Sip in Paradise

While walking around Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, Jeff and I stopped into a touristy info stand to peruse the flyers and posters.  Naturally, Jeff started a conversation with the lady at the desk, who turned out to be interesting, truthful-seeming, and funny.  Her relocation-to-Hawaii story was one of the most unique I've heard.  She was a talent agent in NYC when she was laid off.  Having a chunk of money to burn (In this economy?) she did a bunch of traveling.  One of those places was the Big Island with some friends.  Of course, she fell in love with it.  After a bit more time situating herself in NYC, she packed up and changed her address to the Orchid Isle.  Wow, the Big Island is WAY, WAY slower than NYC.  Two years later, she's still thoroughly pleased with the decision. No kidding.

Once we'd asked her a couple of dozen questions about things to do on the island and with whom, best company for this...best place to grab a...had she been to...etc, Jeff wanted to know one of her favorite places to grab a drink and watch the sunset.  Her recommendation was the Four Seasons, roughly 15 minutes up the road.  At 5:30 and with messy beach hair, we valeted the car and checked out the grounds a bit at the Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai.  Holy mackerel!

Since sunset was nearing, we made our way to Beach Tree and were immediately impressed by its "barefoot elegance" and glorious views of the ocean.  I was so glad that there was an open table near the perimeter, so we would have an unobstructed view of the Pacific and sunset.  Jeff described our seating arrangement this way: "It's like we walked into a Pottery Barn catalog."  He was so right.  The beautiful wood patio furniture, blue and white cushions, dark metal lanterns, umbrellas, good-looking people all around...exactly like a full page spread in a catalog.  Funny enough, there is a picture of the beach, patio seating, and tree on the opening page of the Four Seasons' website that is either the table we sat at or one over from it.

Refocusing on choosing a drink to enjoy while the sky shifted colors, we glanced through the menu.  I'd recently discovered that I really like a classic daiquiri, not the typical frozen concoction, but a martini-style drink.  Since nothing on the Four Seasons menu screamed, "Drink Me," I went with what JFK and Hemingway ordered regularly, a classic daiquiri.  Jeff decided on his typical rum and Diet.  While waiting for our drinks, we stared at the pristine sand, long row of Adirondack chairs, and a tree (koa?) that appeared to have been expertly painted into the setting by an artist.  Nearby, kids in cute dresses and bows ran around, tumbling on the green lawn.  Several people posed for pictures and strolled by. We sipped.  We smiled.  We kicked back and took it all in.

Along with the tasty drinks came a bowl of mixed nuts, which I really enjoyed.  We talked about people sitting around us, trying to figure out what they did for a living and other random things.  It also came up, more than once, how amazing this and other experiences we've had in the past year have been.  I still think I see fairy dust on my shoulders sometimes.  I'm astounded that we've had far more than one once-in-a-lifetime experience in so many months.  Ridiculous.  Glorious.

Drained our glasses, took in the sights, including a breathtaking sunset of purples and pinks.  After dusk, we copied other folks we'd seen and strolled around the grounds, finding that the pools and lodging mimicked the feel of a magazine photo shoot, to say the least.  I was delighted to stumble upon a hammock, a must-have for our future house.  I mentioned to Jeff that I'd recently read an article about how to successfully and easily get onto a hammock.  Then, I proceeded to tip off, landing under the rope canopy, hard on my duff.  At least we got a good laugh out of the show, and I was thankful I was wearing a bathing suit instead of flashing my underwear.

Walking back toward the lobby and our car, we strayed off the path to the cool sand.  Lights from the bar reflected off the waves just a little bit.  The beach was empty.

Slow dancing on the sand to the sound of an ukulele in the distance and twinkling stars overhead was the highlight of the day.

Sweet Tooth, USA

Hilo, HI is a quaint, somewhat forgotten about town.  Before I ventured to the Big Island, I asked people around O'ahu what to be sure and check out while visiting, mentioning that I was going to have time to explore both sides of the island.  I am surprised, even more now having been there, that the impression of Hilo is so lukewarm.  First off, it was much larger than I anticipated, since everyone talks about and recommends the Kona side.  I figured the Kona area would be more bustling. It's not.  Also, the county seat of Hawaii County is on a calm, quiet bay (one of those rock walls protrudes a ways out to calm the waters for cruise ships and such) and is easily unnoticed when walking the streets checking out shops.

Besides some great restaurants (we loved Cafe Pesto), charming art shops, and interesting goods, there is the best candy shop I've ever been in.  I've probably loaded up small paper bags and the like in a half dozen or so candy shops.  OK, probably closer to a dozen.  Nonetheless, I do have some previous experiences to draw upon and put the Sugar Coast Candy shop at the top of the podium.

What colors!  Oh my, to be greeted by lollipops when opening the fire engine red door and then seeing the Oompa Loompa-size barrels of taffy lined up in the center of the store!  Though there were no actual kids in this candy store at the time, I am sure that all who pass under the door frame must lose at least a few decades when presented with nearly every kind of penny candy, individual chocolates, rock candy, taffy, and dried fruit along with cute cellophane bags and shiny twisty-ties to tote them in.  Strolling down the aisles on a black and white checkered floor was the icing on the cake...er, comic strip inside the Bazooka gum?

For those who will visit a candy store such as this in the future, a few tips:

         1. Walk slowly and look carefully.
         2. Scout out the offerings prior to touching anything.
         3. Look both ways when rounding corners, as the selection will look different from multiple
             vantage points.
         4. Avoid anything you can get at a local grocery store, as some of the magic is in the rarity of
             the pieces.
         5. Never mix chocolate and fruity pieces.  The same rule applies when mint is involved.  Keep
             like flavors together and separated from others.
         6. Shop with other people who find joy in such simple pleasures, so as not to be rushed.

I took my time scouting out the scene and taking pictures.  Jeff tried not to rush me, but it's somewhat in his nature.  He'd already picked a few favorites and a couple new things to try, such as chocolate dipped peanuts, white chocolate covered pretzels, and a couple of Tootsie Pops by the time I'd finished taking photos.  I grabbed a few pieces of dried papaya and pineapple, some licorice wheels, and dark chocolate cranberry clusters.  Amazing.

On our way back to the Kona side of the island, we sampled some of the picks and were not disappointed.  The only let down is that a return trip is incredibly difficult.  I will be sure to share my high opinion of Hilo when the opportunity arises, since it is definitely worth a few hours' visit and a stop in at the Sugar Coast Candy shop at the very least.