Aloha, Hawaii Series: Hilo

By the magic of cruise ship, we woke up right outside the port of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Once again, as soon as we were docked, we were off the boat, off to get our rental car, and getting on the road.  We had a big day planned before the ship left that night.  Yet again, we were driving to see another volcano.

On our way, we found a great little farmers stand on the side of the road.  The countryside is dotted with these stands.  It's something I love about Hawaii -- fresh fruits and veggies!  We picked up some fruits to snack on for our trip and some whole bean coffee for later.  Eventually, we made it to Volcanoes National Park.

We did our normal MO: stopped at the ranger station for the Junior Ranger books and a look around the visitor's center.  The ranger was insistent that we also check out the hike down to the lava tubes -- it was one of the activities the girls could do for their Junior Ranger badge.  Boy was he right!

The Thurston Lava tubes are hidden in a lush green forest.  It was a real treat to hike down to the entrance and then make our way through the tube.  We had a great chat with the girls about how the lava tube was formed, different animals that call the tube home, and just enjoying the cool breeze.

We then made our way to the Kilauea Iki Overview.  It took Ronnie and I everything we had to not drag the girls on a hike -- there is a GREAT trail that goes off and across the caldera.  We just didn't have the time. But it was nice to sit and watch the hikers down below.

The Jaggar Museum and Kilauea Overlook were our next stop...  not a bad view for lunch huh?

We enjoyed our time, watching all the tourists (I know... I know! We are tourists too, but as native Floridians, Ronnie and I can't help ourselves).  The girls finished up their Ranger books while we chatted with the park rangers.

Before we knew it, it was time to get on the road...  We had one more stop before we headed back to the boat.  The island is known for black sand beaches.  How cool is that?  Black sand?   And lucky for us, it was right around the corner from the entrance to Volcanoes National Park.  But this  beach we  is known for something very, very special:

 
The green sea turtle!   They love to sun on the beach here.   As we were walking down the beach, we walked right past this guy -- he blended right into lava rocks.  We also got a little too close to another, as a local "advised" us.  But it was an awesome experience to have.

We made our way back to the boat for our departure and got cleaned up for our real date night.  The cruise had a Chef's Table event: a nine-course gourmet meal with wine (!).

My mouth is watering and I have a smile on my face while sitting here remembering this night.  I have a better photo, but this was the best one that captured our night. The food was absolutely delicious. The wine was amazing! Excellent dining company.  The Executive Chef, Wine Steward were so approachable -- we even had them laughing by the middle of the service.  And the Service!  The service was top notch!!!  Everything was carefully coordinated but seemed effortless.  Seriously, if you ever have an opportunity to attend one of these events, DO IT!   We had such an amazing time!
Before we knew it, it was time to get the girls and head up to the observation deck -- the boat was passing Kilauea.

The glow was too far off... my camera lens just didn't have the distance to really capture it.  But with the lights turned off on the boat, the stars above were breathtaking and the glow in the distance was amazing.

Next up, Kona!