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HeartOTexas
Akahai
55 Posts |
 Posted - 11/12/2008 : 06:21:33 AM
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Snow? what's that? We might get a dusting one every four years or so, but you gotta get up early to see it - it is usually all gone by noon. I think Karl is the Snow King. He lives at North Pole, AK. The last snow I saw was the day I went home from the hospital, Easter morning 2007. It was all gone by time I got home - about a 45 minute drive. I'm with Wanda - I hate snow, it's one of the main reasons I settled in Texas (and love Hawaii!)!
H.O.T. |
Frank
Deep in the Heart of Texas |
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2008 : 12:38:20 PM
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After living in Hawai'i for 30 years (and all my life in the tropics, other than a few winter months in Alaska with my sister), my first winter in Michigan was poretty exciting- for about a month. Then I was ready for the snow to go away. Perhaps if we had mountains, like when we went to Salt Lake area for Christmas, I could get more into it- snow on a steep hill can be fun! But in Michigan, flat as a board, it gets old fast. I'm over it already this winter and we had our first snow yesterday.
We used to go up on Mauna Kea with a taro boat and a few boogie boards and slide down the cinder cones- that was a rush! And sometimes the snow goes down to like 8000 feet and you can ski for miles- but don't run out of snow on the wrong side of the mountain! It can take days to walk back to the road...
The nice thing about playing in the snow in Hawai'i is that when you get cold you can go down to the beach and do a bit of snorkling to warm up, admiring the snow capped mountains through the palm trees. Bring a pickup load of snow with you to the beach and have a snowball fight in bathing suits, where the cold actually feels kind of good. Just don't have too much fun and get a sun burn!
Chris
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RichM
Aloha
30 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2008 : 10:12:52 AM
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Moved from the Cleveland area years ago to Florida, snowed on me there? The to Louisiana, sam edeal, more snow. Brother was here in the late 50's in the Marines and would write home about Hawaii. I'd walk home form school in the snow, then drink hot chocolate and watcha weekly show on TV called Adventures in Paradise that was filmed in Hawaii.
I amde a deal with myself to move here then when I was about 9 years old, and it happened.
Aftyer being here 31 years, I do miss the open highways, as rididng motorcycles is a passion, but I ahve to say trhe only thing snow is good for is witner sports, skiing, ice skating, sledding.
So to get my snow fix, we go to the Rockies to ski and get cold, then fly back to the warmth of Hawaii. The road issue with motorcycles is nagging me more and more though as the wanderlust in me keeps on signing that tune ...."On the road again....."
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Music and Ridin' |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 11/20/2008 : 11:05:49 AM
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| Rich - what about taking that motorcycle on the Super Ferry to Maui? Could ride up Haleakala. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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RichM
Aloha
30 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2008 : 08:46:17 AM
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Could, but you know, Maui so bust up from traffic and people. I try to escape all of that, but it seems anywhere on these islands is traffic and people sitting in their cars waiting to go somewhere.
A good example is that on Oahu North shore is Teds bakery. We would ride there for breakfast on the weekend. Anymore to get from Haleiwa to Chuns reef can take 20 to 30 minutes and that is only about 3 - 5 miles. People are stopping to see turtles on the beach. I don't know how people on the North shore of Oahu can put up daily with it
Was okay until we won a trip to Oz. Spent 3 weeks riding from Sydney to Cairns via the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley. It was a wonderful long over due road trip and that made me realize that roads in places like Monument Valley, Kaibab Forest, Devils Triangle, Cherohala Skyway, Blue Ridge Mountains and all the other wonderful get aways are still without masses.
Winter hits these places too, but the soul does need to have that isolation at times to refresh and recharge. Thankfully, we are headed to Arizona and I have plans to spend time in the Sonoran desert playing guitar at sunset and in general just relaxing.
We probably will do the Maui Super Ferry trip someday, but it is not a high priority. |
Music and Ridin' |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2008 : 09:16:58 AM
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| Could ask Leilehua (Hularider on TP) about where she goes on Big Island. She is an avid motorcycle rider, in addition to a singer/song writer/guitar player/kumu hula/chef and recipe diva, etc., etc., etc. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2008 : 09:37:28 AM
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Skip Maui and take your bike to the Big Island- there is a reason it has that name! But if you don't like crowds of motorcycles, skip Labor Day, because that is when hundreds of people ship their bikes to the island for the Labor Day Run.
Another thing to skip is Kona- the traffic backs up for miles trying to get into Kona, sometimes past theairport and all the way to Kainaleu in the south. If you take the high road (Mamalahoa Highway) from Waimea through Pu'u Anahulu, then stick to the Mamalahoa instead of dropping down into Kona (through Holualoa and etc.), not only will you skip the traffic but you will have better scenery and an empty, twisting, 55 MPH road where officers are rare between the Waikoloa turnoff and upper Kona. Then after Captain Cook riding is great all the way around the south end through Na'alehu until you get to the Volcano National Park- still wide open road but you really don't want to get pulled over by the Federal park police or "pig rangers" as they are called.
