The TRIP - Day 9

June 21, 2009

I received phone calls from 3 wonderful daughters and a great son-in-law today wishing me a happy Fathers Day. I opened the card that Suzanne sent me with instructions not to open it until Fathers Day, which I had had for about three weeks. I have some very special daughters.

We went to church at a store front Baptist church. Since it was Fathers Day, the preacher talked on fathers. The service was very good. Afterward, we talked to the pastor who told us that he has been doing a beach ministry for 30 years, and that they have had the building for about 3 years. We planned to go to the service on the beach next week.

Beach Ministry Community Church

After the service, we went to lunch and for a short drive. We, then, sat on the beach for awhile enjoying the sun.

Larry on the Beach
Wanda on the Beach

Gloria on the Beach

A Critter on the Beach

We went to a very nice restaurant for supper and then a short walk on the beach.

The Four Tourist at Dinner

The View from our Restaurant at Sunset

Before going back to the condo, we stopped by the grocery store for some supplies.

The TRIP - Day 8

June 20, 2009

We got up and began packing - mostly Gloria. I've learned over the years to stay out of her way. She likes to do things her way, so I just stay back.
After packing up and putting everything in the car, Larry and Wanda wanted to sit by the pool for awhile. So, at this moment, they are sitting out in the sun and Gloria and I are sitting in the shade catching up on our journals.

Gloria Working on Her Journal

The rest of the day was mostly sitting at the airport or flying. However, it was not without incidents.

When we got to the airport, we got in line.When we got to the front of the line, the airline rep looked up our tickets in the computer and couldn't find us listed. Gloria showed showed her our itinerary. The lady looked at it and said, "You have your reservations on Hawaiian Air. This is Interisland Air." OOPS! After getting to Hawaiian Air, we got our boarding passes, and everything went OK.

We flew to Honolulu and then on to Maui.

Getting our car was a story in itself too. We made reservations with Aloha - the least expensive that we could find. Aloha, we understood, doesn't have a site at the airport. They had left a key and paper work with a person at a taxi stand.

We finished the paper work and went for the car. The paper work indicated that it was in section A space 24. We were at section P. A medium walk. So, Gloria and I went off to get the car while Larry and Wanda sat with the luggage.

We got to the end of the parking lot, but didn't see section A or any numbered spaces. We could see all of the other rental care companies a little ways off. So, we headed over there. We first came to Avis and noticed that there were spots numbered A1, A2 .... We walked over to A24, but it wasn't our car.

Gloria got to looking at the paper work and noticed that it said that the spaces in the parking lot weren't numbered; you had to count the spaces. We walked back and found section A and finally found our car. However, I had to pay for parking.

Everyone was hungry. Gloria looked in her guide book and found a pizza place - Pizza in Paradise. So off we went. We got to this hole in the wall, Micky and Bills style place. The pizza was very good.

Pizza In Paradise

The next stop was Walmart for supplies. Then off to the condo. By this time it, was getting dark. The roads were not as winding and hilly as on the Big Island; so, the trip to the condo was enjoyable. When we got there, the manager, Blue, was not there, as we knew she wouldn't. The key was at a prearranged place.

We parked and put the luggage on a cart. when we got to the elevator, only one person could get on with the cart. Gloria was the first one on the elevator; so, she went. The rest of us stayed behind. A few minutes later the door opened, and Gloria and the luggage was still there. She said that she couldn't push the cart off the elevator from where she stood. (It was a small elevator.) We pulled the cart off and she went up by herself and sent it back. I got on with the cart, and we were able to get the cart off and sent the elevator back for Larry and Wanda.

When we got into the room, it was hot and stuffy. We opened up the windows and started fans that the found. There was no air conditioning. The condo did cool off and sleeping was OK.

View From Our Condo to the Right

View to the Left

View From a Balcony to the Right

The day that gave the appearance of being rather routine and boring turned out to have some interesting turns.

The TRIP - Day 7

June 19, 2009

Gloria and I got up at 4:45 AM to go deep sea fishing. We were on the Billfisher II with Captain Howard and First Mate Eric.

However, there was a problem; the captain had not received notification of our reservation and had booked a 6 hour private charter. He asked the man, George, if he minded if we came along, and he said no. The captain gave George a discount on his tour.

George and his wife Fern were a very nice couple. He is 88 years old, and his wife, we guessed, is no younger than 77. She had gone zip lining the day before. Gloria and I both said that we hoped that we were as vital as this couple when and if we make it that old.

There were six poles which Gloria and I were assigned one each and George got 4. The rule stated that you got to land any fish that were on your pole, But, George told me that I could have the first fish even if it was on his pole because it was my first time deep sea fishing.

After about 45 minutes, a fish hit on one of Georges pole. George told me to take the chair which I did. I figured that reeling in a fish was easier than I first thought or it was a small fish. Well, it was a small one about 30 lbs. But, it was still fun.

