Kristine D.'s Profile

What a rush!

I am not a fan of heights but even I had a great time on this zipline tour!  Our guides were a ton of fun!  They recognized that I was nervous and managed to get me to relax and enjoy the experience. By the 3rd of our 8 ziplines, I had even stopped riding with my eyes closed! We did 8 lines in all plus there was a wicked suspension bridge stretching past a waterfall,  The course is on a Macadamia Nut Farm just outside Hawi.

Groups take a break for snacks after the 6th line.  You'll enjoy Hawaiian snacks in a structure that looks like the coolest tree house I've seen in some time!

While your tour will be mostly filled with adrenaline, there will also be some history to go with it.  Our guides were born and raised on the island.  They educated us on Macadamia nuts, we picked and tried lilikoi, a passion fruit.

All in all it was great time.  At the end of it, I was pretty proud of myself for completing the course without having a meltdown. Facing down a fear of heights is an accomplishment!  Thanks Big Island Eco Adventures!

Oh and did I mention that Cameron Diaz zipped with this company in the group before ours? Perhaps she's preparing for another action flick!  (Please God, not Bad Teacher 2!!!)

This place was in the midst of its soft opening when we visited.  While there quirks and kinks they were trying to work out --- like the credit card machine went down, forcing us to pay cash --- the guys working there took it all in stride.  

The environment is open and airy, just what you expect dining Hawaiian style.  We enjoyed the Cajun Sashimi and hubby gave the Kobe Beef sandwich a thumbs up! Make sure you visit, I think this place will turn out to be a fun alternative for folks residing in and around Kailua-Kona and Keauhou.

I really wanted to like this bookstore, really I did!  It is probably a great store, I don't know because I didn't really have the opportunity to fully enjoy it.  The guy who was working there on the day I visited was so annoying there was no way I was going to purchase anything!

When I visit a bookstore, I like to casually browse the shelves, look through the titles, leaf through the pages. This system usually results in my leaving with an armload of new books.  I guess that's not how it's done here. People flew in and out of this shop, making requests, quickly ordering titles, not really looking through the shelves.  This not give me pause--- I liked that the place seemed to have a steady steam of regulars. What I didn't like was the behavior of the guy working in the store.  When there no other customers popping in, he was tailing me, watching me like a hawk as if he thought I would swipe every book in the place if left unattended.  He also asked about a half dozen times, "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

I was made to feel like I had wandered into some exclusive club and everybody was going to make sure I realized I was the outsider.  Because of that I did not "Buy Hawaii," as the poster in this store window urged me to do.

It all started because I was in desperate need of a haircut --- my son and I both were so we wandered into the Supercuts in Kamuela.  The staff was warm and welcoming and much to our amusement assumed we lived in the area!  I guess they don't get  a lot of vacationers in here!  I had a lot of fun talking my stylist ---- she filled me in on different parts of the island, sharing details like where people live, where the jobs are, etc. (Did you know a lot of people buy homes in Hilo and commute to Kona, Waimea and Waikoloa?).  She also gave me one of the best haircuts I've ever had!

Nice helpful staff, a great variety of merchandise ---- food, drink, dietary staples ---- we even found stuff we could take back to friends at home!  KTA also had a lot of convenient features inside it --- a pharmacy, a bank, heck, you can even pick up a boogie board here if you need to!

Breakfast should only be allowed to be this sugary when you are on vacation.  Billing itself as cerealicious fun, my kids certainly put this place to the test.  At the Lagoon Spoon, patrons pick two cereals, then two toppings (I'm talking stuff like Skittles, M&Ms and Gummi Bears) and top it off with milk. Holey Moley!! My kids thought this combo was awesome!!

Warning:  You will want to have some kind of physical activity (like swimming or running) at the ready for when the sugar high kicks in. It was a lifesaver for me in dealing with my two kids, I'm just sayin!

Located between Kohala High School and the post office, this family run business has been a staple in the area since 1929.  A community gathering place, you never know how you'll encounter as you wander the narrow aisles of this quaint compact market.  We found a lot of the Hawaiian delectables we've come to enjoy when we visit --- salmon lomi, an assortment of fish and all kinds of fresh fruit.  The prices on most items are reasonable --- it is expensive to purchase groceries in Hawaii --- and the staff is nice and very welcoming.  We look forward to stopping again the next time we're on the Big Island.

I took a short side trip to Paris on my way to the office this morning!

What a cute little pâtisserie this place turned it out to be! It made me reminiscent of the little cafes my friends and I frequented when we were college students in Paris. It was a good thing it had all of this ambiance too, that fact made it easy to overlook the slow service of the cashier and the puny serving size of the cafe latte.

Be sure to try the garlic mini croissant and while small, that latte was delicious! I look forward to visiting during a time when the sandwiches are being assembled and served.  The Apple and Brie baguette looks like something I must try!

Located next door to the Homewood Suites, this place became an integral part of our base of operations during our stay in Agoura Hills.  We stopped over for all sorts of supplies, dinner items, wine, etc --- it was so convenient to have them right there!

The staff is super nice!  They helped us even when they didn't have to!  We were barbecuing at the hotel one night and needed aluminum foil so I popped over to TJ's, not realizing they don't carry it!  (The things you don't think about when you're away from home!)  Do you know what one of the employees there did?  She went back into the serving area where they dish out the samples and produced three large sheets for me!! When I thanked her, she simply said with a wink, "We're always happy to help out, now get back to your barbecue!"

Friendly staff, great service, family atmosphere and a menu listing something for every taste --- that is what you'll find at Jinky's Kanan Cafe.  We walked in without a reservation from the Homewood Suites just down the street.  The folks at Jinky's were accommodating and welcoming, seating us at an outdoor table with a nice view of the landscape below their patio and even outfitting us with an outdoor heater.

My husband --- who is a very picky eater --- really enjoyed the Mexicali Fajitas.  I highly recommend the Salmon Tikka Masala!  This is dining at opposite ends of the spectrum while sitting at the same table!  I was not kidding before when I said it was possible to find something for every taste! Jinky's also offers a decent kids menu.

All-in-all a great experience!