Pineapple Mama's Big Island Adventures

03/02/2019

Lava Tree State Park in Pahoa is for the nature enthusiast who enjoys a tranquil walk in a tropical rainforest. Lava came up through cracks in the earth and took over these Ohia trees until they smoldered. After many years the trees take root once again and grow up and out of the tops of these lava trees. A great place to wear some sneakers, walk the trails and enjoy a quiet picnic at the covered pavilion.

23/01/2019

Went to Maku'u market again on Sunday. I love the food trucks and food vendors there. Very affordable and extremely yummy food. My very favorite thing in the whole world is curry!!!! I could eat it every day. I've tried Indian curry, Singapore and Japanese curries but my very favorite is Thai curry with coconut milk. I've tried pumpkin curry, pineapple curry, red, green and yellow curry.....but a new favorite here at Maku'u market is avacado curry....dang...it was so delicious!!! Or....ONO grinds....as they say....

16/12/2018

Mele Kalikimaka from the Big Island! We are on the Kona side today enjoying ice cream at a local shop. A cute little old lady is feeding about 4 geckos at her table outside. She's giving them crumbs from her cake. People watching is probably my favorite thing to do while sight seeing.

26/11/2018

We went exploring 3 different beaches on the Hilo side today. If you walk through the second parking lot at Carlsmith Beach you can walk through a tropical revine before you get to the beach. The leaves are HUGE! Maybe as big as your toddler. Onekahakaha beach is great for kids. With an alcove of lava rock you can protect your little ones and let them play. Richardson beach is a black sand beach. Very rocky so watch the kids but very beautiful. Think my favorite beach is Carlsmith. It's the most scenic

24/11/2018

The wild chickens say "Aloha" on this fine Saturday morning.

22/11/2018

For Thanksgiving I've made a home made pumpkin pie with a buttery flaky crust and a new kind of pie that's sure to be a hit! I'd like to introduce my very own recipe "Pineapple Mama pie". It's a cross between an apple pie and a pineapple upside down cake with a pineapple & maraschino cherry filling in a brown sugar and cinnamon syrup. My new original recipe is in the comments below. Happy Thanksgiving!

21/11/2018

A tropical revine. Not sure I'll ever get used to the beauty of my home....don't think I ever want to.

19/11/2018

Ka Lae, Hawaii is the southernmost tip of the Big Island and of the 50 state's. It's considered to be a historic landmark and is known for its strong ocean currents and wind. There is a wind farm nearby which generates some power for the island. This scenic spot is a tourist attraction for cliff diving, fishing and snorkeling. At the south point cliff diving spot there are blow holes through the hard lava. A truly beautiful place.

The Punalu'u bakery nearby is a great place for lunch and dessert.

After you do some cliff jumping or fishing you can search for turtles on both the black sand and green sand beaches. The scenic drive is just south of the volcano national park and worth every bit of your gas money.

12/11/2018

Wild pigs! There was a cute family of pigs near the parking lot at Rainbow Falls yesterday. As far as I could tell....there was a mommy, daddy and 3 babies!

11/11/2018

Volcano National Park! You might be disappointed to know the lava tubes are closed due to the very recent and historic eruption of Kilauea. But the steam pots were amazing!!! I imagined the hot air from the volcano to be a dry heat...but no. It's actual steam! If you stand in the steam it's about 20 degrees hotter and you become drenched as though you took a swim in the ocean.

You'll notice the offerings as gifts left at the volcano for Pele the Hawaiian goddess of fire. There was a spot on the hike that was labeled as the quiet spot. It was absolutely silent...no wind, no birds...just silence. A very reverent and reflective place.

When you visit the National Park it would be a great idea to bring a hoodie and possibly a pair of jeans with a practical pair of sneakers. You'll be at an elevation of about 3,000 ft so there is a significant drop in temperature. A rain poncho is also highly recommended. It's a rainforest after all! Its $25/car to get into the park but otherwise, the museum and hike is free admission

10/11/2018

Removing the Ti leaves in the Imu to reveal the kalua pork.

10/11/2018

Digging out the Imu to reveal the kalua pua'a (Smoked pig)

10/11/2018

Not sure why...but I cry when they dance and sing. So amazing! The food and entertainment from Royal Kona Resort was worth every penny!

10/11/2018

Cheapest Luau on the Big Island=Royal Kona Resort. Okay, I know I'm ridiculous but I've always wanted to do this!!! The band was great and the hula dancer was so beautiful and radiant. It's stupid but I got teary eyed when I watched her. The Aloha Spirit was so strong in her.

