The Big One

Hawaii's Big Island: July 5-12, 2023

Scott, Carla, Lincoln, Danica made this summer trip. We missed Alex, and I had total mom guilt.. Adulting is hard.

The big island is divided into the wet east and the dry west sides. Our Airbnb was west, along with most of the resorts and sandy beaches, north of Kailua Kona & the airport, in an area called Mauna Lani.

I think we experienced the island's 8 climate zones, guided on day trips by an audio tour app called GuideAlong (aka GyPSy Guide when we used it on Maui). We learned about historic, geographic, and cultural points of interest and stop recommendations. Danica and Lincoln looooved listening to the guide 😉!

Beaches

A black sand beach with signs about Spinner dolphins, but I spotted none 

Beach Club near our place

While snorkeling, we saw a big turtle sleeping in the reef

Insta-worthy

 

Hapuna Beach

Waipi'oa Valley Lookout; only locals are allowed in this valley

Laupaheohoe Point, where a tsumani came ashore in 1946, and
25 students and teachers died at the school built here

Onomea Bay

Fairmont Orchid Beach, down the street from us

Lava & Volcano National Park- Although lava flowed in June, Mt Kilauea was no longer erupting. Someone was tired of being in the car, so the drive through Volcano National Park was pretty expedited.

Dormant crater inside the park

Steam vents; got a quick walk-thru facial which smelled sulphery!

Petroglyphs carved into lava rock

Lava flow all the way to the ocean

Lava tube entrance

This tube goes for 25 miles

Waterfalls and Rainforest

Rainbow Falls

Boiling Pots

Akaka Falls, 442 feet

I was obsessed with these enormous banyan trees

Pololu Valley

*Trip Highlight* Night Snorkeling with Manta Rays!

The double hull canoe we rode in to the snorkel site

Holding onto a Light Board, which attracts plankton, we floated Superman-style with snorkel gear

Then these 8 ft gentle giants appear and draw the plankton into their mouths!

The view as they swim up towards you, then do barrel rolls in your face. Incredible!!

 

Unfortunately, the bay was very choppy and proved challenging in the water and to get back on board the canoe. Lincoln got sick on the ride back to the dock.

Other Activities

Before surfing lessons...

But then 2 of these showed up, so no lesson 👎.
But everyone still has their limbs, so 👍

Food

Sampling shave ice was necessary in Hilo...

... and in Kona. Dan & I prefer it with a snow cap (covered in condensed milk), and Scott likes ice cream under his. Regular for Linc

Kona coffee ice cream and more shave ice. Scott wants to open a shave ice stand

Delicious malasadas, 'Hawaii's Ultimate Donut'. Scott wants to sell these at his food stand too

Hilo Farmer's Market, where I bought mangos

Coconut water straight from the source

Fauna & Flora

So cool to see turtles sunning on the beach!

Mongoose, squirrel-sized and very shy

Goats everywhere

D made sure we stopped to pet the baby goats

The chickens weren't nearly as rampant is in Kauai

Giant moth on the patio

Aloha! To welcome us home

Grandma Carolyn stayed with the dogs, and they made themselves at home in our bed

Mahalo, Hawaii 💗!