Here’s a chatty, Instagramy article about a couple that bought land 6 miles from Volcano Park, which is in the general area of Fern Acres. He talks about his experiences moving there from the mainland, his general impressions, with links to the ongoing story. It accentuates the positive, probably more so than someone who has lived here for decades.
08-23-2024, 05:40 PM (This post was last modified: 08-23-2024, 06:02 PM by MyManao.)
6 miles from Volcano Park, which is in the general area ofFern Acres Fern Forest.. which is nothing like Fern Acres.. at all.
Fern Forest is high enough to be in the trade wind clouds that gather against the flacks of our volcanoes, Fern Acres is below them.. the amount of rain is different.. the air temp is different.. the density of the forest different..
As far as Ccat's questions go, I haven't ever had any personal experiences with the Acres, though I do find the police blotter and property values to be a good indicator of the crime question..
Fern Forest.. which is nothing like Fern Acres.. at all.
The rainfall changes by the mile along that stretch of Highway 11. Are the subdivisions exactly the same? No. Is 150 inches of rain a year that different from 175 or 200? Personally I would call either Forest or Acres soaking wet jungle, but I’m accustomed to 50-70 inches of rain a year.
Why don't you spend a few hours driving around the subdivision this week and answer many of your own questions instead of depending on the opinion of strangers? The storms forecast in the next week or so will let you know one extreme of your climate questions, and will let you see for yourself the temps, the winds, what roads are still passable even with heavy rain, how comfortable you are at that elevation.
As to many of your other ?s, you should be aware that even within any subdivision, neighborhoods can vary enormously as to growing conditions, internet availability, cost, and speed, crime, so asking a general blanket assessment is not always useful.
Groceries? Again, drive around to see if what is available closer than Keaau is what you need/want. Deliveries - maybe closer towards the highway, maybe not in the back. Check with whatever service you want to use and ask.
How hard, expensive is it to get groceries (other than driving to Keanu)?
Hirano Store is near the intersection of Highway 11 & Glenwood Roads. They have basic grocery items and a nice custom designed logo t shirt by Volcano/Glenwood artist Dietrich Varez.
(08-23-2024, 05:07 PM)HereOnThePrimalEdge Wrote: Here’s a chatty, Instagramy article about a couple that bought land 6 miles from Volcano Park, which is in the general area of Fern Acres. He talks about his experiences moving there from the mainland, his general impressions, with links to the ongoing story. It accentuates the positive, probably more so than someone who has lived here for decades.
That off grid dude is even further upslope than Fern Forest. I agree with MyManao: It's quite different from F. Acres.
Fern Acres is basically Mountain View, noticeably wetter and cooler than Keaau. For a lower Punatic it could be an unpleasantly damp and chilly contrast during winter.
For the most part I imagine you would be driving to Keaau for groceries. There are some limitations in growing tropical plants there but avocadoes and citrus should do fine.
Wonder if some nosy neighbor is going to rat out that dude in the Business Insider article to the county for (presumably) building unpermitted, and having (presumably) unpermitted plumbing, sewage, and electrical now that this article has appeared?
Reading the article and then seeing the guy's photo and house, I recall a Youtube channel that featured him as well.
Cool place, and more power to him, but it is becoming harder and harder to live simply and sustainably, without incurring bureaucratic bullsh*t, as has been discussed here on another thread.
"Live simply, so that others may simply live" has been taken over by nosy NIMBYs and Big Brother.
I wish him luck dodging that bullet, as well as any and all others dreaming the same simple-life dream. :-(
