Kona was our second stop on the relocation cruise, and we decided to ditch the standard excursions for a pair of e-bikes. We rode just north of town to the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area. It’s a trip to see—it’s a massive, 3,800-foot runway that the community has reclaimed as a park. You can literally bike right down the middle of the old tarmac where commercial planes once landed.

The “Private Set”

We headed to the very northern tip of the runway and found a quiet, sandy beach just about 25 meters past the asphalt. After the humid walk in Hilo earlier in the trip, having the e-bikes here was a lifesaver. We set up our “studio” on the sand, surrounded by lava rock and clear water, and had the whole place to ourselves for a morning of filming.

Why We Ditched the Big Cameras

This was the second class we’ve filmed entirely on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and it’s officially become our primary rig.

To be honest, the switch happened by accident. A few days earlier, we were standing on top of a volcano on the other side of the island and wanted to film a spontaneous class. We didn’t have our “real” gear with us—only our phones. We tried it out of necessity, and the footage was so good it actually beat our traditional setup.

In Kona, we used it by choice. When you live in an RV and travel the world with carry-on bags, size and weight are everything. Being able to fit our entire production studio in a small backpack (including my chair!) without sacrificing quality is a total game-changer for us.

The Maka‘eo Gardens and the 25-Mile Push

Before leaving the park, we took a walk through the Maka‘eo Community Gardens. It’s this lush, volunteer-maintained oasis right at the edge of the hot runway, full of tropical flowers and succulents. It was the perfect “zen” moment before we hopped back on the bikes for a 25+ mile ride along the Kona coast. It was hot, and our legs definitely felt it by the end, but having the freedom to explore the island on two wheels made it one of our favorite days so far.