One of the unexpected pleasures of many people traveling to the Big Island is their discovery of a rich and diverse tapestry that is woven around the Island of Hawaii. Hawaii is the only state in the union in which there are royal palaces, temples to the gods of surfing and the history of architecture, which span a millennium and a half. Many people do not understand that the coast of Kona has been an important area of large fishing villages, tarot farms and religious centers for one and a half millennia. However, the Kona region rose to domination as a religious and political center when King Umi founded his capital here in the 16th century.
In 1812, Kamehameha King founded Kailua Konu as the capital of his newly united Kingdom of Hawaii. For nearly 400 years, temples and palaces around the Kona region served as a kind of “Rome for the Pacific”, one of the great political and cultural centers in Polynesia, until the capital of the Kingdom was moved to Honolulu in 1850 by Kamehameha III, plunging into sleepy, territorially enveloped water, The city of Kailua and the Kona district have quietly calmed down over the decades of the plantation era and early statehood in our time. Today, fast-paced and exciting, this fast-growing area is the center of the financial and cultural revival of the Big Island in the new century. Just remember, when I describe the Kona district as a “fast-paced and exciting ... fast-growing region,” I mean “boom and excitement” on the Hawaiian, soft and relaxed way.
Some of the most important historical sites in all of Polynesia are right here in Kona — let's quickly go to the Kelakekua region in Kona, the part that lies along the Hawaiian belt road from the south of Kaynaliu, turning onto the junction from highway 160 to Napo and in Honauenau. It was in this region that the kings of the old government sent justice; where the great explorer Captain James Cook spent time among the Hawaiians and extremely lost his life; and where the two supporting agricultural branches of the ranch and coffee industry were born in Hawaii and are flourishing today.
Kainaliu town
Floating gently on both sides of Highway 11, Keineliu is one of the Up Country Kona commercial commercial centers. Kainaliu grows up at the intersection of two donkey tracks serving sugar, coffee and ranches, sometime after the construction of the Lanakila church in 1867. The star attraction in Kaynaliu is definitely the Aloha theater and the Aloha Angel cafe. This historic and beautiful theater is still the center of theatrical productions of all kinds, as well as cinematographic shows; It is a central part of the Kona Performing Arts Association (KAPA). Another interesting attraction of the city is the amazing Oshima food store and dry goods store (“If we don’t have one, you don’t need it”). In addition, the city boasts many other businesses, galleries, furniture, frugality, phytotherapy shops, as well as excellent restaurants and cafes. Donkey Bar has a candy factory, which offers fun tours and tasty samples, and Captain Cook Coffee has a roasting right in the city, which gives you weekly excursions. When the weather gets wet in West Hawaii, or you need relief from the heat on the beach, a day spent watching and eating in a cool, shady Kaynaliu is a real pleasure.
Theater Aloha
Aloha Theater and its cafes serve as a gathering place for the community and home of independent, classic and second films, as well as the Hawaiian International Film Festival and various social events. The construction of the Aloha Theater began in 1929 and was completed in 1932 long before Hawaii. Starting life in a quiet cinema, he experienced a transition to "talk". and the great fire of 1948, which destroyed most of the city. It is still used today as a performing arts center by the Kona Performing Arts Association, with live music and dance as well as film. The Quonset-hut building formed the original theater building and the original tent, still in use, is very typical of the style used in other theaters of this period in Hawaii. Cafe Aloha Angel Café, associated with the theater, is a wonderful exquisite find and offers a wide range of dishes, pastries and desserts and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Kona hongwanji
Mission Originally built in 1890, in 1897, this temple-Buddhist temple was moved to Kaynal in 1906. The stone arch was built in 1915, and the temple itself was extensively modified over the years, although the current structure dates back to 1980. On the main altar is a carved sandalwood image of Buddha Amida, which was convened in 1933.
