Our 6-day Big Island adventure included a stay at Leilani Bed and Breakfast in Ocean View. Someone later described this area to me as the “middle of nowhere.” The sleepy town seemed like an ideal place to set up a bed and breakfast: quiet, serene and with an amazing view.
We were mesmerized by the sunset as we drove there. Pictures (on my camera) couldn’t quite capture the colors and the beauty. The sun looked huge! And the entire sky was orange and red. There seemed to be a mist around it, but I’m not sure what exactly I was seeing.
I remember commenting to Graham about how different the Big Island is compared with Maui and Oahu. It’s another world. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, and it doesn’t bend over backward to please tourists, at least in some towns.
The hostess greeted us to give us a tour of the bed and breakfast and explain the house rules.
1. No smoking. 2. No food and drinks in the room. 3. Keep the shoes on the lanai.
She was nice enough to accommodate our request for a room with a private bathroom. (I didn’t snap a photo of it, but you can find plenty on the B&B’s website.)
The lanai was adorned with artwork (I believe it was by the hostess), as well as a table in the center where breakfast was to be set up. A reading area in the corner contained books, magazines and flyers about things to do on the Big Island. A fridge was meant to hold any of our food and drinks, and there was a (non-functioning) water fountain in another corner. The hallway has a map with pins marking where guests came from.
Graham and I sat in the lanai to enjoy our snack dinner and plan our next morning.
Breakfast is served at 8:30 or so, but Graham and I were up and about long before then. We sat on the lanai as he sipped his coffee and read about the green sand beach. Then we checked out the outdoor areas.
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| The entryway into the lanai. |
The hosts noticed us (their living quarters are on the other side of the house and separated by a sliding glass door into their kitchen) and brought out breakfast a little earlier. We were ever so grateful! A couple from Brazil joined us for breakfast.
We told the hostess about our plans to see the green sand beach, and she told us about locals who offer rides for a fee. She suggested following their route if we didn’t want to hitch a ride. (More on that in another post.) We appreciated her advice as we set off to the day’s adventures.
Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.