09-09-2006, 10:20 AM
Glen,
Well, your questions about distance seem to have been answered pretty thoroughly! Beaches IS right near Pahoa, but it is ONLY near Pahoa, and where I stayed was like 7 miles @ 30 mph and 3 or 4 stop signs from the nearest store and the exit from Beaches.
Commuting from Seaview is probably not as bumpy as some may have conveyed (You're more likely to hit falling albizia branches than a pothole). It's just slow! Being in urban California, one gets used to driving at high speeds on multi-lane roads and having convenience stores, drug stores, grocery stores & restaurants within a mile or two.
The roads we're talking about are 30-40 mph, few opportunities to pass, and a goodly distance to the amenities. And those are the MAIN roads! I just got tired of driving over the same road over and over again to get to anywhere at all. And it's not like I could turn the driving over to my partner. He gets a MAJOR aloha deficit on the road!
For a place to stay while exploring, I'd stay close to Pahoa. Really close! If looking for elevations over 1000', then somewhere along the Volcano Highway.
Seaview and Puna Palisades are probably closest to a Californian's concept of coastal living. I'm curious to know where you got the Absolutely Sniffy World. I got that impression, but it was 2nd or 3rd (or more?)-hand.
As someone who fell in love with Hawaii on Kauai, Puna was really quite a surprise. Yes, there are similarities, but it's really different!
Edited by - waynesb on 09/09/2006 14:35:58
Well, your questions about distance seem to have been answered pretty thoroughly! Beaches IS right near Pahoa, but it is ONLY near Pahoa, and where I stayed was like 7 miles @ 30 mph and 3 or 4 stop signs from the nearest store and the exit from Beaches.
Commuting from Seaview is probably not as bumpy as some may have conveyed (You're more likely to hit falling albizia branches than a pothole). It's just slow! Being in urban California, one gets used to driving at high speeds on multi-lane roads and having convenience stores, drug stores, grocery stores & restaurants within a mile or two.
The roads we're talking about are 30-40 mph, few opportunities to pass, and a goodly distance to the amenities. And those are the MAIN roads! I just got tired of driving over the same road over and over again to get to anywhere at all. And it's not like I could turn the driving over to my partner. He gets a MAJOR aloha deficit on the road!
For a place to stay while exploring, I'd stay close to Pahoa. Really close! If looking for elevations over 1000', then somewhere along the Volcano Highway.
Seaview and Puna Palisades are probably closest to a Californian's concept of coastal living. I'm curious to know where you got the Absolutely Sniffy World. I got that impression, but it was 2nd or 3rd (or more?)-hand.
As someone who fell in love with Hawaii on Kauai, Puna was really quite a surprise. Yes, there are similarities, but it's really different!
Edited by - waynesb on 09/09/2006 14:35:58