Our last day on the Big Island was Christmas day.  Our flight was not until after 10 p.m., so we really did have the whole day to enjoy.

Christmas decorations

D’s parents provided us with malasadas and mango for breakfast.

The kids opened presents form Grandpa and Grandma.

Then we went to Mauna Lani for one last dip in the pool.  I don’t think there are too many places where you can do that on Christmas morning!

The Mauna Lani Hotel lobby had a nice display of unique Christmas trees decorated by various community organizations.

We looked at the sea turtles just outside the lobby.

We ate an early lunch at the hotel.

We took a stroll around the Mauna Lani grounds.

For dinner we went to the Christmas buffet at the Hilton Waikaloa.  It was quite an extravagant affair.

n was getting tired—good thing he was free!

Our friendly waiter brought him an extra chair to sleep on.

The dessert display was lovely.

Look who perked up for dessert!

Afterward we packed up and said good-bye.  A big thank you to Grandpa and Grandma for allowing us to come to visit.  The kids did not want to leave!

Waiting at the Kona airport.

We were all able to sleep on the plane on the way home.  Thank you to Uncle K for picking us from LAX at 5 something in the morning!

After lunch, it was time to check off a few things on D’s 1,000 Things To See Before You Die list.  The first was Mokuaikaua Church, which was Hawaii’s first church.

They were preparing for their Christmas Eve service.

The building is impressive.

Next stop was Hulihee Palace, which was located right across the street.  The palace closed early that day, so we were unable to take a look inside.

We sat on the sea wall on Alii Drive, close to where the Kona Ironman Triathlon starts.

We spotted more of those crabs.  A wave crashed into the wall and splashed us shortly after I took this picture.

Huge tree—Banyan, I believe?.

Our next unlikely stop: King Kamehameha Hotel, aka Courtyard by Marriott

D was unsure exactly why this hotel was listed in the book so he asked someone at the registration desk.  He asked her if she had ever heard of the book 1,000 Things To See Before You Die.  When she said no, he told her the author and that it was on the New York Bestseller’s List and asked her why she thought the hotel would be included.  She wasn’t sure, but mentioned that the hotel had a lot of artwork and that there was a historical structure near the back of the hotel.

Ahu’ena Heiau, a religious temple that is a Nathional Historic Landmark

I think we stopped in every single ABC store that we saw along the way, which was a lot.  The kids enjoyed being in the air conditioning because it was muggy outside.  We needed some refreshment, stat.

Scandinavian Shave Ice to the rescue!  This guy may look like an unlikely shave ice expert, but he made one mean Mango-Orange-Passion Fruit shave ice with Mango ice cream.  This was the medium size, by the way!  I love the way the soft, delicate ice was packed into a perfect orb of ombre deliciousness.

Next we stopped by at Hilo Hattie’s.  I had spotted a cute line called Island Yumi at some of the ABC stores, but the best selection was at Hilo Hattie’s.

Next we went Kahalu’u Bay.  We didn’t have our snorkel gear, but we were still able to see some sea turtles up close and personal.

For dinner, we went to Kona Brewing Company.  It was a little tricky to find, but it was worth it.

Half Puako/Half Honaunau Pizza :: Caesar Salad

It had been a long day, and n fell asleep at the table.

Our final stop was Legacy Church, to attend their Christmas Eve service.  Up until now, the GPS included in our Ford Fusion rental car had served us well.  It had a difficult time locating the church, which was by Costco, however.  We ended up stopping at a Mac service repair shop, which was one of the few businesses open that Christmas Eve evening.  Although they did not know exactly where the church was, they pointed D in the right direction and we eventually found it on the second story of a strip mall across from Home Depot.

They had a nice assortment of pupus (which was mainly desserts) brought by the congregation.  The church was small, so everyone ate in their seats in the sanctuary before the service, which felt weird. 

The service helped to remind us of the miraculous birth of Jesus and why we celebrate it.  There was even a hula performance, which reminded us of our church back home.

For Christmas Eve, we went to Kona by ourselves.  We did a lot of sight-seeing, hence the two-part post.