Here are a series of pictures and on other posts I will show short videos of the performance and the uncovering of the Imu, or the smoke pit where they smoked the kalua pua'a. (Smoked pig)

09/11/2018

The Beer Enthusiast might enjoy the Kona Brewing Company. You can sign up for a tour and then enjoy a bite to eat at the restaurant.

09/11/2018

The Ali'i Gardens Marketplace is a fun place to go on the Kona side. Cute little shops with arts and crafts, souvenirs, aloha shirts and dresses, small food vendors and more. But just know that if you plan to go to the Hilo side the very same items at this market are $10-$15 LESS on the Hilo side. So if you're on a budget I'd recommend waiting. I'll send pictures of my favorite shops along Hilo Bay with the cutest tops, blouses, dresses and bags very soon.....

09/11/2018

Another Kona Hawaii adventure! Staying at the Waikaloa Marriott resort for a long weekend. Did a bit of shopping and found a great place to eat! The other restaurants were beautiful but way too expensive at $25+/plate!!! The fish and chips was delishes and were only $12.49! We ate at a beautiful dock overlooking a little pond. Afterwards, we stopped at the convenience store for some coconut rum. WAY cheaper than getting cocktails at the hotel. Make your own! See....you CAN enjoy Hawaii on the cheap! BTW the pineapple display at the store made me so happy

25/10/2018

We went to Uncle Roberts again last night. It's a super fun little market in Pahoa and only on Wednesday night's. Live music, dancing, Ono Hawaiian grinds (yummy food), little shops and food trucks and a full service bar.

My favorite tourist attraction at Uncle Roberts is Tom the chicken man. You can pet his friendly chickens and they will even sit on your shoulder! The kids LOVE this!!! I saw many people stop just to have their picture taken with the chickens.

After my yummy Thai yellow coconut curry I tried some vegan and gluten free midnight chocolate and coconut ice cream. This couple is seriously cute and I hear they close their shop in Pahoa just to go to Uncle Roberts on Wednesday night's.

After dinner and dessert we walked the black sand beach and looked at the full moon. The ocean waves were so loud I thought it was thunder! I'll go every Wednesday if we can swing it!!! No tour guide will take you here but it sure is a ton of fun!!! Food is very inexpensive and the entertainment is FREE.

25/10/2018

I was curious about the recent devastation over the Kilauea arruption in South Pahoa. Over 700 homes were lost and thousands of people displaced. I needed you see it with my own eyes so I made my way down to the sleepy town of Pahoa today.

Downtown is adorable with cute little hippy shops and yummy local grinds. I drove along the coast up Beach road and came to the 4 corners where the lava met the street. I snapped some pics of the fresh lava field and of the special offerings the locals laid at the feet of the fresh lava in reverance of Pele the fire goddess and her power. You'll see the coconut and lava rock offerings wrapped in ti' leaves and the leis and bracelets left for her. Someone even planted a new palm tree in the middle of the lava. A new beginning.

The beach park isn't one a tour guide would mention since its off the beaten path. The roads were beautiful and windy. Truly a must see. And it was FREE! Except for the gas to get you there.

24/10/2018

Maybe this is a simple pleasure of mine. Not sure. But a person or person's around here has decided to spread the aloha spirit in the form of a sign off the side of the road. I may or may not have stopped traffic a few times to get out of my car to snap a photo of these. But if you're having a glum day just take heed from the following advice on the streets of Hilo, Hawaii......

Stop. Smile, because you rock. So, honk if you're happy, enjoy life and live aloha.

22/10/2018

Friends who have pets and have moved to Hawaii WITH a pet will understand my frustration. All of my friends paid a pet movers agency to accomplish this and that's fantastic. But it's a lot of money to hire someone else to do it so I opted to do it myself. I mean...if I can write legal documents and contracts for real estate transactions and juggle 26 closings at once....I can do this right? Ha! Well yes I can... but not without losing all my hair and screaming out into the Hawaiian wilderness.

There is a quarentine process to bring your pet to the islands and it's a lot like moving to a foreign country. They recently changed the quarentine from 120 days to 30 days. There is A LOT of paperwork, vet visits, immunizations, blood tests and treatments, health certificates and A LOT of coordination between the Hawaii Agricultural Department, the vet who performs the inspection of your pet at the airport and even the airline. Only two airlines do direct flights for a pet transport to the Kona side of the Big Island. Only one does a direct flight. Otherwise you need to pay for a kennel service to transport and care for your pet over night in another state before they take the second flight. No. Just no. And this is coming from Phoenix!!!! It's not like I'm flying her from the east coast to Hawaii!!!!!

