HALLOWEEN IN HILO
![Halloween in Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Halloween Hilo.JPG)
Scary sights in Hilo's KTA grocery store on Halloween.
DRIVE TO KONA
![Road to Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/new road on Mauna Kea.JPG)
We spent a couple of days in Kona and drove over the Saddle Road to get there. The Hilo side of Saddle Road has been in good shape for a while, but the area up by the Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is now a brand new 4 lane road that bypasses the base.
![Mauna Kea road](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/new road mauna kea.JPG)
From afar we saw what looked like Stryker tank firing practice.
![PTA firing range](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Firing range.JPG)
Once past PTA and driving towards Kona, the road degrades considerably.
![Kona side Saddle Road](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/kona side rough road.JPG)
On the way to Kona we stopped in Waikaloa to try out Macaroni Grill in the Queens Marketplace.
![Queens Marketplace Waikoloa](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Queens MarketPlace.JPG)
The Queens Marketplace is relatively new, so it was interesting to see what stores had moved into the mall.
![Queens Marketplace Waikoloa](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Queens marketplace map.JPG)
The shopping mall was empty - even Starbucks was empty.
![Starbucks Waikoloa](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Starbucks Waikaloa.JPG)
We went to Macaroni Grill - great food, but not great for the waist line.
![Macaroni Grill](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Macaroni Grill.JPG)
![Macaroni Grill inside](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Macaroni Grill inside.JPG)
The Queens Markeplace has a new gourmet food store.
![Island Gourmet](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Island Gormet Market.JPG)
![island gourmet](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/island gourmet 2.JPG)
![island gourmet](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/island gourmet 3.JPG)
While in Kona we checked out the new places to eat at the Kona Commons.
![Kona Food shops](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Kona food stops.JPG)
Genki Sushi - where sushi (along with fried foods and multi-layered cakes) swishes by on a conveyor belt - is our favorite.
![Genki Sushi Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Genki Sushi Kona.JPG)
There are a lot of new stores in Kona Commons.
![Petco Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Petco Kona.JPG)
![Sports Authority Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Sports Authority Kona.JPG)
We visited the new Targets and nearby Island Naturals.
![Target Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Target Kona.JPG)
![Island Naturals Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Kona Island Naturals.JPG)
While in Kona we swam in the new pool at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach hotel. When construction is complete, the place will be nicely updated.
![Pool at King Kam](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Pool at Kam.JPG)
In Kona, a huge group of people were fishing in the ponds in front of the hotel. Kailua-Kona's shallow bay attracts a lot of tasty reef fish.
![Fishing in Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/fishing in Kona.JPG)
AROUND HILO TOWN
Things are always changing in Hilo. Island Naturals, which used to be located next to Borders, moved to Hilo Shopping Mall and revitalized the place.
![Island Naturals Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/New Island Naturals.JPG)
Kope Kope coffee shop, also in the Hilo Shopping Mall, often features entertainment.
![Kope Kope Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Kope Kope entertainment.JPG)
The "Gathering Place" has opened in the Prince Kuhio Mall with space that can be rented for community events or private events .
![Gathering Place Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Gathering Place at Mall.JPG)
And the recent increase in cruise ships arriving in Hilo has created lines in front of Wal-Mart while the visitors await a bus back to their ship. It is sad that folks pick Wal-Mart as their Hilo destination of choice - but a free bus ride must be too good to pass up.
![Wal-Mart lines for cruise ship](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Waiting on busses.JPG)
HILO OCTOBER INTERNET AND TWITTER MEETUP
![Oct Hilo Tweetup](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/OctTweetup.JPG)
This month the Big Island Internet Society (BISS) met again at Big Island Pizza and where everyone was treated to fantastic pizza and great company.
![Oct Hilo tweetup](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Damon at OctTweetup.JPG)
![KTA Speaker Hilo tweetup](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/KTA Speaker at Tweetup.JPG)
![KTA Mousepad](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Mousepad from KTA.JPG)
![Oct Tweetup Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Oct Tweetup speaker2.JPG)
![Oct Tweet up Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/OctTweetup2.JPG)
![Oct Hilo tweetup](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/OctTweetup3.JPG)
![Oct tweet up Hilo](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/OctTweetup speaker.JPG)
THE HILO LAWN CHALLENGE
![Hilo Lawn Challenge](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Hilo Lawn challenge.JPG)
We often talk about the lawn maintence challenge in Hilo. We had a week of rainy weather making it impossible to mow. Below is only one week of lawn growth. The shrubs, trees, and leaves are a constant task in Hilo; something to consider when thinking of taking care of acres in the Hilo area. Lawn care is something we find overwhelming in Hilo.
![Hilo Lawn challenge](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Hilo Grass Challenge.JPG)
TRIP TO KONA
![Clear day in Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Clear day in Kona.JPG)
While Hilo struggled with vog, Kona was clear and beautiful. We visited Kona to visit the new Target store and other places we hadn't tried yet.
![Target Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Shiney new Target.JPG)
Here is a view of the shiny new Target store in Kona where the prices are considerably lower than what we pay in Hilo.
![Target Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Shiney new Target Kona.JPG)
Just wondering how they could possibly sell this many gallons of milk.
![Target Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Target Milk.JPG)
We waited for coffee behind a huge queue of Kona Ironmen getting reved for their morning bike practice.
![Kona ironmen waiting for coffee](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Kona Ironmen queued up at LavaJava.JPG)
We loved the Genki Sushi place.
![Genki Sushi Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Genki Sushi.JPG)
The price is the color of dish and we ate and ate and ate.
![Genki Sushi Kona](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Genki sushi plates.JPG)
![Kona Genki Sushi](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Kona Sushi.JPG)
We drove some of the neighborhoods in the Kona area struggling with foreclosures.
![Kona foreclosures](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Kona foreclosures.JPG)
HEAVY VOG IN HILO
![Vog in Hilo Hawaii](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Voggy Hilo Bay.JPG)
The vog has been overwhelming in Hilo this week. Most of us have burning eyes, sore throats and can sometimes taste the sulfur. It is unusual for Hilo to be afflicted with the vog, even though it is quite close to the volcano. But the lack of tradewinds combined with the heavy emissions are creating the problem.
![Vog in Hilo Hawaii](HiloBlogPics/Oct 2009 Blog pics/Voggy Oct Hilo.JPG)
Previous September 2009 Hilo Log posts
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