First Stop: Target

This Target has an “Aloha Shop” where the “Dollar Spot” is usually located.  We picked up some souvenirs, including Kona coffee for D’s co-workers and a Hawaiian Hello Kitty t-shirt for k (in the girls’ section).

Next, we had breakfast at Island Lava Java, which is located on Alii Dr., the main strip.

Kalua Pork Omelet with Portuguese Sausage :: Cinnamon Roll and Kona Coffee

The breakfast here was really good!  I can see why it is popular with the tourists.  They also had live music that morning (Jack Johnson cover band), maybe because it was Christmas Eve?

The ocean was right across the street.

We walked by the Crocs store and couldn’t resist this photo op.

Next we drove down to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park.  We had seen this place featured on Travel With Kids and wanted to check it out.

We did a self-guided tour which was easy with the aid of a brochure and numbered exhibits.

The water was so clear, and we saw multiple sea turtles.

The kids had fun playing with this ancient game.

People were snorkeling in the adjacent bay.

We wanted to make sure we found this trail because I had already stamped it in my passport book.  It was closed, but it was too hot to hike anyway.

For lunch we returned to The Big Island Grill, which seems to be a local favorite. 

B.I.G. Saimin :: 2 item combo with Chicken Katsu and Teriyaki Chicken

This is a no-frills place in terms of atmosphere, but the portions are huge and the food definitely has that “Hawaiian” flavor.

Well-fueled, we were ready for the next half of our day….

On Monday we took it fairly easy.  We started out by returning to A Bay and made reservations to rent a kayak and take the glass bottom boat tour through Ocean Sports.  Before we could do the glass bottom boat tour, they told us that visibility was not too good, so we had the option to cancel.  We decided to just do the kayak instead, but then they told us that the wind had shifted direction, and they were not allowing the kayaks on the water!  However, we waited the wind out, and the four of us rode in the three man kayak.

It’s difficult to take pictures while riding in a kayak.  D spotted a big sea turtle, and it swam right under us—the kids loved it!  We also saw a bunch of crabs crawling on a rock wall.  Although we only had the kayak for thirty minutes, that was enough for me; I started to feel seasick.  The kids, on the other hand, said they wished they could stay on the kayak all day!

Here are the kids pretending to paddle once we returned to shore.

Afterward, we drove North on Queen K highway to Mauna Lani.

We ate lunch at the Beach Club.

Cobb Salad :: Kalua Pork Nachos

We did some more snorkeling at the Mauna Lani Beach Club.

Dinner was at Tommy Bahama in The Shops at Mauna Lani.  We had a very nice, “motherly” waitress.

Jerk Pork Tenderloin :: Coconut Shrimp :: Kids’ Mac & Cheese

Afterwards, we watched the free hula show in the shopping center.  I really enjoyed the show—there was a wide variety of hula styles showcased.

We were all amazed by the fire dancer.

Happy 2014, everyone!  I love the feeling of starting out a brand new year. 

But, back to the Big Island.  On Sunday of our trip, D’s parents booked a “day room” at the Hilton Waikaloa so that the four of could have wristbands to have access to the waterslides/pools/lagoon.  We pretty much spent the whole day there, much to the kids’ delight.

There are multiple pools and water slides.  Surprisingly, they gave n the wristband that shows that he is at least 42 inches, which meant that he could ride the longer slides.  The best slide was pretty long, and not too steep.  The best part was that D could catch them at the end (there was only a lifeguard at the top).

The grounds of this hotel are quite spectacular and there were tons of kids with families.

These were the nicest pools we’ve ever been in—so enormous, clean and sparkling.  Although they were not heated, it was warm enough outside so they were still comfortable. 

Lunch Break at the Lagoon Grill, which is super-convenient when you need to eat lunch in your swimsuit!

After lunch, we snorkeled here in the lagoon.  This was the perfect place for the kids to try out snorkeling for the first time (aside from the pool).  D took k, n and me individually to see the fish, sea turtles, and even an eel!  I was surprised that n was able to do it, but once he sees k do something, he is a very determined kid!

This is the life!

Later in the afternoon, D, k, n and D’s dad checked in for their reserved time at Dolphin Quest.  They did the Wee Tots program, which was the only program that n was old enough for.

