Farewell to Puna... for now

[Howard]

We are back in Philadelphia, where spring finally arrived this weekend. (On our first morning here, we woke up to see snow falling, although it melted when it hit the ground and there was no accumulation.)

This was the warmest winter we have ever had, not only because of the temperatures in Puna but also because of the warmth of the reception we received from so many people whom we are now fortunate enough to consider friends. We also miss the many great restaurants, farmers' markets, and other attractions we found in Puna and Hilo.

There are some practical advantages for us in being back on the East Coast, however. Last week we went to a seder here with approximately 40 of my relatives, including our youngest granddaughter. Later this year we will be going to two more major family events in New England, which are a lot shorter trips from Philadelphia than they would be from Puna. I also went back to the Rosenbach Museum and Library, where I am a docent, and gave my first tour there since December. (If anyone on this list is planning to be in Philadelphia at any time between now and next winter, let me know and I will be happy to arrange a tour there for you, and to provide more information about the city if you wish.)

We hope to return to the Big Island again next winter, not necessarily in Nanawale, but someplace in Puna or Hilo, and hope to see many of you again.

Howard

[mella l]

Howard sorry to see you and Alice have taken flight to the PA. Hope to see you next winter on your next trip!!

Tell us where all you two stayed while in Puna and what your impressions were for the various spots! There are newbies here who might benefit from your impressions, of course oldies already have their spot!

Hope Alice's health has picked up and she got rid of the bed bugs!! LOL

Aloha, Mella L

mella l

[Howard]

Thank you, Mella. Alice's health improved as soon as we left Puna; her insect bites have all healed by now.

We rented a house in Nanawale for three months. During that time we also made two trips to the other side of the island, staying in Captain Cook for one night and the Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Waikoloa for five nights.

We liked the Nanawale area, particularly its proximity to downtown Pahoa and to the Makuu market. We went into Pahoa regularly for dinner at Ning's and Luquin's, and also spent some time at the Pahoa Library (a very small branch of the state library system, but one with an ample supply of books on Hawaiian history to keep me occupied for the length of this visit). We liked going into Hilo for tourist attractions such as the Lyman House and Pacific Tsunami Museums, for food at Ocean Sushi Deli, Big Island Pizza (the Northwest Special with shrimp and smoked salmon was magnificent), and Hilo Homemade, where the ice cream was as good as the best I've ever tasted anywhere, and the Kress movie theatre, with its $1 adult tickets for nearly first-run films. We found shopping to be very convenient at Malama in the Pahoa Marketplace, and at various large stores in the multiple shopping centers on Highway 11 in South Hilo. For natural beauty, there are few places that beat the Red Road along the coast in Puna, while the devastation of Kalapana is a stunning sight in itself (and I recommend the movie about the destruction there to anyone who hasn't already seen it). We also enjoyed the Panaeva zoo and rodeo, midway between Pahoa and Hilo.

For a future visit, we would consider returning to Nanawale, but we definitely would not rent the same house again. (We are now certain that Alice's many insect bites definitely came from inside the house, not outdoors as one might normally expect.) However, I think that we would be more likely to look for something closer to Hilo, such as HPP, since we did drive into town almost weekly. HPP is roughly midway between our favorite towns, Pahoa and Hilo, so it might be the best answer for us.

It is nice to know that, thanks to this list, wherever we decide to go in Puna we will find friends already there.

Howard

[JerryCarr]

Howard, we did a lot of research and multiple visits to rentals in different parts of Puna before settling in HPP. We have found it to be a very welcoming community, and you are right about the convenient location. Orchidland is also similarly located, just on the other side of the highway. We love our neighborhood and our neighbors, and we always get a smile and a wave whenever we see someone on our road.

Aloha,
Jerry

[Carolann R]

Howard! We will be looking forward to meeting you later in the year! We will be relocating (hopefully to Nanawale or HB) in or around September. You are such a great addition to this forum! Thanks for your insight and kind words!

Carrie Rojo