In mid-February, we took a trip to the Big Island with the Karners. Derrick's grandpa was born in O'okala and worked at the sugar plant there, so I think part of the reason he wanted to go to the Big Island was to get in touch with his roots. He lived on O'ahu for a couple years renovating a house, and Mel visited him there. Neither had ever been to the Big Island. They didn't do any research or even review my long document with stuff to do on the island; they just trusted us to plan their trip. I felt the weight of that responsibility and really wanted to show them all the things and make sure they had a great time.
We flew over on the same plane as the Karners on Wednesday, February 12. We left the house in the four o'clock hour to catch an 8:30 A.M. flight out of LAX. The incredibly cheap parking lot I booked near LAX took a crazy long time to get us on a shuttle to the airport, so we just barely made our flight. It was really nerve-wracking. The Karners were seated in the last row of the plane, and we were right in front of them, so that was fun.
Mamo and Pod let us borrow one of their cars and arranged with Rayna Marsh for us to borrow hers. Logistics were intense, and I felt bad. But by the time we looked at rental cars, they were several hundred dollars for the week. So Rayna, Mamo, and Papo drove three cars down to meet us. Jim and I drove Mamo and Pod's car, and the Karners took Rayna's for the week.
We went to the house for a bit and then drove out to Ahualoa. We had a hard time finding the lava tube and somehow passed it, but we finally turned around and located it.
I love the view out there.
We went to Village Burger for dinner and were kind of underwhelmed.
Thursday we hit Hapuna. My phone's camera is unbearably awful, but it was a nice day. This first shot was preserved only to remind me that Jim spent forever blowing up a little raft. It was a fun idea, but the raft wasn't used very long because the ocean was too wavy. On a flat day, I think the raft would really be enjoyed.
Wrenzy was so careful when she brought water up the beach. So cute, and so careful.
She and Tiny worked on some sand building.
Derrick played football in the water with Ever and Christian. I loved watching Ever be sporty.
Friday we went to Pololu. It was cloudy, but the rope swings are always a hit with out girls, at least. Wrenzy:
Boozy:
On the big swing in the back, Jim and Derrick ran down the hill while pushing the kids. Lots of pics of Jim pushing Wrenzy. She's way in the background of this first photo:
Pololu was so crowded, by the way. We had to park waaaaay down the road. This trip made me so mad at the tourists who have totally overrun my island.
We wanted to get a little beach-type experience in that day for the Karners, so we went to the Kawaihae Harbor after Pololu. I haven't been there for ages. I loved that place when I was a kid. I guess it appealed more to my nostalgia and less to the Karners, but I was still glad we went.
Upon arrival, Tiny posed and danced for me.
Christian and Ever were kind of freaked out about swimming to the first pylon, but they did it. Kara went, too, and Wrenzy (with Jim's help). Mel and Derrick took turns supervising Tiny and Alina on the little beach. After some coaxing, Wrenzy jumped from the rubber thing on the side of the pylon, which was a maybe two feet below the top. Ever really, really wanted to jump but couldn't get over the fear. She cried a bunch, as I used to when I was little and trying to conquer my mental block against diving from that thing. I tried to talk her through, but in the end, she climbed down the ladder. As for me, I felt like a bit of a failure for only doing a couple of back flips; no one-and-a-half's or inwards. I'm afraid I'm going to lose all my tricks in my old age.
We went and sat on the rocks to watch the sun go down before we left. Christian went down onto a rock by the water, and Ever joined him. Derrick got pictures of them watching the sun set together and one of Christian looking over at Ever. We plan to use one in their wedding video. (Ever loves Christian. She wants to marry him. She is hoping he'll go to BYU and is planning to follow him there. Wrenzy also wants to marry him but has come to terms with the fact that Ever will get him because she's older.)
We decided to do the freshwater pond on Saturday, but for some reason, we tried a walk on Mana and a stop at the farmer's market first. Nobody really understood what we were doing out on Mana. When we got out there, the Karners were like, "So what do we do out here? We just walk?" It was a super hot day, and the kids were complaining instantly. Alina had a giant meltdown. It did not go well. Despite Wrenzy's adorable appearance, we cut it pretty short.
