Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Kona Hotel, Holualoa, Hawai'i

The most recoqnized landmark in Holualoa is the Kona Hotel, which is also known as the "Pink Hotel". I don't think there is any way you can miss it. It has been operated by the Inaba's since it was constructed in 1926 .

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As soon as I saw the Pink building I just had to find somewhere to park. Even though there was a sign requesting you not to park in one of the Hotel's spaces, I ignored it and went inside. What a photo op this was. There was a staircase on the right leading to the rooms upstairs and the entrance went straight through the building and exited out the rear. I noticed people sitting in the lobby on the left watching a small TV in the corner. I just assumed they were the local residents.

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Looking directly at the front entrance, your eyes are directed straight to the back of the building. It was as if I just had to walk and see what was at the other end. No one seemed to mind my being there so I just wandered around snapping photos.

As I passed the lobby, I noticed another room to the left. In the meantime one of the residents came down the hall and while I did not know who he was he seemed to be a person of authority so I asked his permission to enter the room to snap a few more pictures. There was a small kitchen on the right of the hallway directly opposite this room which resembled a hotel restaurant from the 50's

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On the walls of the restaurant were displayed many period photos of times past. Group photos, family photos and other memorabilia

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I cannot tell from this Black & White photo whether this hotel was originally pink or not, but from the shade of black I don't think so .

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At the rear of the building there is a small field full of coffee plants

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There were a lot of personal collectibles on display throughout the room

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There was an official document framed and displayed in the hallway from the State of Hawai'i dedicating this Heritage Building . Finally we made our way back to the lobby and started talking to the lady watching TV. She was Yayoko Inaba, one of the owners of the Hotel. We did not get a chance to meet Goro.

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She was very unassuming and never once did she interfere with our wanderings around her hotel. She told us that she was originally from Honolulu and moved here to Holualoa when she got married to Goro. She also graduated from University which I think was very rare back in those times. As we chatted I was thinking to myself that it seemed like we were old friends who had stopped for a visit.

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(Yayoko Inaba & Mrs Skoot)

This hotel has two secrets, at least that is what I am calling them. There is a skywalk leading out the rear of the building which leads to . . .

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(a washroom, what else ?)

Kona Hotel sits high on a hill overlooking Kailua-Kona and one of the best views of the landscape is from, where else, but the urinal .

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There is a lot of smoke being generated from the wild forest fire on the mountain. It has been burning for weeks and they cannot get equipment up there to put it out. The smoke has cast a layer of smog over the landscape as you can see.

The other gem is the undisturbed restaurant where the tables appear not to have been used for "years". You get the impression of a place where the people have just walked away to never return and by walking into this room it is like you are visiting a place where no one has been for 50 years. It was like I was in a time warp and transported back in time.

14 comments:

  1. What a cool place. I love it. Thanks for sharing more pics/vid of the place. :)
    kari

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  2. Dear Bob Skoot:

    Well the secrets of the Kona Hotel have been uncovered one at a time, rather like the mysteries of the Great Pyramid. Yet these quaint but detailed snapshots of this unique property raise other questions in my mind.

    1) Was the only bathroom in the hotel on the "Skywalk?"

    2) If one hung around the urinal long enough (no pun intended) would it be possible to chat up female guests in the adjoining stall?

    3) Did you see a guest room?

    4) What were the rates?

    5) Did you have a cup of coffee acros the street at the world's smallest coffee plantation?

    Inquiring minds want to know.

    I had the opportunity to talk to Conch on the phone a couple of times. I mentioned it was in my mind to ride down from Orlando on Route 27 to Route 29, spending the first night in Everglades City. This is a run of about 200 miles, plus or minus a few. He thought he might be tempted to ride out and meet us.

    I also mentioned I like to occasionally like to go like hell, and he recommended the Turnpike, which is an ugly ride, but better suited to 90 plus mph.

    I see the Olympics are about to start up by you. No parking... Long linres at restaurants... Traffic jams... Good luck.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad

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  3. Nicely done Bob! Thank you. I like the video and the music. It really gives a good representation of being there.

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  4. I cannot wait to be a fly on the wall of an expedition invovling riepe whose idea of rebelling is getting women to lift their shirts and bobskoot whose idea of breaking all the rules is parking in a spot reserved for customers. I will try to get the Everglades national Park cleared for the day so the Odd Couple doesn't end up killing some day tripper who gets in their way.

