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The Big Island is rich in history.  Along the west coast there are several archeological sites where we were able to get a glimpse of how the ancient Hawaiians lived.

Lapakahi State Historical Park

Our first visit was to the restored fishing village found in the Lapakahi State Historical Park.  The park is found along the Akoni Pule Highway (Highway 270) in the North Kohala District. The village dates back 600 years and sits above an idyllic cove along the rugged pacific coast. There’s a one mile self guided trail where you can learn about the lives of the people who once lived here. It got pretty hot the morning we were there and the waters of the nearby cove looked so inviting for a quick swim. But the rugged waves crashing against the rocky shore made that an ill-advised thing to do.

Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site

Just a few miles south of Lapakahi is the Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site.  Here you can learn about the life of the great Hawaiian king Kamehameha. The highlight of the park is the magnificent Heiau (temple) built by Kamehameha to the war-god Kukailimoku. He built this magnificent structure in the hopes of bringing the Hawaiian islands together as one people. I just happened to find the park while swimming at nearby Spencer Beach State Park. The beach was crowded and the swimming wasn’t all that great, so I decided to go for a little walk and before long I was walking in the footsteps of the great king around his great temple. The architecture of the structure is magnificent with no mortar used to hold the stones together. The view from the temple looking out into the Pacific is magnificent. Standing here, you understand why the king picked this spot for his majestic temple.

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

Along the southern coast in the Kona District we visited the Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. Here is one of the most sacred sites in all of Hawaii. The well-preserved village was the home to Hawaiian royalty and was a place of refuge where those who broke sacred laws (kapu) could seek sanctuary and redemption. There’s an easy 1/2 mile walking tour that winds around the wooden structures, statues, and stone walls under the welcome shade of palm trees. You can even learn to play the traditional Hawaiian game of Konane on a replica of the stone surface (Papamu) where the pebbles used for this game are arranged. We also spotted a turtle on the beach here.

Canoe at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

The Big Island isn’t just beaches and volcanoes. The area is rich in history;  it’s worth taking a little time off from working on your tan to learn about the lives of the ancient Hawaiians who once dominated this land.

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

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Ocean view at end of the road near Kohala

During our stay on the big Island, we were invited to participate in a “Kohala Ditch Adventure” on the northern tip of the island that contains many ranches and lush rain forest  foliage. We would float 2.5 miles down an old irrigation ditch on inflatable kayaks. We’d seen the ads for the tour and it looked intriguing so we jumped at the chance.

Kayaks in the Kohala Flume Ditch

The Kohala Ditch is an irrigation canal system that was built at the turn of the previous century in order to provide a consistent water supply to the ranch country in the northern part of the Big Island.

We met our guides at their offices near the town of Kohala. After a brief talk about what we’d be doing, we were loaded into a large six-wheeled Pinzgauers. We drove to the end of the road for an incredible view down to the sea (this also happens to be where the opening sequence to Jurassic Park was filmed). Then we drove up a dirt road to the drop-off point for the beginning of our ditch cruise. All along the drive and subsequent tour, our native guides told us interesting facts about the island and the history of the building of the flume ditch as well as pointed out interesting flora and fauna.

Pinzgauer loaded with kayaks

After a short walk across a flume, we were ready to load up the kayaks, each carrying 3 people. Getting into the kayaks was a little tricky, although it was made easier by the fact that the water is only a few feet deep so you won’t get too wet if you fall in. Armed with paddles, headlamps, and cameras, we headed off down the ditch. Paddling was not required because the kayaks descended the ditch on their own – the paddles were used to keep the kayaks from hitting the sides of the flume.

Kayak heading into a tunnel

The ditch flowed through 10 earth tunnels, some several hundred feet long, and over water flumes. We used the headlamps to spot interesting notes carved in the stone inside the tunnels by the builders. At times, we turned off the headlamps and enjoyed the complete silence and darkness of the tunnels. Along the way, we stopped to look down on beautiful waterfalls. We saw cinnamon trees and other fauna and floated right under the zipline set up in the area. We spotted small fish and shrimp in the water and were graced by a native bird of some kind flying low in the ditch (probably fishing) and then right over our heads.

