2013 Kona Hawaii Report

Well...we are FINALLY home from one of my favorite places to visit - Kona, Hawaii.  This was my 5th year going to the Big Island for the Ironman World Championships, and I can safely say we packed plenty of new experiences into this one!  I actually feel like I could be a tour guide or trip planner for Kona, I've got this down!  Maybe there will be more on that in the next post :)

If you are following me on twitter or instagram you have probably seen plenty of updates...but here are some of the highlights!

1.  Mark made it through his first Ironman race in Kona!  This was the main reason for actually being in Kona this year, so obviously this is a big one :)

Age-groupers getting in for the swim

Happy Campers at the Finish Line!

2.  We hiked --  After a winding drive around the north most point of the island,  I emerged from the back of the SUV slightly car-sick, but excited for a fun new place!  We made it to Pololu Valley where we  hiked down to the black sand beach and up the other side of the valley.  This was a super scenic hike anyone can do!

We also had a short hike up to an awesome view point at the visitor center at Mauna Kea - super steep and windy, but worth it!  Mauna Kea is a volcano standing 13,803 ft above 
sea level, its peak is the highest point in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

3. We swam with dolphins!  We hopped in Kayaks and traversed Kealakekua Bay to the Captain Cook monument....getting lucky with a couple pods of dolphins joining us on the way there and the way back!

4. We got 'stranded' for 2 extra days.  We first tried to leave on a red eye Thursday night.  After a dead battery, maintenance, and sitting/waiting on the plane for OVER 3 hours, our flight was cancelled.  After waiting in multiple lines, we made it to our new home at Waikoloa Village where they put us up for a couple days.  It was a pain to be up all night with a cancelled flight, but we certainly made the most of our 'bonus' days on the island :)




5.  Charter fishing boat!  We went out with Captain Shawn of the Night Runner, per a recommendation, and it did not disappoint!  They were all about catching as many fish as possible of all different types.

Check out a couple videos of the fun!

Thanks for reading and let me know if there are other things from Hawaii you want to hear about!!

-Jackie