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Our week in Hawaii went fast but at the same time we really felt like we made the most of everyday, we found plenty of time to just relax, and did everything we could to fit in as much of the beauty of Hawaii as possible. That said - our final night was upon us so we dawned our leis and set out to live it up island style one more time.
Going to a luau is definitely one of the things you hear as a "must do" when you say you're going to Hawaii, however with the steep price tag and the thought of a buffet dinner we weren't really keen to partake - though on the other hand I really did want to see the show portion of a luau. So you can imagine my delight when we learned that our resort puts on a free hula show every Thursday evening - right during happy hour at the tiki bar. I knew from the minute we checked in that this was going to be a perfect last night event. We weren't supposed to take photos - but after seeing nearly every one else break that rule - I did sneak a few. The show was perfect - festive, colorful, traditional, and only 45 minutes - the perfect amount of time - Andy agreed.
After the show it was off to catch the sunset. Sadly the clouds got in the way a bit, but it was still a gorgeous view and I took probably way too many pictures - but that sky just kept getting prettier and prettier every minute!
We capped off the evening by signing the check book (they actually give you the check in a book) and leaving our mark on what will no doubt be one of our favorite vacation spots!
Since we were staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations property we had full access (and free parking!) at the Hilton resort just two miles down the street. While we loved where we stayed, it was fun to have the resort to visit from time to time. It is a massive property with gorgeous views everywhere you looked. It was fun just walking around and snapping photos.
We also loved the lagoon the had where we were able to go snorkeling a couple times. The Big Island is the only one in Hawaii that doesn't allow beach front hotel properties, so the Hilton built a lagoon - with water flowing directly from the ocean - so we got to swim with these beautiful fish and sea turtles! I had never been snorkeling before but I just loved it. I wish we had a GoPro so we could have taken pictures of what we saw, but I suppose the images in my memory will have to suffice.
Another cool feature of the hotel was their dolphin lagoon. Talk about up close and personal - these dolphins were just hanging out showing off their tricks right in front you and for as long as you wanted to watch - which I sat there and watched a ton! We also got to FaceTime with Adam a few times while we were in that area and he got such a kick out of seeing them. I could swear one of them was even playing with and smiling at me. They are too cute!
You could tell this was definitely the resort to stay in if you had your kids with you - pools galore, water slides, a train that takes you from building to building & a boat you could take as well, parrots in the lobby, flamingos hanging out poolside, sharks (eek) etc. etc. etc. Maybe next time we'll bring Adam ;)
We were so excited to get to "our" island on Saturday and for our vacation to really start. After landing at the Kona Airport we headed over to get our rental car - which Andy upgraded to a soft top white Jeep Wrangler - more on that later - and we were off! First on our list was a stop at the local Walmart (yes, they are literally everywhere) to get supplies for the week and then we headed towards our resort. We couldn't check in until 3, so we killed time by grabbing lunch at Tommy Bahamas down the street - we love that place! We met a very nice couple while we were there that live part-time on the island (lucky ducks) and they gave us some tips for the week - and eased our worry about the weather - it was cloudy and a bit drizzly that day - which they swore was super rare - phew!
Finally it was time to head to Waikoloa and to the Kings Land by Hilton Grand Vacations. We couldn't wait to see where we'd be staying and we were not disappointed. What a gorgeous resort - filled with the most vibrant flowers, a pool that went on and on for days with water slides hidden in the rocks & lounge chairs right in the water, a cool outdoor bar which we learned had a great happy hour with live music everyday from 4-6, and a handful of hammocks that we knew we'd find ourselves in quite a bit during our stay.
Of course that was the resort - now it was time to check out our condo. It was unbelievable - on the ground floor with a great patio, a full kitchen, living room, a huge bathroom (full service I might add) and they even folded our towels into a swan - I've always wanted to stay somewhere where that happened (it's the little things folks!)
They even had a gathering area outside our building with tables and Adirondack chairs surrounding four gas grills that we could use at our leisure. Needless to say Andy was pretty excited about that.
This was going to be the perfect home away from home on our island. :)
