Foodie family heaven at Hawaii’s lush, star-studded Four Seasons Hualalai

Incredible, breathtaking, fabulous… words which only begin to describe Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu We traveled out of the desert and into a lush island paradise for three glorious days. We laughed, relaxed, listened to the waves crash onto the shore and gazed at the stars with our jaws on the ground. Truly, the stars there were like none I’ve ever seen. I relished the impeccable service in a dream-like location. Really, it just doesn’t get any better.

We traveled to Kona for the celebrity chef “Made in America” weekend that entailed dinners, cooking, classes and a trip to an organic tomato farm. We started off each day with an assortment of fruits: dragon fruit, passion fruit, watermelon and berries. Maybe it was the location, but it was some of the best fruit I’ve ever eaten. I learned from the chefs that more than 75% of the food used at the resort grows on the island. The resort is striving to become more sustainable and the chefs have created relationships with the farmers on the island, buying much of their food directly from the farms.

The second day, we piled into an SUV and headed out to Waimea for a tour of the WOW organic tomato farm. After the tour, we enjoyed a five-course meal centering on the tomato. Large glasses of Bloody Marys, tomato water, tomato and white bean soup, fresh focaccia with goat cheese and tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, homemade tomato orecchiette pasta with a Parmesan cream sauce, even ice cream with a sweet tomato sauce (incredible!). Our bellies were full—and so were our hearts after wonderful hospitality and much laughter.

The kids loved the rock climbing, treasure hunts and swimming at the Kids for all Seasons* program (complimentary for guests). And while the kids were playing and exploring, my husband and I spent many hours lounging at the resort. A few hours at the beach, a few hours at the quiet pool (nothing above a library voice is allowed; pure bliss for any parent), drinks and jokes with new friends and a dip in King’s pond, a 1.8-million gallon “aquarium” carved out of lava rock. Pretty much perfect.

Photo: Lucy Lean

Four Seasons Hualalai grabbed hold of my heart. Sometimes I find myself daydreaming of the few days I spent there. And guess what? The resort is planning another “Made in America” weekend in March. Time for your delicious family getaway?

Carrie blogs at Deliciously Organic. A version of this post originally appeared on Deliciously Organic.

Read more about Hualalai in Four Seasons Magazine.

*Kids For All Seasons (KFAS) is a Four Seasons complimentary recreational and educational program for children of resort guests. Most KFAS clubs are designed for youth four to 12 years old, and open daily from 9 to 5. (Younger children can often join KFAS with a nanny or parent, or resorts can arrange for babysitting.) But details vary from property to property, so check the resort’s website for more information.

Kids can go all day or just for an hour or two. Activities inside and out include games, sports, music, treasure hunts, swimming, arts and crafts, cultural education, environmental preservation work and yoga. Not your average camp, the VIP offerings are pretty extraordinary—for example, at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, kids can help the resort’s marine biologist graft coral in the lagoon sanctuary.