I feel in love when we landed at the Kona International Airport.  It is the most charming airport I’ve ever been to. “Airport” and “Charming” – now that’s an oxymoron!

You step off the plane, down the stairs from the plane and onto the tarmac – like the good old days – it’s as if you’ve stepped into another world.

It almost made flying fun. I say almost, because by the time we arrived back home, we’d been on nine different flights, this was #5 of the nine.

But this particular airport, I could fly into and out of over and over. The relaxed attitude and the wonderful tiki hut-style buildings makes me smile.

Once we had our rental car, we began our drive on Highway 19 (Queen Kaahumanu Highway) from the west side of the island, up along the north side, and down to Hilo on the east side.

The first thing that you notice when you’ve left the airport is the desolate black lava landscape. I was amazed at how barren the land looked, almost nothing but lava flows. Most of the lava flows are from the last eruptions of Mt. Hualalai, in 1800 and 1801.

A few miles down the road you run into what I’d have to call lava graffiti. Thankfully, there is no paint involved.

Instead, white stones are used to write and make pictures on the roadside lava deposits. The white really stands against the dark black lava. At first I didn’t like it, but after several miles of more of the same, it began to grow on me.

[Read more →]