Papakōlea Green Sand Beach Hawaii

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Less of a hike and more of a walk will bring you to Papakōlea, or the Green Sand Beach. Some of the best sites on the Big Island of Hawaii require effort to get to them–that is part of what makes them unique.

Green Sand Beach Hawaii

Olivine Shimmers in the Sun at Green Sand Beach Hawaii

Green Sand Beach Shimmers in the Relentless Sun

Though the walk is not strenuous, the sun is relentless on the trail. Just when you start to wonder if you’ll ever get there, you see the green cove shimmer in the same harsh sun you most likely cursed at a few minutes earlier.  Tiny olivine gemstones created by the volcano intermixed with sand to create this green beauty. Though inviting, the water is unpredictable here. Remember, it’s bad juju to take the sand or any lava so leave it where you found it. And no worry if you’re too tired to hike back, you can hitch a ride for a few bucks in one back of a local’s pick-up truck. They drive up and down the path picking up and dropping off the sun-drenched and exhausted. My tip, bring an umbrella. When you get to the cove and are ready to relax you will be glad you have some shade.

Malasada Fills Your Sugary, Fluffly, Deep-Fried Cravings in Hawaii

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If you love fried dough, the warm brown paper bag they hand you should make your heart flutter. Oil will have already started to bleed through the little sack. The malasada feels heavy and warm in your hand and the yeasty sweet smell whirls around you. I warn you, this post is just a selfish, gluttonous look at my favorite sweet treat on the Big Island of Hawaii. There is no content here, just pure indulgence.

This, my friend, is what you experience when you are handed your first malasada at TEX Drive-In.

Malasada

Chocolate Malasada from TEX Drive-In

Crispy on the outside and fluffy-flaky on the inside. The best and only way to enjoy one is fresh. TEX Drive-In in Honoka’a is where we go when we have a sweet craving–and yes, we are nuts because they are 45 minutes away. You can watch the production process live through a plexiglass wall. This yeast-based deep-fried dough arrived with the Portuguese plantation workers in the 1870’s. A finely crystalized sugar coats the exterior. Traditionalists say no filling. I say yes, please. Chocolate or vanilla custard, and tropical jellies like guava, lilikoi (passion fruit), and mango all please the palate.

And yes, TEX Drive-In has a food menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring local cuisine. And nope, we never have a plate lunch. Just malasada fix.

Tex Drive In Kitchen

Malasada making magic happening at TEX Drive-In

Big Island Wood Turners Club Exhibit

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Earlier this week we decided to sneak away from endless bouts of snow and cold to the land where palm trees sway. You guessed it… Hawaii! We got on the plane looking for summer and everything that accompanies – swimming in the ocean to fresh fruits and veggies. Yesterday we drove from Waikoloa on the northwest coast to the southernmost point in the USA, Ka Lae. I had read in one of tourist magazines about the 17th Annual Big Island Wood Turners Club exhibit at the Wailoa Arts and Cultural Center in Hilo. We are always mesmerized by the wood work we see here so we decided to go the long way around the island and check it out.

The quality of the wood work is outstanding. I always fall in love with the eloquent Koa wood rocking chairs and can justify why I need one… believe me, these are no Crackerbarrel front porch rockers. Every curve is meticulously carved and the joints are impeccable. If furniture is not your thing, there are tons of wood pens, decorative boxes, vessels, bowls, sculptures, paddles, and wall pieces to eye up.

All of the pieces in the Big Island Wood Turners Club exhibit must have some part of their creation made from use of a lathe. Koa wood, norfolk pine, avocado, mango, and jarcaranda are just a few of the species the artisans use. Most of the pieces in the show are traditional style vessels such as bowls, lidded boxes, and pens, but there are some non-functional sculptural pieces as well. There are a number of bowls turned out of of a single wood species of wood and polished so smooth you can see your reflection and could be mistaken for porcelain. Others are designed of multiple woods, with inlays and patterns, and even some with unfinished edges. The characters of the different wood species are explored by the artists.Big-Island-Wood-Turners-Exhibit1

We worked our way around the exhibition and in the lower level we noticed a makeshift wood shop set up. We wandered our way down. That is where we met Doug.

Doug's LatheDoug Leiteo is the current President and the non-profit organization’s co-founder. About 20 years ago he and a few of his turning buddies decided to form the Big Island Wood Turners Club. When we first approached his work area he was finishing up his lunch and we were trying not to bother him – Daryl asked a question or two and then he opened up and started showing us his custom rosette cutter/die. He designed the machine and built it to fit his needs.

Doug started out as a US Navy mechanic and then opened his own machine shop where he worked on all sorts of projects but loved drag racing and engine work. His face lit up as he told us his story of where he has been and what he has worked on. Currently he is designing and building a custom glass blowing lathe.

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