Phil's Superpower of Enthusiasm

This is a companion to my post the other day about my philosophy for building a stereo system, aka hi fi rack. I’ve broken it into tiers ranging from $500 to around $3,000. You can certainly spend way more than that on a stereo, but if you’re going to invest that kind of money you really, really ought to test the components out for yourself to see if they work for YOUR taste. $3k is also about where I feel like you start hitting the point of substantial diminishing returns. The system I recommend at $3k is basically the system that I used for a long time, and the only reason I upgraded it was that I got a really good deal on a very high-end amplifier that I’d been coveting for a while. Honestly, I’m not sure it’s much better than the recommended Peachtree, and it definitely doesn’t play as nicely with my turntable. Similarly, my turntable is a substantial price upgrade from the recommended U-Turn, but I think I might actually like U-Turn’s house sound more and at some point I may swap that back in.

Remember my basic rules of hifi!

1. You like what you like. The most important factor in judging an audio system is also the simplest: does it sound good, to you, in your space, and listening to the things you want to listen to? Audio nerds spend a lot of time arguing about objectivity and measurements, and that seems silly to me. Do you like the $5 headphones that came with your phone? Sweet! Enjoy! Do you want to spend $25,000 on a set of Macintosh separates? Awesome, please invite me over to listen (and maybe add me to your will?).

2. Used gear is your friend. Audiophiles spend a lot of time chasing the new hotness, and a lot of their gear ends up in the market used. You have to be a bit careful with used gear from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, but a good hifi shop will have tested and potentially worked on gently used gear they’re putting out for sale, and can talk to you about it. Outside of speakers, most of my new-to-me gear has been used.

3. Components interact in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Even high-quality speakers may sound funny when connected to a particular amplifier or source, and it gets infinitely weirder in a separates-based system.

4. No system is the end-all, be-all. Everything can be upgraded. Nothing is forever. Components break, and some of them can’t be easily repaired or replaced. That’s okay. Embrace the change. Half the fun of audio is figuring out what you can swap in for a particular piece of gear and the changes that doing so can bring.

Let’s build some systems!

I got asked the other day by a coworker about how I go about building an audio system, and I realized that while I’ve been working on this for more than a year, that I never actually posted it. So here it is. A tier list is coming soon.

[Caveat 1: go talk to your local hifi shop about the used gear they have available *after* you’ve thought about the basic questions below. I know the knock on stereo stores is that they’re full of arrogant assholes who talk down to anyone who doesn’t share their expertise, but that has genuinely not been my experience. They can help you figure out something in your budget that will play nicely together, they can setup and let you listen to things you’re interested in, and they know the local market. I’ll recommend some shops where I’ve had good experiences at the bottom of this post.

Caveat 2: all of this gets really complicated really quickly and has a lot of nuance. This is a thousand-foot view of my personal attitude towards hi fi systems. Your mileage, as always, may vary.]

My basic rules for audio gear:

1. You like what you like. The most important factor in judging an audio system is also the simplest: does it sound good, to you, in your space, and listening to the things you want to listen to?[i] Audio nerds spend a lot of time arguing about objectivity and measurements, and that seems silly to me. Do you like the $5 headphones that came with your phone? Sweet! Enjoy! Do you want to spend $25,000 on a set of Macintosh separates? Awesome, please invite me over to listen (and maybe add me to your will?).

2. Used gear is your friend. Audiophiles spend a lot of time chasing the new hotness, and a lot of their gear ends up in the market used. You have to be a bit careful with used gear from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, but a good used hifi shop will have tested and potentially worked on gear they’re putting out for sale, and can talk to you about it. Outside of speakers, most of my new-to-me gear has been used.

3. Components interact in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Even high-quality speakers may sound funny when connected to a particular amplifier or source, and it gets infinitely weirder in a separates-based system.

4. No system is the end-all, be-all. Everything can be upgraded. Nothing is forever. Components break, and some of them can’t be easily repaired or replaced. That’s okay. Embrace the change. Half the fun of audio is figuring out what you can swap in for a particular piece of gear and the changes that doing so can bring.

(more…)

I got a new pair of shoes a few weeks ago. They’re Merrell Nova 3 Trail Shoes* and I love them. They’re super comfy and rainbow colored. Last week someone asked me why I, a cis-het white dude, bought rainbow running shoes.

The glib answer is that these happened to be on sale at REI, and I do appreciate a bargain. The slightly-less glib answer is that they’re really, really comfortable. They’re super light and very stable on my feet, and Merrell is one of the few companies that make toe-boxes that fit my weird-ass feet. The soles are also thin enough that I can feel the clutch pedal in my Subaru (I was unaware of how much this matters, but wow does it). REI only had my size in rainbow, so that’s what I ordered. But the real answer? A little more complicated.

I’m a big white dude with mostly white hair (and who is staring down a near future of having to start shaving my head; thanks, Grandpa Ted!). I have a forearm tattoo in a dead Germanic language; mostly wear Duluth Trading Co clothes, trucker hats, and Oakleys with bright red lenses; and I have a resting expression (particularly while thinking) that’s a pretty close approximation of a scowl. I think most people that know me would say that I’m a friendly, engaging, open, and safe person, but a stranger on the street could be forgiven for not assuming that I am. And I think about that a lot as I move through the world. I always have.

One of my goals for the summer is to get out on the trails a lot more. I don’t yet have a fully developed hiking crew, so I’m probably going to spend a lot of that time either alone or just with Denali. And if you’ve spent even a few minutes on social media over the last few months, you’re probably at least tangentially aware of the man vs. bear discourse that’s been everywhere. It has occurred to me that over the next several months, I’m probably going to pretty frequently run into people out in the woods who might not naturally assume that I’m a safe person to be around. Because, let’s face it, lone white men aren’t always particularly safe to be around, particularly for women and members of marginalized communities.

Shoes won’t change that. They can’t. There’s nothing that I can do to prove to any person, let alone a stranger, that they don’t have anything to fear from me.  But if I can do little things here and there that make me potentially less scary? Hell yeah. It feels like the clothing equivalent of crossing the street to avoid following a lone woman too closely at night, or sitting away from doors in rooms to avoid the perception of blocking egress. Minimum viable manhood. It’s not the only thing I’m going to do to try to demonstrate safety, but it’s a start.

But also, they look cool. Between my coral-patterned rain jacket, my pink Ken-core Hawaiian shirt, and these shoes, I’ve gotten more compliments and thumbs up on clothing choices in the last six months than my entire previous life, and that doesn’t suck either.

So happy pride, y’all.  Here’s to building a safer, more inclusive world (and getting out more to enjoy this beautiful place we live).**

_____________________________________________________________

* Full review in a couple of weeks, probably.

** Is this virtue signalling? I really don’t think so. But even if it was? We live in a country where vice-signalling is a huge part of the culture, to the point where I won’t wear a Portland Thorns hat that I love because it’s red, and at a distance makes me look like an asshole. And if you’re going to use your clothing to signal anything, might as well be tolerance and openness rather than bigotry.

