Saturday, January 30, 2010 - 10:43 am
I ran out of time to post any more of our adventure, but that doesn't mean that I am done. We are getting ready to checkout of the condo around 11:30 am. Our plane doesn't leave until 6:00 pm, so we have some serious time to kill but really don't have anywhere to go. I guess we will find a Bar & Grill on the property and have a big lunch and watch whales some more.
The flight back from Kona to Chicago is 8.5 hours without any food unless you want to buy an over-priced ham & cheese sandwich. We have a three hour layover in Chicago before heading to Kansas City. We arrive at 10:25 am CST (6:25 am Hawaiian) on Sunday. Yeah.....we will be tired.
On Monday, I hope to start posting again. We still have about four days worth of activity still "in the can" to use a Hollywood term.
We all had a fabulous time. The weather couldn't have been better for us although the Islands really need rain. The whales were amazing and plentiful.
Someone said that all good things must end, but going home is good too.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Day 14 - Hilo and the return trip to the condo - Part 3 of 3
January 25, 2010 - Monday - Big Island
We had a really nice lunch in one of the old buildings on the waterfront strip. Much of the building's interior was probably just like it was in 1930. Eating there was a neat experience.
The girls are on their way to the Farmer's Market around the corner.
Another basket weaver at the market.
After the market, we made a brief stop at the Hawaiian Candy Company. The employees were very friendly and they all wanted to be in the photo. All the candy is hand made one piece at a time.
Love is in the air...........Valentines Day candy ready to go.
Love is in the air........I guess. We found these cattle on the drive back to the condo in a rural part of the highway. The large bull was imported from Africa.
Yes........these are wild pigs out looking for dinner just before dark.
Edel seems to attract all kinds of new friends.
Edel had to share Captain Kangaroo or whoever this is with Sigrid at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company where we had dinner on the water.
Flowers from the Farmer's Market to decorate the condo.
Fruit from the Farmer's Market
It was a long day.......12 hours of touring and dining before returning to the condo.
Downtown Hilo...........the Palace Theatre has seen better days. Hilo is an old sugar plantation town and seaport. Most of the old town was built in the 1930's and not much has changed other than most of the buildings are empty. Like just about all Hawaiian towns, it depends heavily on tourist spending.
We had a really nice lunch in one of the old buildings on the waterfront strip. Much of the building's interior was probably just like it was in 1930. Eating there was a neat experience.
The girls are on their way to the Farmer's Market around the corner.
Another basket weaver at the market.As we were leaving town, we discovered that the trunk of the car wouldn't latch when closed. Normally, not a big deal, but with a convertible, that means you can't put the top up. Of course, we had the top down and, of course, even though it hadn't rained but once for 5 minutes since we arrived in Hawaii, it started raining and we couldn't put the top up. We headed for the Alamo Office at the Hilo Airport to trade for another crappy Sebring with a working top. I was ready to get a Chevy hardtop, but Sigrid wanted to have a convertible. We got a white one. We later had trouble with the top on this one but we fixed it our selves. Sigrid loves convertibles when we come to Hawaii. We could have gotten a Mustang, but the trunk has less space for luggage and we were pressed with three people.
After the market, we made a brief stop at the Hawaiian Candy Company. The employees were very friendly and they all wanted to be in the photo. All the candy is hand made one piece at a time.
Love is in the air...........Valentines Day candy ready to go.
Love is in the air........I guess. We found these cattle on the drive back to the condo in a rural part of the highway. The large bull was imported from Africa.
Yes........these are wild pigs out looking for dinner just before dark.
Edel seems to attract all kinds of new friends.
Edel had to share Captain Kangaroo or whoever this is with Sigrid at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company where we had dinner on the water.
Flowers from the Farmer's Market to decorate the condo.
Fruit from the Farmer's Market
It was a long day.......12 hours of touring and dining before returning to the condo.Day 14 - Akaka Falls - Part 2 of 3
January 25, 2010 - Monday - Big Island
Basket weavers are everywhere.
The falls are in a rain forest area with beautiful foliage.
One of several large stands of bamboo.
