Waipio Valley

I was content with staying home and lazing around, but the Crack Monkeys were not. So around lunch time, we piled into the car and headed towards Honokaa for some creme-filled malasadas that I wasn't able to get last Friday. I mentioned that the place is called Tex Drive-In, and they make the best malasadas EVER!

What's a malasada, you're asking? It's a Portuguese dessert, sort of like a sugar doughnut. You can get them with or without filling, which makes it even more delicious. We opted for the Bavarian creme and I will readily admit that I was drooling when they were ready. But, I had to set an example for my kids and eat some "real food" first, ha!

Afterwards, we drove about fifteen minutes to the Waipio Valley lookout. It was abit crowded and threatening to rain, but the kids were intrigued by the view. I mean, we were standing at the top of a cliff, after all.

From the lookout, we could see the black sand beach. There's a road that leads down into the valley that you can either hike or drive down (4WD of course); I remember going down and spending a few days down in the valley for a church girls' camp.

 A better view of the bay, even with the fog rolling in.

It was a bit overcast, which meant the flash on  my camera went off, hence the weird faces. But, they really wanted a picture of them and the valley, so who am I to refuse them? ;-)

Of course, you can't forget the obligatory "funny face" pic, courtesy of the Fire Pig.

The fog slowly rolling in just entranced the Crack Monkeys, so I had to get a picture of it...the fog, not the Crack Monkeys, lol.

We did have a few complaints: there was only one toilet in each of the bathrooms (and wouldn't you know it, the kids had to go once we got there) which meant long lines, and a really funky smell was present while we tried to soak up the beauty, but the kids were still impressed. Ethan went around reading the informational displays/signs they had to Vanessa and Jeff, who listened attentively. Normally, them being so quiet isn't a good sign, but this time, it definitely was.

We decided to leave when the rain started pouring down, interrupting the peace. We had to make a run for the car, but getting drenched wasn't too bad, considering the rain was warm. The drive back to Waikoloa was quite picturesque with fog creeping across the road and into the trees, which the kids thought was really cool. Then again, everything we've experienced here in Hawaii is immediately deemed, "So cool!" so I don't know if it's just automatic to them now.

Oh, well. We're in Hawaii; that's all the explanation needed. ;-)