Random Thoughts about Big Island Trip 2011

If you like coffee there are some great coffee farms to visit just South of Kona. The two we like best are Kona Joe’s and Greenwell Farms. Kona Joe’s has the best coffee and view from their coffee bar but Greenwell Farms has a nice tour and their coffee is good too.

We also liked the City of Refuge, South of the coffee farms about 10-15 miles. And, then if you want to continue your Southward journey, we enjoyed the South Point, about 30 more miles South. We’ve never continued around to the East going the Southern route but have heard about a black beach that we want to see the next time we’re there.

Going North, there are some great picturesque valleys on the North coast that you can get to. You can either approach from the West, through Hawi or from the East to see Waipo valley. We thought Waipo Valley was more spectacular but you probably would then leave out the sights on the Northwest corner of the Island. Continuing East from Waipo toward Hilo, we absolutely enjoyed the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Gardens (not to be confused with the nearby National Tropical Botanical Gardens). You’d need to plan at least 2 hours to go through the gardens. And, if you hit it right I’d also recommend eating at What’s Shakin’, a sandwich and smoothie stand about a mile to the West of the Botanical gardens. We ate their twice for lunch when we were on the Hilo side and highly recommend it.

We haven’t spent that much time on the Hilo side but for restaurants would recommend Cafe Pesto or Ponds. Of course you probably would go through Hilo on the way to the Volcano’s National Park. That’s about a 2-3 hour trip from Kona going on Hwy 19 (maybe a bit shorter on Sadleback Road – which is fine to drive on).

This last trip we went to the top of Mauna Kea to see the observatories. Be warned, it’s at 13,400 feet so if you don’t do well at heights, it could be uncomfortable. Plus, it was about 30 degrees with high winds when we were up there. They provide parkas and gloves but still very cold. But, if you’re into astronomy, it is pretty spectacular.

If you’re into dolphins the Hilton Waikoloa, where we stay, has a nice program with dolphins. It’s a bit pricey to participate but they have a nice outdoor eating area overlooking the dolphins that we spent time at just watching them train. If you have time, I’d just stop in to the Hilton Waikoloa – it is pretty amazing.

In Kona we ate at the Fish Hopper and heard that LuLu’s was good. We took a snorkeling trip with Body Glove and liked their service. We did the typical tourist walk down Aii (?) Street, stopping in at the Palace and the first church on the Islands across the street from the Palace. You might check on whether they are still working on repairs from the Tsunami. That main street along the ocean I heard got hit. We didn’t go down to see it but heard there was flooding and damage to the Palace.

We’ve also done day trips to Maui and Kauai and did one vacation on Oahu. On Oahu, you have to go through the Pearl Harbor Memorial and Punchbowl National Cemetary. Go early to Pearl Harbor to get in line – plan on around 8-9am.

Hawaii 2011-Somebody buy me a lottery ticket

First of all, let’s just point out that Hawaiians have some pretty cool signs, at least you’ll probably never see them anywhere else.

This is a real sign. I've even seen it on a tee shirt.

Second only to, "Do not flail pecan trees along right of way" in Texas. I could not make this up.

You just have to love them. I mean, wow! where else are your going to see tsunami evacuation signs. I’ve always though they were sort of, well, funny: Guy with running into a giant wave, guy without surfboard running away from a giant wave. Awesome! I didn’t take them seriously. Until today.

Guy running form giant wave- who knew this was real?

Gotta have your surfboard if you are running toward the giant wave.

