Big Island Hawaii finally!

We enjoyed our first class flight on Alaska Airlines to Kona, though I used most of my miles on the upgrade, it was truly worth it!! Got to Kona airport around 11pm, got rental car and some how made to our hotel without getting lost! Stayed at the Kona Seaside hotel, really nice people, they had saved us a parking space right by the front door as I had requested handicapped parking for Mike. Got to sleep at around midnight. It was heavenly to sleep with the louvered windows all open, no AC on, just the ceiling fan! Drove Hwy 19 around to Hilo, found our Condo, nice owners! Nice condo! Nice view!  I had placed an ad on Craigslist and was able to have this condo lined up when we got in, $1000/month but it is right on the Hilo Lagoon with a very pretty park. Got groceries at Walmart, not so nice. We didn't get the Subaru we had sent our $100 deposit on, the car was real but I think the owners were addicted to drugs, they couldn't manage in 3 days to get to Hilo from Honolulu. So I gambled and lost. Bought a Mercury Sable instead, $2000. So far it gets me to work and back!!

View at Kona Seaside, first palm trees!

Kona Seaside pool

Even the crappy white bread at Walmart is expensive! Some foods are not too over priced but bread is ridiculous here!

Bought all this at the Farmers Market down town Hilo for $7, at the grocery store one tomato was $1.

The locals have interesting tattoos!

Richardson park,, first trip to beach/ocean, sat and watched the turtles! Can you see him smiling?

Hilo Medical Center

Random Gecko, they are almost everywhere!

I survived Black Friday at Walmart, here's Hawaiian Santa!

View from my lanai

This is 10 minutes from us! Lifeguards and bathrooms!

Really calm and inviting, will bring my snorkel next time

 !

Carlsmith park lagoon

There is danger in paradise!

Mike read that there is a $100,000 fine for feeding or harassing the turtles!

Another lagoon at Carlsmith park

No turtles today, waves were huge!

Rocky goes to Spokane - has this ever happened to you??

We all flew to from San Antonio, Texas to Seattle on November 22, got in at 9 PM, then Rocky and I continued on to Spokane at 10 PM, sat next to a lady who was just returning from Kona, Hawaii, nice to talk to her! Got in to Spokane after 11PM and waited and waited for Rocky to come off the plane, finally there he was, all smiles to see me, ran outside to pee for ever! Poor guy, was in his crate for about 8 hours but did fine. Jenna arrived and we hauled the crate across to the Ramada at the Airport, put in her car, checked in and got our key and then the fun began. Finally found our room, with 3 pieces of luggage and one antsy dog, open the door.....and it's still dirty!!! Called front desk and he said he'd "send the bellman (woman) to help us to another room", so we waited and waited, finally made our way back to lobby, met the bellwoman, took us to another wing, NO elevator! to another room, bellwoman opened the door, went in, then quickly came back out, "there's someone in there!!" Huh, good thing she didn't get shot. Calls front desk, he says "try the room across the hall", Jenna could hear TV coming out of that one loudly, so "try this one down the hall" (can't remember room numbers) but at about midnight we FINALLY got a room that was clean and not occupied!! They blamed it on the recent wind storm and power outages, who knows! This is the most convenient place to stay if flying in/out, and they now have free breakfast buffet for all, even the Priceline/Hotwire cheap people like me! I will stay there again but wow, hope that never happens again!!!

One happy Dog!!