Our first full day in Kalaoa was Mother’s Day, so we called both Nana and Grandma to wish them a Happy Mother’s Day, and then I asked if anyone was interested in going to the Hulihe’e Palace (which historically served as a summer residence for Hawaiian royalty) with me. I didn’t have any takers, so (as a Mother’s Day treat!) Mike and the kids dropped me off at the palace, and they went to check out a beach/playground on the grounds of an old airport!
After visiting the palace (and getting an impromptu tour because there were only 3 of us there), I went across and had a quick look at the first Christian church in Hawaii, which is made of lava stone and mortar.
From there, I walked down Ali’i Road in Kailua Village and popped into a couple of the shops along the way.
As I was heading back toward the main street, a young sales woman in a pineapple skirt convinced me to stop into her shop to try some magical potion to make my wrinkles disappear. (Yes, it was Mother’s Day, and she was talking to me about eye wrinkles!)
The stuff really seemed to work…it should have! Online, the between eyes serum was $350 and the corners of eyes serum was $750 (or vice versa…doesn’t really matter!) If I would have been interested in buying it in the store (which I wasn’t!), I could get both for $250!
Just so she didn’t get the idea that I was at all interested in purchasing her magic potion, I told her that I wasn’t going to buy anything without talking to my husband first. 🙂 I think she almost fell off her chair, but recovered quickly enough to ask if I check before buying shoes or a new shirt…I said, “Yes, I do.” At that point, I think she was wondering what century I lived in, but I nicely explained that’s just how it works — he works; I stay at home, so we discuss purchases. (Mike’s Note: That doesn’t seem SOOO wrong, now does it?)
She gave me her card with information about the product (which it turns out is some sort of caviar from Beverly Hills), wished me a Happy Mother’s Day, and I continued walking down the marketplace.
Just around the corner, a nicely dressed guy was handing out samples. I tried to say thanks and keep walking, but he asked where I was from and wanted me to come in so he could take a look at the wrinkles around my eyes…! I said someone just did! He said, “I can’t tell…” At that point, I smiled and said that I needed to catch my ride and asked if he wanted his sample back. He said, “No you keep it. You’re too cute, Miss Minnesota.” 🙂 Too cute but with wrinkles around my eyes. 🙂 Ugh! Happy Mother’s Day! 🙂
By the time Mike and the kids picked me up, the stuff the woman at the first shop applied had dried up around my eye, so it looked like I had concrete stuck to my face. Pretty! 🙂 The kids weren’t big fans. 🙂
The day was saved, however, with a lovely Mother’s Day dinner of grilled meatballs and pineapple, a tasty cupcake, and some lovely drawings from the kids. 🙂
While staying in Kalaoa, we spent a day snorkeling at Kahalu’u Beach. It was GREAT! The water was calm, and we were able to see lots and lots of different fish! 
The next day, we headed out to check out various beaches for swimming/snorkeling, starting at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. At the visitor center, G got another Junior Ranger booklet and started to fill it out after walking around a bit and reading and looking at the displays. Not too far from the visitor center area, was a harbor where we walked down to the see the beach and historical/culturally important ruins, as well as found some more info for G’s booklet.
There was a sea turtle on the beach, so Leo drew a line around it to keep people the preferred 15 to 20 feet away, and one of the park volunteers thanked him. 🙂
Back at the visitor center, G answered questions and was sworn in as a junior ranger using Hawaiian words this time! 🙂
After a quick lunch at Costco (!!), we headed for another beach Mahai’ula Beach, which is part of Kekaha Kai State Park. This one required us to drive was over a seriously, ridiculously rocky lava field! It was worth it, though, as there was a beautiful bay and lovely beach area to explore.
It started to rain a bit, but it didn’t last too long. By the time it stopped, however, we were back in the jeep, so we decided to check out another beach just down the road —Manini’owali Beach at Kua Bay. There was a lovely paved road almost right to the beach!
We just had to walk a few steps down a lava hill, where there was a long stretch of beautiful soft, white sand! Gorgeous!! There were lots of people in the water, splashing, snorkeling, boogie boarding, etc. The kids weren’t in suits but had a great time getting wet and “riding” the waves, which were really big (to us at least)! 🙂
The next morning, we headed to Hilo. While we had planned to stop at Kua Bay again to snorkel, the road there was closed and being rerouted due to an accident, unfortunately. We decided instead of snorkeling, the next best thing was shaved ice at Scandinavian Shaved Ice. (Mike’s Note: I was hoping for lutefisk flavored ice, but had no luck.)
As we walked along, I snapped this picture of a yellow hibiscus (the state flower of Hawaii) and called it “Beauty and the Beast.” Can you figure out why… 🙂
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