Then it was back to Don's to pack in preparation for our overnight flight home. We arrived back in Harrisburg (via San Francisco and Chicago) around 5:30 Sunday evening minus one bag still in Chicago. It was another very long series of flights and we were grateful to be safely home after a wonderful time away. Our bag was delivered the following day.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Hawaii - Day 9
This was our final day. We spent the morning with Don and enjoyed some time with long time friends of Don who were visiting from Boseman MT. We enjoyed lunch in Kona then drove to a snorkeling beach on the south of Kona for an hour or so.
Hawaii - Day 8
Today's activity was a Evening manta ray snorkel with Jack's Dive Locker. After signing the requisite waivers we were fitted with wet suits, mask, snorkel and flippers. We then drove to Honokohau Harbor and boarded a dive boat and were taken about half an hour north to the manta ray feeding site. The Rays eat plankton. Plankton are drawn to the lights and the Rays come for the plankton. 
After some instruction, we donned our gear and got in the water. We held on to big floating boards and then floated on top of the water snorkeling and looking for rays. We saw schools of fish as well as several rays. Manta rays are huge, about 1000 pounds. One came right up under our board, somersaulting around over and over nearly brushing against us. It was amazing. We were in the water 30-45 min then climbed back onto the boat, stripped off our suits and rode the half hour back to the harbor. Quite a thrill!
Hawaii - Day 7
Today was deep sea fishing day. Everyone was up bright and early and out of the house at 5:45 am headed to the Honokohau Harbor where we met Captain Bradley of Bite Me Sports Fishing Company. The boat was Ocean Encounters, large enough for 20 people though there were 11 of us.
It was a beautiful day to be on the water, cloudy at first, then sunny. The water was unusually calm for this time of year. No one got sick today! Unfortunately the big fish were not biting. But we did see dolphins and several whales!
We trolled for a couple hours without a nibble, then pulled into Captain Cook where the Kratz' did a bit of snorkeling. The rest of us stayed on the boat and ate our lunch.
Captain Bradley, a fisherman whom Don has known for years, wanted the children to have a good experience, and since we weren't having success trolling, when they were finished snorkeling he stayed offshore rather than trolling way out and did some bottom fishing. The lines had about five baited hooks on each of them and the kids were soon reeling them in by ones, twos, threes and even fives. They had a great time. They caught goat fish, a gray snapper, some yellow snapper, a trigger fish, and a couple other varieties.
We were back in the harbor around 2pm. We brought some of the fish along home. Don and Steve cleaned them and we had very fresh fish for supper!
It was a good day, but seven hours of sun and wind pretty much wore us old folks out!
It was a beautiful day to be on the water, cloudy at first, then sunny. The water was unusually calm for this time of year. No one got sick today! Unfortunately the big fish were not biting. But we did see dolphins and several whales!
We trolled for a couple hours without a nibble, then pulled into Captain Cook where the Kratz' did a bit of snorkeling. The rest of us stayed on the boat and ate our lunch.
Captain Bradley, a fisherman whom Don has known for years, wanted the children to have a good experience, and since we weren't having success trolling, when they were finished snorkeling he stayed offshore rather than trolling way out and did some bottom fishing. The lines had about five baited hooks on each of them and the kids were soon reeling them in by ones, twos, threes and even fives. They had a great time. They caught goat fish, a gray snapper, some yellow snapper, a trigger fish, and a couple other varieties.
We were back in the harbor around 2pm. We brought some of the fish along home. Don and Steve cleaned them and we had very fresh fish for supper!
It was a good day, but seven hours of sun and wind pretty much wore us old folks out!
Hawaii - Day 6
Being at Don's you'd think we would have slept well. Not. But the kids seem to be sleeping well.
We hung out for awhile in the morning. The little boys are relaxed and playing well. It is good for them to have some unstructured play time.
Mid-morning we decided to go to the Kaloko-Honokohau National Park, an oceanside park, to look for Honu, Hawaiian green sea turtles. We walked on a lava based path for about a quarter mile out through scrubby trees and brush to the beach. First we came to coarse sand, then an expanse of lava rock, with numerous tidal pools, then the typical pounding surf. It was sunny with a clear blue sky.