Stop on the ditch tour to view waterfalls below

A couple of hours later we arrived at the departure point. We unloaded from the kayaks and were met by staff who had refreshing drinks and snacks ready for us. They loaded the kayaks on the top of 6-passenger ATVs and we headed back to the cars.

End of the ditch tour

It’s hard to explain just how much fun this excursion was. It was relaxing, informative, and exciting, all rolled into one adventure. The staff and guides of Kohala Ditch Adventures were absolutely amazing. What a treat!

Our ditch adventure piqued our appetites so we headed into Kohala and had brunch at Bamboo Restaurant. Several people on the island had recommended the food and cocktails at Bamboo Restaurant so we had to try it out. The food and drinks did not disappoint. Bamboo invented the Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Margarita, Lili Mojito and Lili-tini. Several of us tried the yummy Lilikoi Margarita but I thought I’d be different and I had the Lili Mojito – honestly, I think the Mojito was much tastier than the Margarita. If you go, you must try the Chicken Sate Pot Stickers – to die for! All of the meals were outstanding. It’s a shame that none of us had room for dessert because they looked absolutely delicious!

What a great day on the Big Island!

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What’s a malasada?

Well, it’s sort of a doughnut without the hole. It’s pretty much like a jelly or creme filled doughnut. It’s a Portuguese recipe that has found quite a popular following in Hawaii. We heard from more than one local that the place to find the best malasadas on the Big Island is at the Tex Drive-In, just down the road from the Waipi’o Valley in the town of Honoka’a. Though it sounds more like a roadhouse in the Texas panhandle than a Hawaiian bakery, the long line of locals queueing up for their freshly made malasadas tells you otherwise. Tex’s has a run-down look that makes you wonder if the place is even open for business.

We went in search of this Big Island landmark after our tour of Waipi’o Valley. We were given some less-than-specific directions to the restaurant from one of the restaurant’s local fans. We drove back-and-forth along Highway 19 for nearly an hour trying to find it. We were just about to give up, when we spotted it just off the highway on the eastern edge of Honoka’a town. We missed it the first time because we took a route through town that dropped us off on the main highway past Tex’s.

Tex Drive-In makes their malasadas with an unusual assortment of fillings that give them a uniquely Hawaiian flair. I went for the Guava jelly malasada. It was served warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Very decadent and quite delicious. It took an enormous amount of will power on my part to suppress the need to wolf down a dozen of those things.

So, if you’re looking for a unique treat after a day of exploring Waipi’o Valley, stop by Tex Drive-In for a malasada. It might even be worth a special trip from Kona or Hilo just for this sweet snack.

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Looking down into Waipi’o Valley

When my brother and I visited the Big Island in 1997, we had driven to the north end of the island to a viewpoint looking into the spectacular Waipi’o Valley. Unfortunately, we were on our way to Hilo to catch our flight home and we didn’t have time to go down into the valley. I vowed the next time I visited the island, I would take the time to explore this isolated corner of Hawaii.

Waipi’o means “curved water” in the Hawaiian language.  From the rim, the cliff walls drop nearly 2,000 feet to the valley floor. On one end is a beautiful black sand beach popular with surfers. The upper end of the valley is surrounded by forested cliff walls and spectacular water falls. At one time, there may have been as many as 10,000 people living in the valley; now there are fewer than 50 permanent residents, most of whom raise Taro in the moist, fertile soil.

The road into the valley is extremely steep (25% grade) and narrow and requires a 4WD vehicle in order to reach the valley. On this trip, we didn’t have the appropriate vehicle, so we hired a local guide to take us down in his van. After meeting Jeff, our guide and driver, at the Waipi’o Valley Artworks, we hopped in the van and headed down the road into the valley.

Looking out van door on way to bottom of Waipi’o Valley

I can understand the need for a 4WD vehicle on this road. Without a 4WD’s ability to gear down, you could easily overheat the brakes of a regular car. This wasn’t the worst road I’ve ever been on, but it was extremely narrow, making it a challenge when you have to get around someone coming the other way. Jeff left the sliding door to the van open, making for a spectacular, if not dizzying, view looking down the cliff wall into the valley bottom as we traversed the narrow road.

