BudgetTravel

For breakfast, we walk 50 yards from the inn to the main drag of Hawi, an old sugar-industry town that has been rehabbed in recent years but still feels hidden and unspoiled. In another setting, I'd probably find the section of dilapidated, vacant storefronts west of Highway 250 depressing; on this quiet morning in Hawaii it somehow seems quaint.

We sit outside with coffee and muffins at the Kohala Coffee Mill, then drive west to road's end and the Pololu Valley Lookout. A horse is posing in a meadow speckled with purple wildflowers, with the dramatic lookout--sheer, hunter-green cliffs, with waves crashing between a few rocky islands--in the distance. The trail leading to the water is too steep for my sandals, let alone my 2-year-old, so we settle for hanging out and watching the surfers.

Pretty Hapuna Beach (Susan Seubert) FEBRUARY 2007 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Secret Hotels of the Riviera Maya • James Turrell: Sky High • Dubai: Just Add Money • Eat Like a Local: Melbourne • Five Hotels: What 99 Pounds Buys in London • Road Trip: Hawaii • 40 Best Vacations

With a view of Haleakala, Maui's volcano, to our right, we round the Big Island's lush, green northern tip. We have a few hours before our flight and stop at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area. They don't have state parks like this where I come from: The beach is wide and the water's a translucent blue, but what stands out most is the sand--as soft as flour, it massages my soles as I chase William toward the mellow surf. Later, Will shamelessly stares at a pail and shovel until Lilli, a 2-year-old Hawaiian girl in a pink bikini, shares.

No one wants to leave, but with our departure time approaching I drag Will from his new friend and strip him naked as we all rinse off in the outdoor shower. The road to the airport slices through black fields where, tradition has it, people use white coral to spell out messages: everything from BILLY LOVES JENNIFER to the symbol for the band Weezer. I consider leaving a message but don't have any coral. Besides, Will is yet again sound asleep in the back seat.

Food

• Kohala Coffee Mill Hawi, 808/889-5577, coffee $2

Activities

• Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area Hwy. 19, north of Kona, free

Finding your way

Most Big Island visitors stay in Kailua-Kona town or at nearby resorts, and make a day trip to Volcanoes National Park. The drive takes about two hours each way, so consider spending the night at the park instead. Other than the Saddle Road (Rte. 200), a dangerous cross-island stretch that's off-limits to most rental cars, roads are easy to navigate but slow going because of hills, traffic, or both. Factor in extra time, and use it to savor the views.