[MSRP $500]

                                            
Scores:

Cost-agnostic: 9 out of 10 Denalis

Cost-sensitive: 9 out of 10 Denalis

Intro. About a year ago, the powered studio monitors that live on my computer desk (Kef LSX) started throwing the flashing red ring of death. Kef is notoriously painful to work with on repairs, so in the meantime I wanted something to live on my desk for playing games or listening to music while I work. I’ve generally not been super impressed with most powered monitors I’ve heard in the sub-$1000 range, and I have a bunch of amplifiers sitting around the house, so I decided to give a pair of passive monitors a chance.

After a couple of VERY expensive recommendations ($2,000-3,000) left me feeling a little lost, I decided to go down to my local audio shop, Desco AV. They usually have a pretty good selection of mid-range speakers, and I’ve been very pleased with most of the stuff I’ve tried there. I listened to a couple of different sets of Dalis, and the Spektor 2 stood out despite the slightly higher price tag than I’d intended to spend.

These sit on my computer desk on extruded aluminum stands to the sides of my right/left monitors. For purposes of this review, they’ve primarily been driven by a PS Audio Sprout 100 that I’d been eyeing for a few years and finally bought when they went on pretty good sale last fall. The amp is connected by USB to my Mac Studio. The speakers are connected to the amp by cheap low-gauge speaker wire that came with my Klipsch outdoor speakers. There is an old Energy subwoofer connected to the Sprout, but it’s turned down pretty low and mostly there for movies.

Sound. These sound great. So great, in fact, that I’ve mostly swapped over to listening to them while I work rather than the much more expensive hi-fi setup in my office. Part of that is because the good hifi is off to my left while the Spektors are directly in front of me when I’m working on my computer, but it’s also due in part to just how good these sound.

Treble: The treble on these is bright, crisp, and responsive, without being harsh or sibilant. They can be a little punishing for some kinds of tracks; for example, the horn fanfares on Brasstrack’s “Intro” can splatter a little, but it’s actually just an artifact of the recording rather than the reproduction of the speakers. Vampire Weekend’s “2021” is my go to for testing if speakers or headphones reproduce poorly mastered treble, and I can hear every wart through this system. Ditto Born Gold’s “Lawn Knives.”

It also beautifully reproduces well-mastered treble. Miles Davis’ muted trumpet comes through perfectly on “Will O’ The Wisp”, with clear separation and bright intensity. Interestingly, they’re also really good at silence; when audio drops out they are perfectly and instantly quiet.

Mid-range: The midrange is really excellent as well, crisp and dynamic. The claps on “Paradise Circus” by Massive Attack are clear and separated and not bothered by all of the other things going on in the mix. Both male and female voices are reproduced reasonably faithfully. Jill Scott’s power and control comes through beautifully in “Call” by Robert Glasper, and Arlo Park’s voice effortlessly floats through “Impurities.” Vessel’s introductory vocals on Sleep Token’s “Alkaline” are incredibly crisp and tight, and you can hear every ounce of emotion in Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”

Bass: For stand mounts, the bass here is really impressive. Not quite up to the level of the Kef LS50, but at a third of the price you wouldn’t really expect them to be. Over time, I’ve turned down the subwoofer under the desk pretty dramatically; I mostly want it for the occasional movie track. “Superpredators” by Massive Attack sounds heavy and imposing, just as it should, and they handle the low-end fuzz on Andy Stott’s “Violence” deftly, even when the bass pours on around 2:30. It’s present, without being oppressive. You don’t get quite as much clarity and depth on “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” by Janet Jackson, but I have heard VERY few pairs of speakers (let alone stand mounts) that perfectly reproduce Q-Tips bass line.

Separation: the stereo imaging on these is pretty incredible in the near-field. I’m sitting with the speakers to either side and about eight inches forward of my sitting position, and the phantom center is almost distractingly good. Especially on tracks like “Love Can Damage Your Heath (Laid Mix)” by Telepopmusik and “So Much to Say” by Dave Matthews Band, you can tell exactly where any given instrument is located, and track them as they move in space.

Overall: These are really excellent stand mounts. I briefly ran them with Schitt’s Rekkr desktop speaker amp and they were fine, but they definitely seem to benefit from a well-powered amp like the Sprout. At some point I’m going to swap them with the LS50s in my main system to see how they pair with my Devialet Expert 140 Pro, a much higher-end, well-powered amp, but it’s hard to want to pull them out of this system even temporarily.

Construction. These are built into a nicely-made faux wood grain cabinets with two drivers (a 1” high frequency and a 5.25” low frequency) and a nice, removable transparent foam cover. For stand mounts they’re relatively small (11.5” x 6.7” x 9.35”) and fit nicely on my desk without feeling particularly intrusive. They’re a little too wide to be used as a headphone stand, but they’ll do in a pinch. They have solid five-way binding posts on the back, easily adjusted and accessed, and a small rear-firing port.

Appearance. I think they look good for what they are. Are they ground-breaking? Nah. They look like the Boston Acoustics I bought as my first speakers in 2003. But fine and not super distracting.

Comparisons. I don’t have anything particularly comparable that would be fair to measure against. They’re not nearly as good as the Kef LS50 that sit in my main system, but they’re in an entirely different price category. They also clearly outstrip the Pioneer Andrew Jones SP-B22-LR stand mounts I used to use for ATMOS, and it’s been too long since I listened regularly to my Boston Acoustics CR32s. The only other bookshelf speakers I regularly use are exterior speakers in my bathroom and on my deck, and these are far and away better.

Maybe the fairest comparison is to the Kef LSX they replaced, with the total cost of the Spektor 2 and Sprout 100 pretty comparable to the LSX. I had the LSX on my desk for … four years? And I rarely used them for anything other than playing video games or watching videos on my computers. By comparison, I’ve had the Spektor 2s running most of the time that I’ve been in my office for the last six months, which tells me that I prefer these by a wide margin. I’ll be curious to do some A-B testing when I get the LSX back from being serviced.

Value. $500 isn’t cheap for a stand mount speaker, but these are serious, audiophile-grade and -focused speakers and by that measure they’re relatively inexpensive. At least in my limited testing they seem to benefit from a properly powerful amp, so you’ll need to take that into account if you want to give them a shot. I’ll be curious over the next few months to try running them from a couple of other of my amps to see how they perform.

Overall. I love these speakers. They’re perfect for my near-field use case, and they sound far larger than they are. I probably wouldn’t use them as my primary audio system in a large room, but in the near-field or for a small room they’re pretty excellent. I really have no complaints about them, especially for their category.

#reviews #speakers #dali #spektor2 #psaudio #near-field #computeraudio #Kef #lsx #2024

 There’s been some super weird discourse the last few weeks about electric vehicles (EVs) on Threads, particularly with regards to charging vs. filling up a gas tank, time-wise.

I love EVs. I love my EV, in particular. It’s my daily driver, and has been for almost two years at this point (bought it in June 2022). BUT,  we do no one any favors when we aren’t honest about the challenges of driving and charging EVs in the current environment. So, here’s my comparison.

I own and regularly drive two vehicles:

1. 2022 Kia EV6 AWD Wind (electric, daily driver)

2. 2021 Subaru WRX STI Base model (internal combustion engine (ICE), mostly weekends and trips)

I love them both. They’re both really good at the things they do well, and marginal at the things they don’t. 

In general, EVs are ideal for people who:

1. Don’t regularly drive more than 100 miles in a day.

2. Have regular access to reliable tier-2 charging for long periods of time at places they routinely spend time (home, work, etc.).

