Hawaii - Day One

We finally managed a family trip to Hawaii.  Jon surprised us with the news just one week before we were scheduled to depart.  I was over the moon - a trip to Hawaii had been at the top of my list of family vacation destinations for many years.  A couple days after learning of the trip, our good friend Bhaskar mentioned casually to me that we should expect a couple days of rain and suggested we bring a raincoat.  I mentioned all of this to Jon that night.  We soon discovered a couple facts.  One - Hawaii's big island has 8 of the 13 climate zones (wow!).   Two -  a hurricane was off the east coast of the big island.  We checked the weather forecast.  Rain and overcast conditions were forecasted for each day of our vacation.  I tried (not very successfully) to stay positive.  This task was made considerably more difficult by Spencer's suggestion that we cancel the trip.  Michael stayed positive though, exclaiming that the trip would be great regardless of the weather.  Jon did additional research and found that the weather forecast for where we were staying on the island was considerably brighter than first appeared.  Our hotel was on the west side of the island in a desert region that received very little rain throughout the year.  Thankfully, we had great weather the entire trip, despite the advance of yet another hurricane off the east coast of the big island that prompted dangerous surf warnings for our last days on the island.

The flight out to Kona passed without incident.  We had a long layover in Los Angeles, but Jon and Michael were upgraded to first class for the flight from Los Angeles to Kona.  Michael seemed to enjoy his seat in first class.

Michael enjoying first class

Spencer relaxing at the hotel.

Michael and Spencer in the pool.