Taro Field in Waipi’o Valley

At the bottom, we passed by numerous settlements while Jeff told us about the inhabitants and some interesting stories of their lives in the valley.  Waipi’o Valley is incredibly lush with thick rainforest interspersed with Taro plantations. At one end of the valley, we stopped for a nice view of a spectacular waterfall cascading down the side of the valley wall.

Waterfall in Waipi’o Valley

At the end of the road, we stopped again to briefly walk around and take pictures before getting back in the van for the ride back up the steep, narrow road. We passed several people who had hiked down into the valley and were now struggling back up the road under their own power. I like a good challenge, but I was glad to let someone drive me to the bottom, and was especially happy to be hauled back up.

The tour was short (about two hours), but we really enjoyed seeing this magnificent valley up close while learning about its flora and fauna, history, and the colorful folks that still live here. I waited 15 years to finally get my chance to descend into Waipi’o Valley; it was worth the wait.

Crossing the river in Waipi’o Valley

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'Anaeho'omalu Bay

A visit to any of the Hawaiian Islands involves at least some amount of beach time and this trip was no exception. The Big Island is known for its volcanic black sand beaches, found mostly on the east side of the island. However, the west side has some very nice beaches with great waves and soft sand.

Our first beach experience on our Big Island adventure was at Kekaha Kai State Park. The park is located just 5 miles north of the Kona airport. We got the recommendation for this beach from a local at the rental car place. When we arrived at the beach, we realized almost everyone else thought this was a good place to go because it was very crowded and we had to park quite aways away (it was a weekend so what did we expect anyway?). Even with the crowds, it was a nice place and the water felt good. With some great waves, we tried our hand at body surfing with rather comical results. The surf here was fairly large so we got slammed into the sand more than once!

Greenback Turtle resting in rocks

One of the unique aspects of the Big Island is its population of Greenback Turtles that share the beaches with the people. Greenback Turtles are endangered and protected. If a turtle is spotted, you are instructed to not get closer than 20 feet and to never touch them. Our goal for our next beach experience was to go to a place where we could see turtles. We found a great beach in Waikoloa that was 10 minutes from our villa. Basically, we headed into Waikoloa and spotted a parking lot on the left before heading into the main part of the village. The beach is right in front of the Marriott hotel. We headed to the beach area to the left of the hotel where lava rocks were scattered along the beach and into the water. We found a nice secluded corner of beach in ‘Anaeho’omalu Bay. It didn’t take long before we had our first turtle sighting. We found a small turtle nestled in some lava rock a few feet from the shore.

A little later in the afternoon, Valerie and I broke out our snorkel gear with the hope of swimming with a turtle or two. We put on the snorkel gear and swam around the small bay looking for turtles. Valerie’s first clue that a turtle might be nearby was a sighting of an Angel Fish swimming at breakneck speed away from where we were headed. Not too far from there, we came across a turtle feeding on some moss in a very shallow area close to shore. We just floated along the top of the water watching the turtle until we started getting cold and decided to leave the turtle to his lunch. A few minutes later, as we were drying off on the beach, another turtle crawled out of the ocean onto the beach for a little warming in the sun. It was a nice day on the beach with three turtles spottings!

Greenback Turtle sunbathing

Further north, at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, we tried our hand at boogie boarding. The sand was nice and the waves weren’t very high, but at least they were manageable for us rookies. We managed to scrape our knees on the sand as we were slammed down by the waves and we later discovered that we’d carried at least half the sand off the beach in our bathing suits!

At one point, I was standing out in the water waiting for a good wave to come by when I looked down and saw what looked like a rock moving by my feet. Turns out it was a large turtle calmly swimming amongst the multitude of boarders. The turtles don’t seem to be bothered by the people that they share the beaches with.

Our last beach experience was at Spencer Beach Park, even further north than Hapuna Beach. This was probably our least favorite beach. It is an ideal beach if have very young children because there is no surf there. The little ones loved getting into the water without the fear of waves knocking them over. This beach also had great places for camping and BBQing and they had awesome private showers for after you’re done at the beach. The sand was nice but just off the beach were rocks where we tried snorkeling. The water wasn’t very clear and we didn’t find much sea life.

