If you are living anywhere else in the country I imagine you consider camping to be in the mountains, woods or lakeside somewhere worrying about bears, coyotes or raccoons coming onto your campsite! Well let me enlighten you!
Being a California girl myself I shrieked at the thought of camping when my husband brought this up. But it has become my favorite “staycation”! I can’t even believe I just wrote that! My idea of fun before I moved to Hawai’i in 2002 was for sure a nice Hotel with a luxurious pool and day spa! Wow how my life has changed – for the better I should add! Hotels are amazing don’t get me wrong but camping gives this relaxation no hotel could ever offer. If you can just imagine walking out of your tent in the morning gazing out to the Pacific Ocean while drinking your French press coffee, spotting a Monk Seal who has chosen his napping place conveniently by your tents or the Humpback Whales being playful with their babies. I have personally had both of these experiences and can tell you it is absolutely amazing and I felt so blessed Mother Nature allowed me to witness it! There are some beautiful camping locations all across the country, and world for that matter, but I feel like we’ve captured something special here on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
We usually camp at the infamous Pine Trees or like your map will read Kohanaiki Beach Park in Kailua Kona. We camp right along the beach in the sand, with our cars only footsteps away. We paddle board, surf, take walks, swim and fish right from the shoreline all day! I have become an avid shoreline fisher believe it or not, and this has become the part I look forward to the most out of my camping! There is nothing like an ice-cold beer while throwing out your line right from the beach.
We love to barbeque and make s’mores for the kids. We bring board games and play cards in the evenings. Our last camping trip we brought an array of glow-in-the-dark accessories and had a dance party under the stars for my son’s birthday, the memories made are endless and unforgettable.
The front row seat to the ocean sunsets every night as we relax has got to be the most breathtaking moments I’ve ever had. Seeing whales breach as we sit ashore in awe. Or stargazing with my family while each of us counts the millions we see. The experiences I am giving my children by allowing them to grow up in this pristine land is amazing. There have been times I have questioned living here, mainly for being far away from loved ones. But moments like these remind me why I made this choice. My kids are loved, safe and appreciating nature every day. I can’t imagine a better place for a child to grow up!
If you ever venture to my neck of the woods and search out a great camping experience I highly recommend the Big Island of Hawai’i. Whether it be camping at the Hawai’i Volcano National Park or at one of the many beach campsites, do it! And if you ever decide to take on my life adventure of moving to Hawai’i, I again encourage you to consider the Big Island. There’s nothing on this earth like it!
