Our week-long adventure to Hawaii was much needed -- it was fun to play together and take a break from our routine. Take a virtual tour by clicking on each day below for pictures.
Day One - dreaded six-hour flight: We started pretty worn down.
The kids had been sick for a week (Sarah and Steve too). And, Steve had just spent 14 hours on a plane the day before to come back from visiting his client, American Express, in London. As we packed, it snowed, but not enough to keep us from making it to PDX bright and early. Our dear neighbor Sally dropped us off. We got our luggage checked and made it though security. Legos and the on-flight movie Transformers kept Finn busy. Hildi snacked on gummy bears (worked wonders for keeping ears clear) and used her mom as a jungle gym. The outdoor Kona Airport greeted us with sunny skies. Before we knew it we cruised up to our Waikoloa condo and watched the most beautiful sunset we have ever seen.
Day One - dreaded six-hour flight: We started pretty worn down.

Day Two - wild goats and sea turtles: We woke up and took advantage
of the pool, then set our for our first adventure: Kiholo Bay. Luckily Sarah did not pack her camera on the 15-20 minute hike that took us 40 minutes. Along the way we saw 20 or so wild goats, and Sarah's 12-year-old rafting sandals broke! It was hot, and as it turned out the surf was pretty rough, so we did not make it to the island to check out turtles. We did play on the beach, and started to see heads pop up. At first we thought they were seals -- and realized DUH they were turtles. So Steve and Finn got out a ways to check them out. We also took a dip in the Queen's Bath. Then discovered there was a parking lot about two blocks away. So Steve, such a great guy, ran back to the car and drove to where we met him without having to walk back uphill without good footwear. That night we watched the sunset from a very windy Anaehoomalu Bay where Marriott was setting up a holiday party which allowed us to listen to live Aloha music.

Day Three - Down South: We drove through Kona
and tried to snorkel at Kahalu'u but the surf was too rough. Seeing the petrified women smoking while tanning in rusty chairs made it worth the stop. We drove down to the Captain Cook Monument at Kealakekua Bay. Ate at the Coffee Shack (thanks for the suggestion Bob) and then fell in love with Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. Rainbows. Black crabs. Turtles. Geckos and more. The scenery was just beautiful. We loved getting out of the jungle-like South and back to the "Gold Coast" where we stayed.


Day Four - Stormy Drive North: We got big rains and so decided to drive up to the old sugar cane plantation town of Hawi. There we had the most wonderful Mango ice cream at Tropical Dreams. We looked down on to Pololu Beach, then drove back up over Kohala Mountain Road (which looked like what we'd imagine Ireland to look) and down to the town of Waimea.
Day Five - Mauna Kea:
The sun came out the next day and we got burned on Mauna Kea's nearly deserted beach (the hotel is undergoing renovations to make it seismically stable). We were having so much fun body surfing that we stayed and ate an $18 sandwich and $10 hot dog.

Day Six - Hilton, Dolphins, Major Storm: We
decided to check out what all the hubbub was about the Hilton Waikoloa and walked around the property, watched their captive dolphins, road the tram and boats, then headed back to our place to watch a flash flood form.

Day Seven: Natural Energy Lab: The sun came out again for our final day. We were impressed with the high surf hitting the beach at the Natural Energy Lab beach. The pounding was so loud, that we would turn to see the waves
hit with each large crash. We boarded the plane where we were packed like sardines and sat in front of a kid that his mom called Booger. Mom and Dad picked us up like champs near midnight. We were happy to be home.

Going on a trip to the Big Island? Kendra recommended Hawaii The Big Island Revealed and it is worth checking out before you head over. I've got a well marked up copy you can borrow . . .
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