Punalu'u Beach Park

The best concentration of sea turtles was found was at the Punalu’u Black Sand Beach on the south-east side of the island. This is a classic black sand beach that is more suited for a leisurely stroll than for working on your tan. The “sand” is more of a small gravel that’s not well suited for laying on…unless you’re a turtle. Here we found a group of six turtles basking in the sun as well as several others swimming among the rocks just off-shore.

Many sleeping turtles at Punalu'u Beach Park

Close up of a Greenback Turtle

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Humpback Whale surfacing

For today we had planned a three-hour whale watching trip with Captain Dan McSweeney. We made reservations with his company the month prior to our trip based on great reviews of his ability to find whales when no one else could. He also does extensive whale research so we felt that his trip would be a lot more educational than most. Additionally, his tours are a full hour longer than other tours in the area and he provides drinks and snacks while on the boat.

I was worried about rough conditions on the water based on all the wind we’d been having since we got to the Kona side of the island. Valerie and I made sure everyone was well medicated with Dramamine prior to leaving for the harbour.

The day before our planned whale watching trip we’d heard that no one had seen whales for the last few days which would be a bummer since Hannah had never seen whales before and she was looking forward to the experience. Late March is in the later part of the whale season on the Big Island, so it was possible that the humpback had packed up and headed to Alaska already. However, Captain Dan was confident that we’d find some whales since they were still spotting them on his other tours.

Motoring out to a prime whale watching spot, we had our first excitement when everyone spotted a fin; the fin turned out to be a rather large hammerhead shark.

Captain Dan didn’t disappoint: we had barely left the harbour and were right off the coast from the airport when we spotted a large female humpback with a baby. We spent quite a lot of time watching this mother and calf pair. The mother took longer, deeper dives, leaving the baby near the surface so we caught quite a few glimpses of it. At one point the calf came right up to the bow of the boat but mom quickly intervened and move it away to a safer distance.

Humpback calf came right up to bow of boat

On the morning tour, Captain Dan had spotted a large pod of pilot whales so we headed to that spot but we never did see them. Afterwards, we worked our way back towards the harbour where we encountered a pod of Spinner Dolphins. These are the most acrobatic sea creatures I’ve ever seen. Instead of just jumping out of the water like regular dolphins, these guys fling themselves into the air and spin around seven and a half times before splashing back in…hence the name “Spinner Dolphins.”

Spinner Dolphin

Spinner Dolphin

The entire time we were on the boat, Captain Dan told us interesting facts about whales and shared many of his exciting encounters with whales. He gave everyone a photograph of a humpback whale as we departed the tour – he is a well-known photographer in addition to his research work. I would highly recommend Captain Dan’s tours – he and his staff were great.

Spinner Dolphin

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Observatory on summit of Mauna Kea

We awoke to yet another day of rain and cold in Volcano, Hawaii. This was our last night in Volcano, so we packed up to head over to Waikaloa on the other side of the island. On the way there, we planned to drive to the summit of Mauna Kea. At 13,796 feet, it’s the highest point in Hawaii.

After having breakfast in Hilo and picking up some stuff for lunch, we headed toward the mountain. The Saddle Road, which connects the two sides of the island, was a narrow gravel road the last time I visited here in 1997. To my surprise, the road is now a wide, paved, two-lane highway. It was still raining when we left Hilo but we had hopes that we’d be above the clouds on the summit of Mauna Kea.

Memorial or burial site on Mauna Kea

About half-way across the island, we left the Saddle Road, and began the steep drive up the mountain. We made a brief stop at the visitor’s center (9,000 feet) to get somewhat acclimated to the altitude. We walked around and took photos of something that kind of looked like a burial site or a memorial and an interesting plant called silversword.

Silversword plant

Water drops on silversword plant

Center of silversword

Then we continued our climb to the summit. The road is gravel part-way, then becomes paved near the top. As we climbed, we passed several snow fields, a strange sight to see in Hawaii. The road ended at the summit next to one of the many observatories that dot the mountain top. Still clouded-in at the top, we decided to hang out and eat our lunch while we waited for the clouds to clear.

It’s amazing how your body can feel after driving from sea level to 14,000 feet in a couple of hours. I felt kind of loopy, almost drunk, the whole time we were up there. I’ve been to this altitude many times on climbing trips in Colorado, but when driving to this altitude from sea-level in just a matter of a couple of hours, the body definitely feels it.