We walked out across the lava to the water's edge and soon saw a good sized turtle sunning itself. Then another and another. Some were swimming just offshore, or maybe just floating with the waves. We walked along the shore. The children stopped counting turtles at 18. Steve and I saw a black crab skittering across the rock. There were terns running along the edge as well.
All but Don and I kept walking. Don had parked himself in the shade of the trees and I soon joined him. The sun was hot. I enjoyed watching and listening to the surf. The others continued walking til they came to a beach area where the sand extended to the water. The kids went swimming for awhile.
We walked back to the parking area then to a local bar and fish market where Don often hangs out and is known by name. It's called Bite Me Fish Market Bar & Grill. So rustic there is just a Portapot, although the women are welcome to use the facilities at a restaurant next door. We had fresh catch fish tacos. The guys had Kona beer.
We came home. I had a headache and snoozed on the lounger. Lily took a long nap. The boys played outside.
For dinner Don had gotten a couple red snapper from a fisherman friend. He fileted them this morning and then baked them tonight. It was delicious and I didn't realize what a rare and expensive fish this is, but learned it is usually available only in the high end restaurants. Don treated us well!
We also polished off a fair amount of wine so hopefully we will sleep well tonight.
We hung out for awhile in the morning. The little boys are relaxed and playing well. It is good for them to have some unstructured play time.
Mid-morning we decided to go to the Kaloko-Honokohau National Park, an oceanside park, to look for Honu, Hawaiian green sea turtles. We walked on a lava based path for about a quarter mile out through scrubby trees and brush to the beach. First we came to coarse sand, then an expanse of lava rock, with numerous tidal pools, then the typical pounding surf. It was sunny with a clear blue sky.
We walked out across the lava to the water's edge and soon saw a good sized turtle sunning itself. Then another and another. Some were swimming just offshore, or maybe just floating with the waves. We walked along the shore. The children stopped counting turtles at 18. Steve and I saw a black crab skittering across the rock. There were terns running along the edge as well.
We walked back to the parking area then to a local bar and fish market where Don often hangs out and is known by name. It's called Bite Me Fish Market Bar & Grill. So rustic there is just a Portapot, although the women are welcome to use the facilities at a restaurant next door. We had fresh catch fish tacos. The guys had Kona beer.
We came home. I had a headache and snoozed on the lounger. Lily took a long nap. The boys played outside.
For dinner Don had gotten a couple red snapper from a fisherman friend. He fileted them this morning and then baked them tonight. It was delicious and I didn't realize what a rare and expensive fish this is, but learned it is usually available only in the high end restaurants. Don treated us well!
We also polished off a fair amount of wine so hopefully we will sleep well tonight.
Hawaii - Day 5
Larry and I slept better last night, though he is still coughing. The kids were awake early again. B&B breakfast had the same options as yesterday, but the soufflé was better.
After breakfast we repacked our suitcases, packed our van and headed down to Hilo where we visited the Big Island Candy Company. We were offered a small cup of Kona coffee and numerous candy and shortbread samples. There were large windows between the retail and production areas so we were able to watch rows of women hand dipping chocolates and shortbread. We bought some goodies to share with Don who will host us the rest of the week.
Leaving Hilo, we chose to drive back to Kona via Saddleback Road, the high route which took us up between the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa mountains. The road reached an elevation of about 8000 ft. It made the loaded minivan work pretty hard and our ears closed, rather severely for a couple of us. Don says the visitor center is at 11,000 and it's 13,780 at the top. The vegetation was different. There was a ground cover plant that had the height and spread of mountain pink.
We then went to The Kona Brewing Company for a late lunch. Larry and I split a Porterhouse dip roast beef sandwich. Fran had fish tacos and Steve had shrimp tacos. The food was delicious. I guess the beer was good too. They guys had Kua Bay IPA. Fran and I had water with lemon.
From there we went to Don's house. He lives in a gated community about 20 miles north of Kona. It is higher elevation (2400 ft) and therefore 5-10 degrees cooler than down in Kona. Don says he likes it up here. He can still wear a flannel shirt in the morning! There is more vegetation too. Bougainvillea, hibiscus, poinsettias, bird of paradise are just a few of the plants we recognize.