Kalukalu Manor (Greenwell Farm) / Greenwell Store / Kona History Museum
Members of the Greenwell family were important in the history and society of Kona, since Henry Nicholas Greenwell bought 300 hectares of agricultural land in Kalukala in 1850. Leaving British military service at the age of 23 for an adventure in a California gold rush, Henry Greenwell was injured by the loading and he went to the Kingdom of Hawaii in search of a doctor for treatment. Once settled in Kone, and, like many early pioneers in Hawaii, Henry Greenwell had several businesses and he served the community in different ways: he was not only a farmer, but also a reindeer herder and a sheep farmer, a dairy farmer, an importer, a school agent, postmaster and customs agent in Kealakekua Bay. He married Edith Caroline Greenwell in 1868 and they raised 10 children. During his life in Kone, he and his neighbors, competitors and partners, led the massive changes in agriculture in Western Hawaii, as small, Hawaiian or Kusalin or family garden plots were quickly moved by large sugar and coffee farms and ranches. Greenwell’s original house in Kalukalu was demolished in the 1960s, although the Henry Greenwell store, built in 1875, still stands and works today as a museum by the Historical Society of Kona. Greenwell's shop was one of the first commercial enterprises serving the growing mountain settlements of Kona; until then, the poor wagon roads meant that most shops and businesses were located along the coast in ports such as Kailua and Napo. Greenwell Farms 15 acres planted in coffee, which produces about a million pounds of coffee a year, is open for free trips from Monday to Saturday from 8 to 4:30; tours lasts 15-20 minutes. In the original buildings of the Greenwell Store, the Kona Historical Society has its offices, archives and operates a small museum. The museum has an interesting array of artifacts from the early life of Kona, coffee and sugar, as well as an impressive archive of historical photographs, which can be seen by appointment. The museum is open only on weekdays, from 9-3; 2 dollars.
Coffee Farm D. Uchida
Have you ever wondered what life was like on a Kona coffee farm in early 1900? D. Uchida Coffee Farm is a place where you can listen to and relive the story of the first Japanese Kona coffee farmers. Currently, the Kona Historical Society collaborates with the Kona coffee community, creating a project that entertains and informs the visitor of the Kona coffee history. This is a chance to look into Kona’s past lifestyle, which is about to be completely erased. Historical Society "Kona" organizes daily tours.
Amy Greenwell's Ethnobotanical Garden
Hawaii culture and society, thanks to the limited life resources on the island, revolved around the efficient and knowledgeable use of a huge array of plants for construction, medicine, food, clothing and virtually every other aspect of life in the Hawaiian Islands # 39; ian archipelago. Amy Greenwell’s ethnobotanical gardens retain this ancient knowledge and rapidly disappearing plants in a delightful garden, which is now under the auspices of the episcopal museum. Amy Greenwell had a fierce and diverse curiosity about plants and their cultural uses, so this garden contains not only local Hawaiian plants and herbs, but also various tropical botanical specimens from all over the Pacific. The park is open from dawn until dusk seven days a week, and free guided tours are held on the first and second Saturday of the month at 10:00. other tours can be arranged by appointment.
Hotel Manago
A Japanese posting bride and her husband, with an initial investment of $ 100, built in 1917, the Manago Hotel began its existence as a separate house and turned into numerous rebuildings into the oldest permanent hotel on the island of Hawaii. Kinzo Manago and his wife Osama bought the original cottage, the stove and the land with borrowed money. By providing meals and futons for nightly guests, Managos has constantly remodeled and expanded the house to meet the growing demand of travelers on the Big Island. Toko-Bashir, or the fortune needed by any Japanese business, was acquired back in 1917. At that time, all they could afford was a coconut magazine, which the artist soaked in the ocean to soften and preserve termites. When you enter, do not forget to see it in the lobby, still as hard as stone, still beautiful after almost 100 years. Today, grandchildren Kinzo and Osame run the hotel with all the traditions, hard work, love and commitment to the service that their parents and grandparents put in the hotel. The restaurant still offers world-famous stuffed pork chops, best on the island. If you come to eat, stay or just see this wonderful piece of living history of Hawaii, be sure to stroll through the lobby and see photos of Old Kona.