Beware of Falling Ice!

We hung out at the top for about 1/2 an hour before it started snowing heavily. It wasn’t sticking to the road, but we decided that the mountain gods were not going to bless us with a view, so we decided to head back down. The park rangers must have also decided that conditions on the mountain were not good; they had closed the road while we were up there. When we returned to the visitor’s center, they had to open up the barricade to let us back through.

Near summit of Mauna Kea

We continued our journey to Waikaloa with a brief stop for a coffee at the Starbucks in Waimea. The country on the west side of the island is so different from the east side: with much less rainfall, it looks almost like a desert compared to the rainforest on the eastern side. What little vegetation there is, is interspersed among the many lava flows from past volcanic eruptions. We arrived at our villa in Waikaloa around 4:00. We hit the grocery store to stock up on some breakfast foods and had dinner at a nearby locals hangout.

Valerie’s family was supposed to arrive into the Kona airport around 8:00 that evening. Unfortunately, a mechanical delay in San Francisco resulted in their arrival being pushed back to 1:30 am the next morning. They finally got to the villa around 3:00 am, very exhausted, but happy to finally be in Hawaii.

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Steam from Kilhauea Crater

I’ve been to Hawaii twice before this trip, but this was the first time I had to turn the heat on in my hotel room. At 4,000 feet elevation, the little hamlet of Volcano was unusually cold for a late March morning. We awoke to a steady rain, which didn’t bode well for our day of exploring the area around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. After a hardy breakfast at the Lava Rock Cafe, we headed over to the park.

Volcanic steam

Just as we arrived, the sun came out and the day warmed up quickly. This gave us a chance to hike around the steam vents that line the rim of the Kīlauea crater. On my previous trip, we were able to do a nice loop hike from the rim down into the Kilauea caldera and back up to the rim. Because of the lava lake that formed in Kilauea’s Halema’uma’u Crater a few years ago, the entire western two-thirds of Kilauea is now closed-off; you can’t even drive all the way around on the rim road and hiking below the rim was not possible. There was, however, a lot of toxic steam spewing from the crater and nearby just off the road. There are walking trails nearby to explore so we took our time walking around photographing the steam escaping from the earth, rocks covered in sulfur, and the flora, including wild orchids and other plant life.

Rocks covered with sulfur

We drove around the park and stopped at the overlooks and other areas of interest. In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, there are other craters to view and hike into as well as a large lava tube to walk through. Further down the Chain of Crater’s Road there are numerous hiking trails that go for considerable distances and have expansive views of the ocean below.

The well-traveled trail across this crater is clearly visible

Just adjacent to the Park Station is an art studio featuring local artists – they carry beautiful works of art from watercolor and oil paintings to wood carvings and hand-blown glass. It’s well worth a look.

Walking through a lava tube

I think this walking trail was called the "Trail of Devastation" - a good name!

Next we headed down the Chain of Craters Road. Near the bottom is a pullout where you can park and hike about a mile out to some very impressive petroglyphs, carved in the rocks 600-900 years ago. At the end of the trail there is a boardwalk that meanders through the highest concentration of petroglyphs but keep your eyes open on the way out as you can see some scattered next to the trail.

Petroglyphs

Our primary goal for the day was to head down to the coast to view the lava flow coming from the Pu’u'O’o Crater. At the time of our visit, the flow was no longer dumping into the ocean, but we were told by a park ranger that you can get a nice view of the lava flow from the end of the Chain of Craters Road by the ocean. We considered walking across the old lava fields to get a close-up look at the lava flowing down from the Pali (cliffs), but decided against it as it was a 10 mile round trip slog across the old lava flows, and we just didn’t have the right gear to do this. This was especially important as we intended to view the lava at night, which meant we’d be hiking across the treacherous terrain in the dark by headlamp. Instead, we decided to drive to the end of the road and walk just a short distance into the lava fields to get some long-distance shots of the lava. We lucked out with the weather as it was not raining down by the ocean. We started walking right after sunset. We walked maybe a couple of miles before finding a nice high rock to set up the camera and get some long distance shots of the lava.