After breakfast we repacked our suitcases, packed our van and headed down to Hilo where we visited the Big Island Candy Company. We were offered a small cup of Kona coffee and numerous candy and shortbread samples. There were large windows between the retail and production areas so we were able to watch rows of women hand dipping chocolates and shortbread. We bought some goodies to share with Don who will host us the rest of the week.
Leaving Hilo, we chose to drive back to Kona via Saddleback Road, the high route which took us up between the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa mountains. The road reached an elevation of about 8000 ft. It made the loaded minivan work pretty hard and our ears closed, rather severely for a couple of us. Don says the visitor center is at 11,000 and it's 13,780 at the top. The vegetation was different. There was a ground cover plant that had the height and spread of mountain pink.
We then went to The Kona Brewing Company for a late lunch. Larry and I split a Porterhouse dip roast beef sandwich. Fran had fish tacos and Steve had shrimp tacos. The food was delicious. I guess the beer was good too. They guys had Kua Bay IPA. Fran and I had water with lemon.
From there we went to Don's house. He lives in a gated community about 20 miles north of Kona. It is higher elevation (2400 ft) and therefore 5-10 degrees cooler than down in Kona. Don says he likes it up here. He can still wear a flannel shirt in the morning! There is more vegetation too. Bougainvillea, hibiscus, poinsettias, bird of paradise are just a few of the plants we recognize.
We had about an hour and a half down time before leaving for the luau back in Kona. It was outside along the water, complete with traditional ceremony, music and dance.
There was an open bar, but the featured drink was Mai Tais. The food was very good. Salad, fresh fruit, bean salad, macaroni salad, cucumber salad, banana bread, poi and poké (raw ahi), lomi lomi salmon, purple sweet potatoes, sticky white rice, barbecued chicken, island fish, teriyaki beef, Kalua pig and Kalua turkey (both roasted the traditional way, underground all day.) Kona coffee with dessert of chocolate cake, banana cake and a coconut pudding was available for those who thought they needed it! We were serenaded throughout dinner by an Hawaiian band. The ukulele player was particularly impressive. The after dinner show featured dances, songs and greetings of Polynesian Islands, including Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, New Zealand and Hawaii.
Fran wanted the children to be able to see, so we paid for premium seating. That meant we avoided the line at checkin, our table was next to the stage and we were among the first served.
Encouraged by Fran, the little boys both sampled from the luau buffet. Logan even ate the poké which I passed on. On the way home Fran told the boys she was proud of them for trying all the new foods instead of eating from the children's table, and Logan said, "What children's table?" (There was a table with the standard chicken fingers, mac and cheese and fries, which the kids usually opt for.) We laughed out loud.
No plans yet for Wednesday. Down time!
Encouraged by Fran, the little boys both sampled from the luau buffet. Logan even ate the poké which I passed on. On the way home Fran told the boys she was proud of them for trying all the new foods instead of eating from the children's table, and Logan said, "What children's table?" (There was a table with the standard chicken fingers, mac and cheese and fries, which the kids usually opt for.) We laughed out loud.
No plans yet for Wednesday. Down time!
Hawaii - Day 4
Addendum to Day 3:
We've enjoyed the fresh fruit. Pineapple, papaya, guava. Yesterday while on the zip line event, one of the young guides picked and offered fruit along the way. We had two species of guava. One was small and green in color, about the size of a large Bing cherry. The other was more the size of a pear, dark pink inside and tasted a bit like tomato. He also offered us an unusual fruit called ice cream bean. It was a pod about 8-10 inches long and square shaped. He sliced down the edges and broke it open to reveal a white substance, Fran thought the consistency of cotton candy. Inside that were the seeds. We ate the white stuff and discarded the seeds. He said this fruit is not marketed because it only keeps about three days.
Day 4
All of us are still waking early. There was coffee on at 7, breakfast at 8. Options were fresh fruit, three different Hawaiian sweet breads (guava, taro and plain) whole wheat bread, English muffins, egg soufflé and Macademia nut waffles, guava juice and coffee. The sweet breads are not like what I would have expected. They are light textured yeast breads. I tasted very little sweet and very little flavor. Overall, the breakfast was adequate but not to die for. The best parts, in my opinion, were the coffee, the guava juice and the fruit, all delicious. The fruit offered was pineapple, papaya, and sliced oranges, plain or sprinkled with a red plum powder.