It is my guess that there are not a lot of non-locals who can say that they were o the Big Island for both the Kilaueu eruption, an earthquake (O.K. it was just 4.6 and only the Richter Scale felt it, but humor me. Without it I don’t have the trifecta of natural disasters) and tsunami of 2011. We can. Woot!
For the previous several days we did little but relax (more on that in a day or two) first at the condo then moving over to the Hilton Waikaloa. My brother, a pilot for Alaska Air, brought a flight over from the mainland and had an overnight layover so we met up with him and his wife and spent another day relaxing, had a nice meal, played glow in the dark Putt Putt, then took them back about an hour south of here to their digs for the night.
On the way back, L wanted to stop and get some water so we dropped in at the convenience store close to the hotel to grab what we needed. I was a little surprised by the long line at the gas station but but my mind didn’t go much past, “There sure is a long line at the gas station,” deep thinker that I am.
L came out of the store and said, “I guess we’ve missed the big news, an 8.9 earthquake hit Japan and apparently there is a tsunami on the way.” What the ? ? ? ? I’ve never been to a tsunami before so let’s see what’s what.
Back at the hotel, bunches of people were in the lobby, bags packed waiting for cars. I looked at the faces of the Japanese tourist, bags packed, unable to reach loved ones at home, desperation and anguish on their faces. My heart went out. We listened to the hotel info guy who said that, yes there was a tsunami warning in effect, they didn’t know the extent, they would have more information after it hit Wake Island and Midway, then they would let us know. By the way, they had an evacuation plan so no sweat. We went to our room, turned on the news and waited.
Mean time, back at the ranch so to speak, L and I debated our options: spend the night in the car up the road on higher ground, head to King’s Land (our previous digs and current known evacuation area), or wait and see what the news is from Wake Island. Around midnight, we were leaning toward option B when the knock at the door came. Time to move, our very professional, not the least bit panicked but definitely matter-of-fact-this-is-not-debatable staffer announced. Pack whatever you need for the night and get your asses (my words not his) to Level 6 where we would be assigned a higher more interior room for the night.
We packed a bag, grabbed the electronics (computers, cell phones, chargers, Kindles,etc), water bottles and anything else that seemed useful for who knew how long and schlepped along with our fellow vacationers to the designated area. Staffers were there with walkie talkies with not much more information than we had. We waited. We moved to another location and then after some time formed a line and received keys to rooms in a “safe area” i.e. 6th floor and above. We traded our wonderful tsunami view (Hilton calls is ‘ocean view’) room on the third floor for a much safer (and boring) interior room on the eighth.
Let me just give a shout out here to Hilton. They had a good tsunami plan in place. I know that now, because the day after, I’ve talked to people who were vacationing elsewhere in the area and some hotels just plain closed and left you to your own resources, some put folks out on the golf course (because it was on a hill), some bussed everyone to a higher, nearby shopping center parking lot and left them to sleep on asphalt. Really. This is a plan? So being relocated to another identical room-private, no sleep over with strangers in a convention center or hilltop! was a minor inconvenience to say the least. Pat yourself on the back, Mr. Conrad Hilton. Your people did you proud.
Finally in our room and settled, we turned on the TV to the local news and began to wait it out. Larry dozed on and off, I answered email and kept busy, in the back of my mind trying to figure out some way to sneak out and be able to see this once in a life time phenomenon, all the while keeping an eye on the news and learning far more than I ever thought possible about just exactly what a tsunami is.
I sort of figured that a tsunami is just a big ass wave caused by a seismic event. Sort of but way different so I found out.
When you think of a wave, you think of something that rolls in, crests, then rolls out. That’s not a tsunami. Try to get your head around a giant surge of water, moving at 560 mph, up to 125 miles long, lasting 10 to 60 minutes, that raises the sea level one to thirty meters (98′ is the highest on record) as it moves without respect or hindrance. Tsunami areas are referred to as ‘surge areas’. This mass of water that is moving as if being pushed by an invisible force, is not a single wave but series of waves, moving from the epicenter of the force (usually an earthquake) in all directions like ripples in a pond when a pebble is thrown in. The initial “wave” may or may not be the greatest as the surges can continue for 24-48 hours and if there are large aftershocks they can continue much longer. Ours was predicted to hit at about 6 feet high, not really that big if it was high surf but if you think of the sea level being raised, that’s a huge volume of water headed out way. Some time after 3 a.m. I fell into a fitful sleep. (In the mean time ATT crashed on the island and my communication was cut-off til late next morning.)
In the middle of the night, sometime between 3:30-4:00, it hit the Big Island.
This morning we did the walk around to see what happened. Fortunately, damage was minimal, the worst happening in the ocean-fed, man-made lagoon. There is a small inlet about 50 yards wide that feeds the property lagoon.

