Six in the Northwest: Big Island of Hawaii Vacation

Two hours sleep, two sets of departures and arrivals, two trips to Starbucks, two airport terminals to navigate, two hour plus layover, and two cat naps. All to arrive at our destination...the big island of Hawaii to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with our immediate family. No doubt about it that traveling all day takes a toll on everyone, but we're a family of troopers. We tend to be creative out of necessity at times which included Nicole finishing a college assignment with the netbook online while we were all sprawled out against a wall in the Honolulu airport...for everyone to gawk at...but our first taste of such warm weather made us want to be outside. Besides it was fun seeing how close we could toll in the doves that seemed to be everywhere.

Yep, we just made ourselves at home.

The cutest little doves which we saw everywhere.

At least the flight to Hawaii was only an hour long, but still it had another set of take-off and landings. Two sets in one day were plenty for me.

Do have to admit the aerial view was fabulous.

We picked up our rental vehicle and decided on the Suburban even though the older kids wanted a Jeep. Not going to work for a family of six and their luggage though.

From the airport we made a quick trip to Safeway and Walmart for groceries, because although we were vacationing in paradise, we had decided to eat in as many of our dinners as possible. You just need to do that sometimes.

On our way to the rental house we drove through scenery that reminded us first of Southeast Asia, then South America, and then Africa...not that we'd know personally of course.

But we did know upfront that the rental house was not 'resort' material but the location was right on a series of thermally heated tide pools.

Back view of house. Too afraid to show the front :)

That was the draw factor...knowing that we could walk down a flight of steps from the backyard of the house and begin snorkeling. The fact there was no cell phone service or internet was a bit of surprise. Not as much to us as the teens. Just a bit of angst there. We promised there would be no regrets at the next place. And then had to promise again and again.


Who couldn't resist this view...

or snorkel right in the bay?

So after an extremely late dinner of bagged salad, French bread, and chicken alfredo we hit the sack, listening to an enormous chorus of frogs and night insects and feeling the island breezes drift through the entire house.

Stay tuned...day two will be on its way shortly. Will we survive the rental house?