The kids were somewhat apprehensive at first, but they ended up having a lot of fun.  It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for them.

Unfortunately, I was unable to stand close enough to get a good picture.  D’s parents bought one of the professional pictures, so maybe I will take a picture of their picture. 

Good-bye Waikaloa Hilton, it was fun!

For dinner, we ate at Merriman’s Mediterranean Café, in the Kings’ Shops. 

Mahi Mahi sandwich :: Kids’ spaghetti (meatball was way too spicy for kids) :: Cheese/tomato pizza

Everything tastes so fresh here—really good local ingredients. 

On the way back from Volcanoes National Park, we stopped at the Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo.  The zoo is fairly small, but has beautiful vegetation, some interesting animals, and admission is free!  I would recommend this stop for families traveling to or from the Volcanoes National Park. 

The main attraction is a white tiger, who was taking an afternoon nap when we came by to see him. 

The kids enjoyed sitting on this white tiger bench, however.

We made a donation on the way out.  D also “donated” by buying himself a Mountain Dew at the gift store because he was getting tired of driving and it was hot.

n was afraid to have his picture taken by this mural of the white tiger.  As in, he was almost going to cry—silly boy.  Notice that he is keeping his distance from the wall.

Our next stop was Two Ladies Kitchen, in Hilo, for some delicious mochi.

I picked up an assortment pack of chi chi mochi.  The smaller ones contained bits of chocolate candy/oreos.  They were tasty, and I’ve never seen that before.

Stawberry mochi with azuki beans.  This was a “one piece” order.  When asked why there were two pieces, the woman at the counter said they included two because the strawberries were smaller.  I can’t imagine what a regular size strawberry mochi would look like!

Yum!

We also made a stop at Big Island Candies.  The store is pretty fancy, and they offer free shortbread samples and Kona coffee.  The kids were disappointed since most of their shortbread has nuts, but we did buy them a piece of chocolate.

They are known for their diagonally dipped chocolate shortbread.

Upon closer inspection, this person was making chocolate dipped dried squid—ew!

On our way home, we took the newly-christened Daniel K. Inouye Road, which saved us about 45 minutes on our trip back to Waikaloa.

The weather was erratic, but we made it back. 

We had dinner reservations at Roy’s, which ended up being my favorite meal of our trip. 

Da Kine Combo, with short ribs and shrimp.

Misoyaki butterfish with a Dragon Roll.  So rich, but so good!

Kids’ chicken teriyaki, which was preceded by a cheese quesadilla, carrot sticks and apple slices.

The kids’ meal also includes an ice cream sandwich.

AND, because it was k’s birthday, the waiter also brought a dessert called Chocolate Decadence:

This was basically chocolate ganache, and really rich, so we didn’t eat too much of it.  Plus, we knew that a cake from Grandpa and Grandma was waiting for us back in the condo.

–

Guava chiffon from Foodland—nice and light!

Phew-what a day.  Can you see why it took two posts to document?  I think it will be a while before k can top off this birthday! 

We had “Big” plans for our first full day on the Big Island, but they were somewhat diminished due the first Big swell of the season that arrived just as we arrived.  We went to A Bay, in Waikaloa, planning to do a glass bottom boat tour, rent beach toys, as well as the Aloha cruise.  Instead, we were told they were actually preparing to shut down the beach for the day due to the dangerous conditions, and that the entire West coast of the Big Island was affected. 

We settled for playing with some beach toys that Grandpa and Grandma had bought for the kids.

The ocean water was actually expected to go over this sandy area into this pond, although I’m not sure if that ever happened.  The beach boys were stacking all of the recliners on the beach in preparation.

The sand here reminded me of an “everything” bagel.

We walked over to Lava Lava Beach Club for an early lunch.

I liked the textured menu cover.

Fish ‘n Chips :: Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice :: Grilled Fish Sandwich w/Quinoa Salad :: Mango Smoothie

It was a nice meal to start our trip, and the restaurant is right on the beach, so the view was beautiful.

The flowers everywhere were so pretty—they don’t even look real!

Next we decided to go to the cove at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel to try out snorkeling since the water there was really calm during our last visit.

