Mahalo, Hawai'i

It's our last night here and, of course, it went too fast. Since I last posted, we've been snorkeling in a protected, crystal clear cove and swam with all manner of tropical fishes, where the waves gently pushed us too and fro in the warm water. I could have stayed in there all day. We returned today to snorkel in the same cove and I watched in awe as a humongous, ancient sea turtle swam just inches from my face.

Thursday, we drove around the north and east sides of the island, another all-day car ride, but so worth it as we saw gorgeous, tropical valleys, stunning waterfalls and ate delicious sandwiches in little hippie towns (where no one takes credit cards or has restrooms.) We ended in Hilo, as far from Kailua-Kona as we could be, just as everything was closing. We looked in vain for an ice cream parlor and drove down Banyan Drive where notable people have planted banyan trees when they visited Hilo (most of them in the 30's)...Nixon and Babe Ruth were amoung those we didn't see, but we did catch a glimpse of Cecil B. DeMille's tree.

Today I went to the spa and for dinner we ate steak and the most sumptuously sweet, fresh pineapple I have ever had. We and watched our final Hawaiian sunset from the balcony.