Day 1 of our Hawaii Trip

Romantic Getaway in Hilo, Hawaii

View of the Pacific Ocean from our private lanai

Thought I should say a little something about our first day in Hawaii since I jumped into Day 2 last night.  The first two nights of our trip we stayed in a private bungalow near Hilo.  When we arrived it was late at night so we couldn't really see anything, but the sounds were amazing.  We could hear faint sounds of waves nearby and beautiful singing from what sounded like some sort of tropical bird.  The weather was perfect, a little misty and warm with a slightly cool breeze.  We rented a one room bungalow and slept with the windows open....it was refreshing.

Another angle of the view from our bungalow

When we awoke the next morning, I was in awe!  The view was simply breathtaking!  Our bungalow was right on the ocean and even though it was a somewhat rainy morning, it was still magnificent!  We were staying near Hilo, the rainiest side of the island.  However, because it was the rainiest, it was also the most abundant with greenery and florals....it was beautiful!!   This is the side where you will find most of the amazing waterfalls as well.

Here is the link to view the details of the vacation rental.  I highly recommend staying here for a romantic getaway.  The owner of the property was a huge help in letting us know about local cuisine and what attire was needed on the volcano hike and trek to Mauna Kea.  The room was great!  It was one big room with a modern bathroom, walk-in closet and small kitchenette (sink, mini- refrigerator & coffee pot only).  There is a wet bar and grill to cook on outside.  My only suggestion would be to bring your own coffee and filters if you are an avid coffee drinker like me!  I would have loved brewing a pot of coffee and soaking in the calming sounds of the ocean each morning while sipping my coffee, but there weren't any filters or coffee available.  That is one thing the owner did not think of, everything else was perfect!

Bungalow in Hilo, Hawaii

View of the salt water pool and neighboring bungalow

The Beginning of our Volcano Hiking Trip!!!

The very beginning of our hike, walked around looking at the steam vents and then off to make our 11 mile trek!!!

Steam coming from the vent of Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes.  It was an amazing sight at night, the crater glowed red and you could see flashes of red blinking off and on from this new vent.  Unfortunately, my camera didn't have the right lens to capture the amazing sight.

I have lots more pictures from our first day....we drove down Crater Road and saw all the amazing lava flows.  you never really appreciate what nature offers you until you get up close and personal!  It was amazing to see how the lava flowed down into the ocean.  We actually got out of our rented jeep and walked on the hardened lava and to the edge, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Here are just a few below.....

My husband walking on the lava flow down to the Pacific Ocean.  He is a big man (6'4") so you can see how  enormous the land is!

Looking down over the edge into the ocean, gave me butterflies!!!

After we spent over half of the day viewing and hiking the National Volcano Park, we ventured back to visit Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm/Factory...yum!!!  It was on a Sunday, so we weren't able to do an official tour of the facility, but we did get to drive through the farm and see all of the Macadamia Nut trees and did get to shop (more importantly) in the Factory Store.  We picked up several boxes of Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts and several bags of Roasted Macadamia Nuts.  Most of these were given away as gifts, but I hate to admit.....I think I might have eaten 2 boxes of the Chocolate covered ones all by myself.....not in one sitting though!!!

Our Hawaii Vacation....a Celebration of 10 years of Marriage

Day 2 of our trip......yes, I know....I should start with day 1, but day 2 was an interesting day.  We started out that day at Sea Level, visiting the waterfalls and black sand beach, basking in the sun in Waipio Valley and ended up on Mauna Kea at elevations of 13,000+ ft and surrounded by snow!

My husband surprised me back in October with this fabulous vacation package to Hawaii.  I have never been to Hawaii and have always wanted to go, so it was a great and exciting surprise.  However, I was secretly very nervous about getting on a plane.....make that 3 plane changes there and 3 plane changes back!!!  I was also VERY worried about leaving our 3 children with anyone for the 10 days we would be gone.  You know, no one is going to care for your kids like you do! Plus, I have never left my youngest two for more than one night!  I am so glad I fought back the urge to say no!  This was the most fabulous 10 days I have ever spent with my husband.  We really got to reconnect and act like we were young again (you know, like before we had kids!!).  

It was an absolutely amazing trip and so thankful my husband brought me to Hawaii and we got to experience all that we did.  We were up and out almost everyday making it a huge adventure.  We wanted to see all that the island and its culture had to offer.  We did get to get a little (much needed) relaxation in 2 of the days!!  We have only been back now for roughly 2 weeks and I miss it already!!!

Our footprints in the black sand beach of Waipio Valley

Black Sand Beach in Waipio Valley

My husband and I enjoying our time together in Waipio Valley

Me, amazed at the snow (Mauna Kea) in Hawaii in May!!

Driving 13,000+ ft up a mountain isn't exactly what I had pictured when my husband said we were going to Hawaii!!!

Yes, we are above the clouds here.....

One of my friends asked me if the trip was worth the 14 hour flight time.  She wanted to know if it was worth it or if I thought a trip to Europe would have been more rewarding.  My answer was.....ABSOLUTELY worth the 14 hour flight time.  It was beautiful, amazing, relaxing, rich in culture and history.  If you like to get out and venture your surroundings like we do, it is well worth it!  If you are a type of vacationer that likes to sit by the pool or relax on the beach the whole vacation (which I needed for at least one day!), then maybe not.  You might want more of an all-inclusive type of vacation or at least something that doesn't take an entire day of travel.  But for us, we say it is worth the time! Oh and our kids survived (so did we!!). It was a long time to be away from them, I don't think I will be able to leave them that long again (at least not for a long time).

Check out the book below to help you plan your next Big Island vacation!!  It is a HUGE help in planning out your trip.