Swimming with Dolphins Swim with dolphins for free at Captain Cook Monument. Every day around 6:30am or 6:45am a school of spinner nose dolphins swim to the shore. This was the most exciting thing we did. Tiffany was able to video dolphins swimming under water as well as jumping through the air. Be sure to bring goggles and flippers and if possible a waterproof camera. I purchased a pair of flippers from Walmart for $15. Some people swim out to the monument, but it was a bit more arduous than we anticipated.
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Volcano National Park Drive around the park and see old volcanos. There are trails that travel through lava tunnels (caves). Make sure to drive all the way down to the ocean to see where recent lava flowed over the road and to see the beautiful coast. If you have time, one of the trails travels down to the bottom of an old volcano. Several companies offer helicopter tours if you want to see current lava flow. On the way home from the park we stopped at a black sand beach with turtles that are accessible from your car.
Punalu’u Black Sand Beach
Waterfalls in Hilo There are several waterfalls on the Hilo side (2 hr drive northeast of Kona) where it is rainy and very green. Several waterfalls are viewable from your car, while others require a short hike.
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens in Hilo This was probably the second most exciting thing we did. It is a trail through a 17 acre garden of flowers from all over the world. There is a hidden waterfall and a section dedicated to orchids around the globe. A couple purchased the ocean front land in 1977 and transformed it into a garden oasis. It is breathtaking!
Green Sand Beach and South Point The green sand beach is one of only 4 green sand beaches in the world. It gets its green color from the mineral olivine. It requires a brief but laborious 2 mile hike in desert like conditions, so bring water (I recommended 1 liter per person). For a small fee you can hire a local or if you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle you can drive yourself. South point is the southern most point in the US. There are several spots to jump off cliffs into the water. Be sure to bring water and towels to rinse off as there are no restrooms or showers.
Secret Pond It is a small pond located on the property of Mauna Lani Hotel. It requires a short hike on paved trails. It was very peaceful walking around the property with the plethora of ponds and rainforest like scenery.
Lava Java Great food all day. Pastries, sandwiches, omelets, coffee, and several other options. A must for Kona participants. You'll see several pros there. Just be prepared to wait in line. Post race, we enjoyed a gigantic sticky bun for breakfast while soaking up the ocean views.
Waipio Valley This was Tiffany's favorite spot and an amazing experience. In order to get to the Valley floor we had to walk a mile down the steepest road in the US (4WD needed if driving). Thankfully once in the valley everything was flat. For a small fee, there was a horse drawn carriage tour of the valley. In some spots the road was covered by knee high water. We searched deep into the valley for the waterfall, but ran out of time. Susan waited over 3 hr in the car for us. The black sand beach and mountains were stunning. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest.
If you look in the distance you can see a diagonal line in the mountain
across the valley. That is the path (the only path) in and out
of Waipio Valley. And yes that is the path we took into and
out of the valley.
Greenfield's Coffee Plantation Learn how coffee is grown and prepared. Enjoy free samples of their most popular coffees. I was truly impressed to hear that they still have their original plants that they use to start new coffee trees. We learned that the berry, surrounding the coffee beans, contains high amounts of antioxidants. Our guide informed us that many of their long time employees have sun dried facial features, but their hands look like teenagers. 
Mauna Kea This volcano is the highest point on the island. Measured from it's underwater base, it is twice the height of Mt Everest (base to peak). It is home to some of the best/ most expensive telescopes in the world as well as the highest lake in the US. Lake Waiau is a sacred area where natives place the umbilical cord of newborns to bless their children. Be sure to bring gloves and a wool hat. It gets cold at 14,000 feet. It can also be difficult to breath. Tiffany could only walk 10 feet before she needed to sit down. It was hilarious and I still laugh remembering it.
Underpants Run On Thursday before the race is a charity run through downtown Kona. Participants dress up in their favorite underwear and run/walk 1.5 miles around town. The event began several years ago as a fun natured ribbing of the German athletes who walked around town in their speedos. Tiffany, Susan (Tiff's mom), Joe (my dad) and I had a blast. Tiffany wore fancy lingerie and I wore Batman underwear with compression socks. One of our favorite costumes was a little kid dressed up alongside several adults wearing a headband and loincloth with the Japanese flag. At the end of the short run, we did group calisthenics led by Greg Welch and Mike Reilly. Next time, I think I will go with the classic tighty whites.Lodging Vacation rentals by owner is what we use to find a place to stay. We rented a 4 bedroom house just south of town. It was very reasonable and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset every night on the back porch. The Sheraton Hotel is also south of town and seemed like a good spot. I believe Crowie often stays there. Mauna Lani Hotel is north Kona and usually has availability late in the season. Most of the places downtown seemed to sellout fast. It's pretty loud and busy downtown, which may or may not be appealing.
Transportation I would recommend renting a 4 wheel drive vehicle if you plan to do sight seeing, but it is not necessary. We rented a van and got around find. However, several sights are off the beaten path so we were forced to walk on many occasions.
Racing Enjoy yourself. You've worked hard to get to Kona. Race morning was crowded with athletes and spectators. You'll see several pros as you get body marked and go through transition. I happened to be near the steps to the beach as they were announcing the pros one by one. It was really cool being that close to these amazing athletes. I would take your time entering the water and line up to the far left when starting the swim. I lined up on the right and got pummeled for an entire hour. The bike is a draft fest so relax and prepare for the wind and gradual hills after Hawi. As you near Hawi, you will start to see the pros coming back. It was like having a backstage VIP pass for the event. FYI, Kona is notorious for losing special needs bags on the bike. It happened to me and really disrupted my race. Have a back up plan or avoid it altogether. When you get to the run, go out easy and enjoy the crowds. If you're feeling good at the energy lab, turn it on. The majority of athletes are going to blow up. They're not used to swimming and riding with so many other fast athletes. Pace yourself and you will pass a lot of people. Note that the special needs bags on the run are not until mile 18 or so in the energy lab.
Spectating Arrive early and park in or near Walmart to avoid getting trapped during the race, if you want to see your participant in other places. Driving to Hawi may take too long unless you know exactly what you are doing, but going to Mauna Lani Hotel is manageable. From there you can see pros and your loved ones and still get back for the run. Palani Hill is a central spot where athletes pass multiple time on there way out to Ali, then as they head out to the Queen K. Tiffany and Susan drove all over the course supporting me. Every time I saw them it lifted my spirits. Also I recommend purchasing tickets in advance to the awards ceremony. It was set as a luau with several entertainers performing traditional dances. I really enjoyed the Hawaiian men juggle torches of fire. A female musician played the ukulele with such speed that it made my fingers twitch.
All in all it was a wonderful experience with memories to last a lifetime!
This story is dedicated to the pink flip flops that Tiffany wore during the trip. They endured many difficult, arguably inappropriate walks, but did not survive the trip. I believe it was the walk through Waipio Valley that did them in.
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