| Scott & Jim’s Big Island Garden Adventure November 10-16, 2010 ---- TRIP COMPLETED ------ Check out our Moku Lani tour in May Join Jim Bishop and Scott Borden on a garden adventure to Hawaii’s Big Island. Tour includes:
Wednesday, November 10: HILO. Arrive Hilo, Hawaii and transfer to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel for a welcome dinner and 3 night stay. Dinner Thursday, November 11: HILO/PUNA DISTRICT. After breakfast, we’ll head to the Puna rainforest home of former San Diego gardening guru Tom Piergrossi. Big Island resident for just over a year now, Tom will then take us to the garden and nursery of Jerry and Cindy Andersen, also transplants from San Diego. Cindy has invited us for a typical Hawaiian luncheon alfresco. Their garden has a large collection of rare plants including ti, heliconia, hibiscus, anthurium, crinium lilies and orchids. Next we visit Lundkvist Palm Garden, home of the president of the International Palm Society. This impeccably maintained garden is much more than just palms! Hand-made paths link plantings from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Oceania, the Seychelles, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. We will have a chance to wander trails with names like Amazon Walk, Borneo Trail, Madagascar Drive and Polynesian Circle. Breakfast/lunch Friday, November 12: HILO/PAHOA. First we visit Jeff Seyfried’s lush private garden planted with palms, cycads, ferns, bromeliads and orchids. Then off to the coastline with black sand beaches and warm lava ponds where we will enjoy a delicious picnic lunch. Next stop is David Shiigi’s Nursery, a world class hybridizer of bromeliads, including plants for export! Later, we will enjoy a walk around Pana’ Ewa Rainforest Zoo/Gardens, home to Hawaii’s state bird, the Nene, plus palms, and a collection of orchids, bamboos and tropical rhododendrons. Breakfast/lunch Saturday, November 13: HILO/KAILUA-KONA. Browse the Hilo Farmer’s Market and stock up on exotic fruits & vegetables for today’s lunch. Then to the famous Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, acclaimed as one of the most beautiful areas in all Hawaii. Nature trails meander through a tropical rainforest crossing streams, passing waterfalls, and taking in beautiful ocean vistas. he garden includes a vast variety of palms, heliconias, gingers, bromeliads and more-- presently more than 2,000 species. Our sightseeing continues at Akaka Falls, a thickly canopied arboretum of giant gingers, ferns, ti, orchids and bamboo with falls dropping 420 feet. Then we’re off to the west coast of the Big Island for a 3 night stay in condos at lovely Kona by the Sea. Each unit has a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and a balcony overlooking the ocean. Tonight we will gather for a beach barbeque. BYOB. Breakfast/dinner Sunday, November 14: KAILUA-KONA/CAPTAIN COOK/HONAUNAU. First we visit Dick Kuehner, president of the Kona Daifukuji Orchid Club Dick is also involved with the Hawaiian Tropical Fruit growers and has over 30 types of fruit trees. He produces enough coffee to last his family the entire year. Next stop is The Place of Refuge. This national historical park includes temple platforms, royal fishponds, and coastal village sites. Watch for sea turtles basking on the beach. A box lunch awaits us in the Paleaku Peace gardens, a botanical healing garden with wonderful views of the sea. A brief photo stop at the Painted Church, folk art masterpiece created by a Belgian priest. Our day concludes with a visit to the Outdoor Circle Garden. Evening at leisure. Lunch Monday, November 15: KAILUA-KONA. We start at Norman Bezona’s Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary where we’ll enjoy coffee and a sweet before our private guided tour of this garden, full of native plants. A selection of exotics has been added, enhancing the variety of fragrance and color. See native koa, ohia, and giant tree ferns, plus 100+ varieties of bamboo. Look for Hawaiian native birds in the canopy. Coming down from the clouds, we next visit San Diego transplant Dean Ouer. Dean’s colorful garden features palms, orchids, and a large collection of philodendron and anthurium. After lunch and a coffee tasting, our day ends with a visit to garden designer Brian Lievens, whose garden includes a koi pond, aquaponic herb garden, and spectacular views of the sea through Bismarckia palms. Lunch. Tuesday, November 16: DEPARTURE. Time to bid a fond Aloha! Recommended Reading Reservations and complete trip information from: SterlingTours™ Travel Experiences beyond the Ordinary 2907 SHELTER ISLAND DRIVE SUITE #105-262 SAN DIEGO CA 92106 phone 619-299-3010 800-976-9497 CST2023849-40 |
Sterling Tours, Ltd
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