The Hilo Tour and then home

Up early to tour the second largest city in Hawaii, Hilo.  Exceptional beauty in this rain forest by the sea.  Of particular note, the Lilieukalani gardens, with wonderful Japanese bridges and lush sculpted foliage.  While in the park, we witnessed a hula troop practicing for the Merry Monarch festival, in town at the moment (a world wide competition of hula dancing).  Tickets for the festival sell out a year before, so we were content to wander the market, and enjoying the crafts and artwork.

A quick stop for the thinnest beef jerky ever, and the Big Island Candy Company (delicious and beautiful chocolate covered macadamia nuts, lavender olive oil cookies, and excellent chocolate covered lemon shortbread cookies.  These delicacies certainly spoke to my inner snob.  We spent way too much money but what a way to go to the poor house.  A quick shave ice with cream and it was time to bid Suzie good bye.  Thanks, Suzie, for the great touring of the East coast.

A quick stop at Akaka Falls Sate Park.  When one thinks of Hawaiian topography, this park typifies the lushness and greenery.

We arrived back in Kona to shower, and meet Todd and Dan at their house for a drink on the patio as the sun set in the ocean.

Dinner at a local haunt, Jackie Rey's, and on to Huggo's on the Rocks, for a fantastic band, Hot Lava 808, singing awesome cover tunes of the 70s, 80s, 90s and today.  Our hope was for a touch campy and mildly bad, but having every element for failure - including a lone guitar player, a music track and a sketchy crowd, the girls sold it hard and we became true fans vowing to host the band at our next big event.  Good times.

Saturday, our final day in Kona before flying to the mainland.  After a week of sight seeing, the order of the day is sitting by the pool.  Rusty enjoyed a message as I spent the morning searching for tschotckies to distribute stateside.  The sun is out and the draw of chucking the massive amounts of responsibility weighing at home, it's hard not to fantasize about disappearing into the rainforest for a few years but alas mortgages and bills await. Mahola to Hawaii for inspiring this fantasy.  We'll certainly return.