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  5. Dear Conch (via Bob Skoot):

    There was a touch of pure humor in that last remark. How uncharacteristic of a Bolshevic.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad
    Twisted Roads

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  6. CONCHSCOOTER its Bob I fear for....our wide eyed, cultured and innocent friend will be changed forever after an encounter with old Jack....Boobs and Booze will somehow feature heavily in Bobs report from Florida lol.


    Cheers,

    Dave.....

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  7. Dear BobSkoot:

    If you woke up under one of those thatched tiki-roofed picnic shelters in a Key West park, wearing a traffic cone on your head, handcuffed to a passed-out stripper whose only garment was a strategically placed maple leaf tattoo — would you tell anybody?

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad
    Twisted Roads
    (New blog posts every Monday and Thursday)

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  8. Ok. I'll buy the fact that the old hotel wasn't pink. The contrast is too clean in the b & w photo.

    You probably didn't drink enough Kona coffee because the photos were too clear. No camera shake.

    Did you use the pink crocs to build rapport and thus not get into trouble for parking in the wrong spot?

    I'm glad my monitor is one-way only. I would have been embarrassed to have you see me dancing to the slideshow / video music in my grass skirt and coconut bra.

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  9. Dear Bobskoot,

    Thanks for sharing your vacation spot with us. It's always nice to meet "some" of the locals. Me-things locals from New Jersey just are not the same, however.

    Good thing Conch knows some of the local authorities for I fear you and Dear Jack are in for a tumultuous fling when you near the equator.

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  10. Bluekat/Kari:

    If you think you ride slow, then don't follow me. I stop at every viewpoint and stop for every photo op. This Hotel was a gem. I just had to stop. I think you would have too. There are not many places like this left for us to savour.

    Jackie "r":

    1 ?? should have gone upstairs to peek

    2 The doors are not full length. You are able to "view" over the door. So yes, you can talk and make eye contact too

    3 I did not go upstairs

    4 there was a sign on the counter with $30/ per night

    5 No

    The Olympic road closures are becoming a pain. Traffic is at a crawl and now I have to change my commute route

    I hope to get Conch to phone Frank at ClassicMotorcycleRental.com to save a Bonnie for me, with windscreen and saddlebags

    374'bl4.2/'d,mvl;73873:

    thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it. In answer to your question I think Kona is an excellent place to relax and to view exotic sunsets in a tropical environment. I hope you get a chance to visit soon

    Mike:

    Ever since some of my videos got caught up in copywrite infringement and were silenced by youtube I am very careful about putting music tracks on. I have a new system whereby I have been accumulating 'amateur' music over the past couple of years.
    The music on this video was recorded at the Keauhou Shopping Center at a public concert by this group from meleohana.org

    Mr Conchscooter:

    put in a good word to Frank for me when the time nears. (classicmotorcyclerental.com), thanks

    Dave:

    why don't you, "come on over . . ." for this epic event ? You too will be able to learn about Jack's ways, first hand

    Mr Irondad:

    I have a two way monitor being shipped directly to you from my friends at eBay. I can't wait to get some video footage of you dancing in your grass skirt. You are more macho than I give you credit for

    Chuck:

    This is not an exclusive gathering. Why don't you join us ? We need someone sober to record the scenes

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  11. Seriously, and in total disregard to the banter in the comments section of this post, I want to say that I really enjoyed this post. The picture of your wife and Yoyoko is very nice. The world is full of places and people as you depicted here. In addition, the placement of a urinal at the top corner of the building is both bizarre and brilliant at the same time. What a deal it must be to take a piss and have that view at the same time
    Nicely done Bobskoot!

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  12. Would love to come along Bob, But we Europeans can no longer just get on a plane to the States anymore...we have to get a pre flight visa from homeland security in America.....its too much hassle now to holiday in the States from this side of the pond lol.

    Cheers,

    Dave....

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  13. Dear TravelsWithMyMotorbike (Dave):

    The average American dope is still unaware that Europeans and other visitors to the United States must submit their fingerprints before entering the US. A current US security scheme also requires them to check out the same way.

    Wait until you hear the stink that arises when US citizens are required to do the same thing, Travel these days has become as demeaning as standing in a police line-up — with very little improvement in security.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad
    Twisted Roads

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  14. Hi Jack,

    The ''How to kill your own tourism industry'' act has been in force for about 15 months now...hmmm I wonder how visitor numbers to Disneyland and Florida etc are doing??

    Jack you are wise beyond your years (That will upset Conch)

    Cheers,


    Dave....

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