Day 1,719 of Traveling the World | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii | October 17, 2022

Jan and Mike

What a great day in the Kona village of Kailua! It is all quite cute and interesting, loaded with shops, cafes, restaurants, and a long sidewalk along the ocean. It was loaded with people, and all the stores seemed to be busy. Life is back after the pandemic! It feels good.

Here in Kona is where the rich, dark Kona coffee is grown on the mountainsides. It was established to serve as King Kamehameha’s seat of government, and was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. However, it moved from here, to Lahaina, Maui, and then to its present capital city, Honolulu. Throughout the 1900s, the town had just become a small fishing village. But as in most of Hawaii, real estate and development took off, and now the area outside of this small downtown is filled with residences (with views!).

From the ship, we noticed a lot of boats in the water – even a tourist submarine! While we were having coffee in the 9th deck buffet, we got a photo of some parasailing out the window. There was lots going on in the water and onshore. You will see a photo below of our Mr. Lizard, who cozied up to us on a bench, inching closer and closer…until we finally gave in and moved out of his way.

One of the big attractions here is Hulihee Palace, built in 1838 out of coral, lava rock, and native woods. The Palace was later used as a vacation home for the royal family. It was restored by the Daughters of Hawaii in 1927 for use as a museum, and has remained so.

ALOHA!
The Kailua dock where our tender boat dropped us.
We love these trees. You can also see our cruise ship anchored offshore, as well as a small tourist ferry.
Hulihee Palace, probably very lavish when it was built in 1838 due to its size for that time.
The Palace’s front gate. The complex is right in the middle of Kailua.
There are large, ancient trees all along the main drag.
They cut a hole in the roof to allow this tree a passageway.
Another gorgeous old tree.
…and isn’t she a beauty, crowned with exotic orange flowers?
“My dog has fleas…but all I need is my good ol’ uke!”
Check out the second of the “Friendly Activities.” A totally nude cruise for $10,000! Heck, we could do that on our cruise ship any night at 3:00 am – and we would likely get away with it! (But we would never actually try it, of course!)
As our ship is anchored offshore, this is one of the ship’s lifeboats taking passengers to Kailua. In front of it is an Atlantis submarine for tourists – it has large observation windows to see what’s happening under the surface without getting wet.
Two joyful creatures in an art gallery window. The tag behind the yellow one is marked – are you ready? – $170.
The title of the shop says it all!
(Actually, they sound delicious!)
The Kona Canoe Club – it looks inviting, with great views of the harbor.
We liked the overhead sails in this boardwalk area along the main drag.
What a great location for a store – built into an old tower.
Walking on the sidewalk along the harbor…
Moku’Aikaua Church, Hawaii’s first church, established in 1820.
Somehow, you can immediately tell that this is Hawaii.
Three pretty parrots.
Once again, we don’t know what kind of plant this is, but we adore its romantic heart-shaped leaves.
The famous (and handsome) Mr. Lizard.
Gorgeous, gorgeous red ginger.
From the 9th deck buffet, we noticed someone parasailing outside our window.
Ending with not one, but two sunset photos!
The second one. The clouds in Hawaii have been magnificent.

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