Although it has a European pedigree, the ukulele has been adopted wholeheartedly by Hawaiians—so any trip to this island paradise wouldn’t be complete without plenty of ukulele-centric activities—at least that’s how I look at it!
Ukulele experiences abounded during our November 2008 trip to the island that’s most appropriately called “The Big Island.” While it’s certainly been a few months since that visit, I’m offering my account here because you can always enjoy ukuleles and a trip to Hawaii. Just consider me your Big Island Ukulele Tour Guide—and read on for the four-string details! (If you want to read about this trip’s Oahu segment, which preceded our visit here, scroll down for “Three (Ukulele) Days in Waikiki.”)
Landing at the Kona-side airport on the Big Island can be a bit off-putting if you’ve not traveled previously to the island. Passengers from Oahu first see the outlines of Lana’i and Moloka’i and the edge of Maui before heading “down” to this southernmost of the Hawaiian islands. Flying in, the sea is a blanket of inky blueness where it’s the deepest. Approaching the coast of the island, though, the color facets itself into a shimmer of blues, from the peacock-turquoise of the sandy-bottomed areas just offshore to the stands of dark coral seen underwater through an azure wash of color.
I like to look around the plane as tourists press their faces to the dinner tray sized windows, sighing and “oohing” at the rainbow of blues. They poke their seatmates, pointing at the clear water and exclaiming over the loveliness of the tropical waters.
That’s when I keep my eye on first-time visitors to see their next reactions.
You see, typically, the planes then bank to the right (about where Kua Bay or Kekaha Kai State Park are) and run for a short bit straight down the coast to the airport. The sighs of enchantment are suddenly stifled and turn into more than a few gasps—for this section of the Big Island is covered with deep lava, courtesy of Madame Pele’s prolific lava flow in 1801.
Sure, it’s been a couple of centuries since that happened, but it hasn’t been enough time for deep green vegetation to take over yet—and that means the first-time visitor finds himself landing at an airport which seems to be a Hollywood setting straight out of the Martian Chronicles. The effect is magnified if the landing is just at sunset.
Mark and I aren’t worried about the terrain—after almost a dozen visits to this island we greet the site of the chunky a’a lava landscape as if it were an old friend. We grab our carry-ons (my little LoPrinzi travels quite safely in the overhead in its well-decorated and sturdy Gator hardshell case) and walk down the stairs from the plane—I love the “outdoor” nature of the Kona Airport.
Both pieces of our luggage arrive at the head of the suitcase pack (how lucky is that?) and we hop the Avis shuttle bus to get acquainted with our wheels for the next week or so.
We’ve found we really enjoy staying at a condo complex called the Kona Bali Kai. In addition to being absolutely oceanfront, it has a 30-foot wide lana’i which stretches the width of the entire two-bedroom unit and provides floor-to-ceiling views from both the living room and the master bedroom. The building is constructed of thick concrete (no sounds from neighboring units) and the bowed outward design means that when you sit on your oceanfront lana’i, no one at either side can see onto your lanai’i. It’s heaven.
But Kona Bali Kai is south of the village of Kailua-Kona so we know that a trip to Costco (which is close to the airport—close enough to make it a great place to top off the rental car’s gas tank before turning it in when heading home) makes sense as our first stop on the Big Island.
Adjusting my lei (today’s is an ultra-fragrant—and even more fragile—pikake), I pull out my Costco card from my fanny pack (yes, I’m one of those kinds of tourists) as Mark and I approach the store’s cavernous entrance. My mind is still adjusting to vacation time when I hear someone call out, “Don’t let them in here.”
Mark and I turn to find BruddahMark just a few customers behind us in the entrance area. Laughing, he greets us with a heartfelt aloha and a hug. BruddahMark is one of the sweetest ukulele players I know—and he’s got some awesome chops! From the San Diego area, BruddahMark has family on the Big Island and our visits have coincided with his on more than a few trips. I hadn’t been in contact with him lately, though, so I had no idea he’d be on island while we were this time.
We talked story for a short while and then bid BruddahMark (he calls my Mark, “Uddah Mark”) aloha as we began the day’s shopping, loading up on POG, fresh-squeezed orange juice, fresh shrimp, mango salsa, a few bottles of wine, pre-made salads, breads and one of those humungous broasted chickens.
Leaving Costco, I encountered still another ukulele friend from the mainland—Jeffrey Smith of “Got Uke” fame, who is visiting the Big Island for the first time. I’ve talked with Jeff at several ukulele festivals and again, he’s someone I had no idea would be on the Big Island, too.