The farmer's market was just as big of a bust. There wasn't much there. Jim was hoping to introduce Derrick to the amazing burger he had last time, but the truck wasn't there. So we cut our losses and headed to Anaeho'omalu.
I wasn't totally sure how to find the parking lot we start hiking from (turns out it's off the second turnoff to A-Bay, not the first), but we made it eventually. The hike got off to a rough start. We sent Jim back to the car for something. The rest of us tried to walk along the beach without him. Tiny was walking along the water when a little wave came in. She acted as if the water were acid, squealed and jumped and ran up the beach to get away from it. In doing so, she nearly stepped on a giant sunbathing turtle. I reprimanded her, pointed out the turtles, and told her she had to be careful and stay away from them. We tried to walk on, but Tiny had a total meltdown. She refused to walk. She was crying hysterically. I didn't know what was going on. Finally she told me that she was afraid of stepping on turtles. Kara ran ahead for a second and then came back and told Tiny she checked it out, and there weren't any more turtles coming up. It didn't help. At one point Melanie said something about how there could be turtle eggs in the sand, and that added fuel to the fire. Tiny would not put her feet on the sand for fear of stepping on turtles or turtle eggs.
Jim caught up to us, and we finally started walking. Melanie carried Tiny for a little while because she's nicer than I am. It was a long walk in, but we made it. I deeply regretted not hitting the pond first thing and getting there earlier, but it worked out OK. I don't think Derrick is really into adventures like this, but Mel liked it. It was fun taking Ever in. Wrenzy swam a bit, too. She couldn't deal with the cold so well, though.
Before we started the hike back, Derrick broke into a coconut he found by the pond. Wrenzy collected coconuts on the way back and then used them to hold all the neat rocks and shells she could spot as she walked.
Kara taught Ever some songs and hand games as they walked.
We saw a whale breach multiple times. It jumped all the way out of the water. It was amazing. Derrick got a video of it, but I have nothing.
Sunday after church, Pod took the grown-ups and the big kids (Mel, Derrick, Kara, Christian, Jim, Ever, and me) to Anna Ranch. Mamo generously offered to watch Alina, Tiny, and Wrenzy at home. I thought Anna's Pond never had any water in it anymore and voted not to go. Pod took us anyway, and thank heavens he did. It was glorious, just like in my memories from my youth.
Jim went around to the waterfall on the left. Derrick followed.
The rest of us went around to the right. There was a sketchy part that I was certain someone would fall from, but we all made it, even Ever. It's fun that there's a little cave over there.
We explored along the river a bit. We went up above Anna's, scampered around the rocks, and looked down over the top of the falls. It was really fun, and the Karners enjoyed the adventure, especially since it felt so off the beaten path. No tourists; just our special place.
We weren't totally sure how to hike up to The Place. I couldn't remember at all how we've gotten there before, where you can go up the river and where you have to hike up above. Pod promised that The Place was down here:
I wanted to see it, but people were burned out by that point, and it was getting late. We turned back at Anna's plaque and headed home. I was so glad Ever went with us and was a trooper (because she was with Kara and Christian). Someday we'll have to go back on a hot summer's day and swim in all the ponds.
We got home after 5:00 P.M., and the littles were having fun doing zillions of paintings with Tutu, who is the absolute best.
Monday we did the Hamakua Coast on the way to Hilo and Volcano. Mamo and Pod were so kind to take a couple days off work/piano lessons/life to come with us for an overnighter at Volcano. The first stop, of course, was Tex Drive-In for malasadas.
We also tried the french toast for the first time. Jim ordered two plates, and we were shocked by how big they were. So much food for a good price. We gorged and shared the second plate with the Karners. It was really, really delicious. Jim rated it possibly the best french toast he's ever had.
