Goin' Back to Kealakekua

Millions of years ago when we first came to Hawaii (okay, it was 2013), we elected to stay only on the Big Island since we had just shy of a week and had never been here.  One of the highlights of our trip was a morning and afternoon spent in Kealakekua Bay, snorkling and swimming to our heart's content while the crew of the Fair Wind grilled burgers that smelled so delicious they drew a whole pod of dolphins into the bay.

So, when we returned to Kona, we knew we wanted to repeat this fantastic experience ... and we did!  Because only on the island of Hawaii can one go from snow covered peaks to warm clear tropical waters in less than a day.

Not to be a shill for Fair Wind, but it really has this thing buttoned up.  You eat a super yummy breakfast while sailing over to Kealakekua Bay

And then you end up here.





There's no filter on these photos, folks.  This is the real color of the bay.  Seriously.  Ridiculously.  Amazing.

And, we jumped right in.





The bay is small--you can absentmindedly snorkel right across it without even realizing how far you've gone because you're following the fish along as they nibble on the reefs.  In the quiet of the underwater world, you can hear the "scratch, scratch, scratch" of their little fish teeth as they feed.  It's all pretty mesmerizing and lulls you, as you just bob along with the little waves.



Thanks to a pretty-close prescription snorkel mask provided by the boat, I was able to follow the fish with the rest.  The combination of the warmth of the sun, the surprising warmth of the water, the play of the light on the coral, and the thrill of seeing fish and rays appear and gracefully sweep out of sight--it's just perfection!





Above the water, Kealakekua Bay looks like a picture postcard with the bright blue of the sky set off by the lush green of the vegetation surrounding the Captain Cook memorial that in turn sets off the million clear aquas of the bay.

After soaking up the sun and the sea, it was time for a burger break in the cool shade of the Fair Wind!  It's impossible to convey how the delicious smell of grilling burgers carries across the bay, drawing us all in like snorkeling ocean moths to a yummy flame.  So, so good!

After a few more snorkels around the bay ...

we set sail back to Kona ...



and picked up a tender to the POA.







As I've shared before, the POA has a great coffee bar (and regular bar) in the grand lobby



It became a regular stop for us: almond milk lattes for some, bourbon old fashioneds for others.



While there, we heard an announcement for another round of trivia--and since one thing that the POA was actually lacking was sufficient trivia for our tastes (and any bingo), we raced over to the lounge.  Can't you feel the excitement of our team?  They're in the zone.  Oh, wait--unlimited wifi.



Back in the room, we took advantage of our lovely balcony upgrade to watch as the POA took its leave of Kona, against a darkening and brooding sky.





But, as always, Hawaii came through with a gorgeous sunset.  I've written of this before, but this is one cruise on which having a balcony is a plus.



For dinner, we chose the NCL's Brazilian steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria--which we found delicious on our cruise to Alaska and was equally wonderful on the POA.  Endless meats, please.  The waitstaff was particularly gracious, especially since we had a later reservation and were one of the few remaining tables. 

And our two sweet days on the Big Island were over--from parkas to snorkels, from starry skies to living coral--Hawaii was just at lovely and extraordinary as we remembered!