3. Don’t do a lot of unanticipated road trips.

The first one applies to most people (the average American spends about 27 minutes commuting each way; unless someone is driving close to 120 mph, they’re not going more than 100 miles/day). The second one is much less common; around 65% of Americans live in detached homes, but some percentage of people who don’t do have access to chargers either at home or at work. The third … is unpredictable. 

I fit the first two categories neatly. My regular commute to Seattle is about 60 miles each way, but I mostly do them on different days (up one day, down a couple of days later). I have a Tier 2 charger in my driveway at home, which is rarely blocked by another car, and I have free Tier 2 charging at work (and I rarely have a hard time finding one, except during Home weeks). My mom also installed a Tier 2 charger at her house, the place I spend the most time other than my house or work. The third … well, I’m the most-likely caretaker for my mom when she gets sick. This isn’t an issue most of the time, but when it becomes an issue it can be a harsh one. 

So, let’s look at a trip to Hood River from Olympia to see my mom. It’s around 170 miles, door to door, with no detours (and I’m frequently tasked to stop at Costco for her on the way). The last fifty or so miles is through the Columbia River Gorge, which can be pretty dicey in bad weather, is often super windy which impacts range in unpredictable ways, and charging options in the western Gorge are limited to Tier-1 charging, so I mostly try not to enter the Gorge without at least 100 miles of range (in a pinch, I’ve done it and dropped down to around 10 miles of range when I arrived, but man was the range anxiety real when I did that). 

My EV6 has a theoretical range of around 274 miles. (In winter, it’s closer to 240, and in summer closer to 300.) If I want to hit the Gorge with 100 miles of range left for safety, I need to leave Olympia with at least 220 miles of range or so. That’s not bad for planned trips; I can just plug in my car overnight and get a full charge. The challenge comes with unplanned trips. For a lot of reasons, mostly having to do with battery longevity, I try to keep my EV6 charged between 20% and 80% most of the time unless I know that I’m going to be doing a long drive. At 80% battery, my best-case, driving-65-with-minimal-headwind, range is 192 in winter, 240 in summer. You can see the problem here. It gets worse if I need to stop somewhere else in Portland or along the way. And this isn’t an EV6 problems; it’s almost the best non-Tesla option for this exercise, as it’s got a pretty big battery, a high-voltage architecture, and battery preconditioning for Tier-3 charging. As a result, it’s one of the fastest charging EVs on the market. Can a different car avoid having to charge? Maybe. There are a few cars that theoretically have better range than the EV6, but not many (and no, the Tesla Model S doesn’t count as one given what we know about their batteries and how much they lie to you about range), and they’re all a lot more expensive than the EV6 (which ain’t cheap itself). 

Basically, this boils down to a need to charge en-route most of the time when I go see my mom. Which is fine, right? There’s a Tier 3 charger at the Outlet Mall in Troutdale right before I head down the Gorge. The EV6 runs on a high-voltage architecture, which means that it charges pretty quick. Under optimal conditions, it should take me about 15 minutes to go from 20% charge to 80% charge. I mean, it’s happened once in almost two years so it’s totes possible. Usually, though,  it’s more like 30 minutes from the time I plug in.1 But that’s fine too; that’s long enough to let Denali sniff some plants and go to the bathroom, and for me to walk across the street and get a cup of coffee, or maybe do a couple of Duolingo lessons. Is it slower than filling a gasoline engine? Sure. But marginally; I’d still probably let Denali out and stretch my legs anyway.

The problem, of course, is that 15-30 minute timeframe is from *when I plug in.* If, miracle of miracles, there’s an open Tier 3 charger when I pull in, I’m fine. That basically never happens, though. Electrify America, the operator of those chargers (and a lot of the other public ones) has an abysmal maintenance program. I think I’ve seen all four of those chargers in operating order maybe twice in two years. They were all replaced last summer (a fun thing to discover as my car hit 20 miles of remaining range as I pulled in to see the palleted chargers!), and they still haven’t all been up at once since. Between a limited number of functional chargers, and a population of folks either driving up or down the Gorge or spending the afternoon at the Outlets with their car plugged in the whole time, I VERY rarely get to plug in when I pull in. My average wait the last year or so has been between thirty minutes and an hour before I can plug in. Which means that that 15-30 minute charge is now more like a 1:00-1:30 charge. For a three hour drive. 

Contrast that to my Subaru.2 The range is around 300 miles on the freeway, depending on how I’m driving. Because it’s really just a weekend car and there’s no reason not to leave it full, I almost always fill it up on my way home and it’s usually sitting with at least 250 miles of range. I mostly don’t need to stop on the way to Hood River, unless I feel like filling with cheaper gas. The worst case scenario is that I have to stop somewhere and refuel. I happened to fill up at Costco in Portland on Saturday around noon (the nightmare scenario a Threads EV-booster used to question why anyone would choose an ICE car over an EV). I waited in line for ten minutes, and it took me about 5 minutes to fill the car. A total of slightly over 15 minutes for a three hour drive. I could have stopped at a dozen gas stations near Costco with no lines at cut the stop to 5 minutes for slightly more money.

Fueling for a trip to Hood River

Before anyone fights the hypo:

• “That’s silly, Phil. Go somewhere else!” Tried it. Same problem; very few chargers, many non-functional, people leaving their car sitting for long periods of time. The systems that are supposed to tell you if chargers are open are also pretty inconsistent/shaky; I’ve seen Troutdale marked as 0/4 in use and pulled in to see the three functional chargers occupied and two additional cars waiting. 

• “Charge somewhere else along the way!” Tried that too. Haven’t yet found a place between Olympia and Hood River where I can get consistent charging. The earlier I charge, the longer it takes (see previous footnote about non-linear charging rates).

• “Plan better and fully charge before you go!” I do my best. But when you get the call that your mom is being admitted to the hospital, you pretty much have to go and figure it out on the way. 

The super shitty thing is, of course, that while I’m sitting at the Troutdale Tier 3 chargers fuming at the asshole in the Polestar who’s taking 30 minutes to get his battery from 95% to 100% (for example), I can look fifty feet and see a dozen open Tesla chargers that I can’t use because proprietary tech and a closed system. [This is why states need to start regulating EV charging as a utility and bar proprietary charging stations.]

I love my EV. It’s great 95% of the time. But, I bought my STI when I did because I got stuck in Troutdale for almost two hours while my mom was being admitted to the hospital because I couldn’t get a charge in Troutdale and I was sitting at less than 5% of my battery. 

We need to be honest about the downsides of EVs. They don’t outweigh the benefits by any means. But when we pretend they’re not real, and consequential, we do a disservice to everyone.

1 EV batteries don’t charge linearly either; generally they charge much faster when they’re at low charge, and slow down a lot as they get closer to full. This is why anyone charging much above 90% at a public charger where there’s a line is an asshole and should be roundly mocked.

 2 I keep wanting to call it my STI, but that’s just begging for confusion and mockery.

Hawaii: 11/10 Denalis.

It’s been an incredible trip, all around. I woke up this morning excited to go home (and, honestly, mostly excited to see Denali again), but not tired of being here or wishing I was already home. This tells me that I calibrated this trip right–long enough to really get to enjoy the place and the experience, but not so long that it got old or wore on me. I’ve already floated the idea of coming back next March with my hosts. 

