INN HAWAI`I

Many of the things we recommend that our guests do are places that we have been to.  Having driven by the Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden on many visits to the Hilo side of Hawai’i Island, I finally had the opportunity to go there.  The garden is 17 acres of lush tropical forest valley down a steep cliff side entry at stunning Onomea Bay.  Located in Papa’ikou just north of Hilo, along the scenic route,  it is a paradise found of exotic flora painstakingly nurtured by hand to what we experience today.

We arrived to the garden from the Hilo side onto the Old Mamalahoa Hwy.  The drive itself meanders through lush vegetation of towering trees along side the scenic coast.  Along the way, we stopped at a Hawaiian art and crafts gallery that sold handcrafted jewelry as well as Hawaiian weapons.  As we neared the HTBG an opening through the ironwoods and banyans revealed the Onomea arch and the ocean below, it’s picturesque vista slowing down visitors to take photos.

Just around the next bend we arrived at  the gift shop and main office for the Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden.  We paid our $15 admission and an extra $5 for a ride down the steep boardwalk path.  As the three of us shared the ride on the golf cart, we quickly appreciated saving some energy walking down to get into the heart of the garden paths. We were dropped off at the bottom of the walkway and started on our way.

Plants are grouped  by variety as you move through the gardens.  The first section we were in were filled with heliconias.  Small orange ones, showy yellows, huge trellis-like red ones, some grew upwards and others dangled.

We moved on to the tiered waterfall with a bridge over it and took photos there.  Our visit today brought clear and sunny weather and it was easy to  imagine the amount of water and moisture the garden could have on a typical windward side rainy day.  Our visit today was bright and clear skies, with offshore breezes.        As we continued on our way we went through a section with lilies, an area with orchids, (some of which were in pots), past an aviary with macaws, through enormous, bamboos, monkeypods, mangoes, hala, exotic trees from far away lands all in an incredible jungle setting.

Plants are labeled throughout.  As you come across jack-fruit, or a sausage tree, baobab, lilies of the Nile..etc  It can be quite impressive to think that the family who started the garden, the Lutkenhouses’ did this as a labor of love working hard to hand clear and remove unwanted invasive species and hand plant  these by laboring in to and out of the valley regularly, often working from morning to sunset.

As you get towards the coastline, you will see a small bay with a tiny rocky beach.  We stood at a lookout and watched as a couple of seabirds flew in and out of a cave at the water line just above the break of the waves.  The plants at the coastline were a lot more native than those inland.  At the coast, we found niu (coconut), hala (pandanus), and naupaka. There was also a gravesite along shore belonging to a family from a long time ago.

Our visit to the Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden came to an end after a good couple of hours. We appreciate that all the plants are labeled clearly and that they are not obstructed.  The gardens continue to be cared for by an attentive staff.  When it was time, we were very grateful to have been met by our trusty golf cart who happily gave us a ride UP the hill.   That was certainly $5 well spent. It was a beautiful way to spend time outdoors.

Na’alehu is likely the southernmost community in the US.  It is a former sugar plantation town where the small  Island Market is the supermarket, a few Realtors, a chiropractor, two restaurants ;  Shaka’s and Hana Hou- one who names itself as the ’southernmost bar and restaurant’ and one who simply is the ’southernmost restaurant’,  the Punalu’u bakery where sweet bread, pastries and sandwiches are a regular treat for tourists and locals and it too is the “southernmost bakery..  The now closed Na’alehu Theater with its’  need for repair is probably the most prominent structure as you arrive into Na’alehu.  It hard to say, however what this buildings future will be.

On Wednesday and Saturday’s, across the street from the Na’alehu theater on the lawn fronting the Ace Hardware store in this little town, the Na’alehu Farmer’s Market is a delight for its small-town friendliness, with varied offerings like; the resident artists’ own jewelry, art, crafts, local fruit, exceptional vegetables, cookies, clothing, plants, glass, carvings, 100% Ka’u coffee, pastries, medicinal concoctions, Puna goat cheese, locally finished  grass-fed  100% Ka’u beef and more for a relatively small market.

Sokha and Eliis Hestor's produce - delicious, diverse, divine..

The Na’alehu Farmer’s Market as is typical of any market is a community event.  People do business, socialize, linger, make connections, and shop for gifts, produce, and look for upcoming events.  It is the place to go to support local products and see what’s happening.

Alison Yahna the "Bee Lady", it's not just about the honey..

Hestor Farms' produce has the best tomatoes and seasonal variety.

The Saturday venue brings a select group of other vendors.  Created at home cards;  second-hand  books, unusual produce like fern shoots, pipinola squash, yacon, longan, starfruit, liliko’i, dragonfruit, and fresh flowers like  heliconias, orchids, and anthuriums.  Saturday also brings Paul the bread guy whose english muffins, three seed, macadamia cinnamon, herb, rye, and chapati breads sell out quickly.  Look for Alison Yahna’s honey as well as Scott Bannister’s etchings on slate.        The Na’alehu Farmer’s Market is only on Wednesday and Saturday and it is typically open from 8:00 am to Noon.

Jamie Gilmore's Jewelry and Prints