Ocean inlet that feeds the man-made lagoon

When the surge pushed into this area the energy of the water had two places to go: up on the banks (the water line was about 12′ above the ocean) or into the lagoon onto, around and under the bridge to the right. This area almost had the affect of a funnel. The water forced into the lagoon raised the water level 6-8 or 9 feet at some points. The stairs at the opposite end of the lagoon leading up to the lobby had water marks up to about 6 feet (but there are about 30 feet of stair up to the lobby so no threat). At the far end of the lagoon by the dolphin area and restaurant took bit of a hit as the water surge come over the decking and broke some pylons holding a bridge. The dolphins were none the worse for the wear, meaning uninjured, but certainly nervous. If dolphins could pace, that’s exactly what they were doing when we saw them: swimming back and forth, back and forth. If you’ve ever had to wait for the result of a biopsy or surgery, that restless feeling that something was about to happen that could very well, change (or end) your life forever, well, that’s how the dolphins looked. Restless. Troubled.
The grounds crew was busy fishing the furniture that had been swept in to the water by the surge out of the lagoon. Other than that, evidence was there but damage was minimal.

This restaurant was flooded

We were able to relocate back to our room, ATT finally restored so I caught up on worried texts and phone calls, then went into town for some errands, our whale watching canceled as the harbor sustain a fair amount of damage. In town, I found the local shop personnel to be amazing. Another shout out to the Hawaiian locals. Everywhere I went I asked the sales person if they had been evacuated. This did not just impact the tourist. Everyone who lives here felt it. Some had, some hadn’t but most were operating with little to no sleep. I mean, when there is an impending natural disaster headed your way, well if you’re not evacuating you’re wondering if you should because you live in the ‘grey’ area-right on the border, or making room for a friend who lives in the zone and needs a place to crash for the night, or are worried if you’ll have a job in the morning, or a hundred other things that go through your mind when it seems that nature is tossing the dice on your future. But in spite of it all, I did not come across a cranky person. Not one! All were pleasant and helpful. Shops and stores ran seamlessly. Big props, Hawaii. You rock!
We watches the surges, fascinated, our balcony providing a perfect point of view, for most of the rest of the afternoon. I scheduled a massage and spent an hour and a half in heaven. Walking back to the room at sunset, I stopped for a gin and tonic at one of the bars. Everyone had a story. This vacation will be memorable (good or bad) for everyone who was in Hawaii the night of March 11, 2011
I sipped my G&T then got another to take back to the room. Larry had leftovers from lunch, I sipped Gin, and munched on Bake Doritos and a Nature Valley Cinnamon Granola bar. Well, you can’t live forever.

The perfect end to just another day in paradise

The sunset was gorgeous.
Life is good.

