Roadtrip to Charming Hawi

The hip little enclave of Hawi is only about an hour's drive north of Kailua-Kona, but this tiny town (population 938) is worlds apart from its sunny coastal neighbor. Tucked among the rolling, upcountry pasturelands of North Kohala and away from the miles of ancient lava fields baking in the west Hawaii sun, it's just plain cooler here — literally and (no offense to Kona) figuratively.

Believed to be the area of King Kamehameha I's birth, Hawi today serves as a magnet for all sorts of fun and funky enterprises, as epitomized by two popular places, The Coffee Mill and As Hawi Turns. Modeled after a Parisian sidewalk café, The Coffee Mill is nonetheless pure Island-style. As Hawi Turns is an eclectic shopping experience, featuring everything from straw hats and ball gowns to kimonos and sarongs.

To get to Hawi from Kailua-Kona or the resorts of the Kona-Kohala Coast, simply take the coastal Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway north — which, for its transition from coastal environment to upper mountain regions, is well worth the drive on its own.