Kona Sugar Shack
Check out this q/a with the owners of Kona Sugar Shack, located walking distance to Magic Sands Beach in Kona, Hawaii.
The perfect place for a family and friends surf trip / vacation to Kona, Hawaii.
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Who are you and where are you from orginally?
Ed Chen and myself, Tara Cronin, have been partnered for 19 years now. We actually spent the majority of our adult lives, 16 years, living in New York City, and prior to that, grew up in tiny towns in NJ suburbs - mine had less than 2000 people at the time.
Ed and I met in high school. We both went to undergrad and grad schools in the city and assumed we'd live there forever. During a time of limbo in terms of our living situation, we AirBnB'd it on Big Island for 4 months. At the same time Ed was working on an agricultural technology that is very cost effective and increases production significantly. He is a scientist and inventor. We also noticed many farms were coming onto the market as the last generation of farmers were all entering retirement. Thus with a crazy leap, we took on the oldest certified organic Kona coffee farm to test the tech and change our lives dramatically.
I guess the short answer is, we're surprisingly very spontaneous..!
You mentioned you also manage a coffee plantation how did you get involved with both projects?
The coffee farm we built up as a small business and it is our home most of the time, sharing it with an amazing team of Wwoofers, farm interns who come at length for work-exchange. We hand-pick, process, and roast the coffee ourselves and I am grateful the say the former farmer dubbed the 'Yoda of coffee' by the community, is the one who taught me to roast :]. We do tours daily now and they are always free. - roosterfarms.com
In late 2017 we took over the Sugar Shack in Kona, which arose as an investment opportunity. We ended up really having fun with and enjoying it as well the people we meet from all over the globe through the process. It was being run by a retiring couple for about 10 years who had been incredibly kind in helping us get it off the ground. We upgraded many things such as beddings, appliances, etc. and are currently remodeling it by ourselves to add space for 6-7 more people.
What do you love about Hawai'i?
Hawai'i, Big Island in particular - each island has a very different personality - is by far the most magical, grateful, enlivening place we've ever encountered. Even our doggie, Tiamat, who grew up as a city-slicker, now runs through grassy muddy terrain daily and clearly knows how to enjoy nature!
When Ed and I first experienced Big Island we turned to each other and said 'I feel at home! You do too?' We have traveled decently, including similar climates and landscapes, and have never felt this way before. Big Island also has 10 of the 14 global microclimates and that amazes me daily especially because we experience the epic and dramatic shifts in environment all the time!
Hawai'i has a special feel that brings one close to the natural world and that in turn grounds me internally. There's a constant rhythm here that almost feels like the rhythm of the earth and of the cosmos and somehow it's clearest here. I also am a working artist and being here is more conducive to my practice and helping me focus than anywhere else I've spent time.
Why is the Kona Sugar Shack Special?
While the Kona Sugar Shack is large, spacious, and offers high quality conveniences and amenities, it is also an older Hawaiian style home, which makes it very unique and inviting. People often comment on how good their experience especially with a large group of friends or with large family group such as for a reunion.
It is also right on one the main beaches in Kona and down the road from the other main beach, both being wonderful for snorkeling, surfing, family days. It is comfort, convenience, and privacy all at once :].
What type of activities do you recommend visitors take advantage of while in Kona?
Oh wow, where do I start? Definitely take advantage of the crystal clear waters if you scuba or snorkel. Almost every beach in Kona is great for each but there are a handful that are better than others. The cove across the street at Magic Sands Beach and the southern reef at Kahalu'u Beach are two of my very favorites on the entire island.
Also see coffee country as Kona is home to the only place in the united states with a rich and fascinating history of coffee and agricultural culture. It's also really something to see all the hard work that goes into every step making a cup of coffee. I never looked at a 'simple' cup of coffee the same!
Just north of the airport is a Petroglyph park that is also a historically rich and curious site to see.
Not too far from Kona [ 2 hours south ] is the Volcanoes National Park and the Kilauea Iki Crater trail was life altering in its beauty and epic experience.
As was the experience of seeing what looked like a fake planetarium looking into the night skies from Mauna Kea, the mountain in Waimea - about 1 hour or so north - a memory I will neve forget. It also snows there almost annually and has had blizzards!
Anything else we should know about the Kona Sugar Shack?
It is fully equipped for casual relaxing and celebration including 4 kitchens, a pool, BBQ Grill, and a quick few second walk to the beach :] We provide bath towels, beach towels, as well basic beach gear like water shoes, snorkel gear, children's life vests, etc.
While the Kona Sugar Shack is large, spacious, and offers high quality conveniences and amenities, it is also an older Hawaiian style home, which makes it very unique and inviting. People often comment on how good their experience especially with a large group of friends or with large family group such as for a reunion.
It is also right on one the main beaches in Kona and down the road from the other main beach, both being wonderful for snorkeling, surfing, family days. It is comfort, convenience, and privacy all at once :].
What type of activities do you recommend visitors take advantage of while in Kona?
Oh wow, where do I start? Definitely take advantage of the crystal clear waters if you scuba or snorkel. Almost every beach in Kona is great for each but there are a handful that are better than others. The cove across the street at Magic Sands Beach and the southern reef at Kahalu'u Beach are two of my very favorites on the entire island.
Also see coffee country as Kona is home to the only place in the united states with a rich and fascinating history of coffee and agricultural culture. It's also really something to see all the hard work that goes into every step making a cup of coffee. I never looked at a 'simple' cup of coffee the same!
Just north of the airport is a Petroglyph park that is also a historically rich and curious site to see.
Not too far from Kona [ 2 hours south ] is the Volcanoes National Park and the Kilauea Iki Crater trail was life altering in its beauty and epic experience.
As was the experience of seeing what looked like a fake planetarium looking into the night skies from Mauna Kea, the mountain in Waimea - about 1 hour or so north - a memory I will neve forget. It also snows there almost annually and has had blizzards!
Anything else we should know about the Kona Sugar Shack?
It is fully equipped for casual relaxing and celebration including 4 kitchens, a pool, BBQ Grill, and a quick few second walk to the beach :] We provide bath towels, beach towels, as well basic beach gear like water shoes, snorkel gear, children's life vests, etc.