Hawaii 2011-Saturday

The last full Day J and F would have on the island (this time) and It was raining, thus pool time was out (glory be we used it wisely yesterday) and sight seeing became the go to option.
About 20 minutes south of the airport (we’re 20 minutes north) is the little town Kailua-Kona. (I’ll just refer to it as Kona for simplification) Kona is known for it’s great weather (even though it was drizzling while were were there)-some consider it the best on the island, bountiful waters, and was the home of many of the early kings. A couple points of interest are the Hulihe’e Palace and the Mokuaikaua Church, located right across the street from each other. It is also the starting point of the Ironman Triathlon that occurs every October here, which mere mortals watch in awe. Swim 2.4 miles in open ocean, then get out and jump on a bike and ride 112 miles (over a sun baked ribbon of asphalt stretched along hotter than . . . lava field.) Then for those hearty souls not yet melted into a puddle of sweat and jellied muscles (or come to their senses), dismount that bike, baby, and run 26.2 miles. We were hear one October as it was being run. The tropical heat is only surpassed by the unrelenting humidity (we were hot just sitting in an air conditioned car).
Well, it’s March not October so no triathletes to be seen, we opted for the local souvenir haven, ABC Stores, to get stuff to take back to those not fortunate enough to be here with us. Obligations met, we found the Mokuaikaua Church and looked around. This was the first church build in the islands in 1820. The first missionaries left the comfort and relative safely of their known world of Boston in 1819 aboard the Thaddeus to take the five month voyage to the islands. Providentially, shortly after they left the shore of the US, King Kamehameha II had a bit of a “Come to Jesus moment” when is mother and step mother convinced him that the Kapu system should be no more. The Kapu system was the religious system of laws of the islands. Break a law and pretty much the penalty was always death. More later on that one. Anyway, it was the belief of the locals that if transactions were not swiftly and lethally punished, the gods would be seriously P.O.’ed and they would send tsunamis, volcano eruptions, earthquakes or famine. It was kapu to interrupt a chief, for women to eat men’s food (women were allowed only certain things in their diets), for men and women to eat together, to step on royal (holy) ground or even let your shadow fall on it. The list was long.
When Captain Cook arrived, he broke a bunch of Kapu laws and there was no punishment. This got the girls to thinking that maybe the gods weren’t real serious about the whole thing so when King Kamehameha I died and his son King Kamehameha II took his place (He was just 20 and no match for his step mother) the plan was made to end the Kapu system. At a royal feast in November 1819, KK II sat down at the women’s table and had men’s food served. That’s all it took. The system ended, the temples destroyed and the missionaries arrived 4 months later. Talk about good timing.
The Thaddeus arrived on April 4, 1820 There were 17 adults and 5 children aboard (among the adults were 3 native Hawaiians). For several days they pleaded their case to have an audience with the King. It was eventually allowed and making a long story way to short, they began fulfilling the Great Commission, teaching the good news of God’s love through Christ and baptizing in the name of the Triune God. They also began to build churches, schools, translate the Bible into the language of the indigenous people, turning a language that had only been spoken into written language and teaching the people to read. Before the missionaries arrived, Hawaiian had no written language. Within two generations, the nation was nearly 90 literate. The original church building was a thatched hut. The current building was built in 1837 and is actively used to this day.

Mokuaikaua Church, oldest and first founded church in Hawaii

The church is still in continuous use

After visiting the church we went across the street to the Hulihe`e Palace. Built in 1838 by Governor Kuakini, it quickly became the place for vacationing royalty to hang out. In 1920, most of the furniture was auctioned off but the Daughter of Hawaii realizing that a huge treasure of their tangible past could be gone forever, contacted the owners and lovingly restored the palace. It is now a museum with many of the original pieces displayed. Our tour guide was very interesting and informative but after about 25 minutes (and we were still in the first room) our rumbling stomachs won out over our historic curiosity and we found a great restaurant for lunch.

The Hulihe`e Palace

The back of the palace seen from the bay. The church is visible beyond

(This is turning into a post that Michener would be proud of-length not content)
One last stop to complete our road trip and we continued south to the coffee area of Kona. Something about the sunshine, rains, altitude, and whatever makes this area perfect for coffee growing. As we continued south on H11 we began to see little coffee places left and right. But instead of randomly stopping, we found one of our favorites, Kona Joe’s.
Kona Joe’s is a relatively new coffee farm established in 1994. The owners previously had a vineyard so decided to try the same trellis method of growing on coffee bushes that were used on grapes. The result is that the plant opens up and the coffee cherries receive more even sunshine.The coffee is smooth and delicious. Also ridiculously expensive. None the less, it’s a once in a while treat so we splurged. We’d brought the banner from our friend, Doug, in Dexter who owns Foggy Bottom Coffee Shop and had a picture taken with the Kona Joe sign. It’s sort of a long, not terribly interesting story so just take my word on this one. All in all a good day. Jon said that we pretty much hit two of the main focuses of his life: church and coffee.
Satisfied and a bit tired, we headed back to J and F could begin the sad, sad job of packing.

