HAWAIIAN VACATION 2020

Day 1 Wednesday, November 25th - Today was the big day!  We drove down to SLC to start our vacation. The SLC airport has been totally renovated and it is pretty amazing!  We flew out to Phoenix and from the airport Jed and Kasen went straight to the Nike Outlet store in an Uber while the rest of us went to the hotel.  I hadn't received any covid test results yet and I had been freaking out a little bit, but Jed just said if they come back negative or they don't come back we will just have a nice vacation in Arizona for a week so that calmed me down a little bit and we took a chance on flying out.

 

Day 2 Thursday, November 26th (Thanksgiving) - At about 4am I started getting the emails with the covid test results.  Emily - negative, Kinsley - negative, Dallin - negative.  Our flight left about 10 am and we didn't know if we would have to show our test results before boarding the plane or not but we took a chance and went to the airport with results for Ava or Kasen.  We boarded the plane and off we went.  The flight went great and Dallin did great.  It was so fun to fly above the islands as we got close to land.  The Kona airport is right in the middle of all the lava rock and it looked like we were landing in Craters of the Moon - not what you'd expect in Hawaii! Once we had cellphone service I found out Ava's test results were in - negative.  We were just missing Kasen's.  We waited in line while everyone went through the checkpoints in the Kona airport.  When it was our turn we still hadn't gotten Kasen's results.  The airport staff was really nice to us, but they still wouldn't let us go through.  So we waited - the entire airport is outdoors so that was cool.  We waited for three hours for his result and still nothing.  We were the only ones sitting there and I think the workers were feeling sorry for us so they finally just let us go and told us to quarantine until we got Kasen's results.  Grandma and Grandpa had been waiting for us for awhile and I called them to say we were coming through.  When the kids saw them they just sprinted straight for them.  It was so many emotions all rolled into one.  It was evening on Thanksgiving day when we finally were free so we drove to Kona McDonald's for food and then back to the condo.  The condo was about 30 minutes from the airport and it was straight lava fields on both sides of the highway with little oasis pockets with resorts. My parents ended up buying a two bedroom condo that is really nice so we are staying there and they are staying in Waimea about 15 minutes away at the missionary apartment.  Before they left for the night we went over to the community pool for a dip.  Grandma said she is hoping we go to the pool at least once a day.

Day 3 Friday, November 27th - Wow we really woke up in paradise!  Everywhere we looked was so beautiful.  The condo is sandwiched between a few resorts and on a golf course with palm trees and flowers everywhere.  Right outside the patio you can see the huge volcano Mauna Kea. 

My parents had ordered a Thanksgiving dinner from a local restaurant but it wasn't going to be ready until afternoon.  So this morning we went on a beach walk.  Apparently it is a daily walk for my dad so he took us on his normal route.  It was so cool to see all the petroglyphs in the lava.

We ended our walk at a place called "A-Bay"  - the full name is Anaeho'omalu Bay but it is called A-bay for short.  Thank goodness because we would never remember the full name.  My mom said in Hawaii every letter sound is pronounced.  It is actually really pretty.  The bay was empty and the kids couldn't control themselves - they just had to jump in and get in the ocean fully clothed.

Finally time to eat!  There is one time a year when I love turkey and stuffing and it is on Thanksgiving and this meal tasted so good.  We thought we had missed our chance to eat Thanksgiving food this year so this was a great surprise!  We even got pies!  And then Kasen and Dallin had to have a whipped cream contest.  

  

After dinner we went out to the pool again.  It will probably be a daily event for us.  It is a little pool but so beautiful and the hot tub feels so nice.  On our way home we spotted our first gecko in the plants by the front door.  Ava was able to catch it and we noticed there was also a baby gecko on the plant too.  Funny fact - the whole time we were there and saw geckos my dad called them geicos like the insurance company.

Grandpa had mentioned that A Bay was a place where turtles always came up on the beach so before sunset we walked back over there to see if we could see any.  Sure enough there w as a beautiful sea turtle right on the beach.  We could also see tracks from a couple others that must have just gone back into the water.  The turtles were so amazing!  While we were taking pictures we got scolded by a local for getting too close.  Sunset on the beach is something I could get used to.

Day 4 Saturday, November 28th -  Today we went north and had a beach day.

We spent the majority of the day at Hapuna Beach.  It was your quintessential beach.  Soft sand, warm water, nice even waves, etc.  We brought the boogie boards and the kids started learning how to do that.  We also brought snorkels and tried those out.  There wasn't a lot to see, but we swam over to some rocks and saw quite a bit of fish swimming around.  Ava made a sea turtle sand sculpture and we had so much fun.  I took my go pro and recorded a ton of footage of our water fun.

