My Island Boy
Riley is one lucky boy!!!
My parent's were house sitting in Hawaii for some friends and they let Riley join them for
2 weeks!!
They left before he did to get the hang of things with running the rental units there before he came so it was a bit nerve racking putting him on a plane. My parents did have a couple that was coming to visit them too that were on the same plane, but with him being a minor and them not being his guardians he couldn't sit with them. I am thankful that he had to write a daily journal for school (I highlighted his entries in blue) and that he had his camera to document the vacation. My mom still took pictures too but I think that it is neat to hear and see things through Riley's eyes and I think it will be something that when he is older he can look back on and reminisce. Here is his Hawaii vacation.
Patiently waiting for his flight.
And away he goes. So grown up.
Can't believe Josh and I have a kid old enough to travel alone.
I had to get up super early so that my Dad and I could pick up some family friends and go to the airport. At the airport, my Dad got a special pass that allowed him to take me all the way up to the boarding gate. I felt really excited to go to Hawaii.
On the plane they fed me and gave me a tablet to watch movies and play games on for free. I didn't get to sit by our family friends, but the people I did sit by were very nice. The only bad thing was that I was sitting on the aisle and the guy sitting next to me had to get up to use the bathroom a lot. When the plane landed, the flight crew walked me to the gate and my Grandma and Grandpa Dimsdale were there to greet me with a lei.
I was so happy to be in Hawaii but I was already so hot from the weather that I changed clothes in the airport bathroom. From the airport we drove to Costco and got hot dogs and sodas. I also called my Grandma Phillips to wish her a happy birthday.
After Costco, we drove to the house my grandparents were staying at. The house has a pool and one of the first things that I did was go swimming. I practiced my swimming and my grandparents showed me how to use a snorkel mask.
We drove down to the beach later and then I went swimming in the ocean for the first time at the beach we call Two Steps. After the beach, we came home and ate chicken and Rice-a- Roni. Then I went to bed. I am sleeping on an air mattress in the back area of the house. I like it here.
May 21, 2013- Tuesday
Today we got up, had breakfast, practiced in the pool some more and then headed back to Two Steps. I found a necklace when I put my head under the water. It is green and white jade, round, and has a hole in the center of it.
Our friend, Manfred, taught me how to float in the water. He told me it was good for resting when you are out swimming and get tired. When Manfred and I were in the ocean I stepped on a turtle by accident. I thought it was a rock.
Grandma and Grandpa took me to a beach where we snorkeled and saw a lot of fish.
May 22, 2013- Wednesday
Today was a big beach day. We went boogie boarding at Hapuna Beach with Monica and Manfred. Grandpa John taught me how to catch the waves and because I have a sunburn, I had to wear a swim shirt. I had a lot of fun and I like how I feel in the water. One time while we were boogie boarding my Grandma caught a big wave and ran right over me. I didn't like that at all. We were at the beach for about five hours.
He somehow broke his boogie board. He couldn't believe it.
On the way home, we stopped at a small beach where we had to get a pass from a security guard. His name was Champ. He was a big guy. We had to take a pathway through the lava to get to the beach.
There were lots of turtles in the water and four of them on the sand.
After we left that beach we stopped by Costco again to get ice cream. We came home and had salmon with rice for dinner. Then we went to bed. It had been a long day.
May 23, 2013- Thursday
Today is a cleaning day here at the house. It is cleaning day because my grandparents are here house sitting for some of their friends that own a house with two rental units. We get to stay here for free, but need to care for the rental units. We cleaned the Plumeria (flower) unit. It was crazy because the people checking in asked if they could check in early so we had to move fast, but we did it.
Apparently there were lots of geckos there because this is the photo Riley took when they were taking out the trash.
When we were done cleaning, we had lunch and rested for a while. In the evening, we drove to Kona and walked out to some tide pools to feed the eels. We threw out ramen noodles and crackers in the the tide pool and waited for them to come out. After a little while we were able to see two eels. I got three or four good pictures of them.