Me Reeling in my Monster

After that, it was troll, troll, troll. The First Mate changed bait several times, but there were no strikes. It was disappointing that we didn't catch more, but it was fun anyway.

Me with the "Monster"

We pick up Larry and Wanda in Kona and want back to the condo for the luau that night. We had very nice seats – up close (which we payed extra for). The food was OK. The show was very good.

Two Happy Luau Attenders

The Entertainment

Afterward, we returned to the condo to prepare to leave for Maui the next day.

The TRIP - Day 6

June 18, 2009

After a continental breakfast, we took a walk in the garden that was on the hotel grounds. It was as nice as I remembered from 15 years ago.

Larry and Wanda in the Garden

We left to go to Hilo Hatties to buy some shirts. When we went in we were given pukka shell neckless and stopped by a jewelry sales woman who was giving a deal on pearls which you got by opening oysters. Gloria picked one and opened it. It had two pink pearls in it. We picked out a setting for it which had room for three pearls. The sales woman gave us a third pearl. It was my gift to Gloria for our 35 anniversary .

The saleswoman was interesting. She complimented me on Colts hat and asked me where I was from. I told her that I was from Indianapolis. She said that she grew up in Indy, and that she had been in the Islands for about 15 years. I asked her where she went to high school and she replied Tech. Then, I asked where she went to grade school and she said PS 78. That's where I went to grade school. She lived a couple of blocks from school, but graduated about 15 years after I did. Its a small world.

From there, we went site seeing. We saw several falls and cliffs at the seaside.

One of Several Water Falls that We Saw

We stopped off for lunch at a 50s restaurant and had desert at a bakery. We bought extras for breakfast the next day.

The 50s Style Restaurant the We Stopped at

Gloria and I at Paradise Point

After getting back to the condo, we rested in preparation for supper at Bongo Ben's.

Yes, There is a Bongo Ben's

So, we finished another day in paradise.

The TRIP - Day 5

June 17, 2009
We got up and hit the road to Hilo stopping first at the coffee place that we had looked for before. We found it, but it was closed with a sign that said “I will return at 9:30.” We went to Micky D's for a coke and went back, but he didn't. We hung around for awhile, but finally left.

We drove to the southern most place in the US. It was very windy. The spot is on a high cliff ( probably 50 feet high). We saw a guy jump off into the water and climb back up on a ladder that had been there for what looked like centuries. I asked if anyone was interested in jumping off, if I jumped first. It was a unanimous, no. I figured if no one else was going to jump that I wouldn't either. After all, the tga can only take you so far.

Gloria and I at Southpoint

We left there and had lunch at the southern most restaurant in the US, and then, went to a bakery that is the southern most bakery in the US.

If it says so, it must be true

We, then, headed off to see a black sand beach, Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. The sand is actually black. While there, we saw some turtles resting on the beach. There was a sign stating that we were to stay at least 15 feet away from the turtles because they were protected.

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach

We continued on to see the volcano at Volcano National Park. We saw the visitors center, the caldera which has some activity in it, a crater (very deep), and walked through a lava tube.

We left to see the eruption which is observable from outside the park. By this time, it was about 6 ish and beginning to get dark. Larry, Wanda, and Gloria went on to see the site, but I stayed behind in the car and slept. I was bushed. They got back around 8 ish having very much enjoyed themselves.

The Smoking Caldera

We had supper at Ken's Pancake and Steak House – a very popular spot. After that, we went to Dolphin Bay, a hotel that Gloria and I stayed at when we came to Hawaii 15 years before for some well earned rest.

The TRIP - Day 4

June 16, 2009
Today, we first went to a condo sales meeting where they tried to get Larry and Wanda to upgrade and Gloria and I to buy. The sales lady was very aggressive and made it sound very appealing. After an hour and a half, we had all completely resisted. (Sorry family. :)) We went to this meeting because we got bigger discounts on some of our tours.

We dropped Larry and Wanda off at a golf course, and Gloria and I went site seeing. We first went to a seahorse farm were they breed seahorses in an attempt to keep the wild populations from becoming extinct. We wanted to take a tour but we felt the cost was too high.

Moving north, we stopped at Hapuna beach which was very nice; nice beaches are few and far between on this island. Most shorelines have a lot of rocks.

Hapuna Beach

Leaving there, we stopped at Cafe Pesto for lunch. Gloria and I split a hamburger (1/3 / 2/3) and fries (4 of them) for $12 (drinks were extra). The most memorable thing was the iced tea. I thought that it had a hint of raspberry in it; Gloria disagreed. I asked the waitress what was in it and she said passion fruit. It was delicious.

Next we stopped by a wind farm called Hawi, with 16 windmills that were generating electricity. It was neat to see conservation at work.