“It seems as if you have ukulele friends no matter where we go,” laughs my husband as we load our groceries into the car’s trunk. “We haven’t even been here an hour and you’ve already seen two people you know!”
And that’s just the way this visit to the Big Island turned out. I don’t attribute that to me being such a friend magnet—it’s that people who play ukulele are just cheerful and nice people. Really, how pompous can you be when you admit you play an ukulele???
Logging in to my e-mail account that evening, I discovered a note from KonaBob inviting me to join him and a pair of his friends at a local seniors’ facility tomorrow afternoon. Of course, I couldn’t resist the invitation so Saturday afternoon found me playing my simple chords along with the talented crew of KonaBob (on WalkingStick Bass), Alan Hale and Jack Knight. I was definitely the weak link in the chain, but these guys carried me along and it was rewarding to see the smiles from the residents.
There are oodles of places to play and listen to ukulele (and Hawaiian) music on the Big Island, and, during our visit this time, I think Mark and I sampled the best.
There’s the ukulele group which was meeting until recently up in Holualoa at Sam Rosen’s Holualoa Ukulele Gallery on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm (now they gather at the Keauhou Shopping Center, the KTA side, same day, same time) and then there’s a small subset of that which gets together on Thursday mornings at 10 am at the Holuakoa Café to play. Over at the Kona International Marketplace, Uncle Willy has a group and a free beginning class (group at 10 am, beginners at 11 am) every Friday.
I didn’t make it to Uncle Willy’s class, but I spent an enjoyable Thursday morning with Alan, Jack, Bill, Paul, Terry, Cecilia and Sharon at the Holuakoa Café. They gather together each Thursday for some lively strumming and singing (lots of Hawaiian tunes) and then enjoy a breakfast served by the café’s staff. Food at this place is very fresh; most of it is locally-grown and the chef does a great job with everything on the menu.
Mark and I also timed the visit just right because the Big Island Ukulele Guild was having its fifth annual show and reception while we were there. One cool evening up in Holualoa (the evenings there are often cool—I learned my lesson during past kani ka pila sessions there and this time brought a sweater!) found talented ukulele luthiers gathered to share their creations and dozens of appreciative ukulele players on hand to strum and sing the night away at Sam’s place.
Guild members had crafted 20 koa tenor ukuleles which were donated to the Ukuleles for Young Musicians group—meaning a passel of island kids received some very fine instruments thanks to these luthiers. Good work, guys!
I spoke with many of the builders, but a highlight was getting to meet Chuck Moore, of Moore Bettah Ukes in person. I’ve seen his ukulele before at festivals and Big Island music shops and was so impressed with not only their great sound, but also the beautiful inlays. Chuck, who lives over in the jungly and even more laid-back part of the Big Island, likes to push the envelope a bit with his ukulele building—as evidenced by the two-necked ukulele (one neck four-stringed, one strung with eight) he had at the exhibit that night. Of course I played it, but, golly, my skills are typically taxed with just one fretboard to worry about! When I look back at the picture, I look a bit awkward—rather like I’m unexpectedly holding some Pacific version of bagpipes…. But, golly, what a lovely instrument (check out the bamboo inlay).
While the food at the reception was delicious (lilikoi cheesecake bites anyone?), the fun really began when the group started playing. Just picture dozens of happy folks with ukulele (and other instruments in supporting roles), all laughing, strumming and singing the tropical night away. The group was so large that we all had to crowd close so as not to spill over into the street—but drivers slowed down to enjoy the music, too, so no one was really in danger of becoming an ukulele traffic statistic.
Parades are not simply a once-a-year event in the Kona community. These folks love them and the local calendar is punctuated with a parade assortment that’s hard to match anywhere. While we were there this visit, the downtown area of Kailua-Kona featured two parades—one an evening “lantern-lit” version and another on a sunny (is there any other kind here?) Saturday morning.
That day, Mark and I smooshed ourselves around a small table at the very popular Splashers Grill for a shared breakfast of macadamia nut pancakes. This place isn’t fancy, but the owner is uber-friendly and the food is flavorful—plus, how many times can you sit and watch spinner dolphins flip and twirl as they swim beside kayakers in the bay, all while pouring “just a little more” coconut syrup on your griddle cakes?
We relinquished our table a few minutes before the parade began, finding enough room to sit in the shade near the Hulihe’e Palace. American flags (stand up, hats off), bands (clap your hands to the drums) and pretty girls waving from the back of convertibles (wave back at them!) were fun to see.
But then, as your official ukulele reporter at this event, I’m proud to reveal that our favorite instrument had a big role in the Kona Coffee Festival Parade, too. Students from a local middle school rode on the back of a huge semi truck. The truck was decorated with palm fronds, greenery and flowers—and the kids were playing ukulele.