The Hawaiian Agricultural department requires paperwork to be turned in 30 days or more prior to your pets arrival including all flight info. But the only airline who will do a direct flight to Kona refuses to schedule a flight more than 30 days prior. It must be less than 30 days and not more than 5 days prior. Do these match up? Nope.

So I'm turning everything in today and hoping for the best. Between the fee to the state of Hawaii, the vet bills, the airline ticket and the vet inspection on the island.... I am looking at a total of $1,700 to get my dog here. Can you imagine paying a service another $1,000? Me either. Is it worth it? Well....my dog is another one of my children so.....you bet it is!

21/10/2018

Aloha friends!

If you're planning a trip to the Hilo side of the Big Island, please allow me to share my tips and tricks for the local farmers markets which are a must see. I recommend going to the Hilo Farmers market on Saturdays. But on Sunday I invite you to go where the locals go for more shops and better prices.

The cruise ships and tour guides won't tell you about this place. Just go about 20 minutes south of Hilo to the Puna district and look up the Maku'u market off the main road to Keaau and Pahoa. It's $2.00 to get in and park. Bring cash to these places as well. However, this special tip goes for both the Hilo and Maku'u markets. Purchase or bring your own reusable shopping bags and as much as you might want a glamorous Hawaiian experience.....DO NOT go all dolled up with a full face of make up, a breezy beach dress and some wedge heels. If you dare....go with a bare face, casual look and even no bra....ha! The locals will believe you live here (In Puna) and will offer you lower prices. If they think you're a tourist they will quote you 2 or even 3 times more.

Maku'u has fantastic food trucks and tents so come hungry. There are many local entrepreneurs who make their own jewelry, shirts, dresses, souvenirs, bags and home decor. Supporting local businesses not only help our economy but is much cheaper than going to Wal-Mart or Target for souvenirs. And SO MUCH MORE FUN!

Mahalo for reading! Have a blessed Sunday.

13/10/2018

There is a food genius out there somewhere. Who would have thought to make chips out of shrimp? If you're curious about this delicacy, you can pick up your own giant bag at Costco on the Kona side of the Big Island.

12/10/2018

Tacos in Hawaii? Yep! They're pretty good too. I especially liked the Hola Aloha salsa

05/10/2018

In case you're wondering.....my name is Tania Montgomery. I lived in Hilo Hawaii 8 years ago and was so incredibly devastated to leave. I started a successful blog at that time and have adopted the name Pineapple Mama. Our blended family of 6 children certainly helped me to earn my title. My guy Toby found a way to make Hawaii happen for us so here we are! There are many hidden adventures on the Big Island of Hawaii that tourists would never know about. Let us take you on our Adventures with videos, blogs and VLOGS. If you don't think visiting Hawaii is in your budget think again! We will give you tips and tricks to enjoying paradise on a dime. Please follow and share my page. More adventures to come.

05/10/2018

15/09/2018

Enjoying the Kona side of the island today

13/09/2018

Since we're still in limbo and on the house hunt, we are staying in a hotel temporarily. I decided to enjoy the museum at Hilo Seaside Hotel while the housekeeper does her thing. My guy isn't a museum or history fanatic so I decided to take the opportunity to linger here for a while. I'm mesmerized by the ancient artifacts, Hawaii's monarchy and the original founders of the islands. My favorite story is of Princess Ka'iulani. I've read books and have watched movies about her. Such a courageous and tragic story. Tourism began in the late 1800's, I'm seeing pictures of the first railroad, the first electric car, the first hotel, sugar plantations, the first shipping docs, historical ship wrecks, the first train, how the Merrie Monarch festival of Hula began, immigration to Hawaii and more. I even snagged a pic of a giant and ancient mochi pounder from the 1930's. It's like a giant mortar and pestle. So if there are any history buffs who enjoy the boring things like me.....you would enjoy staying at this hotel. It's locally owned by a native Hawaiian family not some Joe Shmoe business guy in California. And if you're wondering what some of these weird things are that I'm talking about....that's what Google is for my friends.

13/09/2018

Please like my page for videos, VLOGS, and my personal blog on the hidden treasures of the Big Island. Things a tourist would never know about. It'll be like you're here with me! You might even want to come visit!

12/09/2018

Aloha friends! This is Tania Montgomery AKA Pineapple Mama. I'm back!!!! I have moved back to the Big Island of Hawaii and I'm here for good this time! I'll share pictures and stories, adventures and interesting cultural traditions. The spirit of aloha certainly makes you look at life differently. I have started up a brand new blog with the same name. I will share links to my latest posts here. Mahalo for liking my page!