We needed to be really careful though because we were standing on lava rock and the ocean swells were high.
After feeding the eels we fed ourselves at Jack-in-the-Box. I ordered an ultimate bacon cheeseburger. It was delicious. After Jack-in-the-Box we went to Walmart and bought some peanut butter, jam, tortillas, and a rice cooker.
We came home and went to bed after that.
This is how this kid sleeps....even in Hawaii. Mummified.
May 24, 2013- Friday
Today we got up early and headed out with Monica and Manfred. Our first stop was South Point. South Point is the most Southern point in the United States. It is also very windy and the trees grow sideways.
There was a ladder to get in and out of the water, but it was a big jump. The port-a-potties are disgusting. There were a lot of men fishing there.
From South Point we drove to a black sand beach. The sand is really black because it is made from crushed up lava. There were four turtles there. Three of them were on the beach and one of them was swimming in the water.
There was also a coconut floating in the water. I was able to get in the water and splash around.
I even tried to dig a lagoon for the baby turtles to practice swimming.
My Grandpa gave me five minutes to see how much I could dig. I dug as fast as I could with my hands and feet.
I fell asleep on the way there. They woke me up at the visitors center and we tested our a Richter scale. We jumped up and down to make the needle move. We also saw the clothes and boots of a guy who fell through the lava and got burned. Grandma also told me about Pele. Pele is the goddess of the volcanos. We left the visitors center and went to see the steam vents. People threw money in the vents, even paper dollar bills. The air from the steam vents felt like 100 degrees.
After seeing the steam vents we walked through a lava tube. It was really cool. We drove some more to see more of the volcano and then we hiked across a big lava field. We didn't get close enough to see the active lava so we turned around.
We made it to Hilo and ate at Café 100. I ate a Hot Dog Loco and some of my Grandma's shrimp. The Hot Dog Loco had a hot dog, rice, gravy, and an egg. We headed home and got to our place by 9:30 and went to bed.
May 25, 2013- Saturday
Today is a hang out day. After all we did yesterday, today was just more of a chill out day. Grandma and Monica went into town so Grandpa, Manfred and I went to Two Steps and snorkeled.
One tired, slightly sunburned boy.
We all got home about the same time and Monica and Grandma started to make dinner. Grandpa grilled some steaks and we made fajitas. Grandma made some salsa. It was a good dinner.
After dinner, we moved the furniture and watched Transformers and Manfred made banana milkshakes. They were delicious. As soon as the movie ended, we all went to bed.
May 26, 2013- Sunday
I got up and took a shower first thing this morning. We ate French toast that Monica made. I ate three pieces, two servings of eggs and one quesadilla.
Grandma and I went to church at the Ke'ei ward. There was this Japanese/ Hawaiian man who greeted us with a hug and a lady brought me a lei made of yarn. It was funny. Grandma looked over and saw the family who is renting one of the units at church and we talked to them after the meeting. Grandma invited them to come and eat with us tomorrow. On the way home, Grandma and I stopped at the famous Painted Church and I got to see the paintings inside it. It is very close to the house where we are staying.
When we got home and changed clothes, we went to Kona with Monica and Manfred. We went to the beach and I went swimming with Grandma. She showed my the "washer machine". grandpa joined us in the water after a little while. Grandma carried me and Grandpa in the water and I carried Grandpa. We had a lot of fun.
We came home and it started to rain. I mean it really rained hard. What did we do? First, Grandma and I ran outside and got all wet and then Grandpa and even Manfred came outside. We played badminton and soccer in the pouring rain.
Monica taught me how to play cat's cradle.
May 27, 2013- Monday
Today was another cleaning day. There is a honeymoon couple that is renting the Paniolo (cowboy) suite. I have to walk softly because my room is right above their living room.
Today I swam a lot in the swimming pool. I have perfected my cannon ball. Grandpa taught me how to make a big splash. I am happy that my sunburn has healed and my face is not peeling so much. I got to play video games today and then I had to do my school reading.