We went to the Waipio lookout, which was insanely crowded. Then we checked out O'okala for Derrick. There seemed to be some work going on there, but we didn't see anyone and were able to look around a bit. Some parts of original structures are still standing.
Stick fun:
There was a bizarre pit-type area by the parking lot filled with dirt and cow bones. We could see full skulls, a backbone, and lots of other bones. We could not imagine why it was there.
At Akaka Falls (which was also so crowded), we saved time by skipping Kahuna Falls and not doing the whole loop. We went the wrong way on the trail to go straight to Akaka and back.
Then we went to Rainbow Falls, stopped briefly at the waterfall, and spent some time climbing the banyan tree.
No one else was at the banyan tree when we got there, so I got to climb to my heart's content. I don't think I've ever climbed there before, so that was fun for me. Mel got up there, too.
I'm in the pink shirt in the middle; Ever's in blue in the bottom left.
We had lunch at Cafe Pesto, which was also surprisingly crowded, and then went to Coconut Island. Now, Coconut Island was the highlight of our last trip to Hawai'i. The girls would not stop talking about it. All they wanted to do was get back to Coconut Island. This time, it was a HUGE fail. There were a million people there. Tons of people were jumping. I felt out of place (being haole in Hilo is sometimes not ideal), and I had no desire to jump when there was a line of people waiting and there were a bunch of people in the water around the tower. A couple of Karners jumped (including Christian). Ever went up there but was too scared this time. Wrenzy didn't jump, either. As I write this, she says she didn't jump because it was too cold. Tiny wouldn't even go on the tiny beach and play in the water because she was afraid of turtles. At the very end, I got her to play on the sand, and Alina joined her for a little while. Like Mana, Coconut Island was a big waste of time, and it was sad. I guess we learned that we can check it out, but if it's crowded, we should just move on.
Unfortunately, that stop made us get to Volcano really late. We checked into KMC and drove around trying to find our cabins. Then we dumped our stuff and hurried to the rec center to squeeze some bowling in before they closed. The kids had fun.
The man in the lane next to us loved Tiny and shared his french fries with her.
My cute girls, snug as bugs in a rug.
Tuesday morning we had breakfast at KMC and then packed up and checked out. We went to look at Halema'uma'u Crater and did the steam vent/sulphur banks trail.
We went to the visitor center and looked around. Tutu let the girls pick out something to buy. Then we started heading into the theater to watch the video. I went in and sat down by Jim, Ever, and Wren. Jim asked where Tiny was. I said she was out with Tutu - not because I knew that but just because I assumed she was with someone in our group, and Tutu seemed most likely. I got up and went to look for Tiny in the lobby. I immediately spotted Tutu, who said Tiny was not with her. I looked around the visitor center and could not find her. Tutu and Derrick started looking, too. I went outside for a second and then back in, thinking maybe I had missed her inside. Then I went out and just started to turn to the right, toward the bathrooms, when an anxious woman headed toward me holding Tiny's hand. She had found Tiny wandering by herself and kept telling me proudly, "I was not going to let go of her until I found you." I think my thanks were not sufficient; she seemed to want a trophy or something for her dedicated rescue. Another woman walked up right behind her and asked, very disapprovingly, "Is this the mother?" The first woman said Tiny had been about to walk behind the buses, and they had had her for 10 minutes - clearly appalled at the prospect of my not realizing my kid was gone for a whole 10 minutes. I said something about how we were looking the other direction (because Derrick had just gone left instead of right). I should have spent less time looking in the visitor center. I was afraid of missing her in there, but really I should have been able to confirm quite quickly that she wasn't in there. And I hadn't been looking for a whole 10 minutes. I don't know when she wandered off. Anyway, we were safely reunited, and I think I'm lucky those ladies didn't call CPS on me.