Monument Kelakequa Bay Archaeological and Historical District / Monument to Captain Cook
Kilakaekua Bay is one of the most magical places in the state of Hawaii. The beautiful and calm bay of Kilakekua (Path of the Gods) reveals numerous steep cliffs on an ancient sea beach along the coastline of Napo. The place, perhaps the most important single event in the history of Polynesia and the non-parallel, majestic landscapes of Kilakekua Bay, today is home to the pods of frolicking dolphins, where the largest density of hammerhead sharks is located in any part of the Pacific Ocean and really exciting scuba diving is provided, Captain James Cook made his longest visit and made the deepest impression on his native Hawaiian islands when he first arrived at the end of November 1778. And he was along the shores of Kilakekua Bay, where he met his tragic end in February 1779 during his second visit. Forever changed since the arrival of Cook, the evolution of Hawaii society would soon have changed in the way that Native Hawaii could hardly have imagined a few days before the Englishman made the shore here. In 1874, British sailors confirmed the current white obelisk monument to Captain Cook in the place where he was actually killed quite far, although there is a cement memorial in the tidal zone, west along the coast from the monument, indicating the actual place he was killed. This area remains part of British territory on American soil and is maintained by British sailors. You can see the monument across the bay from Napo, which rises among the ruins of the village of Kala. Today, most tourists prefer to come by boat to visit a real monument. However, a monument is also available, traveling along the trail from the highway; this trip takes 2-4 hours both ways, and drinking water is not available anywhere along the way. Perhaps the most popular area for scuba diving in Hawaii, visitors also often kayak from Napo to the monument to enjoy the waters of the Triple-A class and the abundant marine life. Numerous Ali's iwi (bones) burial caves are visible along the cliff walls, and a grayish strip is visible on the northwestern wall at the end of daylight. Local legend has it that the canonical ball, released by Cook to impress Hawaii, left this streak when she swung and jumped on a rock. Near the beach, the historic Hikiau (Moving Current) Heiau has stood for centuries, witnessed a tsunami of horrendous changes that swept Hawaii with the arrival of Cook and Europeans, which started right here in Kealakekua Bay.
St Benedict Catholic Church (painted church)
In 1899, Catholic father John Velg landed in Honaunu and built his parish church. Having stolen the interior of the previous parishes in the Marquises and Tahiti with painted scenes from biblical stories, he began to decorate the interior of the church with scenes that are whimsical to inspiring, studying this church as a nickname that is most known as the "Painted Church".
Place of Refuge / Pu National Park of Culture Honua O Honaunau
One of the most charming, beautiful and peaceful places on all the islands of the Hawaiian Islands, Pu Honua O Honaunau is a place of lightness and rebirth even for the most weary and exhausted soul. Of great historical and cultural importance, the sacred sites in Honanuau are the best-preserved and largest remaining Pooh or place of refuge difficult in Hawaii. The temple and royal complex and royal residences in Pu Honua O Honaunau, created as a National Historical Park in 1961, are extensive, well-preserved and imbued with a soul-filling world. Based on the refugee himself, there is a stone platform, alea, which was used for sports, Keua Stone, the legendary resting place of Ali and Kayman Kamen, where it is said that Kamehameha's beloved wife Great hid after quarrels with her husband. In the middle of the park is the Wall of Honauunu, 100 feet long, 10 feet high and 17 feet. He separated Ali’s palace grounds from the temple grounds of Puon. The wall was made without mortar or in stones and has been preserved in this tectonically active region for more than 500 years. In the area of the royal area, canoes are planted in Keone, Cove, Heleipolala Fishpond, several reconstructed residences and canoes, as well as the famous Hale Keawe, where iwi (bones) of as many as 23 Ali & i were preserved.
King Trail / Lava
The King's Trail or Ala Ali was renamed the Trail of 1871, when residents were asked to send their tax bill to the monarchy, restoring the overgrown and curtailed trail. The trail leaves the road from the Refugee City on the way to the Picnic Square of the National Park, or can be connected by the Shore Path, which is derived from the southern end of the picnic area. Along the trail are the ruins of several Hawaiian villages, Heyu, cattle streams, etc. The trail also crosses a large pipe of lava, which is only about 150 feet long and leads to breathtaking views of the ocean, where it goes off a cliff about 40 feet above the water .
To celebrate the end of your historic Soirée, as long as you are in Honaunau, you really bought to plunge into the refreshing waters of Honaunau Bay on a wonderful beach in 2 steps, swim with colorful tropical fish, amazing green sea turtles and playful dolphins. Or, you could go for a cup of famous Kona coffee at any of several local cafes with captain Cook and Kaynaliu ... not a harsh resemblance of the generally monotonous Starbuck, each individually special Kona coffee cafe reflects the personality of local producers and roasters that produce Kona coffee, which is considered the best in the whole world. In addition, single and exclusive galleries and shops along this stretch of highway make the perfect purchase of absolutely unique gifts to take them home.