Dinner was crazy. Grandpa was barbequing the chicken and everything was set to eat out by the pool when it started raining again. This time was even heavier than yesterday. I was okay because I was already wet from swimming in the pool. The rain drops were so big though that they felt like hail hitting me. We had to move dinner inside the house. We all got wet but had a good time.
Abe Lincoln Hawaiian Style. Cheap Entertainment.
May 28, 2013- Tuesday
I got up and ate breakfast. Grandma and Grandpa and I drove to the post office and I called my Dad and got to talk to him. Then we drove to the bank to make a deposit. Next stop was Costco for gas and a frozen yogurt.
We drove to the Mauna Kea Observatory.
We lost a hub cap from the car along the way. The elevation is 13,600. It was cold and Grandpa and I felt a little light headed. We felt better once we got to lower ground. From the volcano we went to Hilo and saw Boiling Pots, Rainbow Falls.
We also saw a giant banyan tree at Rainbow Falls.
We went to 7-11 and then headed back home. I ate a quesadilla with Grandma while Grandpa laid down. We all went to bed early.
May 29, 2013- Wednesday
We woke up early, ate breakfast and got ready for our day. I misplaced my journal somewhere in the house and we all searched and searched for it.
While everyone was searching my mom went through Riley's suitcase to see if it was in there and found this instead. It's a play gun and one of the boys had hidden it in Riley's suitcase. Not quite sure how he made it past TSA. Let's just say it never made it home.
Finally my Grandma decided that we (she and I) would put one together on the computer. We never did find it. I think the cat took it. It took about an hour and a half to redo all of my journal on the computer.
When we were done, we got in the car and headed to a private beach where you have to give them your name and get a pass to have beach access. I really liked this beach a lot.
I learned how to do a handstand in the water and did five somersaults in a row in the water. My Grandpa snorkeled the other side of the beach and saw some turtles. When we left the beach we drove to another one so I could see more waves.
We then headed to Costco and ordered a large pizza. Even though I thought I was too tired to eat, I ate two pieces. After Costco, my Grandparents showed me the old airport in Kona and I got my picture taken by the water showing the cruise ship that was in port. After that we headed to downtown Kona and the wharf where I have wanted to swim all week. I was very brave and was jumping in the water from the pier. I had to be careful to miss the rock wall beneath me. I had a lot of fun and I freaked out my grandparents when I did this.
We finally headed for home and arrived about 7:30pm. It was time to take a shower, read my book, make a journal entry and now I am headed to bed.
May 30, 2013- Thursday
We went back to Hapuna Beach today. We packed snacks and sandwiches and planned to spend the day there. I saw a sea turtle, boogie boarded and floated in the ocean on a noodle. I also had a handstand contest with my Grandpa. He won. He can stand on his hands underwater for a long time.
When we left the beach, we went to a town named Hawi. I got to see a statue of King Kameamea and have my picture taken by it.
We left the town of Hawi and went to Costco for gas and then had dinner with our friends Monica and Manfred. I had a swiss bacon burger for dinner. I had a starring contest with Manfred too. We drove home the long way so I could hear the Koqui frogs for the last time. I like to hear the frogs at night. When we got home I took a shower and then watched some TV with my Grandpa.
May 31, 2013- Friday
Today is my last day here. I fly back home this afternoon. I will arrive in Oakland around 10:00 tonight. I want to swim in the ocean and swimming pool one last time before I go.
We went to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge), the place where the Hawaiian people went if they broke a law. We also went to Two Steps to snorkel one last time. I was able to snorkel a big loop in the bay today. I was finally good enough and comfortable enough for my Grandpa to take me about 50 years off the coast to see the Aloha on the bottom of the ocean. Some divers dropped cinder blocks in the sandy area so people can go swim out there to see it. My Grandma said my swimming skills have greatly improved.
I'm going to really miss Hawaii.
Until next time.
We all were so excited to see Riley when he came back especially Chase & Daxton.
He was the last off the plane with his airline attendant.
It was a sweet reunion for the brothers.