It is about a 1/2 mile walk to the falls with lots of ups and downs in a very humid environment. That means that I was huffing and puffing and sweating heavily but also enjoying the scenery.
A Banyan Tree with roots exposed.
A fern unrolling.
The falls.
A flower more strange than pretty.
This one looks more like a millipede than a flower.....creepy.
After huffing and puffing the 1/2 mile uphill and upstairs, we are off to Hilo.
Akaka Falls is one of the taller Hawaiian falls at 422 feet.
Basket weavers are everywhere.
The falls are in a rain forest area with beautiful foliage.
One of several large stands of bamboo.
It is about a 1/2 mile walk to the falls with lots of ups and downs in a very humid environment. That means that I was huffing and puffing and sweating heavily but also enjoying the scenery.
A Banyan Tree with roots exposed.
A fern unrolling.
The falls.
A flower more strange than pretty.
This one looks more like a millipede than a flower.....creepy.
After huffing and puffing the 1/2 mile uphill and upstairs, we are off to Hilo.Day 14 - Driving Tour of the Big Island - Part 1 of 3
January 25, 2010 - Monday - Big Island
Beautiful northeastern coastline.
A flowering tree.
The girls took a photo break at a scenic overlook. Notice that the new Sebring is metallic blue. The other two were white. This didn't last long as you will discover later.
On the way to Akaka Falls, we passed through a neat little village named Honomu. We bought coconut pies at Mr. Ed's Bakery.
A couple of interesting little churches in Honomu.
Sigrid never passes up a fruit stand.
On to Akaka Falls.
We started early the first full day on the Island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. I am just going to abbreviate the Big Island as "BI" to save typing going forward. The photo below was taken in the "up country" Parker Ranch part of the island. The elevation was about 4,000 feet. Pretty poinsettias. It is about a 90 minute drive from our condo to our first destination of Akaka Falls.
Beautiful northeastern coastline.
A flowering tree.
The girls took a photo break at a scenic overlook. Notice that the new Sebring is metallic blue. The other two were white. This didn't last long as you will discover later.
On the way to Akaka Falls, we passed through a neat little village named Honomu. We bought coconut pies at Mr. Ed's Bakery.
A couple of interesting little churches in Honomu.
Sigrid never passes up a fruit stand.
On to Akaka Falls. Friday, January 29, 2010
Day 13 - Island of Hawaii (Big Island) - Part 2 of 2
January 24 - Sunday - Island of Hawaii
The condo is little more than a year old. The whole area is beautiful. More photos later.
This view is from our patio. It is just a stones throw to the ocean and we can see the waves slashing up on the rocky shoreline. As you can see, I have lots of stones to throw if I wanted to throw one.
We arrived on schedule as was mentioned in an earlier posting. We were at the condo around 5:00 pm. It is a 30 minute drive north from the airport to the Waikoloa Beach Resort. If you want to go to Kona, where all the restaurants and attractions are, it's 45 minutes one way. We do have a much nicer condo here than any we could find in Kona, but it sure is away from everything. It is a golf resort, but we don't play so we don't spend much time here. Next time we will do it differently.
The condo is little more than a year old. The whole area is beautiful. More photos later.
This view is from our patio. It is just a stones throw to the ocean and we can see the waves slashing up on the rocky shoreline. As you can see, I have lots of stones to throw if I wanted to throw one.
Day 13 - Maui Ocean Center - Part 1 of 2
January 24, 2010 - Sunday - Maui
Hawaii is known for many things like its flowers and fish. We have shown you flowers, now we have a few fish for you.
Not much to say since I don't know any more about the fish than you. Sigrid took some nice photos with her little Canon SD880 pocket camera.
Our plane leaves for The Big Island at 2:30 pm, so we have some time to explore a little more at the Maui Ocean Center. It is located just down the street from the condo. We have all our luggage in the car and we can't hide it so Sigrid and Edel will visit the aquarium and I will listen to the radio in the car while I guard the luggage.
Hawaii is known for many things like its flowers and fish. We have shown you flowers, now we have a few fish for you.
Not much to say since I don't know any more about the fish than you. Sigrid took some nice photos with her little Canon SD880 pocket camera.More later after we get to the next island.