Settling in

Our first full day in Hawaii was spent settling in. We explored the house and did a quick dive into Hilo to orient ourselves and get the kids their first visit to the Pacific. 

As you can see from the video above the garden here is world class. 

My dad and stepmom have done exemplary work transforming their back lot into a paradise. 

I had a cousin who visited recently say of the Hawaii bioreserve that it was good but that seeing after spending time in this dazzling family plot the price of admission hardly seemed worth it. 

We woke up in good time with no significant jet lag and were treated to some fresh white pineapple for breakfast. 

We got to know the dogs. 

Caught up on favorite songs. 

Then they took us down to Hilo to get the lay of the land. 

The kids got their first visit to the Pacific and we plotted which beaches to visit later for swimming and snorkeling. 

We saw some breathtaking banyan trees. 

We found a place where some kids were jumping off an old sea wall. We will be revisiting that for sure. 

I’m so proud of myself for getting here. The kids love it. I’m so glad we can show it to them. 

Just look at this old sea beaten lava rock clinging stump. 

I love it!

We looked at Hilo across the bay and talked about getting great pho at a vegan place in town. 

We took some lovely family photos. 

Megan broke her shoe. 

Then got both a piggy back ride and a quick trip to Walmart. 

We drove through tropical forests with giant birds nest ferns and picked up new shoes and reefwalkes for everyone. 

The Vegan place was indeed great. 

We got fresh hot super flavorful food,

plus local kombucha,

In very generous portions. 

Then we went back to the house for a restful evening of video games and hanging out. 

These two are already a pair.