I think the greatest gift of this trip has been unstructured time. My life is generally pretty heavily structured, and has been since at least high school, for good reason. That structure has only gotten stronger and more rigid as I’ve made decisions to work on my physical and mental health. I don’t regret that at all, and it’s definitely the right choice for me, most of the time. BUT, it makes it that much more fun when I carve out some time that I leave deliberately unstructured. Some of my best days on island have been the ones where I wake up, make myself a cup of espresso and sit on the patio to decide where I want to head that day. Having time to stop at a random road-side attraction or farm or coffee stand or chocolate vendor or trailhead has been really, really wonderful. Same for days where I finish dinner at 5:45 or 6, and decide to hop in the car and run down to the beach for sunset. Going forward, I’m going to try to carve out some unstructured time on a regular basis.

My strongest recommendations for folks visiting the Big Island:

1. If you can avoid it, don’t stay at the resorts. 

1. They’re perfectly nice, and I have definitely enjoyed some resort stays, but they’re really expensive, AND you’re going to miss out on 95% of what makes Hawaii magical. 

2. If you’re going to stay at a resort, be aware that the ones in Kailua-Kona have pretty mediocre beaches, but access to both the touristy and less-touristy parts of Kailua-Kona. The ones in Waikoloa are absolutely beautiful, but you’re also kind of stuck with their touristy restaurants and shops unless you rent a car (see #2).

2. Rent a car, for some or all of your stay, and explore the island.

1. Every part of the island I’ve explored has been extraordinary. The biggest theme of the trip for me has been that everywhere I go, I think to myself “huh, if I moved to Hawaii THIS is the place that I’d want to live.” An hour later, rinse and repeat.

2. RESPECT THE LIMITATIONS ON YOUR RENTAL. Don’t try to drive up Mauna Kea or to the Green Sand Beach down south in a rental. It will get VERY expensive, very quickly.

3. Gas is expensive, particularly the farther you get away from a Costco. In April 2024, the best I’ve seen is around $4.60/gal and it’s frequently above $5/gal for regular unleaded. See #9.

4. See #3.

3. Before you come, build a chill playlist your entire party will enjoy (or at least tolerate), and bring the range of cables you might potentially need to connect to a car. If you drive on the big island, you’re going to spend a lot of time going much slower than you expected (sunday drivers, constant road construction/maintenance, school buses, etc.). Be ready to crank the music up, open the windows, throw an arm out into the sun, and enjoy the stunning beauty and warm air. 

1. Personally, I listened to a lot of the Traveling Wilbury’s, Tom Petty, The Grateful Dead, and Bonobo cruising around the island.

4. Ask locals where they’d recommend you eat. Some of my favorite stops around the island have been the result of asking a random person on a coffee farm or striking up a conversation in line with a local. UNSTRUCTURED TIME IS YOUR FRIEND. Seeing an interesting looking sign and pulling over for a cup of coffee or a chocolate sample or a cup of fresh fruit is magical.

5. Bring water shoes. Even the nicest beaches here have some lava rock, both around the edges and often on the ocean floor once you get ten or fifteen feet from the shore. If you want to hike, bring good hiking shoes with sturdy bottoms (bc, again, lava rock).

6. EAT ALL THE FISH. I’m not a particularly big fan of fish, but the amount of fresh ahi, ono, mahi mahi, etc. that I’ve eaten here could stun a small horse.

7. EAT ALL THE PINEAPPLES. For serious. Your call if you want to spend time hunting a $50 white pineapple, but I honestly will 100% do it again.

8. EAT ALL THE APPLE BANANAS. I really, legitimately thought this was a drop bear-type thing when my friend Robin first told me about them a decade ago. They’re real. They’re magical. And they’re good for you, particularly if you’re moving around and sweating a lot.

9. Practice your shaka, especially if you regularly wear any University of Oregon gear.

10. Costco is your friend in Hawaii. Forgot to bring flip-flops (aka slippers)? Costco. Gas? Costco. Bulk sunscreen? Costco. Booze? Costco. Groceries? Costco. Even pineapple? Costco. My friend Jim (general counsel at Costco) used to joke that if it wasn’t sold at Costco, he didn’t need it. He’s … not entirely wrong, especially here.

11. Prepare for almost every possible microclimate. In Olympia, I joke that if you don’t like the weather, wait fifteen minutes and it might change. Here, if I don’t like the weather I drive fifteen minutes in any direction and it WILL change.

1. Bring a light rain shell, and several pairs of shoes if you want to do any hiking (especially on the east side).

2. Especially if you’re staying outside of the major touristy areas, bring a change of warmer clothes. The house I’m in is at 1500 feet, and it gets pleasantly chilly overnight and in the early mornings, and I’m very glad that I brought a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt. 

12. Every region has its own personality and characteristics, and their own coffee and chocolate. TRY THEM ALL.

13. Budget more time in the Volcano Park than you think you’ll need. I spent a couple of full days there, and I still didn’t do everything I wanted to.

14. If you can afford it, take a sunset tour to the top of Mauna Kea, especially if you have even a passing interest in the night sky. [note: I would 100% not do this drive myself.]

Phil’s basic mainlander Hawaiian geography for visitors:

• Generally, east side is rainy and cooler, west side is dry and warmer. EXCEPT: elevation REALLY matters. This house is 1500 feet up from the beach (around 5 miles of driving), and I’d guess it’s consistently easily 15-20 degrees cooler up here than at the water. Particularly if you’re in the Kona coffee belt, the pretty consistent pattern is morning sun, afternoon clouds, evening rain (which is why around 6:00 most nights I’ve been running down the hill to the beach for spectacular sunsets). 

• West side seems generally more touristy, east side more locals (but there are plenty of locals on the west side, and tourists in Hilo).

• Roads: 

• The belt road (Hawaii 11, 19, and 190) is a circular road that circumnavigates the island, seems mostly to stick to around 1500-2000 feet in elevation. 

• The saddle road (Hawaii 20, aka the Daniel K. Inouye highway) crosses between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and connects the western and eastern sides of the island if you don’t want to drive all the way around. It’s … spectacular, going from high desert to moonscape to lush, green jungle. It’s also the highest-speed limit road on Hawaii. 

• My imperfect understanding of the regions:

• Kona coast: most of the western side of the island. Beautiful beaches, couple of cities, most of the resorts, and some of the most expensive coffee real estate in the world.

• Kailua-Kona: the biggest place on the west coast, 15-20 minutes south of the Kona airport. Couple of big resorts, lots of touristy stuff, Costco.

• Waikoloa: resort area and fabulous beaches, 15-20 minutes north of Kona airport. Fancy shops, some good food, and a couple of my favorite beaches on island.

• The Kona coffee belt: if you’re a coffee drinker, you should spend some time here wandering the farms.

• Kohala/Hamakua: the north end of the island. Spectacular vistas/lookouts and beaches, some smaller towns.

• Waimea: twenty minutes north-east of Waikoloa. Mid-sized town in old ranching area. Couple of good restaurants and a killer patissiere. 

