11 May, Saturday
First Class seats on United Airlines -- mixed nuts in a ceramic dish, hot towels and champagne! So much legroom. My first luxury air travel.
Jeep rental 4WD
Kailua-Kona, Puanani B&B
Kona State Park where we drove through lava to watch a beautiful sunset; 2800' to 3000' elevation, COLD!
Waimea
Merriman's Restaurant dinner
Jeep has soft top and windshield; otherwise, open to elements, brrr while driving back, sleepy too and was afraid I'd fall out despite seatbelt
12 May, Sunday
We woke up to a brilliant sunrise streaming directly through our bedroom window at 6a Hawaii-time
Breakfast on the lanai; birds chirping
To Mauna Kea observatory via "forbidden" Saddle Road
Learned about calderas at visitors center at 9000' elevation and hiked to a nearby cinder cone; so moonlike, the landscape
Altitude sickness: headache, shortness of breath, chest felt small and closed, sleepy, yawning and very dry; bad for contact lenses
Observatory at 13,796' woah! We toured NASA's observatory
Snow patches at the top
Waikoloa Resort
Under the Palm Restaurant
13 May, Monday
Drive to Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea Lodge & Restaurant
Replaced Jeep with Explorer
Kauna'oa, aka Mauna Kea Beach, recommended by B&B innkeeper
Tien swam; coral washed up on beach
Drive through Waimea to Waipio Valley and 4WD down to bottom; parked
Waded through streams to end of road where we met farmers Mr. & Mrs. Mock Chew who gave us a lift back to our car in his truck -- so friendly!
We drove to the black sand beach; warm water
On the road again, stopped at Kukuihaele Bridge filled with lush green palms and other plants
Akaka Falls State Park
Many gorges filled with healthy vegetation
Hilo to Volcanoes Park
Caldera of Kilauea is immense and impressive
WOW, was an incredible ride on Rim Drive through the park; walked to edge of crater; strong sulpher smell that Tien couldn't stand; gets into your mouth and can taste it
Kilauea Lodge Restaurant dinner
Drove to Chain of Craters Road to walk to live lava flow
3/4 mile hike in pitch blackness with our flashlights on boulders
Watched lava spewing from one mile away -- white smoke, red hot lava
Cozy bedroom at the Lodge; tiny, fireplace, king bed and heated towel rack
14 May, Tuesday
Chain of Craters Road and Kilauea Caldera's Road drive, very black!
Miles and miles of lava
Very green with vegetation and, suddenly, solid black and lunar-like, bare of trees and plants
Breakfast; remembering coconut syrup on my pancakes
Sweetbread at Punalu'u Bakery, yum!
Fly to Kauai Island, Prince Kuhio Condos in Koloa (urine smell, ick)
Cutlass Ciera rental car
Burgers at Beach Hut
Poipu Beach Park; I played in tidepools while Tien read
15 May, Wednesday
Waimea Canyon, soooo green and beautiful -- supposed to be similar to Grand Canyon, NOT!
Kalalau lookout; misty
Lots of lookouts
Drive to Hanapepe
Green Garden Restaurant -- love my Hawaiian plate (kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, cocnut cake) and lilikoi chiffon pie! Tien had Japanese chowmein
Antique store
Kekaha Beach Park
Polihale State Beach -- TOO WINDY!
Ice cream shop; the woman who ran the shop told us her aunt was stewardess who was sucked out of airplane when nose fell off in flight, argh
"Babe" video rental
Taisho Restaurant dinner
16 May, Thursday
Drive to north shore of Kauai, Kai Mana B&B, owned by new age author Shakti Gawain
Kapaia Stitchery quilting store for fabrics :-)
Kilauea Beach is so quiet; no one but us
Explore caves, beach at end of road
Black Pot Restaurant dinner
"Jurassic Park" movie
Remembering laughing geckos, tropical bird sounds and 2" cockroaches
17 May, Friday
Dolphins in the bay while we ate breakfast!
Stables for half-day of horseback riding
Crossing streams, pastures, dismount and hike to waterfalls, play in the water
They made lunch for us
My horse was Punkin; Tien's was Clyde
Sore for one week afterwards from bouncing in saddle with stirrups meant for taller people, ouch
Whale sighting from our B&B!
Tahiti Nui restaurant, blah
"Silence of the Lambs" video
18 May, Saturday
Flight to Honolulu
Ala Moana food court lunch
Got to visit Cracked Seed Store, life's dream!
Sheraton Royal Hawaiian hotel
Mall walk
Sit on beach to people-watch; so crowded with tourists; so many men wearing thongs, euwww
Duc's Bistro restaurant in Chinatown
19 May, Sunday
Last meal in Hawaii was rubbery pancakes and weird scrambled eggs; so disappointing
"A Bed of Roses" movie on airplane
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