Lava Flow in the distance

After our photo shoot of the lava flow, we headed back to the car and drove back up the Chain of Craters Road to the Kilauea rim to get some spectacular views of the glow of the lava lake in the Halema’uma’u Crater. It was raining lightly, but steadily, which helped intensify the tremendous red glow blasting from the nearby crater. You couldn’t see the lava itself, but the glow reflecting against the crater walls and the low clouds made for a spectacular sight.

Glow from Kilauea Lava Lake

By this time, it was 9:00 pm and we were pretty beat, still suffering from jet lag. We made the short drive in the rain back to our hotel in Volcano for our last night at Kilauea.

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My first visit to Hawaii was to the Big Island in 1997. My brother and I spent a week here driving around and hiking the country side. Although it’s only one island, there is so much to see and do, that I promised to come back some day.

Well, someday is now and we just arrived from the long flight from Denver to the somewhat funky town of Hilo. Instead of staying in Hilo proper, I decided we’d stay in the village of Volcano, which is adjacent to the main entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We arrived just at dark to our hotel: The Volcano Inn. No big hotel chains here in Volcano, just a collection of B&B’s and rustic inns; Volcano Inn falls into the latter category. The lush vegetation of this part of the island really makes it difficult to find the businesses in this area, especially at night. Volcano Inn solves this problem with lots of  lights covering the property. The driveway into the inn is easy to spot; it has an easy-to-find archway covered with Christmas lights.

We were quite exhausted from our long flight from Denver, but we had to find food before retiring. We found a great little pizza place called the Kiawe Kitchen. The place was packed at 7:00, so the wait was a bit long for the food. It was worth the wait in spite of our fatigued bodies crying out for sleep as much as food. A modest sized wood-fired pesto pizza, followed by a chocolate brownie desert, and we were ready for bed.

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Welcoming cup of cappuccino with decorative art design on top

It’s the time of year when many people are planning trips to Europe. Below is an article my wife wrote about Florence, Italy several years ago but the information is still relevant today. And by the way, if you are planning a trip to Italy, I’m jealous! You’re going to have a great time.

Florence, Italy, at the heart Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, is a feast for the senses.  There is so much to see and do that it can be seem overwhelming.  I have listed below what I consider to be the “must sees” for Florence, along with some tips for making your visit to these locales even more enjoyable.  At the bottom of the article I have listed two attractions that I didn’t discover until my third visit to Florence and I consider them well worth the effort.

Before I start with the sites, I’d first like to recommend that you read The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo by Irving Stone before your trip.  I couldn’t put this book down and it gave me a greater appreciation of the art and architecture of Florence (and Rome for that matter) as well as the artistic genius of the man behind the story.

Florence is relatively compact and you will be able to access all of the main tourist attractions on foot.  The bus system in Florence is also easy to navigate.  But if you arrive in Florence via car, I highly recommend that you park the car outside the city and walk (you’ll be fined if you drive in the historic core of the city and parking nearby is nearly impossible anyway).  We parked our car at Piazzale Michelangelo because it’s free, has a great view of the city, and is within easy walking distance of the main part of town.  Do remember to save some energy for the walk back to the car though because it is uphill!

1.  Accademia (Galleria dell’Accademia): No trip to Florence is complete until you have seen Michelangelo’s David.  The statue will take your breath away, not only because of its sheer size, but also because of its incredible beauty.

Tips: As you make your way to the main, domed gallery to view the David, take your time to explore the other Michelangelo sculptures, some of which are only partially complete, including Prisoners, St. Matthew and a Pietà.  They will give you a true appreciation of Michelangelo’s talent as a sculpture. If you will be visiting Florence during peak tourist season, you will definitely want to purchase your tickets to the Accademia in advance.

View of Florence's Duomo from bell tower, Italy

2.  The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), The Baptistery and Giotto’s Tower:  If you spend any time at all in Florence, you can’t help stumbling upon The Duomo, Baptistery and Giotto’s Tower.  The exteriors of these buildings are covered in green, pink and white marble and the detail is astonishing!  Make sure to observe Ghiberti’s famous bronze doors on the Baptistery, referred to as “The Gates of Paradise”, but note that these are not the original doors – the originals reside in the Duomo Museum (more on that later).

