American Travel Journal: Ali'i Drive

Our February 2014 visit to the Big Island included staying a few days in Kailua Kona. We spent some time wandering beside the ocean on Ali'i Drive. The small harbor area near the north end of Ali'i Drive is the start and end points of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon held every October. This is also the location where waves hit the seawall and daily rain down on the sidewalk and street. We ate a couple of times at Fish Hopper, an excellent seafood restaurant located just across the street from the bay. It is in the turquoise and orange building visible in a couple of the pictures and the video.

Hulihe'e Palace was completed in 1838 by the second governor of the Island of Hawai'i, John Adams Kuakini. It was used by King Kalākaua as a summer residence during part of his reign in the late 1800s. The Moku'aikaua Church across the street was completed in 1837 on land donated by Royal Governor Kuakini. A wooden church was established by 1823, but burned a few years later. Both the palace and the church were damaged by the 2006 earthquake.