I was so excited, this was my first visit to the Hawaiian islands. We went with my brother and sister-in-law and another family. Anchorage has direct flights to Oahu and Maui, but not the Big Island. So, to get there we had to fly from Anchorage to Seattle (3.5 hrs), then a three hour layover, and then Seattle to Hawaii (6 hrs). To treat myself I used airline miles to upgrade to First Class, which is totally worth it when you have a lap infant! Yes, I got some dirty looks when we boarded but honestly, she was so well behaved!
Vacation with a baby is different. There was no sleeping late. I had no time at the beach or pool by myself, but I did get a couple of hours most days to be lazy while she took a nap. She slept so well every night which honestly was one of the highlights of the entire vacation.
Enjoying sitting in momma's seat...
don't get used to this kiddo, this is not a regular occurence!
My sister-in-law was there for a work conference so we stayed at the hotel where the conference was in Hapuna Beach, which is near Kona. The hotel was beautiful!
Front entrance
Lobby views -- amazing!
Back of the hotel
Serena asleep in the stroller.
I was skeptical that she would sleep in a hotel crib but she surprised me. She slept wonderfully the whole week. The sounds of the ocean were hypnotic! Hawaii is two hours behind Alaska so it wasn't a big deal to get her on Hawaii time. Even with naps she was so wiped out by the end of the day, she never gave me any trouble going to bed.
After she went to bed I would hang out on the lanai. We had an awesome view of the ocean from our 8th floor room.
On our first full day we headed out early. First stop, we toured a local coffee farm.
Bananas.
Next stop, the Honaunau National Historical Park. In old Hawaii, if you had broken a law, the penalty was death. Perhaps you had entered into an area that was reserved for only the chiefs, or had eaten forbidden foods. Laws, or kapu, governed every aspect of Hawaiian society. The penalty for breaking these laws was certain death. Your only option for survival is to elude your pursuers and reach the nearest pu'uhonua, or place of refuge. If you reached this sacred place, you would be saved. The Pu'uhonua is still considered a sacred site.
Back in the car and asleep in seconds.
We stopped for a yummy lunch and refreshments.
The next day we drove to Hilo. It's either "quaint" as the guidebook says or "economically depressed" as my eyes tell me. Actually it's both. We later found out that downtown Hilo is in a Tsunami Zone therefore insurance companies won't insure major improvements to the buildings so owners don't make them. Sad really.
Next we were off to the Volcano National Park to see the Kilauea Caldera and the Halema'uma'u Crater.
Enough of the state park, I need a bottle and a nap.
King Kamehameha statue in Kapa'au, Hawai'i.
Cuddling with Auntie at breakfast.
Getting ready for dinner.
Playing with Uncle after dinner & trying to grab his glasses.
Driving at 3000' elevation on Highway 250 on Hawai'i near Kahua Ranch. My family loves bovine (cows). Bovine alert!
Not sure what this sign means?
There are so many things to do on the Big Island but some activities were not suitable for a baby so I was happy just hanging back at the hotel and laying at the pool staring at the beautiful ocean. This trip was the first time Serena's been in the pool and she absolutely loved it!
One of my favorite things was taking long walks. I love all the beautiful flowers everywhere.
Oh, and I can't forget the wild turkeys!
The long walks would inevitably result in a nap.
When she's on her stomach she makes her body like a board and begins swimming. She's getting close to crawling.
Is she a happy baby, or what?
Kapuna Beach, Hawaii at sunset.
Bye, bye Hawaii. It’s been a wonderful 8 days of vacation. Aloha. Mahalo. I cannot wait to go back. I would go back tomorrow. It felt so good to get away and to be in the sun and enjoy some relaxing family time.
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