CEDAR HOUSE AT WAI'OPAE TIDE POOLS - STUNNING

A five-minute stroll takes you from your Cedar House lanai to the friendly tidepools of Wai'Opae Marine Conservation District, where you can snorkel in coral gardens with curious turtles and tropical fish. Explore the quiet roads of Vacationland (that's really its name) and neighboring orchid farms. Or wander down Red Road to soak in the geo-thermally heated, spring-fed oceanside pool at Ahalanui Park about a mile away. Continue south from there along Hawaii's newest gorgeous coastline, and there's a chance (Hawaiian goddess Pele permitting) you'll see red-hot lava flowing into the sea near Kalapana. Stop along the way to walk among the ironwood trees on spectacular bluffs above wild waves at MacKenzie Park. Or sun-bathe with the locals in the cozy atmosphere of Kehena's clothing-optional black sand beach.

Then check out the shops and fine restaurants (Thai, French, Italian, among others) in Pahoa town, eight miles inland from Cedar House and on the other side of Lava Tree State Park. If it's Sunday, you might want to see what's happening at Maku'u Farmers' Market nearby. You'll find fresh vegetables and fruit with lots of local color there.

Within easy driving distance (30 miles north) remember the historic old town of Hilo with its antique stores, restaurants, university lecture series, concerts, state-of-the-art planetarium, and more. At the planetarium you can see how ancient Polynesians used their knowledge of the heavens to navigate the uncharted Pacific (travelling to and from Tahiti for centuries before European sailing ships arrived). Associated displays of on-going volcanic activity show how these islands were formed in the first place. Relax or picnic in the peaceful parks near Hilo's harbor, where downtown streets were inundated a generation ago by tidal waves memorialized now in the Pacific Tsunami Museum.

An hour's drive south along Hawaii Belt Route 11 takes you to the most active volcano on earth, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Visit the Kilauea Volcano Caldera, Thurston Lava Tube, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, or hike the many trails through protected wilderness. In another direction, you might find yourself looking at the snow-capped peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea rising nearly 14,000 feet above sea level (elevations comparable to the Colorado rockies) and more than 30,000 feet above the ocean floor. From there it's an easy drive back to your Vacationland retreat.

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