 

Afterward we drove north some more and went to Waimea.  It is where my parents go to church and where the mission apartment is.  It is a cute town and is surrounded by cattle ranches.  When you are driving into town there is even rodeo grands with a big arena and grandstand.  My dad knew of a really great burger place and we ate dinner there.

Everyone was a little rosy after our day in the sun.  Dallin's hair is so curly from the moisture outside and he looks just like a little surfer dude.

Day 5 Sunday, November 29th - Sunday we went to church with my parents.  We were a little late because the road was closed so we had to make a big detour, so we sat out in the foyer.  It seemed like most people at church were transplants not actual Hawaiians.  We met a family that was related to our friends from Eagle actually.  The ward seemed pretty tight knit and a lot of them said they just moved to Hawaii after visiting because they liked it so much.  Afterward we stopped at an amazing playground just down from the church.  It was all made of wood and was a child's dream.  Dallin even learned how to do the monkey bars by himself.

 We spent the rest of the day doing a north-western loop back down to the condo.  We drove up north on Kohala Moutnain Road past big portions of the Parker Ranch.  The Big Island is so interesting in that it is like 5 islands in one.  So far we've seen lava fields, huge cattle ranches, beaches, pine trees, palm trees, a giant mountain volcano.  It's been a lot different than what you typically picture as a tropical island.  I love looking across the big grassy pastures and there is the ocean in the distance.

We drove to the northern most point of the island and you could see Maui off in the distance.  Once north we turned east down a dead end road which took us to a lookout named Pololu Beach where it is common to see whales.  We kept thinking we were seeing them or I should say that I kept thinking I was seeing them, but everyone else told me it was the white foam on the waves.  We drove west again and through a little town called North Kohala I think where we stopped and got ice cream and the statue of the great Kamehameha.  Turns out he was a very interesting king.  The first king to rule over the entire Hawaiian islands.  We decided to go find his supposed birthplace and stopped at a beautiful little cove where people were out surfing and enjoying the water.

 

The travel map we were using took us to a place down a very dirt and rugged road to an ancient temple site.  We were pretty sure the minivan was going to flip at any moment but Grandpa just kept baha-ing along.  We finally did have to stop and walk.  This area was the supposed birthplace of Kamehameha.  The legend goes that his mother got pregnant not by the king but by a king of a different island so Kamehameha was an outcast before he was born.  The queen was somewhat exiled to this northern spot to have the baby and she had such intense pregnancy cravings of human eyes (because that's a common pregnancy craving) that she knew her unborn baby would be a great warrior.  When he was born he wasn't recognized as a true prince so apparently he developed a chip on his shoulder, had to work harder than everyone else - Rocky style sort of developement, and went off and conquered all the islands and became the king of everyone to prove them all wrong.  Honestly would make for a great movie.  Also interestingly enough, the Hawaiin people were very savage and the priests offered human sacrifices like it was nobody's business.  This temple site was one of those places.  We even saw what historians consider to be a sacrificial alter.  The place was a little eery.

As we drove down the western coast we stopped on the side of the road to watch the sunset.  On the big island there is something you can see called the Green Flash when the sun just goes down into the water some chemicals are supposed to be released it and it should look like a green flash for a split second.  We watched but couldn't see anything.  That night Kasen pulled out two teeth though.

Day 6 Monday, November 30th - Monday was a big site-seeing, driving day for us.  We drove all the way across the island eastward to Hilo.  This side is much more tropical looking and island looking.  It also gets the most rain of any place in the United States.  Once to Hilo we headed south to the Hawaii volcanoes national park to see the Kilauea Volcano.  It was the first park Kinsley was able to use her 4th grade national park pass and she was pretty excited. 

The volcano was not quite what I expected.  I learned that volcanoes in Hawaii aren't what you picture when you make those homemade volcanoes where lava is spouting out of the top.  When the volcano erupts it actually cracks and fall inward like a sinkhole and then lava flumes start developing under the ground.  Eventually they break the surface of the ground but not in big eruptions.  And the lava usually starts flowing out on the land far down from the volcano.  There are parts of the Hawaiian shoreline that are completely different because the lava flows have destroyed them.  We were at the top of the volcano and you could see little fissures in the surface and gasses rising up.  You could also see the big sink hole areas from past eruptions.

It was pretty barren area so we decided not to stay too long.  Kasen had to jog around though and try to convince everyone that his armpit hair was coming in.