After breakfast Fran, Lily, Larry and I walked down to the waterfall. There is a large pool at the bottom, 50 ft deep, swimming allowed. We walked the long way back up through their bamboo garden which has 15 species of bamboo.
The Kratz' did go paddle boarding and kayaking, it was a bit cold for swimming (except for Steve, who fell in, the kids said) but Larry and I relaxed on our lanai, reading and listening to the waterfall. The kids had leftover pizza for lunch, we ate meal replacement bars or drank meal shakes (got to get some good nutrition in). Larry isn't back up to par, but feeling better, Lucas was back, his normal mischievous self. Good to see! Lily is still coughing, I feel much better. I think my issues are allergy related and cleared up somewhat over on this side of the island.
Our volcano visit was with a tour company and we were picked up at our B&B. Our guide was a young man, Eric, who was quite congenial and knowledgable, too. His degree was environmental science, he has been on the island about five years and it would seem he immersed himself in the ecology, history and culture of the area. He did not give a canned speech but chatted with us based on our questions. We were in a 14 passenger Sprinter van with three other people in addition to the seven of us.
We first drove to the lava field at Kaima Bay, near Kalapana. This is 300 acres of new island land formed by lava flow from the Pu'u O'o vent of the Kilauea volcano. We walked about a half mile out over the lava to the ocean (Kaima Bay black sand beach) where the beautiful waves and surf are beginning to break down the lava. Though the flow looks smooth and undulating, it has silica and is quite sharp. Our guide said he fell and cut his wrist needing eight stitches. There were a few opportunistic plants starting to grow. There were a few ferns and the Ohia, or Tree of Life. It is a nitrogen fixing plant that actually sends its roots down through the lava.
The only structure that survived the lava flow in this area was Uncle Robert's bar, which is still going strong, though we didn't visit. Our guide said this area (Puna) is somewhat of a local rebel/hippy area resisting statehood, declaring themselves a part of the original kingdom of Hawaii. They fly the state flag upside down in disrespect and then fly the kingdom flag beneath it.
Back in the van, we had water and snacks. We were also given refreshing cool wet mint scented clothes to wash our faces. We also tasted some Longan fruit, a grape like fruit in a brown husk.
From here we drove to the Volcano National Park to see the steam vents and then a short hike out to the Halema'uma'u Crater within the Kilauea Caldera. This is a currently active volcano. On the hike we saw bamboo orchids, and a low growing Pukiawe bush the berries of which feed the Nene bird (Hawaian goose). We tasted them too but they had very little flavor.
We then drove another twenty minutes to the Volcano Winery, the only winery on the big island. What a disappointment! Strike one was that when Fran scheduled the tour we were supposed to have dinner at the elite Volcano House, a meal choice of coconut crusted mahi mahi. In the meantime they changed to a buffet barbecue under canopies at the winery. It included wine tasting, a glass of wine with dinner and a tour. The tour guide claimed this was better, that the food wasn't that great at the restaurant. Well, the barbecue wasn't that special, very mediocre. Slaw, pasta salad, canned corn, small pieces of chicken and small ribs. Strike two, the wine was undrinkable. We dumped it on the ground. There was a dry white made from the Cayuga grape, a terrible Pinot noir, a dry red blend of Symphony grape and jaboticaba berry. There was a Macademia honey wine, a Hawaiian guava grape wine and Infusion which was Macademia nut honey infused with volcano winery estate black tea. Most of them tasted oxidized and/or funky. But they seem to be selling it. Strike three, Larry said the gal who gave the tour didn't know what she was talking about but she spoke with a lot of confidence. We walked to the vineyard and tea field. She spent more time talking about the tea process than the vineyard care. Back in the vat room her presentation was totally inaccurate. And Larry said the whole process unremarkable. Plastic tanks, no barrels, didn't look like there was attention to detail. Needless to say, we didn't bring any wine back with us!
We left at dusk and drove to the Thurston Lava Tube. Since it was now dark, we hiked down the pathway by flashlight. It was like walking back through a cave. They are formed when a stream of lava cools around the outside, leaving the inside core insulated and hot so that when it stops flowing it empties out leaving a hollow core. The tube we were in was from seven to twenty feet high.
