Hurricane Hone passed just south of Hawaii on Sunday, dumping enough rain for the National Weather Service to call off its red flag warnings that strong winds could lead to wildfires on the drier sides of islands in the archipelago. Hone had top winds of 85mph Sunday morning as it moved west, centered about 45 miles off the southernmost point of the Big Island, reported Jon Jelsema, a senior forecaster at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. He said tropical storm force winds were blowing across the island’s southeast-facing slopes, carrying a foot or more of rain, per the AP.

“As the rain gets pushed up the mountain terrain it wrings it out, kind of like wringing out a wet towel,” Jelsema said Sunday. “It’s been really soaking those areas, there’s been flooding of roads.” Hurricane Gilma, meanwhile, increased to a Category 4 hurricane Saturday night, but it was still far east of Hawaii and forecast to weaken into a depression before it reaches the islands. Some Big Island beach parks were closed due to dangerously high surf, and officials opened shelters as a precaution, Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.

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“I just pulled into the pickup area near baggage claim, and will be wearing all navy blue with a gray cap,” texts my personal driver Luke, shortly before my plane lands in Kona. His sign-off emoji: A hang ten hand gesture. It’s so Hawaii.

As we emerge from the airport on the Aloha State’s Big Island, I see Luke waving to me and my family. The five-minute ride to Kohanaiki – an 11-year-old, ultra-luxurious private golf and real estate community – takes us through a combination of desert and black lava rock, before entering the property. Instantly, the surroundings are transformed into something much more upscale – gorgeous houses, a lush green golf course, quaint streets and plenty of palm trees. I am instantly relaxed.

And seriously, everyone is smiling at one another. Every golf cart we pass, people give a friendly nod. Disneyland claims to be the happiest place on Earth. After a few minutes here, I beg to differ. Luke rolls us up to our personal golf carts for the next three days, and introduces me to Taylor – a personal attendant for our hale – that’s Hawaiian for home. He escorts us into our villa while Luke brings in the luggage. Neither will accept tips, and tell us all employees here are well-paid and will not accept our money. Taylor walks us through every detail of the incredibly luxurious four-bedroom, five-bath unit overlooking the first tee of the golf course. The hot tub on our patio is already heated, the freezer is stocked with Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars, there are about a half-dozen water bottles in the fridge, peanut butter pretzels on the counter, and fresh Kona coffee beans waiting to be ground. “Just let me know what you need more of during your stay, and I will get it for you,” says Taylor – of course with a huge smile.

While we can’t agree on what to explore first, we concur that this property is stunningly beautiful. I was here for a work trip seven years ago and can remember a little bit about how to get around. I show my family the clubhouse first, starting with the infinity pool, world-class fitness center, pilates room, spa and terrace restaurant – all overlooking the Pacific. Then I take them downstairs to show them the private movie theater with its all-you-can-eat snack bar, four-lane bowling alley, and sports bar that has foosball, shuffleboard, arcade machines, and private Xbox suites. There’s even a cigar and scotch lounge, a private brewery, and a 350-locker wine storage area within this building. Next we hop into a golf cart and drive the vast 450-acre development that runs along 1.5 miles of shoreline. We preview a couple of the golf holes and come across one of three golf comfort stations that are fully stocked with snacks, candy, freshly prepared sandwiches, homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches, soft drinks, liquor, and my personal favorite frozen grapes – among many other items. It’s not attended and residents and guests are invited to dig in. We continue around the property checking out some of the gorgeous and mostly large homes – before ultimately coming back to the pool and chilling.

This is a serene getaway for multi-, multi-millionaires. One of the custom homes we eventually got to tour is on the market for $24.5 million. I’m not sure if this is an average price, but it definitely sets the tone. From what I understand, the smallest price of admission here is investing $800,000 into a fractional ownership of a hale, plus an annual fee. That gives you 40 nights per year on property, which you can divide any way it fits the schedule. There are also several levels of housing available. We’re also told that for many of the homeowners here, Kohanaiki serves as their second or third home. Ah, the good life.

