If you don’t like pictures of pretty things, please find the ‘X’ in the corner now. We’re back! And man oh man, whoever said vacations restore and rejuvenate the soul was right on the money. I have never returned from a vacation feeling more like I could take on the world than I do right now. Today I’m sharing all about our week on the Big Island. There is something pretty magical about staying in your state and still being able to take a vacation, isn’t there? This was my first time to the Big Island of Hawaii and I really hope it won’t be the last! Read on for our weekend on Big Island, Hawaii!
How To Spend 48 Hours On Big Island, Hawaii
for any of my Hawaii friends–visiting the Big Island (actually the island of Hawaii) is an absolute must. I was incredibly skeptical myself–hikes, nature…not my cup of tea–but this place put Oahu to shame in so many ways.
We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa and I have to admit, while the resort itself was expansive and offered many pools, restaurants (overpriced) and bars (a pool bar that was not near a pool, riddle me that)–the rooms themselves left a lot to be desired. Admittedly, I have exceptionally high standards when it comes to hotel rooms, so take that for what you will. I have since talked to quite a few families who love the resort, so maybe we are anomalies?! Who knows…
Our first day included lunch at Huggo’s On The Rocks, complete with a Mai Tai the size of our torso and night diving with manta rays! The diving was without a doubt the best part of our trip…but the drinks at lunch were pretty damn delicious. It’s hard for me to describe how positively spectacular it was to get out into pitch black water and just dive right on in knowing there were enormous creatures right below. I’m already itching to do it again!
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Please excuse the hair..I had to fit a mask over that mop! |
The next day, we enjoyed some pool time, some drink time and some hiking time. However above all of those things, we enjoyed dinner at the Blue Dragon–probably some of the best food we ate on the trip. Farm fresh beet salad, southern fried chicken and waffles, steak with Hawaiian potatoes, lobster balls–I mean honestly, I could continue here but my mouth is already watering and that’s just unfair. To boot, there was terrific live music and delicious drinks (organic mojitos, anyone?). The atmosphere was just incredible, plus it is roofless so we could watch the stars! #dingdingbonus
Our last day began at 2AM and I’m not kidding. We drove 3 hours to see the sunrise over the volcano and while I was a bit testy about it, it was worth the drive and subsequent long day.
After watching the volcano and sunrise, we trekked to a black sand beach, followed by a green sand beach. All of the above were amazing and made me truly happy to be with a man who forces me outside my comfort zone and wakes me up in the middle of the night to see Mother Nature’s finest displays.
We spent the rest of the day moseying around our resort and prepping for the fabulous-ness that is Ruth’s Chris. dear Lord in heaven–if I ever have to die from over-eating, I want it to be there. Forever and ever. Amen.
It was definitely bittersweet to make our way back to Oahu, but we were SO excited to see Judy. From our nanny’s notes, she had an absolutely terrible time–pig ears, several long walks per day and snuggling on the couch non-stop. All in all, Big Island is a MUST for Hawaii visitors and residents alike. Any questions? Just ask! If you liked this post, you might also like How To Spend 48 Hours On Kauai or How To Spend 48 Hours On Maui.