The last stop of the day was at the Jagger Museum overlooking the Halema'uma'u Crater. On arrival it was too foggy to see anything in the crater. We browsed the museum displays which gave the history of the volcano, seismograph showing earthquake activity, some of the cultural lore of Pele, the goddess of the volcano. As we were ready to leave the fog had cleared and we were able to see the volcanic glow.
We boarded our van for a quiet 45 minute drive back to the B&B, arriving at about 9pm, and went straight to bed.
Tomorrow's event, a luau.
Hawaii - Day 3
Today we left the beach resort and drove to the other side of the island. Though the resort is green and beautiful, it is on the west side above Kona which in general is very dry. As soon as you drive off the property, all you see for miles around are barren lava fields in various stages of breakdown. As you drive north, you begin to see tufts of grass, then more vegetation as you climb to higher elevation, where we rode horses yesterday. When you cross over to the east side everything is completely different with tropical vegetation and beautiful blooming flowers. For the next two days we will be in a bed and breakfast, the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls, near Hilo. On this side we are in a lush rain forest, our rooms overlook the falls.
Larry's brother Don tells us that the big island of Hawaii has 21 of 22 world ecosystems. The only one they don't have is frozen tundra.
Our activity today was zip lining at Umauma Falls and Zipline north of Hilo.
Now we've checked in to the B&B. It is in a remote area several miles out of Hilo. There is a beautiful view of the falls from our room.
Larry's brother Don tells us that the big island of Hawaii has 21 of 22 world ecosystems. The only one they don't have is frozen tundra.
Our activity today was zip lining at Umauma Falls and Zipline north of Hilo.
All of us participated, though Lukie was a bit bleary eyed and Larry wasn't up to par either. We went on 9 different zip lines. At least three of them were over deep gorges, with forest, streams, rocks and waterfalls. Everyone but me dared to turn upside down and zip hands free for a ways. I wasn't quite up to that but did enjoy the ride and the view!
Now we've checked in to the B&B. It is in a remote area several miles out of Hilo. There is a beautiful view of the falls from our room.
None of us felt like driving back into town, and since Dominos delivers, we are settling for pizza tonight. We will just hang out. The children are ready for a relaxing evening and so are we. Larry and I are in a room in the main building, Fran's family is in a three tiered pagoda, a little two story cabin that gives them space to spread out and gives a semblance of home. It has a tv and computer so the kids are in fat city. At the resort Larry and I were in a spacious suite and Kratz' were crammed into a regular room. Not sure how that happened.
Ok, that's it for today. Tomorrow is a volcano tour.
Ok, that's it for today. Tomorrow is a volcano tour.
Hawaii - Day 2 Part 2
I was going to have this be a part of Day 3, but decided to keep it separate so Day 3 is not dampened by the negative!
****
Well, dinner last night at Tommy Bahama's was interesting. Actually, it's a good upscale place and I'm sure the food is delicious. It was other things that interfered. First, Larry is feeling so poorly that he stayed in the room, had some chocolate milk and a Nature Valley peanut bar and was in bed by 6pm. He never says much, but his nasty cough is back (he was sick and/or recovering for more than three weeks beginning over the holidays). I seem to have some lung/bronchial distress also (I had shingles many years ago, and now, anytime I have any type of respiratory distress the shingle sites on my sides around my waist area start to itch and tingle. Sure enough, that started in the early evening). Lily continues with her croupy cough and Fran can feel some distress as well. Who knows if it's the vog or something we caught on the plane. Lucas (age 6) was running a slight fever, too, and as we waited to be seated at the restaurant, he suddenly dropped to the floor, flat on his back, banging his head. Fran's kids have all been vulnerable to fever induced seizure. Thankfully Fran is the doc and doesn't get flustered. They picked him up and he immediately gained consciousness and seemed okay throughout dinner, although about half way through, he crawled back on Fran's lap and wanted to go home. He never cried, doesn't remember falling or hitting his head at all. Fran wasn't sure if it was a seizure (wasn't typical, she said) or if he just passed out from heat and dehydration. They tried to get him to drink but he would only take a few sips.