Double Red Flag = No Such Luck; The waves were huge and the water was too dangerous for us.

We did get to see the Fairmont’s coconut Christmas tree, however.

The kids were happy to just hang out at the Mauna Lani pool, where Grandpa and Grandma have their other condo.  They were able to try out their snorkel gear, though there was not much to see in the pool!

We had dinner at Sansei in the Queen’s Marketplace and ran into Santa beforehand.

Both k and n were able to let off some steam pre-dinner on the grassy area while D and I did a little window shopping. 

My dinner pictures did not come out well due to the dim lighting.  We shared a number of sushi rolls, a rare treat for D and me.  The kids enjoyed their kids’ meals (chicken teriyaki and Korean beef), which included a soft drink and ice cream.  Ahh, vacation life. 

This was our third time going to visit D’s parents on The Big Island, but the first time going during Christmas.  The airplane tickets were expensive, so we ended up taking k out of school a little early on Thurs. (she missed Friday as well) and we took the red eye flight home on Christmas night to save some $$.

Unfortunately, there are no flights from John Wayne to Kona, so we had to fly out of LAX.  My dad was gracious to drive us to LAX on Thursday afternoon in the rain. 

The kids didn’t remember their previous flights, so they were super-excited.

LAX had a pretty impressive Christmas tree.

n put his hand on top of k’s during the take-off.  They were well-behaved during the flight and fell asleep for part of the time.  We were in the back of the plane, so the multiple trips to the bathroom were not too troublesome.  SO much easier than flying with babies.

We knew there would be no dinner served on board so we grabbed some food before boarding: A chicken/swiss sandwich and chicken Caesar salad from Homeboy Café, and 5 cheese pizza from Sammy’s Woodfired Grill. 

We landed around 9 p.m. Hawaii time (11 p.m. PST) and caught the Hertz shuttle right away.  D’s name was on the Gold Member board, but he had “***” instead of a number by his name.  They said they needed more information, or something like that.  However, it was not crowded so the wait was not long at all.  There was a snafu with the car seats we ordered for the kids, but we were able to make it to D’s parents’ condo in Waikaloa by about 10 p.m., which felt like midnight.

We were all pretty tired by that time, so it did not take long to go to sleep.

These were the beds on the third story loft waiting for the kids’ arrival—very cute.

Well, it took me about a month, but this will be the last post about our Big Island trip. I can’t believe it has only been a month, as it already seems so long ago. Anyway, our last day, Friday, was spent relaxing. We were contemplating driving up North along the coast, but decided against it. Instead, D and I redeemed our voucher to rent a double kayak at A-bay. I was concerned that we wouldn’t know when our hour was up. However, they were really laid back, and said they were sure we would be tired before the hour was up, anyway. We chased a couple of sea turtles, and it was fun for D and I to have a mini date while the kids were with Grandpa and Grandma. We also accidentally went pretty far out past the buoy that marked how far you were supposed to go, but like I said, they were lax. The water was calm, since we went in the morning. Afterward we all went to the beach of the Mauna Lani hotel and did some more snorkeling, while k continued to make sand castles.

n decided to take a mid-morning nap.

We ate lunch at the restaurant on the beach and went home so everyone could take a nap. Then we drove to the nearby Mauna Kea hotel to check out the grounds. This was the hotel hardest hit by the earthquake a few years back, and it underwent a lot of remodeling. It kept its 70’s vibe, though.

Beautiful beach.

k was spoiled by being pushed in the stroller a lot that week. However, she agreed to walk down the stairs.

Me + n

For dinner we ate at Monstera at the Shops at Mauna Lani. It is a new Japanese restaurant featuring mainly sushi and noodles. We all enjoyed our dishes, but I was really impressed that they offered to make baby food for n! I told the waitress about his wheat allergy, so she consulted the kitchen, and they whipped up some carrot-sweet potato puree with a little bit of butter, along with some rice. Although he didn’t eat too much of it (he was being really picky that entire week), I really appreciated the effort.

We retired to our condos and D and I watched the Olympics. And then we heard about the tsunami warning. And then, well, you’ve already heard that story!