Family Room to Roam

Ahh, Hawaii. Wide sandy beaches, clear blue water, the sound of gentle waves rolling in, a soft tropical breeze rustling through the windows of your . . . motor home?

My husband, John, and I are avid campers, and the addition of a baby didn’t change that. Gordon was 3 last fall, a good age, we decided, for a vacation in Hawaii.

Yes, this was our choice for our first visit as a family to Hawaii.

After we saw an advertisement in an RV club newsletter, the decision to camp on the Big Island was easy; it’s where Island RV is, and it’s easy to get around the less-visited island. There’s a lot to see--various kinds of beaches, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and other natural wonders--and overnight RV parking is allowed in the county beach parks.

Island RV--the only rental outfit on the island--would throw in a free night in a gorgeous resort hotel to round out the week, so we’d get a taste of the Hawaii most vacationers choose. The price: $1,495, which may seem steep, but only until you consider that $200 a day would cover lodging, “wheels” and most meals for the whole family.

Four weeks later, we were driving an almost-new 22-foot Tioga out of the lot in Kailua-Kona. The rig had an oven, stove, microwave and refrigerator, a barbecue grill and outdoor chairs and table, a dinette and a couch, both of which could be reassembled into double beds, and a large bed over the driver’s compartment. To complete our creature comforts, the bathroom had a small but efficient shower. There was even an outdoor shower, a hand-held spray mounted on the exterior of the coach, which we found handy for rinsing off sand and salt water after our frequent ocean swims.

Our first stop was a supermarket. We had been warned about the high price of groceries in Hawaii, but it took some fortitude to pay $5.32 for a gallon of milk. Still, this is one of the great attractions of motor home travel when you have a young child: familiar food, on hand when the mood strikes. As a practical matter, there are precious few places to buy meals on the road on the Big Island.

We took a counterclockwise route, starting on Hawaii 11 south from Kailua, 45 miles to the legendary Green Sand Beach at the island’s southernmost point. Yes, the sand really is green, colored by olivine, a mineral deposited by a volcanic eruption. We had to walk for 30 minutes across ancient lava flows and sandy roads to see the green sand, and Gordon got to ride “home” in Daddy’s backpack.

We had planned to spend our first night at Whittington Park, about 15 miles beyond. We found some locals sitting around a picnic table drinking while their children ran wild in the darkening park, so we kept going a few miles down the road to Punaluu Black Sand Beach. The first sight that greeted us there was a group of children doing their homework under the bare lightbulb of one of the park’s picnic kiosks. That experience taught us to arrive at our subsequent camping destinations while there was enough daylight to inspect the site.

Parking spots were not marked, and in most of the parks we could pull up right to the edge of the sand. The parks are patrolled, and all have restrooms and covered picnic areas. Trees were abundant, offering shade for lazy afternoon siestas. We found ourselves alone most nights, feeling as if we had a tropical paradise all to ourselves.

Snugly parked at Punaluu, we fell asleep to the sound of waves rolling across the rough black sand. In the morning, as we walked along the shore, we happened upon a green sea turtle basking on the beach. Sensing our approach, the turtle lumbered to its feet and crawled slowly to the sea. Our son danced behind, delighted to have an animal to inspect at his own pace and at such close range.

Ahead was the prime destination of our trip, the island’s literal hot spot, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The gradual ascent of 4,000 feet from the coast spanned 25 miles, an easy drive, allowing us plenty of time for exploring.

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes, and two are still active: the Big Island’s Mauna Loa and Kilauea, the latter being the main attraction in the park. At the Kilauea Visitor Center, we learned that just two weeks earlier, the volcano goddess, Madame Pele, had turned off the fiery faucet that had been belching lava from a vent on the side of the volcano for 15 years.

Even with the absence of surface lava flows, the park has amazing sites. Most of the action on Kilauea has been in its caldera, the five-mile-wide crater at the summit, where bubbling hot pots of mud and vents of sulfuric steam are evidence of geothermal activity just below the surface. We saw a handful of people walking in the caldera, picking their way gingerly on a marked path, as we circled in comfort on the 11-mile circuit of Crater Rim Road.

It was late in the afternoon when we turned onto Chain of Craters Road, which goes 20 miles down to the sea, ending abruptly where old lava flows have covered the once-through road. The route is laced with interesting turnouts, viewpoints and short hikes. At the bottom we stopped for a 15-minute hike along the Puu Loa Petroglyph Trail, where hundreds of ancient rock carvings are on display.

Curious to see the lava glowing below the surface around Kilauea’s vent after dark, we chose to make the most of our on-board conveniences, parking at the end of the road and preparing our dinner while waiting for the sun to set. Our diligence paid off in views of the soft orange glow of lava reflecting off clouds of steam above the vent six miles uphill from where we stood.

