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The Hilo Scenic Detour rejoins Hwy 90. Our next stop is Akaka falls It's a 4 mile turnoff from the main highway. It's straight climb to the falls in extremely hot weather. A mile from the turnoff, is the sleepy town of Honomu, a good place to eat before or after the hard climb to Akaka. By the time we finished the Akaka detour and lunch, it was already past 2:00 PM and we still had 25+ miles to go. Time to pedal double time. From this point on, it's a rolling terrain all the way to Honokaa. Again you will be crossing a lot of bridges - so be cautious. Some of the raised bridge walkways are unpainted. or unmarked. If you ride too close to the walkway, your pedal may hit the walkway and cause an accident. Sometimes, it is better to slow down and let cars pass, then cross the bridges occupying the lane. There are 3 gulches or "horeshoes" as the locals call them. They are U shaped roadway connnecting 2 mountain passes. You approach it on a downhill and past the U apex, you start climbing up again. You can go really fast on the downhills. Ride with caution even with the wide shoulders. Past the 3 horeshoes, it's a rolling uphill to Honokaa. This is a very scenic ride, so enjoy the views on the downhills. Tonight's lodging is at Hotel Honokaa, another plantation style hotel. Most of us got in past 5:00 PM. Doug again rolls in the dark with his helmet mounted light. If we had an award to give, Doug would get the "Cyclist of the Trip Award". He saw the most with his side trips, ignoring what the weather or terrain had in store. A hard day but well worth it. Tonight's dinner is at the Tex drive-in, second branch of the same restaurant in Pahala. If it's Tex, it must be good !! |
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