Dale & Laurel's Adventures: Hawaii

Arrival – Wednesday, March 15 – A&N&family picked Dale up and chauffeured him to the car rental agency while I waited for our luggage – which showed up definitely the worse for wear! One of the wheels was torn off and hanging by a flap (a bit tricky to maneuver).

We had asked for an early check-in to the Holiday Inn Express, which we were advised would be for 1pm. We got there at 1:30 and it wasn’t ready. They said come back at 3pm. We returned at 3:20 and it wasn’t ready. So, took a 45-minute drive out to see the kids and went out for fish & chips. At least the room was ready when we got back after dinner. It certainly wasn’t the nicest room, but at least it was only for one night as our condo was available the next day.

Had a lovely walk around Kailua then set off to get some groceries and a new suitcase. Prices here make everything at home seem so reasonable!

Our condo at Waikoloa Colony Village is lovely and a short walk to the kid’s place. We got all settled in then went to Costco to get the bulk of our supplies – again mega expensive!

We have settled into a bit of a routine – hitting the beaches in the morning, having the boys for (not so) ‘quiet time’ in the afternoon, then maybe the pool before dinner. Going to the beach is a bit of a rigmarole, but well worth the effort. How much stuff can you carry? We are getting the Sherpa role down to a science. The water is cool to get in to, but fine once you take the plunge. The little ones get us in every time – so fun!

Saturday, we went to Waimea. After a good time at the playground, we wandered over to the outdoor market. There were lots of Artisans with beautiful wares – but the little ones favoured the cookies (and the scones were delectable). And if that wasn’t enough, we hit the Patisserie Nanako for some extra goodies – yum!

Wednesday, we went back to the playground in Waimea while Natalie got groceries. Dale and I continued on and the kids went back to their place. We ended up in Holokaa at Gramma’s Kitchen for some mouth-watering Crabcake Eggs Benedict, hashbrowns and a huge, fluffy pancake (washed down with Kona coffee of course). After a slight detour to see the scenic lookout at Waipi’o, https://bigislandguide.com/visit-the-waipio-valley we headed back for some pool time with the kids.

Thursday, we finally exchanged the car as the back right tire kept losing air. Avis was very good about it and at least we didn’t have to wait in the usual lineup. While we were down island we decided to tour about and found the Captain Cook Monument Trail. We definitely should have done some research as it ended up being a bigger hike than anticipated. We only made it to the #5 marker, took some lovely pictures of the coast and headed back. It still ended up being 2 hours and felt like it was uphill both ways! Straight to the pool when we got home.

Lots of ‘Uno’ and 'Go Fish' with the kids and lovely evening walks. Two weeks went by in a blink. Home again with lots to do. Looking forward to catching up with everyone!