We landed and Hilo, Hawaii and didn't know what to expect, we were greeted by a very humid and warm climate but with a nice wind off the ocean. We stayed in a nice bungalow in basically a suburb in the middle of the jungle. We had the whole place to ourselves throughout most of our stay. It was a nice little place with it's own pool and plenty of room for me to run around and explore.
On the East side of the "Big Island" there aren't sandy beaches but we did find some fun lava beaches and tide pools which were great for fish watching. I mostly enjoyed swimming in the pool since Mommy and Daddy found me a neat turtle float and a pair of water wings. I think Mommy is going to put me in swim lessons very soon.
Where we stayed was also very close to the current lava flow and Volcanoes National Park. One night we went out to the lava fields and were able to see a few trees and bushes catch on fire from the lava. The park was also very neat because we drove all the way to the coast and were also able to see the steaming craters. While in the park we hiked into an old lava tube. I thought it was a bit scary but also a neat tunnel.
One day during the trip we decided to drive over to the Kona cost via Saddle Road. It was very neat to see the vegetation change in the middle of the Island. On the way we stopped at Mauna Kea and were able to see the observatories at the top. We could only go to 9,000 feet but it was impressive to be up so high. When we got to the Kona cost we weren't sure what to make of it, it was certainly hotter and more touristy than the East side but there were plenty of picturesque sandy beaches and well maintained golf courses.
Mommy and Daddy really enjoyed the town of Pahoa in the Puna area of Hawaii, it was very laid back and featured some nice quiet restaurants. There were also some neat trees and even a lava tree park. Mommy also really liked going to the Farmers Market in downtown Hilo, 2 days a week vendors packed the street selling everything imaginable from fruit and vegetables to sandals and soap.
We were lucky enough to stay and visit some well known factories and breweries during our visit. We sampled Big Island Candies famous sugar cookies, Mauna Loa's macadamian nuts, and Kona and Mehana beers. I didn't get any of the beer but I sure enjoyed all the candy and cookie samples.We returned home from Hawaii on Mommy and Daddy's anniversary, we were all happy to get back home but miss the wonderful Hawaiian lifestyle. I hope we get to go back soon!
Aloha!