• Hawi (pronounced Havi): little town north of Waimea, birthplace of Kamehameha. The Polulu lookout is just passed Hawi, and I’d suggest that the vista is almost as impressive as Waipi’o. The hike is only .6 miles down to the beach, but it’s also a HELL of a climb. I want to come back and do it next time. The mountain road from Waimea to Hawi is one of the prettiest drives I’ve ever done, and I’d recommend it to anyone who has the time.

• Waipi’o valley: one of the most spectacular views on the island. The road down to the valley is closed to non-locals at this point, though I do want to hike it the next time.

• The north Kohala coast is also an extraordinary place to watch the sunset, and I saw humpbacks off the coast both times I went up.

• Hilo: the northeast part of the island.

• Hilo: biggest city on the island, middle of the east coast. Has what I think of as the best farmers market on island, and some really great restaurants and fun activities/locations. Probably 90 minutes from the airport on the belt then saddle roads.

• Puna/Kau: the southern side of the island, home to Volcano National Park, the southernmost point of the United States (not counting territories), and some spectacular beaches. In particular, I’d recommend the southern point park, Punalu’u Bake Shop, Punalu’u Black Sand beach, and the Volcano Park. The drive around the south is also stunning, going from jungle on the eastern side to moonscape on the western side before turning back into the Kona cloud forests.

Biggest surprises:

• Holy hell LASIK is amazing. I didn’t know that people could see a humpback whale’s hump from or spume from shore. And it’s amazing to be in the ocean AND able to see. Turns out it really reduces my unreasoning terror of sharks to be able to see more than four feet while in the water. 

• I no longer float. Which is suuuuuper weird.

• I’d forgotten how much fun just driving can be. My last four cars have all been performance-ish cars, chasing a very particular (and evolving!) profile, but man this trip reminded me how much fun it can be to spend a day cruising around paradise in a solidly-built, perfectly capable car (shout out to Nissan’s Xterra!).

• When I’m well-rested and relaxed, I wake up waaaay earlier than I expect.

• I’m not particularly sensitive to caffeine anymore. One cup of coffee or seven shots of espresso, it all seems roughly the same. Intensely coffee ice cream right before bed? Meh. On a couple of my hiking days I got out early enough that I didn’t make coffee and didn’t realize it until mid-afternoon that I’d never actually caffeinated.

This is just a place to throw down some thoughts on the places I visit on my month-long stay on the Big Island.

Some notes on my scale:

• 10/10 Denalis: among the best I’ve ever had. I will plan entire days (or entire trips) around going to this place and doing the thing there. [very few things end up in this category.]
• 8-9/10 Denalis: really, really good, generally no notes, but not truly exceptional. These are places I will go if I’m nearby or traveling through.
• 6-7 Denalis: solid, but nothing to write home about. Would go back only if it were super convenient, or as an alternative if something better nearby is closed and I don’t have time/inclination to find another option.
• 4-5/10 Denalis: Just fine, or at least wildly inconsistent. I’d mostly avoid these places unless I’m desperate, or someone else really wants to go.
• 1-3/10 Denalis: I won’t write about these unless there’s a really compelling reason. Not here to yuck anyone else’s yum, unless there’s something that folks need to know before going to a place.

Restaurants:

• Willie’s Hot Chicken (Kona). This was recommended to me by three or four different people (one of whom lives here, and one of whom used to live here). First night here, I just wanted something familiar and easy so I decided to check it out. I’m a sucker for a good chicken waffle so I ordered a thigh/leg combo “Nashville hot.” It was really good, juicy, crispy chicken, and the waffle was nicely sweet especially combined with the honey butter. I wasn’t blown away by the heat, but a well-made dish all around. I also ordered a tender on the side for giggles, and ordered it “white hot.” The ‘tender’ was really good; it was an actual piece of chicken with a nice, minimal crust, but I was not impressed by the “white hot.” Tasty, but not particularly hot.  I’d imagine I’ll run down for a sandwich for lunch a couple more times while I’m here. 7/10 Denalis.

[Update: The lava hot chicken is actually hot; not prank hot, but pleasantly hot food hot. Highly recommend.]

Nashville hot leg/thigh combo & waffle, with extra tender (white hot)

• Ken’s House of Pancakes (Hilo). I didn’t realize that Paul’s Place Café in Hilo required reservations, so my day one breakfast ended up being here. I went in sort of expecting a local spin on IHOP, and that wasn’t ENTIRELY wrong. Fun local décor, nice space with a decent breeze, and a wall dedicated to local celebrities (including the Rock). I had the meat lover’s omelet with hashbrowns and buttermilk pancakes. The portion was … excessive, and the pancakes a little undercooked in the middle, but overall a great diner breakfast. I’d be curious to try out their macadamia nut pancakes, so I might stop by at some point this month when I’m over for the farmer’s market. 6/10 Denalis.

Meat-lover’s omelet w/crispy hashbrowns

• Keei Café (Kealakekua, north of Kona, en route to coffee farms): my first real dinner on the island this time around. Eclectic décor, super friendly staff, and a chef who came out to talk to a couple of groups of locals while I was there. I went for the catch of the day (choice of ahi or swordfish, I chose ahi), with a choice of four preparations (I chose the daily special sauce, which was a mango, butter, and white wine reduction). Probably the single best preparation of ahi I’ve ever had; it was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and came with a nice, mellow mashed potato, sauteed asparagus, and a lovely vegetable medley. I finished my meal with a bread pudding made with local sweet bread, pineapple, and bananas, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel and chocolate sauces. I’ll definitely be going back this trip. Based on how good this meal was, I’m excited to try one of their steaks or maybe another special (the other thing they had on special that night was a stuffed rabbit). For dinner, dessert, and a local beer, it ran me around $50. 9/10 Denalis. [This was pretty close to Mainini Beach; I had an hour to kill between finishing my coffee tasting and Keei Café opening, so I ducked down the hill to the “beach” and walked around.]

[Went back this week with friends and had another delightful meal; I had the massive ribeye in a pan sauce, and my dining companions had a tempura ahi appetizer (delicious!), a nice cippino, and the ahi dish I had last week.]

Ahi in a mango/butter/white white sauce

Bread pudding made with sweet bread, pineapple and bananas

• Chubby’s Diner (Kona). On my second morning, I tried to go to 808 Grindz for breakfast, only to find that they were closed. I googled breakfast in the area, and Chubby’s came up and it was nearby, so I decided to give it a shot. Turns out, it’s inside KBXtreme, a bowling alley/arcade/Dave & Busters-style entertainment center. I was … very confused, but saw a bunch of folks who looked like locals eating so I decided to give it a shot. It was a really quite nice diner-style breakfast. I ordered a portugese sausage omelet that came with sourdough toast and two scoops of char siu fried rice. The omelet was maybe a little too cheesy (and definitely way too much food), but the fried rice was REALLY good and perfectly paired with the eggs and cheese. I would definitely go back in a pinch, but it’s so close to 808 Grindz and that place is so good … and it’s a little disconcerting to eat breakfast while listening to a zombie blasting video game and people bowling. 6/10 Denalis. [This actually reminded me a lot of the bowling alley near my house in Olympia, which at least pre-pandemic had a weirdly good breakfast menu too. Maybe this is a thing I just don’t know about?]
• Waikaloa Shrimp Company (Waikaloa, in the shopping complex food court). I have very fond memories of garlic shrimp from the trucks on the North Shore of Oahu (thanks, Robin!) so when this popped up with good reviews on Google as I was leaving 49 Black Sands beach, I decided to give it a shot. The shrimp are good, large, and taste fresh, and the garlic butter sauce is really well seasoned. The shrimp are a little larger than I’m used to for this preparation, and I really needed to shell them before I could eat them which was a challenge given how hot they were. Served with sesame-seed rice and the best mac salad I’ve had recently for ~$22. 6/10 Denalis.

