We stayed there on both trips.
What's not to like?
Had same feeling landing at Kona Airport.
First trip to Big Island was in 1984. We flew military aircraft from Oahu to Hilo and then took trucks up to PTA -- the military training area below Mauna Kea, along Saddle Road.
It was the moon. Hot like a desert on the day, very cold at night. Because there was no property or people, there were no live fire restrictions. It was the annual "big shoot out" and we fired everything, including artillery, and attack jets dropping live ordinance. Night exercises were the best, with tracer rounds bouncing off the "lava dogs."
After 5-6 days, they trucked us west to Kona, where we took Navy ships back to Oahu. But, it was the fascinating drive from the top of the Big Island, thru the Parker Ranch, and then down the lower elevations that wowed me, big time. Just as you describe in your post.
Everyone had the same reaction. Could not fathom how much of it looked like the Midwest or Pennsylvania or almost anywhere on the continent.