Hawaii 2011-Friday

We’ve had a lot of wind-trade winds or whatever so it tends to blow and blow, but Friday was one of those rare, take it easy by the pool, days and since J and F were 48 hours away from departure they wanted to relax and enjoy instead of hustle to see and spend most of the day driving or walking. So relax by the pool we did. Randy at this point somewhat lobster-ized opted for shade as did Larry, always his choice. J and F raved about their dinner the night before at Kamuela Provision Company, a restaurant on the point overlooking the ocean (on the Hilton property), specifically the desserts: Bake Mauna Loa-if you can imagine a mound of ice cream that more resembled dark rich fudge in consistency and flavor, on a hazelnut crisp cookie sort of crust, covered with a toatsted marshmallow meringue. The other dessert was something with Kona coffee ice cream but I really stopped listening at “meringue covered fudge.” We had to go. (Now! in my booked but calmer heads waited for dinner.
We were able to get a reservation for that night early enough to see the sunset and do some whale watching. We were not disappointed on any level: whale sightings, food, or chocolate bliss.
Really. That’s about all there was to the day-eating, drinking, relaxing. Trust me. It was much better than it sounds.

At KPC

Randy, capturing the moment

Hawaii 2011-Thursday

After morning routine (Fitness Center for J, F, and me, walking long walks for R and L) we made plans for the day. If you’ve never been to Hawaii there are a couple musts for the rookie: snorkeling, beaches, and sea turtles. We (sans Larry who doesn’t like to be in the sun, yet he loves Hawaii-go figure) packed a picnic and headed to Hapuna Beach which is rated by Conde Nast as the Best Beach in America. And it’s only about 6 miles from where we are staying. It became the must see beach for the day. We took the snorkeling equipment just in case and drove north. The beach is picture perfect; wide expanses of golden sand, crystal blue water lapping the shore with 2 foot waves. We pitched our place in the sun and some went into the water, others opened up books or Kindles and relaxed. We noshed, dozed, read, splashed then did it all again for a couple hours then decided to find some sea turtles to watch. The beach was filling up though not by high tourist season standards crowded at all but when you only have so much time, you have to ration it accordingly.

Hapuna Beach

Thanks to Barb and Judy and their friends who are locals here, I knew a great place-also close-
where sea turtles hang out. Going south back toward the hotel, we took a quick right on Puako Road. It quickly becomes a residential area and by residential I mean the Pitt/Jolie’s and Trumps could afford a little cottage here. The telephone poles are numbered for some reason but it is those numbers that let you know where the public beach accesses are. Last time we went down to the access between 126-127. This time we went through at 110. It’s pretty fantastic. The beach is a reef, my guess remains of a lava flow and the water is about 8-10 degrees warmer (maybe 88-90 degrees) than it was just a couple miles up the road. I speculate that maybe because it’s fairly shallow and protected. While Fawn and I walked along the edge, Randy and Jon ventured out and before you could say, “Bob’s your uncle” we saw our first turtle.

Just one of many turtles at Puako Reef

The Hawaiian Sea Turtle is protected by law and you are not to go closer than 20 feet or whatever the posted sign says. There were no signs here but we stayed far enough not to touch but close enough to have a good look. If you saw Finding Nemo, the sea turtles had a surfer dude mentality, laid back, floating where the current took them, drifting along.

