some shopping before we went over. Wal-Mart, K-mart, Hilo Hattie and KTA Supermarket. The KTA has a wonderful deli, we picked up macaroni salad and teriyaki chicken for dinner.

As we were sitting up the chairs, Al said Look, that's Jack, Jack-n-the-Box, Jack & Glo McPherson from Carmel Valley! They had just moved to Kona and their car got here 3 days ago. We had a really nice visit.

And just to blow your minds, as Glo and I were talking someone else walked up to us and said Hi Mary It was Chris & Nita Taylor and their girls, from Obsolete Iron, the car club we belong to in Reno that put on Last Bash car show Labor Day week-end! He had seen the t-shirt print at the silk screen shop in Sparks and asked about it and didn't know we were going. Really is a small world.

It wasn't too late when we all came back to the hotel so the parking lot was full. The hotel finally opened the tennis courts for us to park on. We weren't happy that they didn't rope off the parking like they were suppose to, but this turned out better and it was time to party!

7/1/2006 Saturday - AliI Drive Block Party today. AliI Drive is the street along the bay thru town and ends at our hotel. The road was blocked off and we found a big banyan tree to park under. The yellow birds were nice till dark when they came to roost in the tree!

The other rods that loaded with us are here. The two rat rods and the yellow T-bucket.

Herbert manned another poker stop. This one is a Poker Walk and the prize is a trip to Las Vegas. (A great prize if you live in Hawaii) They said if we won we could go from Las Vegas to Hawaii! But we didn't win, but had fun! Visited all the way up and back AliI Drive.

Jack and Glo had their spot all staked out early. And decked out in the woody shirts Meredith had given them.

The sea wall across from the banyan tree was a nice place to set and watch the people and enjoy the ocean till it started crashing against the wall and you got wet, but its warm so who cares! Around 9pm we headed back to the hotel and parked on the tennis courts and partied again

7/2/2006 Sunday - The cruise today is also a poker run, $1,000.00 cash prize. Starts in Kona at the NAPA Auto Parts Store and the first bunch leaves at 8am.1,000.00 cash prize. Starts in Kona at the NAPA Auto Parts Store and the first

The lookout over the northern west coast, looking down on Kawaihae Harbor is spectacular! Stop #3 was at Kawaihae Liquor Store and we missed this stop by taking the mountain road 250 to Hawi Town. We just drew the rest of the cards at the last stop. Still didnt win!

Across the street in the park there were food and craft booths. There was a 60s Sock Hop in the gym and the whole town turned out for it. The entertainment was great! They had the place rocking.

7/3/2006 Monday - Took a drive around the Kona area and out to a beach park by the end of the airport. The State of Hawaii Natural Energy Laboratory at Keahole Point is there and you can tour the laboratory. Farther along the road are some fish hatcheries for tropical fish and also a large plant that is a Deep Sea Water bottling and sea salt plant.

They bring in sea water thru this really big pipe line and desalinate it bottle it and sell the salt from it too.

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has a facility here that you can tour.

7/4/2006 Tuesday - We were asked to be in the 4^th of July parade in Kailua-Kona, we gathered at the swim center to get our numbers and stage.

While Al was walking around the guy from the ice cream truck came up to him and said I know you. We worked together in Santa Cruz. Al worked with Joel Collins 15 years ago and Joel recognized Al by the way he walks! Joel moved to Hawaii and is still an automotive technician but has the ice cream truck, a tow truck and an auto detailing service. And he gave us ice creams!

At 6pm Nelson had the drawing for the giveaway T-bucket. You received a ticket with your entry and they sold tickers, but only sold 1000 tickets. Great fireworks at 9pm, then back to the hotel for the last night in Kona