With only a few hours left in Hawaii, what do you do? Eat and go to the beach. The snorkeling was so nice at Mauna Kea that we went back for a quick swim before packing. Then we zipped to the airport, but not before having another pizza at Kona Brewing Co. and trying a Steam Vent Lager (didn't like it so much... too hoppy) and a very delicious Oceanic Organic Saison. I liked it so much I bought the T-shirt. We enjoyed our trip so much we already know what we'd ...

Our last full day, sigh. The day started out so windy I did part of my run on the treadmill inside the resort's oceanside exercise room. You can open the sliding glass doors in the room to let the natural sea air in. After running a little over five miles there while watching whales leap and splash, i headed out for another lap around Waikoloa. Next, a much-deserved breakfast at the Ocean Club and some relaxation for a bit. After checking the Maui Revealed book...

Biking trip to Volcanoes National Park! We met our tour operating company, Nui Pohaku, at Roy's, a restaurant at the King's Shops in Waikoloa. We got in a van that took us south to the southernmost post in the island (and the U.S.) and then northeast up the eastern coast of the island. We stopped at a site near Captain Cook to see the spot where the aforementioned sea captain was killed, and then again at the Punaluu Bakery, where I tried taro Hawaiian bread (so...

Friday -- our first full day on the Big Island. I started the day running two loops around the Waikoloa complex; each lap is a little over two miles and has just a couple of ups and downs. The weather has been comfortable and mild, although the wind picks up in the afternoon and it's cool enough to sometimes wear a fleece. After eating breakfast at the Ocean Club, we went down south to Kona. On the recommendation of my boss, who grew up in Hawaii, we went to K...

We came in on a direct United flight from LAX to Kona and went straight to the Costco in Kona, just south of the airport. After picking up some Kona coffee, fresh opa (moonfish), Primo beer for Paul, bananas, lettuce and other stuff, we headed back to the Castle Hali'i Kai condos in Waikoloa, about 40 minutes north of Kona. It was beautiful! The condos are nestled amid golf courses and rocky lava fields, and the complex abuts the ocean. We relaxed and drank la...