Yep, about 45 young kids were strumming and singing on their ukulele as the truck made its way along the bayfront sidewalk. There were some “soloists” who were showing of their licks and lots of simple strummers, but all looked to be having as fine of a time as middle school students can have, while still trying to look a bit sophisticated and bored. I think that just what that age is all about.
I was in awe—I mean, I’m one of the most ukulele-oriented people most folks know, but I never, in all my ukulele fantasies, had imagined a parade float of 13-year-old ukulele players playing Hawaiian songs under the shade of an overarching banyan tree. Mark’s camera battery chose this moment to take a siesta so I have no photographic proof, but this float was definitely a reality, not a figment of my imagination.
But all was not ukulele on this trip. My folks, Bob and Maxine, were on the island at the same time and we enjoyed dinners and drinks with them—as well as a pair of rounds of golf at oceanside courses, Sea Mountain at Punalu’u Golf Course and Kona Country Club). My score? Well, it wasn’t near par on more than a few holes, but I’m going to blame it on my enchantment with the wave-rich views, the rustle of coconut trees and the laughing banter of my family.
The four of us also went out on a morning snorkeling cruise with Dolphin Discoveries—an excursion that I, frankly, thought wouldn’t be worth the money or time. Geesh, this is another of those situations when I need to admit I was certainly wrong. Mark and I have been shore snorkelers for years in Hawaii, enjoying the underwater delights from a variety of beaches and coves. I’ve even boated over to Molokini (off of Maui) for a morning snorkel cruise, but the choppy waves almost overwhelmed my Dramamine dosage and I wasn’t that impressed with the fish we saw (it’s kinda hard to be overly amazed when your stomach is recalling your breakfast choice in a threatening manner).
So when mom and dad suggested Dolphin Discoveries, I thought it’d be another Molokini-type
morning. It most definitely was not. The boat was a comfortable semi-rigid hulled model that holds only 12 passengers maximum; our morning trip had eight snorkelers. Captain Bob gave us an up-close coast tour as we headed south toward our first snorkeling stop at Kealakekua Bay. The smaller boat seemed to fit my stomach’s idea of sea travel better than a larger catamaran and the half of a Dramamine I took kept the queasies so far out of mind that I forgot I even get seasick. The morning’s second stop (after a snack of cold drinks and tropical fruit) was the coral-rich bay just off of Pu’uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge to those who are Hawaiian-language challenged). The four of us had a delightful time—even my mom, who can’t swim but snorkels anyway (courtesy of a super-buoyant “belly band”) enjoyed the morning, calling out for us to join her as she watched schools of “butter fish” swim around her. My recommendation? This is one “tourist” activity you shouldn’t miss.
Mark and I also spent time shopping for locally-grown treats at the Farmer’s Market at Keauhou Shopping Center (Saturday mornings until 11 am or so), walking along quiet beaches at sunset and discovering how macadamia nuts are harvested. Our tip: Head up to Kawaihae and visit a local macadamia nut company, Hamakua Macadamia Nuts. They’re generous with their samples, the nuts are all locally grown with no insecticides, the prices and varieties are great—and the chocolate macadamia nut ice cream at the end of the “tour” is the best we’ve tasted (and only $4 for a huge slab to share).
We made our pilgrimage to Quinn’s Almost by the Sea for their inimitable grilled ahi sandwiches and onion rings (remember, you weren’t going to ask about my calorie intake this trip, right?) and enjoyed cool tropical drinks at a variety oceanfront bars. We’re not regular bar folks at home (I think we’ve been to one “bar” in our community in the past decade)—but in Hawaii there’s something pretty nifty about bidding aloha to the day’s activities as the sun beds itself into the watery western horizon. Some of our favorites (we usually order a light meal from the bar and count it as dinner) include Kona Inn, the Mai Tai Bar at Don the Beachcomber’s and the Verandah Lounge at Keauhou Beach Resort.
We spent our final Hawaiian evening at the Verandah Lounge, enjoying the entertainment by a local musical group then headed back to our condo to pack. Leaving Hawaii is always tough for me—the warm breezes, the amazingly fragrant flowers and the joy of the people are all hard to leave behind.
But I know my ukulele is my passport back to this favorite vacation spot of ours—this friendly little four-stringed instrument opens the doors for so many Hawaiian experiences and fun.
Do you want to make your trip to Hawaii even better? Buy an ukulele and take it with you—I guarantee it’ll enhance any Hawaiian vacation!
For a gallery of lots more ukulele and “other” photos of this trip, click here.