Hi All,

As you know I went to Hawaii April 9-16. Mom and Dean took me to the airport. I got to Kona Close to 6pm. Hawaii is three hours behind Portland time. On the way to Dad's place we went though Kailua. April 10 Dad,Evie and I went to Parker Ranch which is located in Waimea. The first thing we did was go to the Parker Ranch historic home and gardens and looking at the house from the outside it did not look very big and from the inside the house it looked to a fairly good size home. From there we went and had lunch. Next to the place where we had lunch was the Parker Ranch museum in which we went and saw. What they had was things from the Parker ranch from the start to the present. We watched a video while there about the history of the ranch. Today the Parker Ranch is owned by a trust and still is a working cattle ranch. From there we went back to Dad's place. April 11 today dad,Evie and I went to volcanoes national park and on the way there we stopped at a bakery and got some really great pastries to eat.
Then from there it was off to volcano park. At the park we went to the visitor center and watch a film about the different volcanoes in the park. Then we went to the volcano houseAfter leaving the volcano house we drove around in the park to different places in the park and while driving around in the park we saw lot of steam coming up from steam vents. One of the places we stopped at was a crater that Dad,Alan.Cathy,Cal and I went hiking along the last time we were in Hawaii. After living the volcano we headed to Hilo and on the way we stopped at the Pana'ewa rainfoest zoo. The zoo had a lot of different animals to see like birds and some of them we saw were parrots of different kinds and they had one parrot when you first walked in to the zoo that was very good at talking,a water buffalo,monkeys,a white Bengal tiger and a ant eater and boy it sure was big. These were just a few of the animals we saw. The zoo was fun to visit. From the zoo we went in to Hilo and had dinner and then we went back to dad's place. April 12 was a day that I stayed around Dad's place because I was not sure wanted to do. April 13 today I did my own thing was go in to Kailua and Evie took me there because dad had a phone board meeting this morning. I would call them when I was ready to come back. The first thing I did was take a glass bottom boat in the Kailua bay and it was one hour trip and boy did I see a lot of different kinds of fish. The person on the sure knew a lot about the fish in the bay. This is Kailua bay where I took the glass bottom boat.After during the boat trip I went to the Moku'aikaua churh built in 1835 and is the oldest and first founded Christian Church in Hawaii.


Then the next thing I did was walk around town and went to different stores and to the farmers market. I did buy a tee shirt that said Kona Hawaii and after walking around town I stopped and got some shaved ice and boy was that good. By this time I was ready to have Dad come and pick me up. April 14 this morning we went out for breakfast. Then we went to the painted church(ST. Benedictt's church) which was built in 1899 and continues to hold services. Flamboyant murals depict Biblical stories and painted palm fronds and stars adorn the ceiling and upper walls. The first priest using ordinary house paints,created a way of visually teaching the congregation. That was neat to go and see. Looking in the painted church at the ceiling. From the painted Church we went to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau Natioal Historical Park a place of refuge of the village and this was right on the beach by the ocean. this was fun to visit. From there we went to Kealakekua Bay where Captain Cook monument is located and then from there we went back to Dad's place. April 15 This morning I went to church to the Kona 1 ward. After church dad.Evie and I went to Waikolda Village where they have huge Hilton Hotel which is huge. It has a boat or a train that will take you to your room or other places in the hotel. We waled around the hotel and there sure was a lot to see. They Have dolphins that you can interact with and they sure do have a lot of swimming pool to swim in. It sure was fun to visit. Then it was back to dad's place. This is a picture of me standing next to a bull with the sign saying Hilton and this the Hilton Hotel at Waikolda Village. April 16 this morning we to Breakfast and the we went back to Dad's place where I finished packing. Then around 4:30pm Hawaii time I went to the airport to head for home. From Kona I flew to Honolulu where I got red eye to Portland where I got home April 17 at 7:15 am and I rode the light rail close to home and I called Mom and she came and picked me up. The one thing that was hard to get uses to when I first got home was how much cooler it was from Hawaii. I had a great time in Hawaii with Dad and Evie. One of the things that was fun to do was sit on Dad's deck eating dinner and watching the sunset. Again I will say it was a great trip.

Jeff

Labels: Hawaii Trip

posted by Jeff at 11:47 PM