Big Island Recap Day 3

Continuing on...Sunday morning we went to Waikoloa Community Church, which D had checked out on the internet months earlier. It was smaller than I expected, but that may have been because we went to the early service. The pastor played the ukelele while leading worship. The windows on both side of the church were open during the service, and there was a gentle breeze that passed through. You could also hear the birds chirping outside. You could definitely feel God's presence.

Afterward we visited D's parents at the condo where they were staying in Waikoloa. As you can see, k made herself at home, sitting on the coffee table:


We checked out the Queens' MarketPlace, which is still under construction. Some stores were already open, including a store for kids called Giggles. k received a free t-shirt for their Grand Opening. Next we headed across the street to the Kings' Shops to have a quick look-see. D used the Crazy Shirt gift certificate and picked out a shirt and a sticker, which came out exactly to $25.

Afterward we went to the Hilton Waikoloa Village, a huge, Disneyland-like resort. D had stayed here for several days over twenty years ago, and it brought back a lot of memories. They have a boat and a tram that circles the property. We opted for the boat, when D got a phone call from his BSF leader. Yes, that is k sleeping again!

We ate lunch at the Lagoon Grill. Too bad the flies got in the way. They also have dolphins, but they were too quick for me to get a good picture:

It took us a while to walk the grounds, and we only saw half of it!



We returned to Mauna Lani and checked out their Beach Club. The snorkeling was better than Hapuna.
k really enjoyed her bucket that we filled with ocean water.



Our next activity was to explore Mauna Lani a bit more. They have some interesting fish traps. The baby fish swim through the slats, and then they get fat and can't swim back to the ocean. Kind of sad, but it's the circle of life, I guess.


On our way back we happened upon this large sea turtle.


After all that walking, we were ready for dinner. We decided on Dara's Thai Cuisine, which made D's Restaurant List. It was tasty, but the portions didn't really justify the prices.