Our last night in Hawaii...

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! 

The beach...

Hawaii is the only island that has a restriction on having beach front access for hotels and resorts - this is due to tsunami threats - which they did have to evacuate where we were staying back in 2011 due to Fukushima. That's why the resorts have such nice pools and why the big Hilton property (more on that later) built a lagoon and mini-beach area that guests could enjoy. Of course that doesn't mean you can't go lay on the beach and swim in the ocean - you simply have to go to public beach access areas to do so. Fortunately there was one not too far from us (and right next door to Lava Lava Beach Club) so one afternoon we decided to catch some rays on the beach. It was also a good chance to actually take a dip in the Pacific. My toes had been in before during visits to San Diego & Huntington Beach, but I'd never swam in in before. It really was gorgeous and clear and refreshing on a sunny day. 

Afterwards we mosied on over to Lava Lava Beach Club for a pre-happy hour cocktail :) 

Happy Hour at Lava Lava Beach Club...

Our concierge told us about this great spot, the Lava Lava Beach Club, that was right on the beach with killer views of the sunset - we figured it would be a great way to end our first full day at Waikoloa. Turns out, we weren't the only ones with that idea - ha! We quickly learned that reservations are a must if you want good sunset viewing seats, so we decided to make reservations there for later in the week. However, since we were already there, we figured we'd find a decent spot to sit and enjoy a little appetizer and some cocktails. 

It really is a charming little place with a decent menu and of course the views, even before sunset, are unbelievable. We even met a nice couple who turns out used to live down the street (back in the 70's, ha) but we still enjoyed chatting with them and got a few more tips on places to visit and eat - gotta love how friendly everyone is while relaxed and on vacation! 

Meanwhile, we were looking forward to returning to the Lava Lava Beach Club later in the week - and we did - twice! :)