Posted by David Porter on March 16, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Tucked in the thick rainforest of Kailua Kona, Hawaii, Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation is an award-winning coffee producer where we enjoyed a lovely afternoon tour and learned all about Kona coffee.
The caffeine kick sure helped us keep up with our busy schedule for the day! As we drove up the nearly 3,500 feet climb to get to the plantation, lush greenery surrounded us all around as we entered the property.
We first met with Trent Bateman, the owner, who gave us an overview of what makes Kona coffee beans so special. Trent explained that the quality of Kona beans are so high that it is not necessary to roast them as much as other variety of beans; other beans are often over-roasted in order to mask their less-than-ideal taste. Not these babies. According to the Chief Judge of the Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Competition, the nutty overtones, cinnamon bursts and chocolate hints are allowed to shine because they receive the perfect amount of roasting. We were convinced and ready to learn more!
Our one-and-a-half hour V.I.P. tour continued with General Manager John Langenstein as he took us through the property to show us all kinds of plants, fruits, and vegetation. Here he shows us a banana tree:
Some of the plants we saw were completely foreign to us! As we walked past a vine, John shook it and a poka fruit, the size of an orange, fell down from the vine. Poka fruit is orangey-yellow on the outside, a white meaty inside similar to a coconut, and slimy, mucusy seeds– the part that you eat– on the inside. As you can tell from Carol’s reaction, it didn’t look very appetizing, but the seeds were actually very sweet and delicious!
The more we walked, the more fruits and berries we got to try. At the end of this portion of the tour, we probably tasted about 10 different varieties of wild berries. We could taste the freshness. It was, afterall, straight off the plant!
We then came to an area where a volcano tube had caved in and created a natural bridge and caves. It was probably 30 feet deep on either side of the bridge, but Carol was brave and went and stood on top of it. It was quite a sight to see.
For the last section of the tour, we went to the processing area, where we learned how coffee is picked, brought in for processing, and then roasted. This part of the tour was quicker than we expected, most likely because we spent so much time exploring the rest of the property.
Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation offers an excellent tour of indigenous Hawaiian plants and the Kona coffee production process.
We really enjoyed this tour. We also learned that Thunder Mountain Coffee recently won at the Good Food Awards held in San Francisco, CA. Great work, guys!
Disclosure: this wonderful experience was provided by the kind folks at Mountain Thunder. Further, a portion of our travel expenses were provided by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Thanks Mountain Thunder and HVCB!
Posted by David Porter on March 15, 2011 · 1 Comment
Waimea Town Market ~ Waimea, Hawaii, The Big Island – When The Roaming Boomers® are traveling, you can count on us to scope out the local farmers’ markets.
One of our favorites on Hawaii, the Big Island, is the Waimea Town Market which happens every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
This small market will bring you a host of things that you can bring back to your hotel room, and it is also a wonderful place to have breakfast.
Here’s Carol with Michigan friends, Bob & Karen Schroeder, enjoying a fresh cooked omelet from one of the market’s vendors.
Bob and Karen have long been bragging about the “Waimea Bread Lady”. Here’s Karen with a fresh baked loaf.
While Karen was picking up the bread, Carol was scoping out local jams and jellies.
If you find yourself on Hawai’i, the Big Island, make certain to check out the Waimea Town Market to stock up your hotel room with fresh Hawaiian organic foods to make quick, easy, and healthy meals.
Disclosure: a portion of our Hawaii travel expenses were provided by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Thanks Hawaii!
Posted by David Porter on March 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Housed in the historic, superbly restored Carillon Hotel, Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach is our next journey. We’re looking forward to sampling the services of this world class health resort. Stay tuned!
Posted by David Porter on March 14, 2011 · 3 Comments
Yabba Dabba Doo!
The Roaming Boomers® were just featured on the NPR syndicated Growing Bolder Radio Show produced out of central Florida.
The show is produced by an Emmy Award-winning team. Growing Bolder delivers empowering stories that inspire audiences of all ages to believe that it’s never too late to achieve their dreams. The Growing Bolder TV Show airs on public television stations nationwide (https://growingboldertv.com/schedule for local listings) and The Growing Bolder Radio Show (https://growingbolder.com/gbradio) will be nationally distributed through NPR’s Content Depot beginning in April 2011.
With a large baby boomer audience, the Growing Bolder Radio Show found our story of reinvention right up their alley and asked us to speak to their audience. Here’s a very short snippet from their textual introduction…
“In these tough economic times, many families are discovering that necessity is the mother of reinvention. David and Carol Porter thought they had done everything right. They worked hard for years and saved their money carefully to achieve one wild goal — retiring at 50. They reached their goal and thought they were set for life. But then the economy tanked. Within months, nearly 45 percent of their nest egg was gone. Suddenly, they had to figure out a new plan…”
Here’s a copy of our radio interview. We hope you enjoy!
Posted by David Porter on March 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
The JW Desert Ridge Jazz Festival is April 9th, & 10th. We’re very excited to be attending. If you’re in town, come join us for some jazzy fun!
Lineup: 20 Artists – 2 Days
Saturday, April 9th – Richard Elliot & Norman Brown, Jonathan Butler, Eric Darius & Maysa, Euge Groove, Mindi Abair, Turning Point
Sunday, April 10th _ Guitars & Saxes with Jeff Golub, Gerald Albright & Kirk Whalum, Gentlemen of the Night with Marion Meadows, Michael Lington & Warren Hill, Steve Cole, Nick Colionne, Jackiem Joyner & Jeff Kashiwa, Jessy J, Dominic Amato.
Tickets start off at $50 and concert room packages available, for more info visit www.sageconcerts.com
The Roaming Boomers
