As autumn approaches on the Big Island, the lull in volcanic activity and the return of clear skies and fresh air has breathed new life and vibrancy into our community. We are looking forward to the upcoming season to recharge and enjoy time with each other here on the island before the busy season begins anew after the holidays. Winter in Hawaii is the perfect time to come stay with us at our Big Island bed and breakfast for a tropical vacation and experience the island like the locals do, when things move slow, the crowds are gone, and everyone is cruising.
The upcoming Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is one of our favorite events of the year. Set in between the madness of the Ironman World Championship in early October and the busy tourist week around Thanksgiving, this festival is a celebration for locals in honor of our most iconic export and the people who work so hard to grow it. The Festival takes place over ten days in November, from the 9th to the 18th, and features Kona Coffee and local arts-based events each day. This year’s festival also includes the Holualoa Village Coffee and Arts Stroll on a special date, November 3rd, since it warrants a whole day to itself. The Stroll is ultra-local; all of Holualoa Village’s artists open their galleries for public viewing and talk story, Kona Coffee growers and roasters sample their products in competition for the title of Best Kona Coffee, and Kona-based food vendors set up shop along Main Street and serve up their delicious offerings. It is a great place to spend a full day walking, eating, chatting, and getting way over-caffeinated. Best of all, the Stroll takes place right at the top of our driveway, which means you won’t have to deal with the madness of trying to find parking when you stay at the Inn. All of the events the following week are also within easy access of the estate, so you can visit any that interest you and return to the Inn at your leisure.
Hawaii in December marks the unofficial beginning 
of our whale-watching season. Much like all of our “snowbirds” who come to visit from the mainland each year, Pacific Humpback whales migrate from their summer feeding grounds near the arctic each year to the Hawaiian Islands over wintertime. And while it is true that the peak of whale-watching season does not begin until January, or even February some years, the first arrivals start to show in early December.
If you take the opportunity to visit at the beginning of winter in Hawaii, during the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can whale watch like the locals do: waiting, scanning the skyline, and turning toward every whitecap on the horizon in anticipation of seeing one of the behemoth Humpbacks breaching against the blue sky. It is a great time to take a day to drive around the island and search out signs of the first whales, such as spouts, tail slaps, or large groups of people gathered at scenic points staring out at the ocean. Alternatively, you can take a whale-watching tour and let one of the expert crews seek out the early whales for you, or just lounge on one of our ocean-view lanais here at the Inn and scan the horizon from the comfort of a chaise lounge. Although this time of year is not quite as spectacular as the later winter in terms of whale watching activity, there is something intoxicating about the building anticipation and the reward of witnessing one of the first Humpback breaches of the winter season. Read our previous blogs to learn more about Humpback Whale Migration and Whale Watching in Hawaii.
So come stay like a local this Fall for a Big Island vacation, let us welcome you home and treat you like ohana. We look forward to seeing you soon…
Aloha!