• 808 Grindz Café (Kona, a few blocks from main street). CASH ONLY. Perfect breakfast joint for me. French toast made with rainbow bread, three scrambled eggs, and three sausage links for $12. Just good grub. I ordered a side of their seasoned potatoes which were loaded with onions and green onions and I would 100% recommend to anyone. Also the guava juice; no idea if it just comes out of a jug but it was a delightful breakfast drink. 9/10 Denalis. [If I lived here, this would be one of my regular breakfast joints.] 

Went back and had the 808 Grindz Breakfast (meat-lovers omelet, three mini-pancakes with mac-nilla sauce, and starch side) and it was also fabulous. Maybe the best pancakes I’ve ever had, with super crusty edges, fluffy but fully cooked interior, and the MAC-NILLA SAUCE. IT’S MACADAMIA NUT AND VANILLA SAUCE. FOR SERIOUS.

[Update: I’ve been to this place five times in a month, and twice it was randomly closed on a day when it was supposed to be open. This is a super common thing in Hawaii, so just be aware and have a backup plan.] 

• Kona Coffee & Tea. Nice little coffee shop I’ve stopped in a couple of times. The coffee is nicely balanced and they have a variety of options. They’re not the most efficient coffee shop I’ve been in (today I ordered a cold brew because I figured it would be quick and easy, and the five people behind me all got their orders before they got around to adding ice and handing the cold brew to me, but everyone has a bad day from time to time). Also there was a nice, mellow golden retreiver hanging out on the patio waiting for her mom which was sweet. 7/10 Denalis for the coffee, plus a bonus Denali for the golden friend, so 8/10 Denalis.

[Update: the blended mocha is pretty damned delicious. It should be, it’s basically a coffee milkshake. The actual coffee milkshake is also really good, though I think I prefer the blended coffee drinks.]

• The Fish and the Hog (Waimea). A barbecue joint blasting country. I hadn’t really thought about the overlap between barbecue and Hawaiian food, honestly, but it kind of makes sense that this would be a great combination. After a 20-30 minute wait (for a late-ish lunch), we opted to order the fried Brussels sprouts appetizer, a barbecue combination platter (with bonus grilled shrimp) and the pulled pork nachos. The sprouts were exceptional; one of those dishes that you finish and fight an internal battle about ordering another one. The individual leaves that had fallen off into the fryer were particularly delicious. The combo platter was great: really nice pulled pork, delicious brisket (tender, moist, and with a flavorful crust even if the crust was soft by the time it was served), the house-made pork sausage had a delicious, porky and not too hot flavor, and the shrimp were nicely seasoned and cooked. It also came with a little, very nice, kimchi and pickled vegetables. The two sauces (lilikoi aka passionfruit, and paniolo barbecue) were both super tasty if not quite as hot as I might have liked it. The pulled pork nachos weren’t anything to write home about, but the pork was nice, the chips crispy, and more or less exactly what I expect from pulled pork nachos. On the way out I grabbed a slice of their coconut cake to go, and it was delicious; moist, light, and not TOO sweet. Service was really good, though they did forget our nachos for a few minutes so they came out after we’d finished almost everything else. Not unexpected, given how busy they were, and the waitstaff was charming. 9/10 Denalis. I’ll be back on this trip.
• 

  Delicious, delicious deep-fried Brussels’ sprouts.

  Combination platter FTW.

• Patissiere Nanako (Waimea). A nice little patissiere up in Waimea near The Fish & the Hog and the Crack Seed, Etc. store that was on a friend’s list. Really nice desserts, mostly like and not overly sweet. The cream cake was really good, the little tartlets quite nice (with the short crust on the passionfruit tart really exceptional), and the strawberry shortcake a little bland but well-made. The flavor on the madeleines was nice, but I’m guessing they’d been sitting a couple of days based on the texture/dryness. The cream pan (sweet bread stuffed with creme patissiere) was nicely done, just not my favorite dessert. Overall I’d give them 7/10 Denalis, and I’ll update after I try the raspberry ladybug cake tonight.
• Cafe Florian (Kealakekua). Nice little sandwich shop on the way back from the major coffee area. Went in because apparently Wednesdays are the days the Coffee Shack is closed. Pretty good breakfast sandwiches (I had the breakfat panini with bacon instead of ham), with a good garlic aioli, spinach or lettuce, and a nicely fried egg. Food isn’t anything super special, but the view is killer and the iced mac nut mocha really good. 6/10 Denalis. 
• Paul’s Place Cafe (Hilo). Paul’s Place Cafe gets rave reviews all over the internet, but it only has three tables and reservations are strictly required. It’s also in Hilo, so getting over for breakfast isn’t trivial coming from Kona. I walked in on my first day here and got a card so I could get a reservation. When I sat down Paul came over and walked me through the menu (because in his words, nothing is done the regular way. Every item is special in its own way). It all sounded (and smelled) delicious, but he told me (and the next few tables) that his favorite dish to cook is Pasta al Marco. When a chef tells you their favorite dish … you order it. It’s a nest of angel’s hair pasta, tossed with an egg for cohesion sautéed in olive oil until it develops a crust and turns into a pasta patty, served over a nut-free pesto and topped with crispy bacon, two kinds of cheese, a little salmon, olives, capers, and a salad. It … shouldn’t work. It really shouldn’t. It totally does anyway. Spectacularly weird, and just plain spectacular. I also have to go back for the Belgium waffle; it smelled so. damned. good. 10/10 Denalis, absolutely no notes. 

Literally three tables, any two of which could probably be a 3-top if needed.

This shouldn’t work, but instead is spectacular.

Isn’t this WEIRD? But so delicious.

• Puna Chocolate Co. (Hilo). I got to Hilo thirty minutes early for my breakfast at Paul’s, so I decided to walk over here for a cup of coffee while I waited. It’s a chocolate shop, so you get your choice of three or four different kinds of mochas. I opted for a rich dark mocha, which was excellent, and while I drank it I chatted with the staff about their chocolate selections. In particular, their collection of dark single-origin region chocolates caught my eye, and they let me know they do a flight of six of those chocolates. I ran out of time to try them before my breakfast reservation, so I went back after eating to do the tasting. I had wondered how much regional variation there could be on one island … which turns out to be kind of a dumb question. The answer is a lot. If you’ve got time in Hilo, try it. Some of the chocolates are theirs, and some are sourced from other small chocolate producers on the big island. All of them were good, but I definitely figured out which ones I liked the most (Hamakua and Kau). I also had a frozen hot chocolate to drink on my way up to Volcano National Park, and it was really good and surprisingly fruity/maybe a hint malty. A strong 8/10 Denalis experience. 
• Peaberry & Galette (Keauhou). This is a delightful spot in a strip mall near one of the resorts (there’s also a decent farmers’ market there on Saturdays, at least). I had a sausage and asparagus crepe, which was well made and tasty (even if a little heavy on bell peppers). The crepes are delicious and fluffy, and it’s fun to watch a pro use the crepe spreader. I’m sure I’ll go back. Seating is limited though, so either hang out and wait for a seat before ordering, or be prepared to eat standing or in your car. 7/10 Denalis.

