Hawaii 2021 : Souvenirs & Daddy's Spreadsheet Journal & Flight Home

Hawaii 2021 : Last Photo at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort

Hawaii 2021 : Last Dinner & Sunset in Kona

Hawaii 2021 : Honoring the Hawaiian Cowboy , the Paniolo

Hawaii 2021 : Swimming with the Manta Rays ... & Fireworms

 Of all the planned adventures swimming with the manta Rays was my favorite! we had an incredible team of manta ray professionals who helped us experience this.  And I thank God they were so dedicated! the usual experience was absolutely amazing that we saw so many huge manta rays coming up to feed on the plankton that was attracted to the lights on the light board we were hanging on to. We were told to put floats on our ankles and hold on to the floating light board while we watched the manta rays underneath and learned that their coloring was very specific to each one. They would circle under the light board So their bellies would get right close to us as they fed on the plankton.  We were not allowed to touch them, but I was so excited when one of them did brush my leg!

The reason why I am so indebted to these professionals is because of the fireworms. Supposedly there is only 1 day a year when the fireworms spawn. And we got lucky enough to experience that day. Basically the fireworms were attracted to the light board just like the plankton and the manta rays. So every time the board remained stationary the fireworms would float up which would be fine except they really sting.  And I was incredibly happy that I decided to wear the provided suit just for the protection from the worms!

 Our dedicated staff kept saying that they knew this was a once in a lifetime experience for us, so they would periodically have us hold on to the board while they swam us to another place, then when the fireworms would appear again they would do the same thing. As we looked around all the other boats had already left, canceling their excursions. Our boat was the only one left! In reality, I felt blessed to be able to see 2 different creatures! 

Hawaii 2021 : Dolphin Quest & Swimming with the Dolphins

 Another adventure that was really worth it was swimming with the dolphins that was called dolphin quest!what we did was learn a few simple signs that when told to the dolphins they would do different things such as splash or Wave their fins. It was so fun to work with these animals! Definitely the experience of a lifetime!

 Another side note is that this adventure was found right at our hotel! And it was even fun at night to see the dolphins swim me around their enclosure.

Hawaii 2021 : The Milky Way at Buddha Point

Hawaii 2021 : Brian & Noelle 25th Anniversary Dinner

Hawaii 2021 : The Observatory at Mauna Kea

 We made the drive up to the highest peak on the big island, but it was a shame that we could not go to the observatory or even take advantage of the amateur astronomers because everything was canceled due to COVID. This was one thing that Annie really wanted to do that Proved to be impossible.

Hawaii 2021 : Volcanoes National Park

 One of the other things Annie early wanted to do was go to Volcano National Park!brian and I got to do so many things we did on our honeymoon including seeing the sulfur event and the lava tube and  The Kilauea crater from the ground this time and devastation trail!i took a picture of him at each spot. One of my favorite pictures is the 1 of Brian walking through devastation trail. As you can see, where last time devavastation trail was completely black this time, there was these little red plants that were finally growing there. We got to witness nature's rebirth first-hand!