January 10th - Kona to KCI

5:15 am wake up and final pack and with a skilled effort successfully got everything in the suit cases we brought!  15 min walk with luggage, tram not running yet, get self parked car and on the road for on time departure.  Boolah!

Headed home on SWA

Mini Coffee Cheese Cake - altitude sickness

Easy drive in the dark and car drop off.  Then the usual check in.  The airport is all open air, so a unique experience.  We had an on time boarding and departure with 5.5 hour flight to Phoenix.

Arrived in Phoenix on time, grabbed food after getting in some walking and then back on a plane to KCI.

Yes, 27 degrees at home was a shock to the system after 80 everyday.  Typical drive home for a midnight arrival.  Unpacked, mail, etc. and due to being on Hawaiian time a 1:30 a.m. bedtime.  Next morning will be a little rough.

Next visit if we get one will be to Kuai!

Great Retirement celebration trip for Janie!!

January 9th - Last full day on the Island

Last full day on the Island.   Started with Jeff hiking the lava coast trail, then packing and heading out to the Huapuna Beach.  This is the white sand beach just north of our resort.  The surf is still high, so lots of locals boogey boarding.  Memories of my wave experience in Maui kept me in shallow water to test the water temperature.  Watching the youngsters and hearing the life guard warnings was plenty of incentive.  We walked the beach down to the Marriott resort.  It look really nice with great views ocean side.  The surf was throwing around bodies and most people were enjoying the beach reading or playing games.  We had some relaxing time and then back to hotel.

Picture before gives a feel of the surf...these waves are bigger than they look.  10-15'

Quick stop at the room for adult beverages, then down to the pool for pizza, drinks and just relaxing.

Before sunset we headed up to pre-pack and shower.  A final sunset picture from our balcony.

Then off to Kings Shopping for dinner at Foster Kitchen restaurant.  Janie got a Lava Flow (common drink) with a twist.   Hawaiian chili water which gave the drink a kick.  This is a common cooking concoction for the locals.  Jeff a whiskey colada which was unique and Janie thought tasted like musty underwear.  Not sure how she knows that taste.  Both meals were good.  Janie got the stuffed chicken and Jeff blackened shrimp on cheese grits.

Great final dinner and cheaper than Lava Lava.  Just not the view, but outdoors and enjoyable.

Back to the room for hanging out on the balcony.  10 pm Jeff crashed, while Janie read to who knows what time.  Thank goodness we had great beds on this trip.  Needed the sleep everyday. 

January 8th

Jeff started the day with a walk to the closet pool and around to Buda point.  On the other side of the ocean tower is the golf course and trail along the lava shore.  Good views and wave crashes.  Will need to hike further tomorrow.  Picked up Janie for the trek over to the spa.  Caught the tram!

Janie checked in for 80 min massage (gifted to her by Jeff Parks) and Jeff went and checked car for lost and found for water bottle that went missing.  No luck so walk over to big pool to get same seats as yesterday. 

DJ music day at pool this afternoon and seats looking out over the ocean.  Waves and waves and waves.  This week the surf was up, so lots of warnings all over.  The beach was lava base with very little to no sand.  Jeff did explore the tidal pools and luckily did not fall in.  The lava is tricky, but rough so pretty good footing.

Pizza and beer while keeping up with chiefs this afternoon.  We saw a couple whale breaches off shore, but really too far out to see the whale.  The splash is easy to see.  Janie got chocolate ice cream, Chiefs pulled it out and Jeff found TV for last 7 mins, best part of game as found a Chiefs fan from LA to high five on the great plays.

We hung out until 3 then headed up to get ready for drive to Kona for the evening.

Quick stop for gas and 25 miles to Kona.  We found Luvernes Sports Bar for cocktails and calamari for an appetizer.  Then a quick walk down the street to the Thai Rin Restaurant for Pad Thai. 

After that a quick 30 min drive back to the resort and relax in room time.  Tired again.   Go Chiefs, playoff time.

January 7th

Today we focused on getting to the pool early and stayed until 11 a.m. and headed to the lagoon grill for lunch.  Tuna melt for Janie.  Short rib bowl for Jeff with Lagoon Lager.  Yum.  Back to room for clean up and off to chocolate farm over by Hilo.  In route a Quick stop for mailing of postcards and Dew run for Janie.  We kept the top up today as in the 80's, sunny and windy.

