Home from Paradise

We returned Monday from a 30th Wedding Anniversary trip to Hawaii! For our 25th, Mark took me to Maui for the 2nd time (first time was in 1986, when I was pregnant with Michelle...it was our "second honeymoon.) This time we weren't sure if we could afford a Hawaiian vacation...they can be very pricey, as many of you know. However, Mark got a great deal on Expedia (airfare, car rental and hotel) and we could do it within our budget. Maui and Kaui, on the other hand, were significantly more expensive. Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is a short 4 1/2 hour flight from SFO....we barely finished watching the inflight movie ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") and we were getting ready to touch down! I was a bit apprehensive about our accommodations, however, at 'Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Resort." The name conjurs up images of an island redneck sipping Blue Hawaiians underneath a palm tree located near a broken-down pickup on blocks. It didn't help when I got on the hotels website and realized it was a two-and-a-half star rating. Then I made the mistake of reading the comments: "This place was run-down, dilapidated and the "continental breakfast" consisted of weak coffee and stale muffins." "The pool was dirty, the A/C was loud, and the "free parking" was actually $5 per day." And then to make matters worse, a friend of mine said she really didn't like Kona at all...."just alot of lava rock and no beaches." Now I was having "travelers remorse." Perhaps I should have postponed the trip for another 5 years while I saved up more cash so we could have a really nice vacation for our 35th.... Mark, the perpetual optimist, kept reassuring me that everything was going to be fine. And, if it wasn't, he agreed we'd upgrade the rental car and sleep in it.

Well, I am happy to say that everything about the trip was awesome! The flight was smooth, the weather was perfect, and even Uncle Billy's wasn't half-bad. Yes, it probably had it's "heyday" back during the Nixon Administration, and it was an older hotel. However, it was spotless and the staff was very, very hospitable. The freebie breakfast was very good...fresh papaya, blueberry muffins, pineapple juice, good Kona coffee....we couldn't complain! Our accommodations were located very near the beach and shopping area and restaurants. Everything was within walking distance. In the evenings we would walk to the "downtown" area for a nice dinner and walk around the shops. Unlike the NorCal beaches, the tropical tradewinds were pleasant, even after the sun went down. And speaking of sunsets, Kona is famous for spectacular ones. We were not disappointed.

A good friend (who lived on the island for several years) gave us an itinerary of some suggested sites, activities, and restaurants to visit. We were grateful for her wonderful advice, and she also gave us gift certificates for a fun snorkeling cruise! She told us about a little Hawaiian Shave Ice stand that she knew of....it was fantastic! Not at all like a snowcone! She recommended a fabulous restaurant called the Canoe House, located at the Mauna Lani Resort. Five-stars doesn't even begin to describe it....white linen table cloths with a view of the beach at sunset...attentive waiters and delicous cuisine that was remarkably "presented." It was truly a memory-maker :)

We had such a relaxing vacation that we dreaded getting back on the plane Sunday evening to head back to"reality." We slept 4 hours on the plane, but even with only that amount of sleep, we came back refreshed and rejuvenated. Mark has even begun to wear flip-flops around the house now...something he NEVER used to do. I am thinking of wearing a floral lei around my neck along with some puka shells so I can stay in the "Aloha" mood. Now I am counting down the days until our next "milestone" anniversary so we can return to Hawaii :)