Hawaiian Vacation

We've returned from our warm, Hawaiian vacation to snow-covered NJ. It was nice to get away to the warmth of the Big Island of Hawaii, even if it did mean we endured some pretty terrible Oliver tantrums on the flights to and from Hawaii. Our apologies to the 200 passengers on the flight from D.C. to San Francisco. Oliver didn't make any friends on that flight, with the exception of the very nice flight attendant who gave us support & defended us against a very rude young lady who demanded Oliver be "medicated" during a very bad episode.  We made it and the return flights were uneventful in comparison.

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort and it was fabulous. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to vacation on the Big Island with children. Chloe loved the water slides, pools, & the lagoon. The resort came with its own train and boats to ferry you to your resort destination. We got to see humpback whales in the ocean, play mini-golf and see lots of colorful fish.

We learned that Chloe should be in event planning or PR for a resort or travel company as she planned our day out on the handy notepad she tucked in her Hannah* Mon*tana carryon bag. Each days activities included swimming, playing mini-golf and three games of pool. Oliver didn't quite know what to make of sand at first but quickly learned it was fun to eat on top of cheese puffs and throw at people.

Chloe didn't want to leave and has decided that she wants to attend the University of Hawaii. When we asked her what she would major in she told us "swimming & surfing". Hmmm, looks like she's going to college in NJ.

Will we return? You betcha!! We're already planning it....

Chloe & Daddy in their Hawaiian shirts. Chloe wore her shirt for 5 out of the 8 days we were there.

The view from our hotel room.

Chloe & Oliver headed to the beach.

A view of the resort.

The resort train that took you from one end of the resort to the other. You could walk just as fast, but it was fun to ride the train or the boat.

A view of the canal and one of the bridges that the resort boat taxi traveled.

At A-Bay for a morning at the beach. We purchased more beach toys and rafts than I thought any 2 kids needed.

A view of A-Bay.

Oliver striking a beach pose for the "Toddlers of Hawaii" beach calendar.

Playing in the sand.

Chloe (in her Hawaiian shirt again) at the resort.

Another view of the resort from the lagoon side.

Chloe & Matt playing mini-golf at the resort.

A quiet spot at the resort where you could spot the humpback whales.

A view of the lava fields and ocean at the resort. This was a great place for whale-watching. People that stayed in this tower at the resort said they could hear the whales spouting at night.

Oliver looking for whales.

Chloe at the Hawaiian luau enjoying her un-Hawaiian meal of pasta.

The fire dance at the luau.

Chloe with the hula dancers.

In Hawi, the northern tip of the Big Island.

Playing pool, a nightly activity for Chloe & Matt.

Riding with the car windows down.

The cliffs at the northern tip of the Big Island. That's Maui in the background.

Chloe holding one of the parrots at the resort.

The lagoon at the resort. The water was calm and easy to snorkel and see fish at this location. You could also kayak and swim.

At the beach.

At the luau. Oliver sat this one out with a babysitter.