Back to the Mainland

© 2015, R. Ono

While our stay on the Big Island was only four days, it provided time for my sister and I to have an opportunity to share some extended visiting time with my parents. Getting away from the distractions of every day life can be refreshing.

During our visit to the islands, we picked up a few pounds of Kona coffee from the Ferrari Coffee truck in Kailua-Kona. Continuing down Highway 11, we stopped in Kealakekua to purchase bento box lunches from Teshima's Restaurant. My father remembered visiting this restaurant on one of his previous visits. This family run restaurant started in 1929 as a small general merchandise store with food and drink offerings. In the 1940s, it was expanded to the current restaurant. Shizuko Teshima, the family matriarch, guided the store from 1957 as it changed to a restaurant focusing on Japanese and Hawaiian specialities. She died in 2013 at the age of 106. Not only is the food great at Teshima's but the friendly customer service was a highlight.


On another day, we focused on a little shopping at my parents' favorite Hawaiian stores. Aloha shirts, dresses and sunglasses were the targets of our shopping. We also had time to drive to Donna's Cookie Factory to custom build several cookie containers to bring back to California. The factory is in Honoka'a. Tex Drive-in is also located in this town and is known for its malasadas. After returning to our hotel, we got together for a relaxing dinner on our room patio as the sun set.

The day we returned to the mainland was my parents' 65th wedding anniversary, a perfect ending to our Hawaii trip. This announcement by the Alaskan Airlines flight attendants on our return flight was met by passengers offering a round of clapping and congratulations.

Ever wonder how the red dot is made on almond cookies?, © 2015, R. Ono

© 2015, R. Ono

© 2015, R. Ono