I wasn't a bit hungry so I had a bowl of chicken tortilla soup, water and a bite or two of bread. The soup was good, blended smooth with very small pieces of chicken and chopped chives, a bit spicy. Fran and Steve both had drinks and the surf 'n turf. They said the steak was delicious. Lucas ordered steak from the children's menu and ate about three bites, Logan had chicken fingers and Lily had hamburger sliders and her mom's shrimp. We didn't linger over dinner and were back in the room by 7:30. Feeling cruddy, achy and congested, I took a couple ibuprofen, Benadryl and went to bed at 8!
But now it's a fresh new day!
P.S. A brief addition to yesterday's horseback ride, prompted by my sister's comment on Facebook, "I remember one time at Uncle Bob's...." My reply?
Yes, Cathy, that's the only horse riding experience I remember, and your episode is more vivid in my memory than mine... Believe me, I thought about you as I prepared to ride yesterday! But the two young guides were quite attentive to us and the horses. We were given a brief "riding lesson". They knew I was inexperienced and a bit nervous, so one of them rode near me much of the time and they chose my horse with that in mind. I got to have some great conversation and commentary as we walked along.
What was Cathy's experience? As I remember it, we were quite young, pre-teen, I'm sure. And Uncle Bob was giving us turns riding on his horse. When Cathy was riding, the horse decided to go back into its little shed and took off. The only problem was that the shed roof was just high enough for the horse to enter, so Cathy's stomach hit the top of the door/edge of the roof and she was unceremoniously scraped off and dumped to the ground. I'm not an animal lover anyway, and that memory kept me from having any desire to try until yesterday, when opportunity was given, and I'm determined to participate wholly in the activities Fran has planned!
****
Well, dinner last night at Tommy Bahama's was interesting. Actually, it's a good upscale place and I'm sure the food is delicious. It was other things that interfered. First, Larry is feeling so poorly that he stayed in the room, had some chocolate milk and a Nature Valley peanut bar and was in bed by 6pm. He never says much, but his nasty cough is back (he was sick and/or recovering for more than three weeks beginning over the holidays). I seem to have some lung/bronchial distress also (I had shingles many years ago, and now, anytime I have any type of respiratory distress the shingle sites on my sides around my waist area start to itch and tingle. Sure enough, that started in the early evening). Lily continues with her croupy cough and Fran can feel some distress as well. Who knows if it's the vog or something we caught on the plane. Lucas (age 6) was running a slight fever, too, and as we waited to be seated at the restaurant, he suddenly dropped to the floor, flat on his back, banging his head. Fran's kids have all been vulnerable to fever induced seizure. Thankfully Fran is the doc and doesn't get flustered. They picked him up and he immediately gained consciousness and seemed okay throughout dinner, although about half way through, he crawled back on Fran's lap and wanted to go home. He never cried, doesn't remember falling or hitting his head at all. Fran wasn't sure if it was a seizure (wasn't typical, she said) or if he just passed out from heat and dehydration. They tried to get him to drink but he would only take a few sips.
I wasn't a bit hungry so I had a bowl of chicken tortilla soup, water and a bite or two of bread. The soup was good, blended smooth with very small pieces of chicken and chopped chives, a bit spicy. Fran and Steve both had drinks and the surf 'n turf. They said the steak was delicious. Lucas ordered steak from the children's menu and ate about three bites, Logan had chicken fingers and Lily had hamburger sliders and her mom's shrimp. We didn't linger over dinner and were back in the room by 7:30. Feeling cruddy, achy and congested, I took a couple ibuprofen, Benadryl and went to bed at 8!
But now it's a fresh new day!
P.S. A brief addition to yesterday's horseback ride, prompted by my sister's comment on Facebook, "I remember one time at Uncle Bob's...." My reply?
Yes, Cathy, that's the only horse riding experience I remember, and your episode is more vivid in my memory than mine... Believe me, I thought about you as I prepared to ride yesterday! But the two young guides were quite attentive to us and the horses. We were given a brief "riding lesson". They knew I was inexperienced and a bit nervous, so one of them rode near me much of the time and they chose my horse with that in mind. I got to have some great conversation and commentary as we walked along.