Back up Chain of Craters Road, just outside the park entrance, we found a spot in the island’s only true campground, as measured by mainland standards. It had marked campsites with fire pits, and showers could be had by renting a key at the Volcano House, the park’s small hotel-restaurant complex. A couple of the primitive rental cabins were occupied, and there were tents scattered around the campground, but we had the only RV. More than one person we spoke to in the park that day lamented the long drive back to their hotels.

After another day exploring the park, we were ready for the ocean. Isaac Hale Beach Park, close to the island’s eastern point, was a gem. Nestled in a grove of palm trees, the small cove with big waves is home to a few local surfers and the very occasional visitor. We were welcomed by the surfers, who rearranged their vehicles so we could position our rig for prime viewing of the waves. The surfers continued with their sport until the last speck of light disappeared, and they returned at the crack of dawn, trying to spend as much time as possible meeting with the waves before heading to work.

Before setting off on our journey, we were cautioned that in some of Hawaii’s less-visited parks, the locals are not always kind to outsiders. We didn’t find that to be the case on the Big Island. Most of the people we met were eager to have a look into our moving house, with its ingeniously arranged camping comforts.

One man we met at Isaac Hale had moved from the mainland 20 years ago. He was a chiropractor with a practice on Kauai, and he commuted several times a week, returning to his enclave in paradise to surf with his young son.

As we grilled steaks for dinner, the aroma caught the attention of some surfers, who gave us a hang-loose approval for touring the island the “right way.”

A few miles in from Isaac Hale is the volcanically heated Ahalanui pool, a treasure that tourists rarely visit. It offered an opportunity for our little boy to try out his new snorkel gear in a calm but fascinating setting. During high tides, the ocean spills over a low rock wall into the pool, keeping the water fresh and teeming with life usually found in tide pools.

Refreshed and relaxed, we drove into Hilo long enough to restock our groceries.

As we wound our way up the island’s eastern shore, we tried bodyboarding at Honolii Beach Park, we hiked through a rain forest to view the stunning Akaka Falls, and we camped at Laupahoehoe Point Park. Gordon was thrilled when a fisherman rigged a stick with some line and a hook for him, and off he went, hand in hand with his dad, for his first fishing expedition from the dock.

Travelers we met along the way told us of the beauty of the Waipio Valley, on the island’s north shore. But we also heard that the valley is barely accessible by passenger car, so we knew the RV would not make the drive.

The highway, Hawaii 19, leaves the shore halfway along the coast, blocked by Kohala Mountain, and turns inland. It’s a 24-mile detour back to the beach, half of it on Kohala Mountain Road, which is not for the fainthearted driver. The road crests at 3,564 feet, and, since it’s only five miles from the shoreline, the view, not to mention the drop-off, is spectacular.

That night found us at Keokea Beach Park. There, in the twilight, Gordon pulled out his fishing line and bait and was quickly rewarded with his first-ever catch: a black eel. Thrilled, he posed for pictures, then offered the eel to nearby fishermen to use as bait.

We spent the last two days of our road trip visiting the white sand beaches that stretch down the western coast of the island. Our little one caught on quickly to snorkeling; by his third time out, we simply strapped him into his life jacket, secured his equipment on his face and watched as he trotted off to the water and plopped right in. He also learned to pronounce the name of Hawaii’s state fish, humuhumunukunukuapuaa, a feat even for an adult.

The motor home rental included a last-night treat: an ocean-view room at the Royal Kona Resort on Kailua Bay. That evening, the luau at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel gave us time to reflect on our dream vacation. Happy as we were to have a shower to luxuriate in, and a great big bed, and dinner lavishly prepared for us, we agreed that the motor home was best for becoming acquainted with the charms of the Big Island.

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GUIDEBOOK

Big Island by RV

Getting there: United and TWA fly nonstop to Kona from Los Angeles; Hawaiian Airlines has direct (one stop) service. Restricted round-trip fares start at $738.

Where to rent: Island RV, 75-5785 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740; telephone (800) 406-4555, fax (808) 327-9495, Internet https://www.islandrv.com. It’s the only RV renter on the island and has only four rigs, so reservations far in advance are essential.

Cost: $1,495, including airport transfers, insurance, county park fee and six nights’ rental, plus one night in the Royal Kona Resort (maximum four people).

Island RV also rents camping gear ($150 per week for two campers), bikes, kayaks.

Where to eat: King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, Kailua-Kona; local tel. 329-2911. Luau Tuesdays through Thursdays, also Sundays; $54 per adult, $20 ages 6-12. Reservations advised.

Volcano House, a 42-room hotel and restaurant in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; tel. 967-7321.

For more information: Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, 2270 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 801, Honolulu, HI 96815; tel. (800) GO-HAWAII, fax (808) 922-8991, Internet https://www.gohawaii.com.