Sausage and asparagus crepe

Nice little shop. Order at the counter and hope for an open table!

• Broke da Mouth Grindz (Kona). This one gets recommended by everyone and their brother, and was a particular shout out by my friend Chris. Everyone recommends the garlic furikake chicken, so I ordere a mixed plate of spicy garlic furikake chicken and braised shortribs. I upgraded to adobo pork fried rice, but they forgot and gave me regular white rice. The wait here is appartenlty always long, and it took almost 45 minutes from when I ordered to when I got my food … but I honestly didn’t care. That’s how good it was. The chicken was crispy and flavorful and damned near perfect, the short ribs were fall-apart delicious and perfectly seasoned, and even the rice was perfectly cooked. The chicken skin had been fried separetly and was crispy like a cracker. 9/10 Denalis, will go back next time I’m here (I’ll just go earlier, so I can get food in time to go watch the sunset at Wawaloli Beach Park).

• Hawaiian Style Cafe (Hilo). The classic Hilo breakfast, apparently. I didn’t have much of a wait, but I was pretty early in the morning. I went with the classing Kalua hash, which is basically a patty of mixed mashed potatoes and kalua pork. It’s amazingly smoky and really, really good. The hashbrowns weren’t amazing, the eggs were fine, and the pancake was ENORMOUS and a little cludgey in the middle, but a throwback to the days when I used to use Country Crock on pancakes. 6/10 Denalis, would take people here who haven’t been, but I think I prefered the food at Ken’s House of Pancakes (and I definitely prefer Paul’s Place if you can get a reservation).

• Lava Lava Beach Club (Waikoloa). My rule when I travel solo is that I have one nice dinner out, where I mostly try to stay off my phone and do some quality people watching. This was my choice for this trip, on the strength of recommendations from a couple of friends including my boss. This restauarant is in a stellar location next to the resorts, and the people watching was excellent. I started with a Sandy Toes cocktail (swapped gin for bourbon at the recommendation of the bartender); had their fresh catch special, mahi mahi in a delicious spicy passionfruit sauce; the finished with a kona mocha cheesecake paried with a sage mojito for dessert. The mahi was perfectly cooked, the sauce actually spicy, and the cheesecake had a strong but not overwhelming coffee flavor. Genuinely excellent meal with a spectacular sunset view. Seems like a lot of people had pretty long waits, but one advantage of dining solo is there’s often a bar or rail spot available for one. Fun live music and hula dancing, too. 9/10 Denalis.

Sandy Toes, subbing bourbon for gin

Fresh mahi mahi in a spicy mango and passionfruit sauce

Mojito. They were out of mint so subbed sage. Really nice; will make at home

Sunset is the perfect time to eat here.

Really nice kona mocha cheesecake

• Huggo’s (Kona). This restaurant is literally on the rocks on the shore, and my table was located on pylons over the crashing waves. It was pretty amazing, but did require a wait of almost an hour (when they thought it would be 25 minutes). I ended up having a delicious passionfruit and vodka cocktail (with fresh pineapple juice), then their signature Hook, Line, and Sinker; in this case, fresh seared ono (wahoo) with an ube beurre blanc and sautéed asparagus. The dinner was really, really good, the cocktail perfectly balanced, and the views were epic (pretty sure there was a dolphin out playing in the bay while I ate). 9/10 Denalis, would recommend, particularly if you’re staying in one of the resorts in Kailua-Kona. This appears to be owned by the same person as the Lava Lava Beach Club, and there’s a (slightly downscale?) version of Huggo’s directly adjacent to this one that looks like more normal bar fare instead of more fine-dining.

• Original Big Island Shave Ice Company (OBISIC) (Waikoloa). This apparently used to be a food truck, but has since relocated to the schmancy King’s Shops in Waikoloa. Their signature is a scoop of super premium ice cream covered with shave ice, syrup, and then toppings. It’s also easily a 60-90 minute wait, half of which will be outside in the sun. I started setting limits on how long I would wait, and then kept seeing people walking out with magical-looking desserts and kept extending how long I was willing to give it, and then at some point I was pretty much pot-committed. And honestly … it was 100% worth it. Recommend going with a friend so you can trade off in line and send someone to get sustenance at some point (like the family in front of me), but it’s really, really good. I went with the Mana’s Chantilly which is a scoop of mac nut icecream, shave ice with condensed milk, chocolate syrup, a Chantilly drizzle, whipped cream, and crushed mac nuts. 10/10 Denalis, hit the spot perfectly after a day running around and then body surfing.

Mana’s Chantilly

The line that never ends

The specialities

• Foster’s Kitchen (Waikoloa, also a location in Kona on the water). Nice little spot for sandwiches in the King’s Shop. Stopped by after golfing because the clubhouse restaurant had closed. I had a great barbecue sauce and pulled pork cheeseburger. The host was also a fellow Duck from Parkedale, which always cracks me up. 7/10 Denalis; they had a couple of other burgers that I’d definitely go back to try.
• Fish Hopper (Kona). Basic breakfast joint near the resorts in Kailua-Kona. Decent breakfast, great view. Particularly recommend the breakfast potatoes cooked with onions and peppers; I’m a sucker for a good breakfast potato and this was an excellent example. 6/10 Denalis.
• Island Lava Java (Kona). Another basic breakfast joint near the resorts in Kailua-Kona. Similar to the Fish Hopper, decent breakfast with a great view. The espresso machine was broken when I was in, but the cold brew was good, and the kalua pork and pineapple scramble was pretty good. 6/10 Denalis.

A nice pork & pineapple scramble

Attractions

• Hala Tree Coffee. This is a bit of a drive from Kona, but to me totally worth it. It’s a lovely, working coffee farm and roaster. I didn’t know when the tours were (I was just wandering around that part of the island) so I didn’t get to experience that, though I think I’ll go back for it. I did get to do a coffee tasting where I got to pick three of their eight or ten options and get a half mini-french press of each to experience sitting in their lovely environs. The young woman behind the counter was incredibly knowledgeable about coffee in general and their offerings, specifically, and helped me figure out which of the offerings I wanted to try.  All of the coffees I tried were exceptional, and I ended up getting their espresso roasted SL28 varietal. It was … VERY expensive but I’ve really been enjoying making espresso with it the last couple of mornings. OH, and they have five farm dogs (aka the welcoming committee), none of which I stole while I was there. Personal growth! 8/10 Denalis. I’ll definitely go back for the tour, and probably to buy some more coffee in a couple of weeks to tide me through the rest of my stay.

Hard to argue with the view. The was a lovely seating area, but it was occupied while I was there.

This is a “half-flight” of coffees.

