This was a special week -- Kristen & Jason visited. We have so much fun as a family, and this was another great time from start to finish. Jason landed last Sunday afternoon in a downpour -- the first daytime rain we'd had since we arrived. He left early this morning in a downpour. We seem to be in the rainy season, but it only dampened our plans a little.
One day they rented a car (convertible) and drove to the Volcano National Park, --they got a sunburn to prove it was sunny that day. Lava is flowing there again as of yesterday and some of the roads are closed now closed, so it is good they went when they did. I had to work the day they went (yes, I really do work some of the time!), but they had a great day.
Our big treat was to go to the Kona side of the island where there are better beaches, better snorkelling and more sun. We stayed at a wonderful Sheraton resort, and it was lovely, even if it was a bit cloudy part of the time! It was also partly a celebration of John's birthday; we had a couple wonderful dinners out.
Went to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau (try saying that!) National Historical Park--the "Place of Refuge" which is the most complete restoration of an ancient Hawaiian religious sanctuary in Hawaii. Saw two large turtles sunning on the rocks on the path. Fairly good snorkelling nearby, but it started raining so we left.. Saw a lot of Kona coffee orchards and sampled some of the coffee on the way.
On our way to and from the Kona side of the island, we made several stops. We walked around on the lava fields. Went to a resort area where they advertised swimming with the dolphins. (Didn't take a picture but we finally found the place in a fancy Hilton resort.) Nearby we found a beach with green water -- no green sand, just green water. There was a wonderful coral beach area nearby.
We took one day to drive around the most eastern tip of the Big Island, stopping for gorgeous ocean and vegetation views. (pictures below) Our first stop turned out to be a "clothing optional" beach. We had to go down a fairly steep cliff to get there, and John hadn't changed into his bathing suit like the rest of us. We urged him to go "natural" but he was afraid I'd take a picture and post it on the blog or Facebook!
We had our picnic lunch overlooking a beautiful blue ocean with waves crashing below us. Then we found the large thermal pool and picnic grounds. It was almost like swimming in a hot tub. Jason and I took turns laying out on an air mattress. I loved looking up at the palm trees, the sunny, blue sky (it was raining back in Hilo), and feeling the warm water lap around me. Paradise, indeed!
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