Breadcrumbs Guide

Strategy Guide for your Flight to Cusco

October 4, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider Leave a Comment

I am so excited to begin this next series of posts on the jaw-dropping, heart-pounding country of Peru! Read on for tips for your flight to Cusco or Surviving the Lima Layover. Introducing: Peru! This was Garren's and my first time in South America and our first time south of the Equator. We couldn't have asked for a better trip to start our southern hemisphere adventures. The ancient Inca capital city of Cusco took our breath away from the moment we arrived (although some of that may have been due to reduced oxygen at such a high altitude). Here are some things to look forward to on Breadcrumbs Guide: Cusco drew us in with its history and culture, but its people stole our … [keep reading...]

Big Island 7 Day Itinerary

September 22, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider 34 Comments

This 7 day Big Island Itinerary includes my top tips for the best beaches, coastal drives, volcanos, snorkeling, mountain summits, and of course, food! I have personally researched, curated, tested, and tweaked this one week Big Island, Hawaii itinerary. I hope that you find it useful in your planning! Remember, an itinerary should be a guide, not a rule. No one will do everything on this list exactly as it is written, nor should you. You can use this itinerary as a guideline, but allow yourself to be spontaneous as well. Often the spontaneous experiences we wander into are the most rewarding. Click on the links within the itinerary to see more about each place. Items marked with a … [keep reading...]

How to Leave Hawaii Salty as a Sea Turtle

September 14, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider 2 Comments

It was our last day on the Big Island, and by the end, we'd be on a plane flying over the Pacific with salt in our hair and sand in our underwear. We had almost a full day before our evening flight, so we wanted to make the most of it. I had my heart set on snorkeling Kealakekua Bay, a protected reef that was sanctuary to hundreds of different fish, plus turtles, dolphins, and other sea creatures. There are essentially three ways to get to the reef in Kealakekua Bay (and a fourth way out, as we would later learn): You can hike, kayak, or take a big boat tour. The hike is one hour down a steep cliff with no shade (and you have to hike two hours back up to get out). The big boat tours … [keep reading...]

Best Beach on the Big Island

September 7, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider 4 Comments

After an eventful week seeing volcanoes, waterfalls, and mountain summits, we were ready for a beach day on the beautiful Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Not even five minutes from our hotel and just 15 minutes south of Kailua-Kona, we found an easy snorkeling beach called Kahulu'u Beach Park. It was a full-service beach with snorkel rental, lifegaurds, snacks, and lockers, and not surprisingly, it was quite crowded. The snorkel area was in a small bay with a breaker a few hundred feet out that kept the waves to a minimum. We noticed a group of volunteers working with people with disabilities ranging from down syndrome to paralysis, helping them into flotation devices and snorkel … [keep reading...]

Summit Mauna Kea and Leave Tour Groups in the Dust

August 16, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider 7 Comments

You don't have to blow your budget on a sunset tour of the Mauna Kea Summit on the Big Island, you can do it on your own for a better experience and a fraction of the cost! An average sunset tour of the summit + stargazing costs around $200 per person and includes transportation, dinner, a snack, and a parka to wear at the summit. For Garren, my Dad, and I to do all of the same things the tours do (but at our own pace without the herd-factor) we spent $75 per person including a 4WD rental car, gas, and picnic supplies. We picked up our 4WD rental from Harpers Car & Truck Rental on the Kona side of the island, but they have an office in Hilo as well. Not only did we save money by skipping … [keep reading...]

Snorkeling with Turtles at Kiholo Bay

August 3, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider 1 Comment

We were back on the Kona Coast and ready for some beach and sun! We couldn't wait to get out and explore more of the Kona Coast, but first we made a return trip to our favorite crepe café, Peaberry & Galette (see my review at Best Food on the Big Island). Caffeinated and pleasantly full, we drove 30 minutes north of Kailua-Kona to find Kiholo Bay, which is supposed to be THE place to see turtles. The turnoff wasn't marked and we missed it the first time, but we used the satellite view on our GPS to find the tiny road off of Highway 19 that led to Kiholo Bay and found it the second time around between mile markers 82 and 83. We drove down the narrow gravel road in the middle of a vast … [keep reading...]

Hilo to Kona: A Day Across the Big Island

July 27, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider Leave a Comment

It was a misty morning as we packed up our suitcases and loaded the car to leave the guest house in Volcano. We had spent two incredible days on the Hilo side of the island touring Hawaii Volcano National Park, Hilo, and the Hamakua Coastline on the west side of the Big Island. (Read my posts on the Hamakua Coast Drive and the Best Smoothies of My Life and A Trip to Mordor: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park). Today we would spend the morning on the west side of the island before driving the other-worldly Saddle Road between the two volcanoes that make up the Island of Hawaii. We would be leaving the lush, green, misty side of the island and crossing over to the sun scorched Kona coast, passing … [keep reading...]

Best Food on the Big Island

July 20, 2014 By Sonja Riemenschneider Leave a Comment

What's Shakin - the best smoothie stand on the big island

There are so many great food options on The Big Island, you will have no trouble finding a delicious place to eat. We hardly had a bad meal during our week in Hawaii, and a lot of the restaurants use very fresh ingredients. That being said, this list highlights the best of the best, and is intentionally short. These places were so good that we ended up changing our plans and going back to almost every one. If you are on The Big Island, you really should give these places a try. And go there early in your trip because you won't be able to resist coming back a second time! Peaberry & Galette Café www.peaberryandgalette.comKeahou Shopping Center, 78-6831 Ali'i Dr, Kailua-KonaPeaberry … [keep reading...]