Travel Review: May 18, 2013, Part I: Breakfast Surfing….

While we were enjoying a great Saturday morning breakfast at Bubba Gump’s in Kailua-Kona (might be the only Bubba Gump’s to serve breakfast, weekends only), we had a great surfing show right from our ocean-side seating:  (Yes, there are a LOT of pictures again, high-speed sequence shots)
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Travel Review: May 17, 2013, Part II: Our Lady of Lourdes, Honoka’a

Returning from Waipi’o Valley, we stopped to check out a small, beautifully decorated Catholic Church in Honoka’a before returning to Kailua-Kona.
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Travel Review: May 17, 2013, Part I: Waipi’o Valley Overlook

After breakfast at Island Lava Java, our favorite restaurant in Kailua-Kona, we headed around the island to check out the Waipi’o Valley Overlook.  This valley is accessible by invitation only, and via four-wheel drive vehicles only, down and back up a one lane dirt road along the steep sidewall of the valley, with an average slope of 23% grade.  We opted to view the valley from the overlook, even though our Chevy Tahoe SUV was a four-wheel drive vehicle.  I’ll leave this road for people with Jeep Wrangler’s….
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For more information on Waipi’o Valley, click on the link below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waipio_Valley

Travel Review: May 16, 2013, Part II: Hello Big Island, Goodnight Sunshine!

After a short 23 minute flight (Take-off to Touch-down), we arrived at Kona International Airport at Keahole.  From there, it was just a short half hour drive down to the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay, but we had to make a few stops along the way, of course, including lunch at McDonald’s and shopping at Ross Dress for Less 🙂
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The view of North Kohala of the Big Island on our approach to Kona Airport

The view of North Kohala of the Big Island on our approach to Kona Airport

Panoramic view from our room's balcony at the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay

Panoramic view from our room’s balcony at the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay

Panoramic view from our room's balcony at the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay

Panoramic view from our room’s balcony at the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay

After settling into the room for a while, we began to see the surf building and breaking on the lava cliffs right outside our balcony.  Here is a rapid fire sequence of shots I took of one of the bigger waves breaking on the lava:
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 As we left the resort to head to dinner in Kailua-Kona, I took these pictures of a unique “Hawaiian Style” vehicle, and I just realized I never posted them before now!

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I thought this was really representative of “Hawaiian Style” You would never find this in Central New York!  This is quite a modification from what was originally a Mercedes Benz! 🙂

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I thought this was really representative of “Hawaiian Style” You would never find this in Central New York!  This is quite a modification from what was originally a Mercedes Benz! 🙂

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Enjoying our first dinner in Kailua Kona, but we missed the sunset, as we got involved in wandering around and deciding where to eat dinner… Thus, Goodnight Sunshine for Today!

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Last Morning in Paradise, May 2013 edition

We are now preparing to depart the Sheraton Kona Resort @ Keauhou Bay and start out return to reality…

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Have to head to the airport in the next 20-30 minutes, with a stop for breakfast and gas up the SUV before returning it…

Next stop Kona International Airport @ Kehole…..

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