After the visitor center, the womenfolk and kids went across the street to Volcano House (I didn't realize the view was so fun from there!) while Jim, Derrick, and Pod ran back to get the cars. Then we drove around a bit, looked down into Kilauea Iki, and took Chain of Craters Road to a trailhead. We wanted to do a little hike but weren't sure where to go. We picked one and went for it. We walked down a closed-off road to a spot with craters on either side. I haven't been down Chain of Craters Road forever and enjoyed exploring, but I think the hike would have been enjoyed a little more by all if hadn't been quite so hot that day.
Toots needed to get Baskin Robbins in Hilo (that's the only BR on the island now!), so we went to Subway and BR before heading home. The second we left the volcano, our kids passed out in the car. Jim stayed in the car at the strip mall with sleeping kids while others went into the eating establishments. Ever woke up before we left and was able to eat there. The littles slept and slept, so we gave them ice cream at home that night.
Wednesday was our last day there, so we wanted a good beach day. Jim's only desire was to snorkel at Mauna Kea. He was adamant that we go early to make sure we got a beach pass. It was very, very important to him. He wanted us to get there by 8:00 A.M., but I told everyone we'd be fine if we left by 8:00 A.M. Jim warned me that I would be in huge trouble if passes were gone by the time we got there. We left at 8:00, they were out of passes, and Jim was furious. I asked for Mau'umae passes, and we went and parked by the trailhead and debated what to do. Jim wanted a beach that was 100% guaranteed to please and was worried Mau'umae would not suffice. He's never been there. I haven't been in a million years. I didn't know if people would like it or not. In the end, we decided to pay $20 to valet each car and go the regular beach.
Mel, Derrick, and Jim took kids out snorkeling while I stayed back with the littles. Mel and Jim ventured out the farthest. The water wasn't very calm, so conditions weren't ideal for snorkeling, but there were still plenty of fish to see. When they came in, I noticed Mel's foot was bleeding. She'd cut it on a rock and not noticed. They told me about the fish, and then Jim suggested I go out with Mel because he really wanted me to experience it. I said, "No way! I'm not snorkeling with a bleeder." Mel thought I was joking at first but did not take offense when she realized I was not. (She told me later that she and Courtney exchanged messages about the trip. She told Courtney about the snorkeling and the bleeding, and Bags's response was like mine. She totally backed me up, so that was nice.) I did go snorkeling with Jim and get my fill. Jim loves snorkeling so much, but I have to say - it a little bit freaks me out. We got out by the point, and the waves were pushing us around. I get a little nervous about being pushed into the rocks or accidentally getting too far out and not being able to get back in. The ocean is a crazy place.
We knew it was supposed to be a windy day, and it was. Eventually the wind picked up enough that we were just getting sandblasted, and we finally had to pack up. We stopped in Kawaihae again on the way home. Jim had been wanting to try Kohala Burger and Taco. It was closed, but the other burger place next to the shaved ice place was open. We ordered food there, and it was rather terrible and insanely overpriced. I won't return. We topped off with shaved ice. Jim, while waiting to order, showed off his unreal sunscreen job.
That night we left Kara in charge of the kids, and Mamo, Pod, Mel, Derrick, Jim, and I went out to dinner at Luna as a last hurrah. We had fun, and the food was really good. Big thumbs up. The whole idea was for Jim and me to treat everybody. Unfortunately I didn't take my wallet because I was relying on Jim, and Jim somehow forgot his wallet. So Pod had to pay, and I had to pay him back later. Poor form, Whitney.
Our flight left Kona around 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, which didn't really give us time to do anything. (Karners took a red-eye later.) We packed and cleaned that morning. Derrick took the kids to the park, which was wonderful. We've never gotten the girls down there, and they loved it.
Mamo and Derrick drive to the airport together so that Mamo could drive our car home. Then Mamo and Pod got the Derricks to the airport later that evening.
Mamo and Pod were so nice to host us, borrow futons, help us with cars, shuttle us to and from the airport, take time off to go to the volcano with us, feed us, watch the kids, and everything else. It was really fun for the Karners to get to know them better. We even got a night of Vicious Gin in, so the Karners got the full Hastings treatment. All in all, although there were a couple of things I'd do differently next time, it was a great trip!
