Mar 14, 2010 - Second dive day

This morning was our second dive with Dive Makai. Boat was a little more crowded but still a good time. Saw some cool fish and met some new friends like Michelle from Australia and Mike from Dublin. Afterwards we were drained so we enjoyed the resort pool for most of the day. Laid out, did some swimming and got a free luau show, as it was going on right by the pool. Saw a school of dolphins swim by us as we sunbathed. Went inside to pay our bill but it was packed, so we did our bartender Misty a favor by waiting to cash out, had a free...

Mar 13, 2010 - Rest and relaxation

Decided to take it easy today. After what must have been a needed 14 hour sleep we started with a big breakfast across the street at Bongo Ben's. Then we just strolled along our resort for awhile before heading back to the room to enjoy our oceanfront balcony for awhile. Did some reading and listened to some tunes until it was time for our sunset cruise on the Body Glove. We'd been watching people come off this boat for several days and it looked pretty fun so we thought we'd try it. Five minutes in we are surrounded by dolphins! They swam...

Mar 11, 2010 - We saw Manta Rays!

What a day! We met our dive company, Dive Makai, at Honokohou Harbor this morning at 7am. Beautiful weather today (thank goodness) for our first dive on the Big Island. We knew it would be good when on the way out to sea we saw Manta Rays on the surface--very rare for the morning. Our first dive was great. We saw an octopus, sea turtle, tons of fish and coral. After a surface interval of snacks and sun we returned for dive two and within ten minutes saw two Manta Rays underwater. Amazing and very rare! We also saw another sea turtle,...

Mar 9, 2010 - Island hopping

Well we said goodbye to Kauai today and our Seaview Suite. After touring the Hanapepe laundromat we headed back to the airport in Lihue. Good thing we had plenty of time because it took about 30 mins to clean out the Jeep, full of sand and thoroughly covered in mud! Dan's mission accomplished. Even our travel day was fun flying over all of the other islands. Got a good nap in before landing here in Kona. It was really nice coming back to the Royal Kona Resort. We told the ladies at the front desk it was our "engagement-moon" and they gave...

Feb 27, 2010 - Tsunami day

At 6:00a.m an air raid siren started screaming and woke us up; and the noise wouldn't stop. Thinking it was a fire alarm, I ran outside and met the upstairs neighbour starting his car and said it was a Tsunami alarm. I ran back in, turned on the TV and emergency broadcasts were telling everyone to stock up on 5 days of food and water and leave the low-lying areas. Knowing that a wave would wipe out the condo and we would come back to debris, we packed(actually threw) everything into the car and followed the evacuation route signs. We filled...

Feb 26, 2010 - Coffee Plantation Tour

We toured another coffee plantation this morning. The “Kona Joe” plantation reminds me of a winery from the way the plants are pruned and run on a trellis to the way the taste test is run. In the afternoon we did some shopping and got home in time to watch the sunset again. I checked the volcano advisor website last night. The pressure is up at the volcano, and the sulphuric acid plumb we saw a few days ago now glows because the lava flow is closer to the surface of the creator. Check out the webcam picture that was taken after dark.

Feb 24, 2010 - A visit to the SeaHorse Farm

In front of the condo this morning, we spent some time watching some whales breach out of the water. In the afternoon we visited a sea horse farm and had a chance to hold a seahorse. We watched the sunset before supper and checked up on the sea turtle that‘s taken up resident in the tidal pool in front of the of the condo.

Feb 21, 2010 - Beaching it

Drove up the coast In the afternoon to visit a few beaches. Kawaihae Bay and Hapuna Bay. We saw two sea turtles and some whales today. For the past few days, there's been a series if thunderstorms 1,300 miles south of Hawaii, that had the potential of coming to Hawaii as a hurricane. Fortunately it hasn't developed any strength and is moving East. So we won't have to leave early.

Feb 18, 2010 - Sightseeing

We spent the morning at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park with early Hawaiian ruins and saw two green sea turtles. After lunch, we drove down the highway to the town of Capt Cook and then drove down a winding-downhill 4mi road from the highway to a beach to see the Capt cook monument. On the way back, we stopped to have a visit at a coffee plantation.

Feb 17, 2010 - On to the Big island

We packed up in the morning, checked out of the hotel and drove to the airport (and of course we had trouble with the H1 interstate again because the on-ramp was closed ) returned the rental car and hopped into the jet for a 1/2 hour trip into Kona; Picked up the renal car, got the condo, got food supplies and that was it for the day.

Nov 26, 2009 - Kailua on the Kona Coast

Kailua-Kona ON THANKSGIVING DAY Lord We thank Thee for this place in which we dwell; for the love that unites us; for the peace accorded us this day; for the hope with which we expect the morrow; for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies, that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth, and our friendly helpers in this foreign isle. . . . ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON A tender port today. We anchored just off this little town and gazed toward the shoreline with a massive mountain rising behind. Actually,...

Mar 12, 2009 - The Kona Brewfest Dinner Party

We usually attend the brewfest on Saturday and taste all the microbrews across the country that attend but this year we decided to try the Dinner Party, where they pair food with different brews from the Kona Brewery. It was by far the best dinner we have had and the beers were great, all you can eat with all you can drink and a great view at that.....What a combo.