Tips: Enjoy the outside of The Duomo because in my opinion, the inside of the cathedral isn’t much to get excited about.  The real splendor of The Duomo lies in its dome.  The dome, built by Brunelleschi during the Renaissance, was a groundbreaking engineering phenomenon.  And here, another book recommendation: Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King, will give you a true appreciation of this amazing dome and the book is amazingly readable so give it a go.

Many tourists wait hours in line to climb the Duomo’s Dome.  While a climb up the Duomo’s Dome is well worth the hike, if you are short on time, Giotto’s Tower next door is a great alternative – you can view the exterior of the Duomo dome from the top and will have the same spectacular views of Florence that you would have from the Duomo dome.

3.  Medici Chapels: If you are a fan of Michelangelo, you can’t miss the Medici Chapels.  The Medici Chapels contain the tombs of many members the Medici Family, Florence’s ruling family and patrons of the arts.  One entire room within the Chapels was designed by Michelangelo and contains his sculptures Dusk and Dawn and Night and Day.

Tip: The Medici Chapels are relatively small and can be visited within a reasonably short amount of time so you may have time to wander through the San Lorenzo Market just outside or the nearby Central Market – you’ve got to try haggling with the vendors because it can be a lot of fun.

View of Florence rooftops and Santa Croce Church

4.   Santa Croce Church: The primary reason that I recommend visiting the Santa Croce Church is because you will be awestruck by the many impressive historical figures buried or memorialized there – Dante, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Michelangelo.  It’s a humbling experience.

5.  Ponte Vecchio: Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s famous bridge across the Arno River and is lined on both sides by stunning shops selling gold, all of the 18K variety!

Florence Italy's famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge with rowers in river

Tip:  It’s a feast for the eyes but spending too much time on the Ponte Vecchio could be bad for the pocketbook.  I recommend making this stroll a window-shopping experience.  If you really are in the market for gold jewelry, you will probably find more reasonable prices at other shops around town.

6.  Uffizi Gallery: The Uffizi Gallery probably contains the greatest collection of Italian paintings found anywhere in the world so art lovers won’t want to miss it.

Tips:  While the art is impressive, the sheer size of the Uffizi Gallery is overwhelming.  I’d recommend trying to arrange a tour so that you don’t miss the highlights while trying to find your way through the many galleries.

So here are the two attractions that I didn’t discover until my latest visit to Florence.  They seem to be less well-known than the other attractions but I highly recommend making time to visit them.

Michelangelo's Pieta in Florence - one of his last sculptures

The Duomo's Baptistery Doors (of Gates of Paradise)

7.  Duomo Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo):  The Duomo Museum has long been under appreciated but turned out to be one of my favorites.  One reason it was so enjoyable is that the hoards of tourists weren’t there so we could take our time to enjoy the art.

Tips: Make sure you see Michelangelo’s Pietà. This was one of his last, if not his final, sculptures and was intended to be for his tomb (many also believe that the face of Nicodemus is that of the artist).  Several of Donatello’s sculptures can be viewed in this museum as well, including the haunting Mary Magdalene.  Additionally, the original, restored bronze panels from the Baptistery (the Gates of Paradise) are on display here. And finally, there is a large display dedicated to the construction of Brunelleschi’s Dome, including a detailed model of the dome within a dome and the tools used in the construction.  You can also glimpse Brunelleschi’s death mask nearby.

Galileo's Finger

8.   Science Museum (Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza): Many don’t realize that science prospered in Florence alongside the art and architecture and that Florence can lay claim to many scientific breakthroughs.

Tip: Anyone with even an iota of interest in science and/or astrology must visit the Science Museum.  The museum is chock full of gadgets and gizmos and most interesting of all, Galileo’s finger in a jar!  It’s a nice change of pace from all of the churches and art museums that you’ve no doubt spent hours exploring already.

Finally, while you’re making your way from site to site in Florence, take some time out to relax at a sidewalk café with a cappuccino or an exquisite meal and don’t forget to enjoy the colorful and always delicious gelaterias that line the side streets.  There’s nothing more refreshing that a delectable cup of gelato!  Ciao bella!

Gelateria

Resources: Rick Steve’s Florence & Tuscany