Crush from Finding Nemo

It’s a pretty accurate description. In a protected cove with no natural enemies, they drift with the swells, nibbling on whatever turtles nibble, occasionally lifting their heads and checking things out. Fawn was going to tell the kids that she’d met Crush and had pictures to prove it. So Barb and Judy, thanks for the special find. This one was for you. Hopefully you’ll be here with us again before too long watching sunsets and sea turtles.
When we got back, J and F packed a few things to take to the hotel. We got them a night at the Hilton resort for some romantic alone time. We all went over together, the girls got some more pool time in, J and R did some snorkeling in the sea fed lagoon, then R, L and I came back for dinner. Another full but not stuffed day of Hawaiian paradise in the bag.

Hawaii 2011-Wednesday

The big island of Hawaii is a study of contrasts, nature, and native Hawaiian history. Oahu, among other things, hosts an important piece of our American history as it is the place where events thrust our country into World War II. Larry decided that a trip to Oahu was in order. J and F had never been to the islands and it had been nearly 30 years for Randy, so he bought tickets for all and we headed to the airport at 5:00 a.m. to fly over to the neighboring island.
We arrived shortly after 7:30, got our rental, then headed to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. There were no lines, so we checked our bags (since 9/11 no purses, back packs, etc. are allowed) got tickets and wandered the grounds until our 8:40 tour began.
Visiting the Memorial is a sobering and solemn experience. Knowing that where you stand more than 1,100 people lost their lives is staggering. The mood is reverent and quiet. There seem to be as many Japanese and Americans wandering the grounds. I always wonder what this place means to them, from their perspective. When we arrive at the memorial, we read the names of those who died that day inscribed on the wall. Each of us takes note of something different. For me, former military spouse, I notice that the names are alphabetical, not according to rank. The ship’s Commander Rear Admiral Kidd’s name is between Seaman 2nd Class Kent and Machinist Mate 2nd Class Kiehn, not separated out or listed first as one might expect. We pay our respects, return to the grounds then go from there to the Punch Bowl or National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
The Punch Bowl is located in the Pu’owaina Crater, an extinct volcano overlooking Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki Bay and Diamond Head. In ancient times it was referred to as the “Hill of Sacrifice” and now is a memorial to those who sacrificed their lives in service to this country. It was dedicated in 1949. Some of the first buried there were casualties of the Pearl Harbor attack. The memorial sits high on the hill side overlooking the grave sites of the thousands interred there. Along the massive steps leading up are the Ten Courts of the Missing, 10 large monoliths engraved with the names of more than 28,778 missing soldiers. “In these gardens are recorded the names of Americans who gave their lives in service of their country who earthly resting place is known only to God.” On the front of the tower is a 30′ tall statue of a women with the inscription by President Lincoln “…The Solemn Pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom”. In the distance we see two women, maybe mother and daughter, washing a headstone, preparing to place flowers. When we had come the first time a few years ago, we heard a tour guide complain that “all the best land belongs to the military.” I think they’ve earned it. Perhaps he’s never been to either of these places. I still want to punch him in the face.
History lesson complete, we drove across to the other side of the island to find our favorite lunch spot, Buzz’s. This is the original Buzz’s Steakhouse in Kailua on the southeast side of the island. We’d called ahead for reservations, always a smart bet at least in my book as every time we’ve been there’s been a wait. Everyone got something different. No one was disappointed. We left full and happy.
We continued clockwise around the southern tip of Oahu, enjoying the scenery, stopping on occasion to take it all in the get some photos. About 2:30, we arrived at Haauma Preserve Bay. As far as I am concerned, this is a must snorkel for the novice as the sea life is abundant, the water is shallow and warm, and the snorkeling is effortless. Larry and Randy opted to stay up top and skip the water so the three of us headed to the beach. Fawn had never snorkeled before (which I didn’t know) and was also a bit respectful-nervous-slightly terrified of the sea and all it contains (which I also didn’t know). Mainly its the creatures therein and lurking below the surface and out of sight waiting for some unsuspecting rookie to wander into the wrong place and become dinner! Jon quickly donned gear and was standing in the water, Fawn moved more slowly audibly muttering, “What am I doing?” over and over. Bravely she joined her hubby. I stayed dried with our stuff, having had the good fortune to have experienced the bay before.
Long story short (as short as is possibly with you-know-who at the keyboard) she loved it. An hour and a half flew by and other than the occasional startle as fish swam up to the mask, she had a great time. Quick as you can say, “Was that a shark?” it was time to leave. We tried to return via Waikiki so they could see the beach but they traffic was heavy enough to make New York City proud, so after 30 minutes and no measurable progress we gave up and headed back to catch our flight back to Kona, our world slightly larger.

