Big Island

As previously admitted, we are very behind on updates. This is our last day on Hawai'i.  We've managed to squeeze in a few adventures during our three (mostly lazy) weeks.

When we got here we realized we haven't been in weather this warm since Cordoba, Spain. In March. The summer in Alaska really was an unusually cold one. And we flew out in a massive snowstorm. Luckily Alaska Air de-icing crews were on it.

We spent the first week with J & R on the Hilo side of things, went over to the Kona side for Thanksgiving festivities, then back to Hilo side to decompress for another week 

Lanai Life

So Many Fruit Trees

Adventures

Goats

We spent a day with our friends Adam & Hilary who live in the Bay Area but were on the island at the same time. This of course included a visit to the intriguing spot on the map: The Honomu Goat Dairy. Free goat therapy, $1 for a bag of attractive kibble, and excellent goat cheese and caramels in the shop.

Hilary, Adam and Friend

Goat Gymnasium (photo credit: Adam)

Cutie Goat (photo credit: Adam)

Volcanoes 

J & R took us up to Volcanoes National Park for a fun outing. No active lava, but lots of steam vents and intriguing landforms.

The (Current) Crater

Lucy & J

Bees

J & R's amazing backyard has a lot of fruit trees we enjoyed the spoils of. Turns out another crowd did too. We watched as a swarm of honey bees arrived and settled into the lime tree. J & R shook the island phone tree and got a beekeeper out to claim them the same day. They were considering keeping them, but need to acquire a little more equipment before that happens. Maybe next swarm

The Lime Tree

Storm & Snow

A Kona Storm blew in while we were on the island. I couldn't really capture the sheer volume of water and noise that came from 6 inches of rain fallen in 8 hours (a total of 8.6 inches in 48 hours), but it was wild. And the following morning, the mountain showed its bounty of snow.

Mauna Kea

Vanilla

Lastly, I bent the team to my will and we went to tour the Hawaiian Vanilla Company farm (featured on Sesame Street!). We learned about the orchid that produces vanilla, the history of the cultivation of the plant, and of course tasted vanilla ice cream, vanilla coffee, and lemonade made with their vanilla. 

Sorry, Brian blinked in the photo I took of him.

 

Lastly, Nenes

~Lucy