 

We continued driving along the south-eastern part of the island heading west again.  Along the southern coast there is a green sand beach and a black sand beach.  The green sand beach required 4-wheel drive access so we didn't go there.  But we did go to the black sand beach - Punalu'u beach.  It was so cool.  The sand looked like gravel but it was soft!  The sand turns black from the lava ash.  One thing I didn't realize until today was how rocky most of the beaches are in Hawaii.  You definitely want some water shoes.  We all cut our feet up.  Right as we were unloading we noticed a friend on the beach here.  Another beautiful sea turtle just taking a break.  This one was pretty big too.  After awhile of us annoying it, it slowly took a few steps toward the water and then just as the wave came in and out it shot out into the ocean.

We had tons of fun at this beach.  It was amazing for snorkeling and we all had turns - even Kinsley learned how to snorkel.  The coolest part was snorkeling with sea turtles - yes there were turtles all around in the water.  Even little baby turtles.  It was amazing.

After the black sand bech we drove another 15 minutes west and then turned south to the southern most tip of the island and the United States - South Point Ka Lae! This area was a popular fishing spot and lots of people were cliff jumping too. 

  

It's interesting how some coastlines are sandy beaches and others are these huge straight - down rocky cliffs.

Now we started driving west and then north again as we were back on the western side of the island.  There were lots of cool places to stop on the map but it was getting later and we didn't have as much time as we wanted.  We picked a beach called Two Step beach because someone at the condo pool told us it was a good place to see dolphins as you snorkeled. We didn't see any dolphins but we saw some cool fish.  This was a very lava rocky beach too.  It's amazing how everything is so different but all so beautiful in it's differences.

 

Day 7 Tuesday, December 1st - Tuesdays are busy days for my parents with missionary meetings so the morning we ventured out on our own.  We decided to go to an Octopus farm and let Ava have the experience she's always dreamed of.  This area was just past the airport in Kona and was actually a whole bunch of research facilities.  There was one for seahorses and more for different types of sea life.  We chose to go in the octopus one.  They had about 20 different tanks of octopi that they were researching and they allow people to come in and learn about them and touch them. 

It was actually really fascinating and the octopi were pretty friendly to us.  We fed them pieces of squid and Kasen thought for sure one was going to eat him as it wrapped up his arm quickly.  They are very interesting creatures and I gained a new respect for them - I wouldn't go as far as Ava and say they are cute quite yet but I'll definitely give them more credit as interesting vs weird.

Afterward we drove down to Kona and walked along the beachfront .  There was another ruin site of one of Kamehameha's palaces  - Kamahakonu temple - and another summer palace called Hulihee Palace - for a more recent queen.  One interesting thing about Hawaii is that there is a law that no individual or corporation can own the beach front.  So even the resorts that have their properties on the beach can't restrict anyone from coming on it. 

Across the street from the summer palace was the first Christian church built on the island.  Missionaries came in 1820 and started preaching about Jesus Christ.  The original church named Mokuaikaua is still standing.  The early missionaries had great success and most people believe in Jesus Christ on the island.

The trees in this area were just so cool.  I can't remember what they are called but they were beautiful.

We finally found some shaved ice and dole whips on the island.  We were told that the dole whips are all over the island of Oahu but there were only two places on Hawaii that people knew of to find dole whips.  The shaved ice were delicious and you can actually get the dole whip inside of the shaved ice. This little part of Kona was really cool and had lots of shops, restaraunts, and murals on the buildings.  The beachwalk/promenade went south for quite a ways but we didn't walk down too far.  The nice thing about traveling in a pandemic is that not any place we've gone so far has been crowded or full of people aside from Walmart and Costco.

We wanted to find the temple and surprisingly we were just a few blocks away from it.  It wasn't visible like most temples - more tucked away in between a lot of little houses.  It was beautiful though and it would have been amazing to do some baptisms inside but since all temples are closed we will just have to come back again on another trip!

We stopped at Walmart on the way home because Kinsley was quite certain she wanted her souvenier to be a ukulele.  She was so cute playing it and walked along outside the golf course just humming and strumming. I think all the kids fit into the beach vibe and could easily make the transition to island kids.

 

When we got home the missionary meetings were still going strong.  The kids were so curious and wanted to watch and see what real missionaries look like.  haha  It's always amazing to watch and know the work rolls forward even with this very different missionary situation for my parents.

While they finished up meetings we went over to the pool and then when they finished we decided we could use some more Vitamin Sea and went over to A Bay .