Hawaii 2011 Tuesday

Once all arrived and the first night was under our belt it was time to get to the business of vacationing. Task 1: check out the Fitness Center.
The Fitness Center is supremely adequate given that most take a vacation from any form of exercise other than lifting umbrella drinks and standing in buffet line. There are a half dozen or so cardio machines-treadmills, ellipticals, a stationary bike, and a stair master-one weight and pulley thing, several benches, free weights, and balls of various weights and sizes. We will find out that most mornings Jon, Fawn and I will have the company of one or two other die hards but it never seemed crowded by any stretch. At least there were never so many people that you could justify skipping “because there was just no equipment available.” Damn and damn again! One of the nice things about coming west is all the time you pick up: J & F gained 2 hours, Randy 4, and L and I 5, so you rise early and feel completely rested. Of course, I’m pretty worthless come 8 pm, but whatever. It’s a great jump start to the day so a big plus in my book.
After a workout and breakfast, we had three items on the to-do list: food for the week, sunscreen for the bods, then lounge chairs and umbrella drinks for the soul. So where does one get groceries in paradise? Costco and Target of course. Some things never change.
The four of us went, Larry staying back to snooze off a headache, checked Google maps for location and distance. Found out Costco was 26.4 miles away and 45 minutes with traffic, so it said. Seemed like a bit of a stretch that it would take that long but there are very few roads in Hawaii and the locals drive with as much urgency as a sea turtle floating in the surf. In other words, none. And even though the tourists are in a rush to hurry up and get this vacation thing going, since the roads have only two lanes and very few opportunities to pass, it only takes one local to slow the whole procession down to a leisurely, look-at-the-scenery-and-take-time-to-breath-it-all-in pace. So the 45 minute prediction was exactly accurate as we sauntered down the asphalt strip dividing the lava field that had flowed from the extinct volcano to the east to the endless Pacific to the west. Occasionally we would see the distant geyser in the ocean indicating that yes indeed, we were in the middle of whale migration. It seems sauntering is not all that bad after all.
Costco and Target completed (by the way, it was a super Target, meaning there was a very decent grocery section so we didn’t have to buy gallon-sized bottles of salad dressing or four thousand bagels in a bag) we returned, put away the bounty, they pressed forward to the serious vacation items #2 & 3, sunscreen and suits, pool lounges and umbrella drinks. Fawn and I had scoped out the pool the night before. Larry and I had visited King’s Land during the construction phase but now, a year plus later, with construction completed, landscaping in the ground and pools filled, well, “Wow”, “Unreal”, and “Amazing” kept dropping unrestrained from our lips. I mean, let’s face it, one part of the pool (adults only-Thank you, Jesus!) has a ten foot wide, forty foot long shelf submerged six inches in the water where pool lounges sit waiting for someone to occupy. You can literally be in the lounge and have your toes dangling in the water. Yeah, baby! This was our destination for the rest of the day. So by the time we had been in Hawaii less than 24 hours, we had our feet in the water, butts in the lounge and were sipping umbrella drinks as we idled away the rest of the afternoon in the warm tropical sun. (For those not with us, it was torturous, life sapping drudgery. Be happy you weren’t subjected to this misery.)
Well, someone has to man up and take one for the team. (Me! Me! Pick me!)