Flowers

I was hoping to have all my Hawaii flower pictures uploaded to my Flickr account so I could put a flower slide-show on this page, but I have to finish my daughter's prom dress first. (There is no way I can include even a fraction of the photos in one little blog!)

I can't say I was impressed by the flowers the moment we arrived in Kona. After all, it was dark and I couldn't SEE any flowers! However, beginning the next morning from the time I stepped onto the lanai I was treated to such a vast array of colors and shapes and scents... Truly breathtaking!

One of the most awesome memories from the trip was our visit to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens. Located just north of Hilo, you have to take this twisty, narrow side road for several miles (and of course, they were doing construction on the road when we were there, so that took up half of that narrow road for a bit!). Once we arrived at the gift shop and purchased our tickets, we had a lovely walk down wooden and asphalt trails. Yes, I said "down." The gardens are on a fairly steep hillside, but it isn't too difficult to navigate. And once at the bottom, you can "cheat" like we did and hire the golf cart to take you to the top for just $5!


Everything is clearly labeled, but don't ask the names of all the flowers I took pictures of. If I was just a sight-seer, I might have thought to include the signs with the plants so I'd have that record, but as a photographer, I was more concerned with colors and lighting and cropping. I could have spent many more hours here, but we had a helicopter to catch so could only stay for about 90 minutes.

Another great flower venue was our hotel, the Dolphin Bay Hotel in Hilo. Their grounds were like a miniature botanical gardens, sans the signs. Here we were also treated to beautiful birds and cascades of bananas and clusters of papaya. (You can pick and eat any of the fruit on the grounds while you are there. But they keep fresh fruit in the lobby so you don't have to figure out how to shimmy up the trees!)

Still wondering about that burlap bag below? Soon...

Hmmm...

Now, you know there must be a story behind this. You'll have to come back for a blog update in a day or so to find out!

Aloha!

Where does one start? It can't be a travelogue. No matter how much one tries to describe a place objectively, the "stories" of trips and vacations and holidays invariably weave personal perspective with objective information. We all see the world through the lenses of our past experiences, beliefs and expectations. I suppose the best we can hope for is an audience that appreciates our viewpoints, quirks and eccentricities.

So, welcome to the Big Island as viewed through DeBee colored glasses! It won't always be chronological or even logical, but I hope you enjoy the journey.



The idea began (and continued) with my generous mother inviting my younger daughter and I to go to Hawaii with her. Knowing I struggle to make ends meet each month (and with a daughter looking at college in the fall), she offered to pay our way. How could I say "no"? Besides, I have always wanted to go to Hawaii. Not for the sun and surf, but for the natural elements: flowers, birds, waterfalls and volcanoes.

We researched online and picked what seemed to be a dependable guide book, then set about the task of choosing a package deal, plus a few extras on our own. We ended up with five nights at the Kona Coast Resort, knowing we would actually spend two of those nights in other places (Hilo and Volcano). I started reading the Hilo newspaper online and occasionally browsed images of Kilauea. We began making our "wish list" of things to see and do, knowing our limited time would force us to prioritize along the way. I mapped these on Google Earth and began to get a sense of "the lay of the land."

After nearly 9 months of anticipation, we took off from LAX on Sunday, March 23; finally on the way!