Day 8 Wednesday, December 2nd - Today we decided to go exploring again on the other side of the island.  On our way we stopped at the missionary apartment.  We drove to Hilo and then headed north this time.  We were going to stop at a Botanical Garden and the Macademia Nut farm but both were closed to the public thanks to covid.  We stopped at a cute little market and got Hawaiin sweet bread and some other breads to try. 

We stopped for a little hike to Akaka Falls.  This felt like a true rainforest.  The foliage was so dense and thick and beautiful.  This is what I pictured in my head of a tropical island. The hike was completely paved and easy.

The plant life that grows is just so different and exotic.  So many bright, vibrant colors and different shapes and sizes.  

Even though we've been able to see all the different parts of the island the driving has been tiring and there have been a few naps along the way.  We drove up the north east coast this time and made that loop towards home.  We stopped at a little country store for lunch and had amazing food.  The avocadoes were the size of my head!   We also drove past some forest farms - where they farm pine trees for lumber.  This island is truly unique in every way.  Up in the northeast corner there is a valley that is very private and hard to get to.  It doesn't have electricity or plumbing or cell phone service.  Apparently, people aren't very nice either and don't take to tourists.  But it is amazingly beautiful.  We didn't end up going there because we didn't have a vehicle to make it but next time it's on our list.  Also on our list for next time is ziplining on this side of the island.  My parents had this amazing guidebook in the condo and I've been packing it around all week.  It is the best travel guide I've ever read and had so many interesting and informative facts about the big island.

We enjoyed the evening at the pool watching the beautiful sunset and the beautiful palm trees.  I understand why people disappear to the beach.  There is something about it that is so peaceful and makes you forget all your worries and cares.   

Last nights sleep here.  One week is definitely not enough time here. 

 

Day 9 Thursday, December 3rd - Our last day in Hawaii! NOOOOOO.  We didn't want to go back at all.  Luckily for us, we had an entire day before our flight.  All the flights leaving the island are red-eye flights that fly back to the mainland overnight.  Ava and I woke up and went for an early morning walk along the Queen's highway and to a little observatory at King's landing. 

At the last minute we decided to let the kids go to a nearby resort to have a swim with dolphins experience.  It was very expensive and we were just going to let Kinsley do it as her birthday present, but then it seemed sad the others couldn't go with her.  Dallin was too little to go so he stayed back with me and Grandma and Grandpa.

The kids were in the water with the dolphins for about an hour and even got to be pulled by them as they swam.  Ava said it was just as fun as the beluga whale encounter at Sea World.  

My parents had a doctor's appointment in Kona that morning so we found another little beach called Kuki'o beach for the morning.  This one was just behind some huge houses and right next to the Four Seasons.  It was a great little place for smaller kids because it was very protected from the waves and shallow.  There were sea turtles here too.

 We had a few hours to hit up one last beach before we needed to go home and get packed up so we went to Mauna Kea beach.  This beach was a lot like Hapuna Beach in that it was very sandy and had good waves for boogie boarding.  The kids have gotten really good at that.  The waves were really strong here though and it was a beach listed that is a great place to go for surfing which made sense.  The strong waves were fun but so powerful that one time I got hit so hard and while underwater another wave hit me so hard I thought I was going to die.  My head hurt so bad I had to go sit on the beach.  Kasen also got beat up a bit.  The waves were so strong they stirred up lots of sand.

Mauna Kea beach was probably not the smartest place to go on our last day because our swimming suits had so much sand in them.  It took me forever to rinse them out and get packed.  We went over to Queen's landing for one last dinner together.  We all shared our favorite adventure of the week.  Then we went and got loaded up for the airport.  Before we left Dallin pinky promised Grandma and Grandpa that this wouldn't be the last time he came to visit the Big Island.

Day 10 Friday, December 4th - The flight home wasn't too bad but it was full so we couldn't spread out like we were hoping.  I had Dallin and Kinsley on my lap and finally I laid Dallin down on the floor.  You would think a 5 hr flight at night sounds like a good idea but it was so hard to sleep sitting up.  All my body wanted to do was lie flat.  When we got to SLC it took us about 45 minutes to get through the airport and out to our car because the airport is so big.  When we got out there the water in the car was frozen.  Oh man we really missed that warm Hawaiian weather.  The drive home was so long and I'm not sure how Jed stayed awake.  But we made it home and were so thankful and happy for the wonderful experience we had in Hawaii and with my parents after 18 months of not seeing them!  And now only a few weeks until Christmas!