I have been meaning to check this place out for ages, but two things have gotten in the way: I moved to Kaneohe, which means that I don't pass by these parts as often, and the economy has sharply curtailed my 'eating out' fund.

But we did manage to make it out on Saturday, and boy was it good!

I loved the cute, country style setup--screen door and all--the staff is very friendly and treats you like old friends. The place is also pretty clean, with both inside and outside seating.

Uncle Bobo's is adjacent to the Ka'a'awa Post Office, next door to 7-11, and across the street from Swanzee Beach Park on Kamehameha Highway.

There is a pretty impressive selection of entrees, salads, sides, and desserts on the menu.

While the smoothies and shave ice looked tempting, we were hungry!

We ordered the Special of the Day, a sloppy joe with fries, and Uncle Bobo's signature Smoked Chicken plate (left).

Both dishes came quickly, were nice and hot, and totally hit the spot--delicious!

The best indicator of a good meal = clean plates

I'd definitely recommend Uncle Bobo's Smoked BBQ after a day at the beach. There's something for everyone, from heavy-duty meals to light snacks and smoothies. See you there the next time I visit!

Uncle Bobo's Smoked BBQ
51-480 Kamehameha Hwy
Kaaawa, HI 96730
(808) 237-1000

At the end of March, local artist Hilton Alves painted a mural at the KVA as part of his Surf Art Kids Hawaii Tour 2009.

If you haven't noticed, he's done it again at Laie Elementary School, where you can see his latest mural from the highway as you drive past the campus.

Hilton told me that he embedded hidden words in the painting--when you visit, look closely!

A second, larger mural is located along two sides of E Building in the center of campus (the old office building, for those who went to Laie Elementary), and was painted by Alves and all 600+ students of Laie Elementary.

The students took shifts throughout the day Tuesday to paint a fish or marine animal of their choosing onto a reef background created by Alves.

Leading up to the big paint day, students entered a poster contest with the theme 'Our La'ie Bay" and learned more about the history of the area's hukilau fishing tradition from BYU-H archivist Matt Kester, who visited the school with archived footage of the old hukilau. Alves even attended the community's annual Memorial Day Hukilau to gain inspiration for the project (you can even see him in a red tank top and white cap in the second photo by following the link).

Left: Alves paints a clown fish (aka 'Nemo' from Disney's 'Finding Nemo') with Lai'e School first graders. Right: students trace out their fish with chalk before beginning to paint.

I ran into a few people I knew while there:

My cousin, Mary Fonoimoana (left), and neighbor, ShaCe Niu (right). Love the aprons, girls!

I also saw my little sister, Kimbrell, who forgot to bring an apron:

We are lucky to have a talented artist like Hilton Alves (a Kahuku resident), who is willing to volunteer his time and talents to better our community. Thanks also goes to the Laie School PTCO, which provided all the paint and supplies for this project.

The next time you're near La'ie School, make sure you stop by to check out these two beautiful murals.

Congratulations to the Kahuku High School Class of 2009! We can't wait to see you spread your wings and do great things.

Photo courtesy Ashleigh Lautaha