[Update: Went back today with friends to do the actual tour as well as additional tasting. The tour was not as long or complex as the one at Heavenly, and Sally, the guide, was only in her second month of workstay so hadn’t yet accumulated the range of knowledge as the other tour guide, but she was charming and reasonably knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her subject. Also got more detail about the different types of coffee they make. In particular, the “natural” coffees are made by drying out the coffee inside the coffee cherry and then dry-milling and roasting (as opposed to most coffee, where it’s wet-milled, washed, dried, roasted), and it adds a really interesting note that Robin described as “funk, not in a bad way.” Overall, I think the tour at Heavenly is better, but both the coffee and the tasting experience are better at Hala (and it was recommended by a couple of other coffee businesses in the area that I asked).
The five dogs (the welcoming committee) were much more awake an active this morning than last week, but are a little nervous and skittish and mostly not much interested in associating with or being pet by guests. They are very cute, and were very barky as we parked (though they were wagging their tails the whole time; they’re not aggressive or angry.]

• Mainini Beach. Really lovely little bay, but no sand and no easy water access. It looked like there may have been a better way to access it or some kind of local park, but honestly all of the property owners around it have their property so heavily marked that I was a little reluctant to do much wandering right around sunset. 4/10 Denalis.

The walk down to Manini

It’s quite a view

• 49 Black Sands Beach. Close your eyes and picture a idealized black sand beach; congratulations, you’ve pictured 49 Black Sands Beach! Semi-private, adjacent to some really nice houses and what looked like either a private community center or maybe part of a resort? They have a small number of parking passes available for the public, so you need to drive to the gate and see if they have any available. It’s a beautiful black sand beach with limited traffic; at least on the day I was there, there were maybe 20 people at any given time. Limited shade so if you’re going to spend the day there I’d think about bringing some. The sand in the water is also a bit rocky and the surf a little rough; probably not a great place for small kiddos, and I’d 100% wear water shoes rather than going barefoot. I was also there on an absolutely whippingly windy day, and it felt a little like standing in a sand blaster (and my ears, hair, etc. were all full of sand by the time I left), but it’s absolutely worth it and I think I’ll go back several times. 9/10 Denalis, with an option to upgrade to a 10/10 at some point.

[Update 3/16/24: went back today for the “brew your best cup” class ($60, three times daily, online reservations recommended). Today it was led by the manager of the coffee shop on-site. The class is taught at the little work area under cover next to the roaster. The roaster wasn’t operating today, but I’m going to guess if you do the class on a roasting day you get to appreciate a lot of roasting coffee smells. As part of the class, the instructor walks you through the entire coffee making process from bean selection to drinking, and you get to make both a mini-french press and a V60 pour over cup of the coffee of the day. Today, it was a medium roast big berry coffee which was really quite nice. 

I’ve done a lot of “research” (aka reading) on making good quality pour-over ever since I caught the Chemex bug in 2021 or 2022, so most of the class was a good confirmation about the things I’ve already been doing, but I did learn a few things: 1) I’ve been using water that’s a little too hot for the darker roasts I tend to favor, 2) darker roasts tend to burn away some of the coffee complexity and flavor (a confirmation of something we heard from Liz last week), 3) I’m grinding a little too fine for pour-over, 4) I should give the beans a quick spritz before grinding (both to cut down on static and apparently also to increase flavor development?!?!), and 5) I definitely prefer pour-over to french press, a nice confirmation.

Also Charlie doesn’t work Saturdays. If you can, visit on a non-Saturday.]

Charlie the coffee dog.

Rick, the midwestern tour guide, telling us about coffee varietals

Robin, smelling the coffee flowers (aka Kona snow)

Drying sheds

Liz, the roaster

More Charlie the coffee dog

The “brew your best cup” class instructor, the manager of the on-site coffee shop

The deets!

Coffee carnage, and the pour over coffee

Forgot to get the shot facing the opposite direction, but the roaster is to the left, and the pool & tables are behind the camera.

• Hilo Farmer’s Market (Hilo). Go to this, but bring cash. Big market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays, which means a lot more crafts and local goods, as well as a third row of foodstuffs in the produce market (mostly appeared to be prepared foods like baked goods and mac nuts/granola/etc.). The tents on the south side of the street (next to the open-air restaraunt/shaved ice place) are mostly goods and crafts (ranging from hand made to regularly touristy stuff), and at least the first day I was there, pretty good hand-crafted coffee and cold brew. The large covered space on the north side of the street was the produce market. Great fruit and veggies, good looking baked goods, a stand selling a variety of macademia nuts and granolas (the granola isn’t super crisp, but the flavor is nice, and the chili macademia nuts are EXCELLENT). I spent $100 here before I realized it, but got to try a handful of fruits I’d never heard of or tried before (ice cream bean, longan, rambutan, milky fruit/star apple), as well as some of my favorites (pineapple, apple banana, etc.). No fish or meat at this market, unfortunately, and not a lot of prepared food for meals except for the permanent building. Next time I want to try one of the fresh fruit juice stands. 10/10 Denalis, exactly what I want from a Hawaiian farmers’ market, and I’ll be driving over to Hilo more to get more fruit.
• Volcano National Park. I mean, there’s not a lot to say here. It’s an amazing, starkly beautiful place that you’ll either love (in which case you’ll already know everything about it) or isn’t for you (in which case I’m not going to change your mind). So far I’ve just done the Kīlauea Iki crater hike (4 miles) and then the Nāhuku (formerly Thurston) lava tube (.5 miles round trip from that parking lot). I plan on going back at least a couple of times, though hopefully not in the middle of a heavy downpour and maybe even on a day when you see across the caldera. It’s changed a lot since I was there in 2015, but I couldn’t really see enough to tell that without looking at the exhibits. Went to a great talk at Uēkahuna about the history of eruptions in the caldera. 10/10 Denalis; this is one of the most spectacular natural environments I’ve ever been able to explore, and I’m delighted that it’s a national park open to everyone.

Retired mining engineer volunteer giving a talk about the park.

So many hikes.

Kīlauea Iki crater.

Hiking out of the crater.

Entrance to Nāhuku, a lava tube.

• Kona Farmer’s Market (Kailua-Kona). This farmer’s market is in one of the (paid) “public” parking lots in Kailua-Kona. It’s $15/hour for parking, so I’d recommend either making it quick (it’s not easy to do, but you can actually just pay for 15 minutes of parking) or try to find actual public parking on the street or in the city lot a few blocks away. The selection was … fine. It’s not as big or extensive as the Hilo market, and it seems to primarily focus on knick-knacks and touristy goods/clothing rather than fruits/produce, though there are two pretty good-sized produce stands anchoring either side of the market. Prices seem pretty comparable ($6 for a pineapple, $2 for a bundle of green onions, etc.). I will continue to go over to Hilo for most of my big produce runs, but it’s nice to know it’s there if I’m desperate for some fruit. 6/10 Denalis.

• Keauhou Farmer’s Market. This market is in the parking lot of a shopping center and happens to be right across the lot from Peaberry & Galette. It’s much smaller than either Kona or Hilo’s farmers’ markets, and seems to focus more on prepared foods than prodcue or touristy goods. The chocolate guy had some samples and I liked his chocolates, and there are a few things that I would have tried if I’d not just finished breakfast. I’ll probably go back at some point, especially if I’m going back to P&G or visiting the movie theater next door. 6/10 Denalis.