Road Trip (The Road to Hilo)

Road Trip (The Road to Hilo) was Originally Posted on April 6, 2006 by lavarock

There used to be a group of movies which were commonly called the “road movies” because of their descriptive names; “The Road to Zanzibar”, “The Road to Morroco”, starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

A common Maui visitor drive is the “Road to Hana” where one winds along enjoying the scenery and the drive is the reason for the trip rather than getting to the destination.

On the Big Island we have the “Road to Hilo” (or if you live on the other side, the “Road to Kona”. The Big Island is a large place based upon island standards; it is 90 miles across by 90 miles long. Although there is a road across the middle of the island used by locals, most people take the northern or southern route to the other side. Cutting the middle of the island is Saddle Road and it rises up from sea level to perhaps 6,600 feet and is barely wide enough for two cars to pass. I say barely because the shoulder side of each direction is not in great shape. Often on straight-aways drivers will drive down the middle of the road and pull over to their own side when a car approaches.

Because Saddle Road dips between our two 14,000 fo0t mountains and as I say, tops out at 6,600 feet, it is often rainy, or parts covered in fog. Fog is somewhat accurate as fog is a cloud at ground level.

Although the road cuts travel time, if you really are in a hurry and the clouds look like they are covering parts of the road, you would bypass Saddle Road and head around. Thus between Kona and Hilo you have three choices, Kona northward through Waimea and down into Hilo on the east side; Kona southward through the coffee and macadamia farms, past the volcano to Hilo or finally, Saddle Road.

Yesterday I drove into Kona to meet friends and we opted for the northern route to Hilo. Saddle Road was cloud covered in parts and time was of the essence. Our driver had come to the U.S. on a work visa a long time back and had applied to become a U.S. Citizen. Today was the day! Although they appear to perform the Naturalization process in Honolulu each week, here on the Big Island you go to Hilo once or twice a year (when they have enough applicants).

Normally the trip would have been fairly quick but we were stopped at least three times by construction and road repairs from falling rocks and trees. We watched the clock closely and with continuous time adjustments, we also found time for a quick stop at Tex’s Drive In for a rest stop and to get a few malasadas. A malasada is more than a custard filled doughnut. Imagine a fluffy pillow of cake (spongy like a marshmallow) covered with a bit of honey and rolled in granulated sugar. Then inside add a bit of warm custard.

We got to Hilo and made it to the court house by 1pm. Officials checked and rechecked the applications and records to ensure all of the “I’s” are dotted and “T’s” crossed. This is more complicated than a regular court proceeding because if a mistake is made here, it has far-reaching consequences. These people are becoming US citizens and may now vote, serve in the military and given rights not given visitors.

We waited extra time for two wayward applicants to appear. Once the courtroom doors are closed, no other applicants can slip in and would have to wait up to a year in Hilo or spend perhaps $150 to fly to Honolulu to take the oath. Officials understand that people driving 3 hours to Hilo along a single road, may have landslides or other issues that could slow them down a half hour easily. I don’t know if the two missing applicants ever showed.

The event went off fairly smoothly and brought tears to many attendees. It really is an emotional time. Most of us were born US citizens and most of those realize just how special that makes us. These people gathered in Hilo had chosen the United States as their new home, had studied and prepared and now took an oath of allegiance to this country.

Present in the courtroom was a newsman and photographer; taking photos and writing a story of the event. I don’t know for which paper they worked but have set a couple of Google alerts in the hopes of finding the story.

After the ceremony we went to Ken’s House of Pancakes to celebrate and headed back home with a new US Citizen!