By the time we had finished ziplining we had really worked up an appetite. We planned on stopping at Holy Smokes BBQ, a food truck, which had received wonderful reviews everywhere I looked online. We were a little concerned because it was starting to drizzle and the only seating was outdoor picnic tables. We decided to pull into the gravel parking area by the truck and wait out the rain. Boy, were we glad that we did! The food was excellent! We had pulled pork sandwiches and ribs, seriously, the best I have ever eaten. Also, our least expensive meal on the island, with generous serving sizes. They are located in Kapaau, which is very far north, otherwise we would have gone back repeatedly.
The owners were friendly and funny. They came out and dried all the tables as soon as the rain stopped. We ordered food from the husband, who would not take our money. He said, “Oh no! That’s my wife’s job. I’m not allowed to touch the money, I’m just the cook.” Then his wife shooed him out of the way. My husband was having so much fun talking to him that he asked him to be in our picture with us.
Fabulous Food!!!
After we stuffed ourselves, we piled back in the car for a leisurely scenic drive back to the hotel. We took Kohala Mountain Road which took us through some of the farmlands on the island. When we saw a Donkey Crossing sign, it inspired us to come up with a multitude of jack-ass jokes. For example, my husband said, “I wonder if all the jack-asses on the island have to come here to cross the street.” Aside from all the laughing we were doing at our potty mouthed jokes, we were marveling at yet another eco-system on the island.
A View from Kohala Mountain Road
If you take this route, you will have the Kohala Mountains on your left and the Pacific Ocean on your right. We stopped a few times along the way to get out and enjoy the view and snap some pictures.
A View from Kohala Mountain Road
I was really enjoying the low lying clouds rolling in and the shadows they were creating across the landscape. It started to drizzle so we proceeded with our drive and I said that we would probably get to see a rainbow. Sure enough, a few minutes later, this was the view out of the front window of the car.
Driving Under a Rainbow
At this point I will admit, I was ridiculously over excited because I could tell that we were going to be able to see the end of the rainbow. I had never seen the literal end of a rainbow before (oddly, I have two more times since this vacation) and I’m really into ‘first time ever’ kind of moments. I’m not sure if my kids were as excited by this prospect as I was because I wouldn’t stop talking about how exciting this was going to be. Are you excited to see the picture of it? I hope so, if you are that means that the little things in life make you happy and that is a great way to live. If you’re not, well, maybe you had to be there.
The End of the Rainbow
Seriously, how cool is that? I will admit, one of the first things I thought, and may or may not have said out loud was, “Where is my damn pot of gold?” My husband graciously pulled off the road, yet again, for me to get out and get pictures of the end of the rainbow. I wish I would have been able to convince my kids to walk through the tall, wet grass to stand under the end of the rainbow. Actually, I wish my husband and I would have done it and had our kids take our picture. Oh well, it is still a very sweet memory that I treasure.
We ended up back at the hotel around 4, and this being day 9 of our action packed vacation, we opted to spend the rest of the evening hanging out by the pool at the Marriott. Tomorrow’s adventure included driving across the upper part of the island to get to Waipio Valley, where we took a shuttle ride down a crazy steep switchback road, that only the locals are allowed to drive on, to tour the small town that is located in the valley. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.
(All pictures are available as Fine Art Prints or Digital Downloads for purchase at full resolution through Alamy. If you see something you like, click on the link. If you are unable to find it, use the Contact Me page and I will make sure the image is available.)
More Big Island Adventures
A Helicopter Ride Over Kilauea
Hiking Across the Kilaeua Crater
The White Sand of Hapuna Beach
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The End of the Rainbow on Kohala Mountain Road
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