Hawi Wind Farm (only one of the 16 windmills shown)

We continued north to the very end of the road at Pololu Valley Lookout. I mean the VERY end. It ended. At that spot was a very nice view of the coast line.

The View of the Coastline at the North End of the Big Island

On the way back, we stopped in Kapa'au where is a statue of King Kamehameha.

It has an interesting history. In 1878, a statue was commissioned of the king and was cast in Spain. While it was on ship, the ship sank near the Falkland islands. The statue was insured; so, it was recast and delivered.

Sometime after that, the captain whose ship had sunk was in Argentina and saw the first statue. Someone had salvaged it. He purchased it and made delivery. And, it has stood in Kapa'au ever since. Gloria thinks that I look like him (see pict. below.)

Statue of King Kamehameha (I'm the one in front)

We continued back to pick up Larry and Wanda, and then went back to the condo for some rest.

We had dinner at a place called Merrimac's Restaurant. It was excellent and expensive.

The TRIP - Day 3

June 15, 2009

Today was a great day. The first thing was to go snorkeling on the Fair Wind II. There were about 50~75 people on the ship. We were served rolls and juice while we took the 35-45 minute trip to the snorkeling site. It was the same site that Gloria and I went to 15 years ago on our first trip to Hawaii, but we knew this when we signed up.

It was a bit overcast; so, you couldn't see as well as I hoped. Every once in a while, the sun would come out, and it was wonderful.

We snorkeled for about 1.5 to 2 hours and broke for lunch. - cheeseburgers, chips, and beans.

Afterward, the other three went out again, but I had had my fill.

The four snorkelers waiting to board the Fair Wind II

During lunch, we were joking about going down a water slide that was on the boat. No one want to go down. But I told everybody that if I went down would they. Everyone said yes. So, while the other thee were snorkeling, I got their attention and went down. (Hey, remember the tga.) They all came in and went down. Unfortunately, Wanda hurt her shoulder, but its better now.

After we got back, we rested for about an hour and a half. Then we went to a flea market. It was just a few booth selling clothes, jewelry, and junk. We didn't stay long.

When we left there, we looked for some coffee whole seller that someone in the condo office told us about. But, we never found it.

We then went on an adventure looking for a culture center. We ended going on some rough narrow roads and ended turning around. We found out, as we went back, that we had passed it going the other way. Unfortunately, it cost money, and as it was getting late, we were afraid that we wouldn't be able to see it all. So, we decided to see it another day. (As it turned out, we will see it on another trip. :))

Our supper was at Bubba Gumps, a restaurant based on the FORREST GUMP movie; it serves sea food. It was enjoyable. The company was great.

Use this sign if you want the waiter to stop.

Use this sign if you don't need anything.

Afterward, we went back to the condo and watched TV. We all fell asleep: so we went to bed.

The TRIP - Day 2

June 14, 2009

After getting up, we went to a presentation given by the condo management about how we could get discounts on everything. We left before it was over to go to church - Kona Baptist church. There were about 100 people there. They had a guest speaker. A man who was interviewing for a position at a mission that the church had.
He gave a good message from Matt. 5 about how we are to be the salt of the earth.
After church, we had lunch at the condo. Then Gloria and Wanda went to get reservations at the concierge for some of our activities while Larry and I went to the pool. The girls met up with us about an hour latter.

The pool at our condo

Everybody wanted to go snorkeling, so we went down the road to a state park. I wasn't all that interested in snorkeling; so, I just laid out. Everybody said that they saw a lot of fish and even a turtle.

Larry, Wanda, and Gloria snorkeling

We left about an hour before sundown and went back to the condo for a little rest. I made dinner reservations at Jackie Ray's Ohona Grill, a restaurant listed in our guide book. It was a good dinner.





The beach at the state park

Afterward, we went back to the condo and sacked out. We haven't adjusted to the time difference yet.

The TRIP - Day 1

June 13, 2009

We got up at 5:45 AM and finished packing. We left for Aunt Pat's about 6:50. When we got there, she was up and ready to take us to the airport
Larry and Wanda were already there. we had a snack and went through the safety check.
Got to Dallas and called Bec to let her know that we were there; of course, there was no time to visit.
The next leg went with out event. There were two movies - INKHEART and RACER (I think). I watched the first, but not too much of the second.
We got to Honolulu at 2 PM local time (8 PM INDY) and spent our 1 hour lay over getting a snack.
The last leg took only about 45 minutes. After we got our luggage and picked up the car, we went to our condo. It was a nice place - two bed room etc. We went out to do some exploring and get some groceries for the next day or so.

Getting off the plane at Kona airport

When we got back, it was dark (~7:30). We were all beat, finished unpacking and hit the bed. - dead. It was 1 AM in INDY.
Of course I woke up at ~4 AM (local), but stayed in bed sleeping off and on for about 3 hours.

I was ready for day 2.

View from our condo