What was Cathy's experience? As I remember it, we were quite young, pre-teen, I'm sure. And Uncle Bob was giving us turns riding on his horse. When Cathy was riding, the horse decided to go back into its little shed and took off. The only problem was that the shed roof was just high enough for the horse to enter, so Cathy's stomach hit the top of the door/edge of the roof and she was unceremoniously scraped off and dumped to the ground. I'm not an animal lover anyway, and that memory kept me from having any desire to try until yesterday, when opportunity was given, and I'm determined to participate wholly in the activities Fran has planned!
Hawaii - Day 2
This morning dawned with me enjoying the quiet. Still waking around 4 am, but then, I often wake soon after that at home.
Larry's brother joined us last night for dinner. We went to a local restaurant up the coast a bit, Plantation Bar and Grill. The three of us shared a full rack of ribs, garlic potatoes and slaw. They were the best ribs I've ever had, just fell off the bone. Don stayed overnight with us at the resort, as he planned to join us on our excursion today. The original plan had us leaving early, but the alternate ride involved a schedule change and a relaxed morning here onsite. After coffee and my healthy shake for breakfast, all of us but Larry took a walk along the beach. He's not feeling the greatest. Don thinks it's related to the "vog"...volcanic smog. Fran and I can feel it in our lungs as well.
We saw a young sea turtle already sunning itself along the shore. Mauna Lani acts as a nursery for various species. There are many little inlets and ponds surrounding the hotel. Yesterday they released some baby hammerhead sharks into one area so we got to see them. We saw a Moray eel peeking out of the rock. There are many small sea turtles in the various ponds. Talking to one of the staff we learned that all their nursery turtles are released into the ocean each year on July 4, "independence day," with a huge celebration complete with fireworks.
Late morning six of us headed north. Steve stayed back with Lucas who is too young for the horseback riding. We had an early lunch at Merriman's Restaurant located in Kamuela and offering Hawaii regional cuisine using fresh local produce and fresh catch seafood.
From there we drove to Kahua Ranch at Kohala north of Waimea. This is a working ranch of 8000 acres up in the grasslands 3500 to 4000 feet above sea level. Our ride took us through the grazing pastures up to the higher elevation, a ride of about one and a half hours. Yes, I rode along; yes, I was relaxed and even enjoyed myself. I'm not sure I need to do it again, however. My knees hurt at the end of the ride and I have no idea how I'll feel tomorrow!
The higher elevation meant cooler temps and moderate breezes. The views were spectacular, the clearest day they've had for some time. We could see the whole of the south side of Maui. They can usually see the peaks of the island but not usually the lower elevation as we did today. When we left, Don directed us north to Pololu, the end of the road, and another breathtaking view.
We then drove back along the ocean to our hotel. We could see whale spouts and hope to see them closer later on when we go out on the water. Tonight we are eating nearby at Tommy Bahama Tropical Cafe.
Tomorrow's adventure will be zip lining. Another first for me.
Hawaii - Day 1
Today was a rest and recover day after the brutal day of travel and five hour time change. We will stay three days at an ocean side resort, Mauna Lani. The children needed time to play after 12 hours on the planes yesterday, and they were in the pool several hours. The beach is beautiful, the pool and hot tubs inviting. We walked on the beach, made a Costco run for some food (restaurant food is exorbitantly expensive) and soaked up some sun by the pool.
Knowing Larry, you may find it hard to believe he could relax, but he did for at least part of the day. Of course he spent a couple hours on winery business too.
Tomorrow the activities begin. Fran had planned an excursion by horseback down into Waipi'o Valley but it got cancelled because of a serious outbreak of dengue fever. Instead we will be riding at a ranch. This is a nod to Lily who is becoming quite the accomplished horsewoman. Me, not so much. I'll be venturing out beyond my comfort zone for sure!
Knowing Larry, you may find it hard to believe he could relax, but he did for at least part of the day. Of course he spent a couple hours on winery business too.
Tomorrow the activities begin. Fran had planned an excursion by horseback down into Waipi'o Valley but it got cancelled because of a serious outbreak of dengue fever. Instead we will be riding at a ranch. This is a nod to Lily who is becoming quite the accomplished horsewoman. Me, not so much. I'll be venturing out beyond my comfort zone for sure!
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