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Mana Road (Waimea-Kamuela)

Mana Road (Waimea-Kamuela)

Location: Mana Road in Waimea (Kamuela) off of Mamalahoa Hwy. (Hwy. 19) near Mile Marker 55 and Hawaiian Homestead Farmers Market Directions: From Mamalahoa Hwy. (Hwy. 19) from downtown Waimea, you will pass the Hawaiian Homestead Farmers Market near Mile Marker 55, and almost immediately turn RIGHT onto Mana Road.  Look for the sign for Veterinary Associates on the roadside.  Drive all the way to the fork in the road, and then turn LEFT.  The road is paved for a mile or so and then turns into compact clay/dirt.  If you are new here, you might want to park at the Water Pump Station (where the pavement ends) and hike from there to give you a sense of what Mana Road has to offer.  The further you drive down Mana Road, the less traffic (pedestrians, joggers, bicyclists, and drivers). Description: If you are looking for cooler (possibly misty, foggy) weather, this is the place…Rolling green pastures with cattle, horses, and a variety of birds including owls, hawks, and turkeys…something to...

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Dog Beach at Honokohau Harbor

Dog Beach at Honokohau Harbor

Yes, the infamous “Dog Beach” of Big Island! Location: Honokohau Harbor, 73-4786 Kanalani Street, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 Driving Directions: From downtown Kailua-Kona, drive north on Queen Kaahumanu Highway to Kaloko-Honokohau Harbor (with a traffic signal) where you will turn left.  Drive past the first right and follow the right bend on the main road. You will see cars parked at the end of the road. After you park, the beach will be in plain sight. Be prepared to trek over and down 70 yards of lava rock to reach the beach.  It is not sharp, but can be a bit cumbersome to traverse. Review: This is a popular off-leash beach for dog lovers.  If I visit this beach prior to 9 a.m., chances are good that we will be the only ones.  If you are looking to socialize your dog(s), Sundays around 11:00 a.m. is a popular time for the regulars…dogs and their humans frolicking in the gentle water.  This is also a popular spot for SCUBA divers and some snorkelers, so...

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Liliuokalani Gardens – Hilo

Where: Between Banyan Drive and Lihiwai Street Website: http://www.to-hawaii.com/big-island/gardens/liliuokalanigardens.php Very popular with dog owners.  Incredibly beautiful and well-maintained Japanese garden by the Hilo waterfront that allows leashed dogs.  Great place to socialize your dog, have a picnic, cool down in the Hilo Bay water, or just to stop and stretch your legs when just passing through town.  Please bring and use poop...

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Pebble Beach

Other names: Kaohe Beach, Ili Ili Beach (Ili ili is “pebbles” in Hawaiian) Location: Kona Paradise Subdivision, South Kona Directions: Access to Pebble Beach can be a bit of a challenge.  The most common route is through the Kona Paradise subdivision, about an hour’s drive south of Kona.  Between mile markers 96 and 97 on Highway 11, turn towards the ocean onto Kaohe Road.  From here, you will follow a very steep winding road leading to Mapuna Road, which leads to the beach.  It is 6,000 feet long and drops 1,000 feet in elevation.  A 4-wheel drive vehicle is best for this terrain.  Parking is limited. Pebble Beach gets its name from the black lava pebbles that line its coast (That means it can be HOT on paws and bare feet, so please go early morning or early evening!).  This beach has a rich marine ecosystem with an array of reefs teeming with fish and other native marine life.  This sounds like the perfect snorkeling spot, but the shorebreak can be treacherous...

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Waikoloa Beach – Anaeho’omalu Bay

Location: Waikoloa Beach at Anaeho’omalu Bay, Hawaii 96738 Very IMPORTANT Directions: From Kona, take Highway 19 north toward the Waikoloa Beach Resort Area. Turn left at Waikoloa Beach Road (near Mile Marker #76). Turn left at the road across from Kings’ Shops (Follow the signs for “Lava Lava Beach Club.”  Parking for the beach is at the end of this road. HOWEVER, dogs are NOT allowed in the main beach parking lot, and security is strict.  This can be confusing.  You can either drop off your dogs at Lava Lava Beach Club with a friend to hold them while you go back and park in the main parking lot OR you can park at Lava Lava Beach Club (LLBC) in the gravel overflow parking lot.  Currently LLBC is open daily for lunch and dinner 11:30 am – 9:00 pm with weekend (Saturday and Sunday) brunch starting at 10:00 am, but LLBC recently (in early 2015) hired a security guard to keep beach-goers and paddlers out of their small parking lot...

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Kawaihae Harbor Beach Landing Shipping Docks

Kawaihae Harbor Beach Landing Shipping Docks

DIRECTIONS: Driving North on Highway 270 past Spencer Beach Park, but before Blue Dragon Musicquarium, you will turn LEFT into the entrance for Matson and Young Brothers loading/shipping/receiving area where you will need to show photo ID (Driver’s license or any sort of photo ID) to security.  Turn LEFT in front of the security shack and drive down the road between the shipping containers, then turn RIGHT to continue to the beach area. HOURS: Dawn to Dusk BRING: Photo ID (to gain access through security), poop bags, fresh water, water bowl, less than or equal to 6 foot long leash (required while on the beach). IMPORTANT: **Security enforces the county of Hawaii leash law. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.  If your dog is in the water, a leash is not required, but must be put on your animal as soon as they exit the water.** There are TWO areas great for dogs: One is the first long, wide stretch of beach that is...

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