After a six hour flight from Seattle to Honolulu, a three hour layover, and a 40 minute flight to Hilo, we were all pretty dazed.
The skies over Hilo were uncharacteristically clear while we were there. This was the view from our hotel room. Mauna Kea is visible in the background.
We woke our first morning to find Mauna Kea aglow with the rising sun. (Well, we'd actually already been awake for 2 hours!)
Pictures don't capture the sheer scale of Mauna Kea. On a clear day like this it made Mt. Rainier seem like a mole hill.
Henry loved the free shell lei he was given at Hilo Hattie's.
This bridge leads over to Coconut Island in Hilo Harbor.
Another view of Mauna Kea. We could clearly see the white domes of the telescopes on the peak.
That's one tenacious tree.
Coconut Island is a popular local fishing spot.
Yes, there are coconuts on Coconut Island.
And picnic shelters. Picnic Shelter Island just doesn't have the same ring to it.
Tex is justifiably famous for its malasadas, hunks of fried dough that are a lot like doughnuts.
Henry just had to show off his bavarian creme malasada.
Tex has a small botanical garden next to their parking lot.
Banana trees!
It was clear enough that we could see Haleakala, across the water on Maui.
A trip to the Big Island means a pilgrimage to Tex Drive In in Honoka'a.
Being from Seattle, Henry is unfamiliar with the wonders of sunlight combined with a magnifying glass.
Laupahoehoe Point is known for its rough surf.
The town of Laupahoehoe sits atop the cliffs above a small harbor. Laupahoehoe Point juts out into the ocean just above sea level.
"...and if you see a REALLY big wave, run that way..."
I took almost the same picture back in 1999. Only a few of the rocks have been moved since, probably by high surf.