The Chocolate farm is north of Hilo, so arriving early we drove to coconut island for a quick view.  Just a little out cropping with a bridge off the Hilo shore.  From there up into the hills to find the Lavaloa Chocolate farm.  Lots of Vanilla, Macadamia, Coca and Cacao farms.  In so many ways, like other parts of US, but just a unique scene with the rain forest look all around.

Derek our guide was quite the story teller.  Really loves what he does as a farmer.   He grew up on Sugar Cane farm and his family is still on Kuai while he is here working.  This is a one thousand acre farm with ten thousand trees.  The farm is only 5 years old so not all trees produce Cacao nuts.  Several varieties are planted to protect against different threats.  They also grow Coco (coffee).  All on an old sugar cane factory.  Fyi, Hawaii back in Civil War time produced most of the world's sugar.  Now only 10%.  Hawaii is only non equator location for Cacao trees.  They are able to produce all year round, but at varying pace with several species of trees.  The seeds are bitter and one variety chocolatiers love due to bitter nature.   Easier to sweeten then other way around.  We ate fresh picked seeds to get a feel for the flavor.  Then saw where they harvest, dry, separate and roast the beans.  The kitchen where they make the chocolate is not open to view.  Hersey only has about 10% Cacao versus fine chocolate.  Their dark chocolate (yes we had lots of samples) is 70%.  This impacts price for sure.

Cocoa Pod

Derek our tour guide

Seeds in a creamy substance - sweet, fluffy and juicy until you crunch, then bitter

View from the Farm Lanai

The tour finished with white chocolate on their lanai.  White version of chocolate is technically not chocolate.   It's made from the Cacao butter squeezed from roasted nuts.  Learn something everyday.

After the tour we found the Hula Hula bar at the doubletree at water edge.  Old hotel that was very interesting.   A cocktail and off to Jacki Rays for more chowder and splitting of seafood trio.  Yum!

Quick walk through a small street fair, then 1.5 hour trek back.  We made a drink and went down to the pool to hang out.  So actually 10 pm before bed time.  Wow!

January 6th

View from our room

View from the room!  Main hotel left, lagoon, main pool, then ocean to the right.  Approximately .5 miles from our bldg to the main lobby and then another 3rd of a mile to the other end.  Tram and condole boats for getting around or walking what was called the Museum Walk.

Thai fishing village art piece carved in wood that is 3D - art example

This morning is Janie's Dolphin Quest at the Hilton.   The morning was spent relaxing on the deck.  Then over to the dolphin quest facilities.  Quite the setup for a beach resort.  

This was a well oiled machine organization.  Janie had a great time learning about bottle nosed Dolphins. They were very impressive and calm around a group of people touching and giving direction.  They are smart, fast and love to play. Janie's partner's husband stood with me.  A Pilot in Puget Sound.  Talked about cruise industry, Covid impact and his job.  Interesting to get his thoughts on the whole manner of Covid management.  He said every ship came in with Covid cases.  

Pool time afterward the Dolphins.  Seats right at pools edge with a slight shade from the palm trees.  No umbrellas at this pool.  Lots of cabanas you could reserve for $500 a day.  As usual you meet lots of people on these trips.  We met James and his wife from the San Diego area.  Long story short he does wine tours in Napa for a semi retired life, while his wife is a professor.

View by pool that looks across to other side of resort

Mid afternoon we were back to the room for clean up and a night at Lava Lava.  This beach front restaurant is by a public beach just up the road off the resort drive.  They have an old VW out front for a second bar in a grassy area that is quite the sight.  We really liked the setting and drinks being right on the beach, however, the food was not so good.   Disappointed of course with so many recommendations.  The onion rings were over cooked and the rest just not worth covering.

After dinner a quick stroll along the beach.  We came up on a small wedding party doing sunset pictures.  Also, a sleeping green turtle.   Great sunset for pics!!!

Green Turtle

Back to our place for another early crash.   Getting to be a habit going to bed early at this pace.