The next day we checked out the private beach club. There’s another restaurant there that’s flanked by a pool and an artificial-turf field decked out with croquet, kids toys, soccer nets, etc. Trust me, children will never grow bored. There are also covered canopies down on the lava rocks and touching some beach sand. If you want a quiet escape, you can find it. Then there’s a restaurant – appropriately referred to as The Beach Club – that has tables under the open-air roof as well as literally down in the sand. Tiki torches only enhance the aura. And the food is fantastic.

While on property here, my daughter and I get to play the 7,329-yard golf course – Hawaii’s only Rees Jones original design. It’s in immaculate condition – sans the 15th hole that’s currently being regrassed. It’s temporarily closed, so par is automatic. The fairways are wide open and inviting, the greens are large and roll true – as if you’re on carpeting, and it’s one of Jones’ most player-friendly courses I’ve played. Mind you, there are some tough shots. The 12th hole, for example, plays 637 yards from the tip – into the wind and slightly uphill. I’m a single-digit handicap, but there’s little chance I’m reaching it in three. That said, I think it’s an easy course to score well on. Several of the holes are visually defined by the high-contrast black lava rocks that may come into play. And every hole sports an ocean view. The day we played, we saw a grand total of one other golfer on the course. Yes it’s a golf-centric community, but they seem to deliberately spread out groups so that you can play at your own pace. We took our time and finished in less than three hours. My daughter is learning the game, and we both found equal enjoyment from the different tee boxes. It’s playable for every skill level. Plus, the staff is incredibly welcoming and outgoing. If that’s a glimpse of how members are treated, then I completely understand the appeal of wanting to establish a home here.

There are discovery visits available for prospective homeowners. While we will likely never be able to afford such luxury on a permanent basis, our visit was a nice glimpse into what that lifestyle is like.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A brother-sister duo from Kauai have mastered the art of making the quintessential Hawaii donut.

Nile and Hana Dreiling joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about their taro donuts fried in coconut oil and topped with innovative flavors. They showcased their Pau Hana POG, created with Hawaiian Airlines for the Made in Hawaii Festival (running through Sunday at the Hawaii Convention Center), Island Chocolate made with Lydgate Farms Chocolate, and the Hot Peach with peach, local honey and mom’s almond crumble.

The siblings created Holey Grail in early 2018 as a Sunday ritual out of a little red hamburger trailer in Hanalei on Kauai. It developed a cult following, with people lining up at 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday to try the donuts and listen to live DJs. They started with a $100 fryer and a “Reincarnated” donut. Now they have a Honolulu flagship store in Kakaako, two trucks on Kauai, and plans to expand in Los Angeles.

They offer four classic flavors year-round, four weekly seasonal flavors and a selection of coffee-based and tea-based beverages. They also just launched Holeys, taro donut holes that are gluten-free.

They also do a “Breaking Bread” monthly flavor collaboration with various chefs and celebrities to create masterful donut flavors with proceeds going to different charities.

The current collaboration runs through September 25 and is with Taiwanese soul food chef, David Kuo, owner of Little Fatty in Mar Vista, California. The “Little Fatty” donut features banana, coconut, caramelized sesame, and peanut flavors, and is available at all Holey Grail Donuts locations for $6. Part of the proceeds will go to benefit No Us Without You LA, a charitable organization in Los Angeles that provides food relief to disenfranchised hospitality workers affected by the pandemic.

They said their business philosophy is to support local farmers and artisans, so they use local ingredients such as vanilla bean from Laie Vanilla Company, taro from Kauai Taro Company, honey from AlohaHoneyBee Family Farm, and more.

Honolulu:

• 1001 Queen Street #101, Ward Village (808) 482-0311
  • Sun-Thu: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Fri & Sat: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Kauai:

• Hanalei Food Truck: 5-5100 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei (808) 212-7174
  • Mon-Wed: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Thu-Sun: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Kapa’a Food Truck: 4-1543 Kuhio Highway, Kapa’a (808) 635-5495

For more information, visit holeygraildonuts.com or follow them on Instagram at @holeygraildonuts.

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