Big Island, Hawaii

Hawaii is the perfect half way point for meeting the family.  Thankfully my family agreed to meet us there for a week.  It saved us 10 hours in flying time and plenty of jet lag. Riley was somewhat of a handful this time around though...probably a week with all the cousins and grandparents was a bit much for him but it didn't help that he hadn't been feeling well either. I suppose not everything can go to plan.

Thankfully though the parents did babysit allowing us to enjoy some adventures. We also added on another few days to enjoy by ourselves. Hawaii has a lot of beautiful sites and adventure, and the Big Island had its share:

Sunset hikes...

Beach swimming...

Rockpool hopping...

Wave riding...

Scuba diving with the Manta Rays...

Turtle spotting...

Volcano watching...

Lava field exploring...

...and coastal hiking.

I always find Hawaii to be a bit of a disappointed for an island vacation.  It doesn't really feel like you are on an exotic island, a million miles away from civilisation.  There is still plenty of traffic, driving, strip malls, walmarts and chain restaurants. But it is definitely beautiful and worth doing for the sites. How many times do get an opportunity to dive with a swarm of manta rays or hike to an active volcano?