Our Visit to Hawaii - The Big Island

The Big Island visit was fabulous, with wonderful sites and things to do without encountering hoards of tourists.

Stayed at Uncle Billy's Hotel in Hilo while visiting the "Big Island" Hawaii.

I have it on the best of authorities, that the wonderful Banyan trees lining Banyan Circle were actually planted by Uncle Billy and not the famous celebrities, whose names appear on the plaques. These trees were planted after the 1948 Tsunami that destroyed the communities bordering on Hilo Bay.

 Looking down from our balcony at Uncle Billy's

 Kayak-er paddles past our room just before

 The Hawaiian holiday boat arrives in Hilo Harbour - shot from our hotel balcony

 University of Hawaii students having an onsite class at the 1948 Big Tsunami Disaster site

                                                                   Akaka Falls (3 x the height of Niagara)

 Forest full of bananas, bamboo, flowering shrubs and vines

 Rainbow Falls at Hilo

 A Ranch on famous Saddle Road

 Smoldering volcano as we visited The Volcanoes National Park

 Same scene 1984

 Where the lava once flowed on its journey down to the sea

Town moved inland after 1948

Hydro poles insulated as protection from the advancing lava

Flows progress up to time of our visit to Pahoa

World famous Tin Shack Bakery (find if if you can)

 95 degrees Fahrenheit bathing (Hot Pool)

 Castle for rent!

 Nude at Black Sand Beach sits by his camp fire

 Came across what later turned out to be the site of a wedding ceremony at the end of the lava road

 Inukshuk monuments at end of the lava road to commemorate the scene of the 1980's lava flow

 Here comes the bride and her lady-in-waiting

 The Newlywed's dance - a destination wedding with a difference