When you think of Hawaii you probably think of grass skirts, pristine beaches loaded with sunbathers and surfers, and maybe a pina colada or two.
Well, I recently returned from the Big Island of Hawaii and I got a whole different look at paradise.
Our stay on the “Big Island” was filled with a sense of adventure and beauty that wasn’t shown on the Brady Bunch episodes. I never realized that the entire island is a slab of lava. Houses are built on lava. Coffee trees and assorted fruited palms are grown in lava. All the while I was there, a reddish-orange tongue of molten lava, with a temperature of 2,800 degrees, was dipping into the ocean.
We didn’t have a typical tourist adventure in Hawaii, but we did see things that many miss while visiting our 50th state.
After our daily adventures we always seemed to end up at a small diner in Hilo called Ken’s House of Pancakes. Aside from the welcoming staff, Ken’s had one heckuva soundtrack to serenade us. It consisted of traditional Hawaiian songs and local favorites covering a few hits. As busboys cleared dishes and wiped tables down, you could hear them singing along to their workplace soundtrack with infectious smiles on their faces.
Whenever I look at our pictures or think of our trip I will always hear “These Hawaiian Islands” by John Feary, “Constellations” by Kaukahi, and “Sitting In Limbo” by John Cruz.
I spent much of my dinners identifying what was playing overhead at Ken’s, and I am so glad that I did. Mahalo, Ken’s!
