The town of Kailua on the Big Island-- also called Kailua-Kona to distinguish the town from Kailua on O`ahu, or just "Kona"-- is on the western side of the Big Island. That's the leeward side, with its gorgeous sunsets, world-class white sand beaches and beautiful blue sea.

An appreciation of all Kailua-Kona has to offer is not new. Kamehameha I lived and died there, at his bay front residence that encompassed Ahu`ena Heiau, the religious temple now restored and sitting behind the aptly named King Kamehameha Hotel.

Noni Kuhns, of the Kona Historical Society, speculates that Kamehameha chose that site at Kailua as his residence because it was a perfect training ground for his son, who would later become king. "As far as learning navigational skills, recreation, fishing-- there's everything," she says.

And then there's that good weather. Real estate agent Harry Pritikin declares that Kailua-Kona has the best weather of any place in the whole state.

"We've got an 8,600-foot mountain, Hualalai, behind Kailua-town," he says. "Other leeward places, like Lahaina, don't have that and they remain blazingly hot all day. Here the sun evaporates moisture off the ocean, it rises up the mountain, and when it gets to the cold, 5,000-foot elevation it turns to clouds. The cloud layer comes out and shades us in the afternoon, almost every day.

"There's a little bit of rain in the afternoon from those clouds, then it clears up at night, Pritikin continues. "It's hot and sunny in the morning and cool in the afternoon." Pritikin says people from the mainland love Kailua-Kona because of the lifestyle and the pace.

"It's really, really easygoing," he says. "Pretty slow-paced. There’s more traffic now but still the traffic is pretty much concentrated around Kailua. It's a rural atmosphere, but with all the stores. That's one of the things we have that some smaller towns don’t have is all the big box stores: Costco, Kmart, Walmart, Borders, Lowes, Home Depot, Starbucks. We have everything here."

Even Kailua's "vog" (volcanic smog) doesn't dampen his enthusiasm for the place. Pritikin points out that sometimes Kailua- Kona is "clear as a bell for weeks at a time, and sometimes there's vog for weeks at a time. Sometimes it’s thinner and sometimes thicker, and the worst thing it does it turn the sky gray instead of blue."

The Kona Historical Society's Kuhns says new residents wanting to learn about the area's history should consider a membership in the society. Members can take part in such activities as a recent all-day jeep excursion to the privately owned Palani Ranch, high in the mountains and usually off-limits to visitors. As everyone sat in a pasture eating lunch, a local accomplished actress wandered up over the stonewall dressed in period costume as Isabella Bird (an English woman who spent six months in Hawai`i in 1873 and wrote a book about it, which is still in print).

"She (seemed to) just wander up and start talking about this place and what she did there," says Kuhns. "It was wonderful." Members can also tour the living history coffee farm operated by the society. Now the very active society is in the process of putting together a whole living history ranch in the area.

Historic sites in Kailua-Kona include the former royal residence Hulihe`e Palace, situated bayside along Ali`i Drive, and the nearby Moku`aikaua Church, built in 1820 and the first Christian church in Hawai`i.

Another interesting visit is the Sadie Seymour Botanical Gardens, where you can see tiers of Hawai’i’s plants organized by where they came here from. Admission to the nonprofit, acre-and-a-half gardens operated by the Kona Outdoor Circle is free. The center also has a horticultural library.

And, of course, Kailua-Kona is famous for its Ironman Triathlon, probably the most well-known triathlon in the world, which has been held there every October since 1981. Participants in the intense athletic event make a 2.4-mile swim across Kailua Bay, followed by a 112-mile bike ride from Keauhou to Hawi and back and a 26.2-mile marathon from Keauhou to Keahole Point to Kailua-Kona.

If that’s not your cup of tea, you can just relax on the lanai and sip a cold drink instead,marveling at yet another incredible pink, red and crimson Kona sunset.

Reprinted with permission of Canoe Media, Inc. Copyright 2006 by Leslie Lang photos by Bill Frampton