Aloha to Hawaii

Today was our last day in Hawaii. We had a nice family meal at the Chinese restaurant on the property. It was really good (well the dessert was kind of not something we would want again, but everything else was excellent). Jim, Joanna, and Julie and Andrew leave tomorrow so they were able to store our luggage for us and help us out to the car. We got this picture in front of the hotel sign on our way out. We had a great time in Hawaii and I think we could have happily stayed much longer since it's pretty much paradise. But we are looking forward to our Actuate trip to Vegas this weekend.

On Mauna Kea

Today we went on our tour of Mauna Kea since we had some great babysitters available. We got to the summit (which is almost 14,000 feet above sea level) around sunset. Here you can see us in our parkas with the sun and the clouds in the background.

Stupid Sharks

I love the beach. We went all the time when I was a kid and I think beaches are so much better than pools. So I was really excited to go to Hapuna Beach while we were here because it's supposed to be one of the best beaches in the world. Imagine my disappointment when we got there and the beach was closed due to sharks being sighted! We had some really fun times at the beach on this trip, but I am definitely disappointed we won't get to go to Hapuna.

Fun at Dinner

Today we went to dinner to Buzz's Sandtrap which is a steakhouse. The food was really good and they also had an aquarium. Joshua loves all animals so far so he was really happy when Aunt Julie took him over there and they looked at all the fish.

Bella Vista

Today we moved down the road from our condo at Mauna Lani to the hotel at Waikoloa Beach. Jim, Julie, Andrew, and Joanna are also there so we met for dinner tonight. We went to the Italian restaurant at the resort. The food was good and name of the restaurant is accurate because it looks out on the water and it was very enjoyable.

Snorkel Dork

We're staying at a condo for the first part of our trip.  One of the great things about vacation condos is they tend to come fully stocked with everything you could possibly need, from a kayak to a fax machine to a washer and dryer to a full kitchen.  Okay, maybe not all of them have a kayak in the garage, but ours does.  Today we went back to the same beach we were at before, but we took the snorkling gear.  Although it's a small beach, it's known for its calm waters due to the reef, which also makes for excellent snorkling.  So here I am looking like a fool on dry land as I try on my mask.  I ended up seeing some awesome-looking fish without having to go out very far. 

Volcano!

The Big Island is known for its volcanoes, and in fact Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the main attractions on the island. We wanted to be sure to see it while on this vacation, so today we drove to the other side of the island.  One of the main attractions within the park is Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.  You can see it from multiple locations in the park, but the best view is from the Jaggar Museum.  The picture on the left was of us in front of it, but unfortunately the weather was poor at the time, so you can't even tell there's a volcano behind us.  Later I took the picture on the right, after the weather cleared up, and you can see the volcanic steam coming out of the crater.  Later, we walked through a volcano tube, where molten lava once poured through but then left a cave-like tunnel.

Just Beachy

Today we went to the beach.  It was the first time for Joshua, and he enjoyed it quite a bit.  He played in the sand for awhile, and then we all went out in the water.

Island Breezy

Today was our first full day here in Hawaii.  We mostly relaxed and recovered from the lack of sleep prior to our departure, but for dinner we ventured out to The Kings' Shops, a local shopping a dining center.  Although we didn't partake in any of their high-end retail options, we did stop at a little eatery called Island Fish & Chips.  Although the food turned out to be much like Long John Silver's, the outdoor tables were right on the water.  There were Japanese Koi in the water just behind us, and they were an odd combination of gross and peaceful.  The breeze was nice, although at times it was a little strong, as here Meghan tries to keep Joshua from becoming koi food.