On the south shore of the Big Island of Hawaii is Kona, where the soft sand beaches and crystal clear ocean waters have made this a vacation destination for visitors from all over the world. The dramatic beauty of the volcanic shorelines is softened by the exotic flowers and trees that grow to magnificent sizes in the gentle tropical climate. The town of Kona rings a beautiful bay where many resorts and restaurants are just steps away from the crescent beach fringed with palm trees. The majestic inland mountains make a beautiful backdrop for the sleepy island town.

Explore the quaint shops and local eateries that are scattered throughout the town of Kona, or enjoy the high life at one of the many quality resorts with all the perks. Go snorkeling in the bay or venture out to the dozens of coves that dot the coastline around Kona. During the winter, you can spot whales spouting off the shore, and all year round the dolphins and sea turtles regularly come close to the beaches early in the morning and join the swimmers. You can take a day tour with a marine expert guide to learn all about the creatures and plants that inhabit the waters in and around the Big Island.

Food and Dining

Kona’s restaurants offer Hawaiian cuisine at its finest, with many dishes made from fresh fish caught daily just off shore. Exotic shows and dancing bands often accompany fancy dinners at the many luxury resorts. In the town of Kona, you can find local taverns and eateries that specialize in island dishes that feature the fresh fruits and vegetables grown on nearby farms. Local beef and pork barbecue rib stands offer inexpensive yet delicious fare.

Many charter cruises offer dinners while you watch the whales and dolphins play. Some charters have theme parties, where you can dress up as pirates and hold treasure hunts. If you are in the mood for an intimate romantic dinner, grab a bottle of wine and a some local delicacies from the farmer’s market and find a secluded spot on the beach to have a cozy picnic while you watch the sun set.

Kona has an active nightlife with flashy discos, karaoke bars and nightly performances by hula troops and fire dancers. The Big Island is home to the Merrie Monarch Festival where hula dancers from all over the world compete each year. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is another annual celebration that includes tours of the coffee farms and a lantern parade.

Visit the Volcano Garden Arts, a World Heritage site near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park which was once a working estate. Enroll in arts and crafts seminars and enjoy their free gallery. In the evenings, you can make new friends at the beach when you join the fun at a drum circle and watch the fire spinners perform after dark. Take a moonlight swim along the coast or try night fishing by flashlight in the shallow bays.

Ingredients

• 1 c Butter
• 2 c Granulated Sugar
• 4 Eggs; beaten
• 6 Ripe Bananas; mashed
• 2 ts Baking Soda
• 1 ts Salt
• 2 c All purpose Flour
• 1/2 c Macadamia Nuts chopped

In a bowl cream the sugar and the butter well until a light lemon color. Then add the squashed bananas and the beaten eggs. Stir well until all ingredients are completely mixed. Sift the flour, the salt and the baking soda into the creamed mixture then add the chopped nuts. Again mix until blended but make sure you do not mix the batter too much. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees and when the oven is up to temperature pour the batter into two prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes. Before my wife died she often watched while I was making a mess in her kitchen doing my imitation of a bakery chef. She said that the Kona Inn Banana Bread should be renamed Garbage bread because I never stuck to the recipe and added all sorts of thing that I found such as any kind of chopped nuts, lemon and orange zest, chopped apricots, chopped mango, coconut flakes and one time I even added some mincemeat that was left over after baking some mince pies. Perhaps the Kona Inn should have taken me to court and forced me to stop making changes to their Banana Bread. Perhaps my use of their name for the resulting strange flavored versions of their Banana bread had something to do with their going out of business some years ago. Aloha... Kapena