After the park it is straight downhill to Hilo, but this is the poor part of the island, where officers go when they need to reach their quota, so best done early in the month. Finally, up the North Hilo coast is the most beautiful part of the island, but use special care going through Laupahoehoe as there is pretty much always an officer lurking. Paauilo until you hit the Parker Ranch is thick with bored Honokaa officers eating their Tex malasada on the side of the road, and the side trip to the Waipi'o overlook is hit or miss but well worth the ride.
Once back in Waimea where we started, you could go down to Kawaihaie to warm up, then north to the Pololu lookout to see the valleys from the other side, and back to Waimea on the high road. Then if you head a bit towards Kona on the Mamalahoa, you can take the saddle road through Pohakuloa back to Hilo- a real twister of an empty road where you can really open it up and test your riding skills. From Hilo, a few miles back towards Volcano you can turn at Keaau and head down to lower Puna, making a triangle from Pahoa to Kaimu to Kapoho and back up to Pahoa- one of the most beautiful coastlines to ride.
Then, if you are not sick of it after over 350 miles, you can head into the subdivisions where the roads are private and you can do what you like, and see how your bike jumps at high speeds on the dips and rises there, try some sugar roads in Hamakua, or for a great dirt road trip take Mana road from Waimea to Pohakuloa on the saddle.
Or, go to Maui where the speed limit is 45 and well enforced, but there is little chance of ever breaking the speed limit with all the traffic.
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guitarded
Ha`aha`a
USA
1799 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2008 : 1:13:03 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by ypochris
Another thing to skip is Kona- the traffic backs up for miles trying to get into Kona, sometimes past theairport and all the way to Kainaleu in the south.
Oh. My. Gawd. Brah, has it gotten THAT bad now?  Isn't the airport at Keahole something like 7 miles from Kailua town? Dang how things have changed from back in the 70's when one day I decided to ride my Yamaha 350 from Kailua down to Na'alehu just to go sightseeing. Around half way there where da road is all short up-down-up-down-up-down hills through da barren lava flows my okole got so dang sore dat I had to ride standing up for long stretches at a time. Adono how you folks can go on such long rides. Guess I just get one wimpy okole.  |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2008 : 2:25:37 PM
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But a cute one, I'll wager.
Just don't wear da puka bebedees on the motorcycle. Could get chafed. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
Edited by - wcerto on 11/21/2008 3:28:03 PM |
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 11/21/2008 : 7:21:05 PM
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"Oh. My. Gawd. Brah, has it gotten THAT bad now? Isn't the airport at Keahole something like 7 miles from Kailua town?"
Last time I tried to go to Kailua-Kona the stop and go started about a mile north of Keahole. An hour later I still hadn't made it to town. Eventually I just gave up, swung a U-turn, and headed home to Waipi'o.
That was a few years ago. There was some talk of putting in another lane, so it might have gotten better. Then again, it also may have gotten worse. |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 11/22/2008 : 07:15:54 AM
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Growing Pains. Ever since Donald Trump let slip that he was investing in Big Island property, a whole bunch of people have moved here, and things did get really ugly. Hawaiian city planning is medieval when it is working, and is often stone-age.
Well, folks - Here is some good news. One of our very own TaroPatchers (Bruddah Don Kaulia) is running the crew that is paving the highway into Kona. As of a couple of months ago, the 4 lane highway was completed from the Harbor to Palani Rd. at the center of Kailua-Kona. It is a nice road, and has helped traffic a lot! They are now working on the second phase of the project from Palani to Henry St. and seem to be making good progress.
My congrats to Don for maintaining his big heart and bright smile through the whole project. The other day I met him at a beach park. He was trying to track down a homeless Hawaiian boy to give him a slack key guitar... It's getting close to Christmas. Anyone else have a story like that?
Aloha,
-Konabob
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Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
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javeiro
Lokahi
USA
459 Posts |
Posted - 11/24/2008 : 09:55:14 AM
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| Konabob, that story is so nice that it should have its own thread! It's always great to hear stories that, especially when it's someone from the Taropatch! |
Aloha,
John A. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 11/24/2008 : 10:49:03 AM
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| Eh all you motorcycle guys and gals -- Helmet or no helmet? |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 11/25/2008 : 11:17:43 AM
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Uh-oh- I hear one lecture coming. Maybe some dirty lickens on the way. I wouldn't post the wrong answer on this one. "Auntie,I ALWAYS wear a helmet."
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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LovinLK
Lokahi
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 8:00:16 PM
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| We just got our first snow today and I'm waiting for summer. I hate winter and the cold and shoveling snow. |
Lovin' Lee is my favorite pasttime!!
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