20 Days in Hawaii and Disneyland - Yes, we are Lucky Nuts (Updated 9/19)

[cj9200]

Today was the first of three days diving in the deep blue seas of the Pacific. The Diving Pirate Princess was really excited about this. So was I.

But before we start on the diving, more about the hotel. We were on the 3rd floor and had an ocean view. The Royal Kona is a beautiful resort and the staff were top notch.

Some pics of the room

The small fridge to store leftovers for midnight snacks

Notice the multiple beauty products, none of which were mine

In addition to the pool, they have a “private” lagoon area

A view of the ocean that was right off our room

Really enjoyed listening to the waves crash on the beach, especially going to sleep

Each of the buildings had an open courtyard

Ours had a Koi pond in the middle. Some big fat fishes in here.

Had a coke out on patio and this guy was up early catching tonight’s dinner perhaps?

Did not see him catch anything.

No breakfast today because we had to be the dive shop before 8 am. The TA that arranged the trip was Caradoona Dive Adventures and set us up with with Jacks Diving Locker. For any divers out there both the TA and the dive operation were first rate. Not as good as Dreams Unlimited but then they don’t do diving adventures.

We check in and they give us the option of taking their van to the marina or driving ourselves. Today we decided to take the van to get the lay of the land. They have a three boats that are smaller than I am used to. Anywhere from 5 to 20 people on a boat at one time. Each group is led by a guide. Unlike Key Largo, they just don’t let you jump out of the boat and swim around. We hired a personal guide for the first day (expensive) because we did not want to explore the entire the Pacific ocean and not have the time to take pictures. After seeing how the guides worked with their guests it really wasn’t worth hiring our own. They were good about taking their time looking around.

We get to the Marina which is a couple of miles down the road and get on the boat. These guys were good. Our gear was not only on board but it was hooked up to the tanks even before we stepped foot on the boat. Fantastic service.

We get on and are ready to go. A short boat ride and we were at the first dive site. I’ll have to find the log book for the sites and will post them later for any divers out there. My first reaction was how calm the water was. There isn’t an appreciable land mass for something like a thousand miles and the waves were maybe 1-2 feet. In the Keys that would be great conditions, here it was in their eyes rough. This was the worst day we had on the water. i’ll take it every time.

So we hit the water. A couple of pics.

Sea Urchins used to be a problem in South Florida but we don’t see many of them any more. Interesting seeing them again.

Lots of fishes body surfing near the shore

Couple of butterfly fishes hanging out

The kid just keeping swimming

After the first dive

Between dives, they serve sandwiches, chips, cookies and drinks. They even ask beforehand any special dietary needs, so they had a veggie wrap or sandwich for Pooh on each trip. While you are eating, they change out your gear to the second tank. Can’t wait to dive in Key Largo just to bust the crews chops about it. It is expensive to dive in Hawaii but worth it.

More underwater pics coming up in the next update.

Up Next: More diving before its Manta Time AKA: These suckers are HUGE.

 

[cj9200]

Thanks to everyone who has responded to the TR and I apologize for not providing a witty repartee to your musings and quips. Things are crazy right now. We leave in a few days to take the kid to college and I am freaking out. She seems to think it will only take a couple of hours to get everything ready. I keep trying to explain to her that you are not going away for a weekend.

Anyway, I think it is mean to tease you about the Mantas and leave the post for a couple of weeks. I intended to get the Kona portion of the trip done with before I left but that ain't going to happen.

So as a parting gift, here is what these guys look like underwater. Magnificent animals.

 

[jekjones1558]

wow!

 

[Tinks "SS"]

Love the dive pics. Just showed my youngest son the pics and he thought they were really cool. The hotel was beautiful. Still waiting for more.

 

[franandaj]

Awesome pics! Will be looking forward to more when you get back. Glad you told us this time it will be a couple weeks so we don't get worried!

Stay safe taking her to school. Ahhhhh what an adventure is in store for her! I hope it's not like my college days!

 

[Pinkocto]

Beautiful!!! Was it very cold? I have mused to some divers how much I'd like to dive in Hawaii, and they all say after the Caribbean I'll be disappointed. Not warm, and not many colors. But here you're saying it's worth it. I'll have to try it out and see.

 

[dgbg100106]

Wow is right, that was awesome so far.... I am hooked!

 

[Chellymouse]

Amazing Pics! Wish I could DH to try diving just once! Oh well! I live vicariously through you and Pirate Princess. Safe travels to Seeton Hall! Best wishes to your DD as she embarks on the next chapter of life! Looking forward to your next installment!

 

[happyann79]

What a trip!

 

[cj9200]

Move in day is this morning. Waiting a bit to wake her up so we can tote all of her stuff to her new room. The drive up was long. 1,330 miles from the door to the hotel. Drove straight through the first night and made 1,100 miles. Not bad for an old man.

Decided to spend the morning updating the TR.

I totally know what you mean on the roommate situation. They knew I was a music major (flute, later sax) and paired me up with a vocalist as a roommate.
Sorry to offend any singers out there, but you gotta understand this is like pairing a Disney geek with a six flags coaters freak because they both like theme parks! They had a policy of not moving anyone before three weeks to "see if we could work it out". I had my own room by the end of the week and never shared another room with someone unless we could share a plate of spaghetti and meet lips at the end of the noodle (aka Lady and the Tramp!) Sorry I've spent the last two days at a D23 Animation convention ot sort of takes over your brain!

I hope she gets a good roommate!...

I can't wait to hear about the crabs now!

That is funny the music/vocalist story. We will find out today. She hasn't lost any sleep over it. Literally, she is out cold.

Great update! I'm sorry to hear about the helicopter trip, but I understand your daughter picking the dive over the air.

Good luck to her as she starts her first semester (and to you as you adjust to having her in NJ!). We did potluck for our dorms, and it all worked out. Not my lifelong best friend, but livable for a year. She'll be great!

It really wasn't a choice for her. She likes to participate more than she likes to observe.

I'm confused by this statement. My daughter sees a beautiful vista like that and automatically begins to pose.

She usually does too. She just didn't want to climb on the rocks for some reason. Sounds like you guys are having a good time in the World right now. Lots of poses.

Funny because they were donkeys or funny because you paid for the extra insurance on the rental car and had no intention of braking?

She would never speak to me again if I hit a donkey.

Why not - you've already got the dog that you didn't want.

An update there. He may be adopted soon.

That sounds like an interesting film. Any pointers?

Yea, grab your ankles and kiss....

What a bummer. I would love to see Hawaii from the air. I guess you'll just have to go back...

She is already planning the next trip to Hawaii. Next summer however I think we are going to the UK to visit a friend of mine and then all go diving in the Red Sea.

Your life does not suck, CJ.

No it doesn't. See above.

CJ, I didn't realize you started your TR! Anyway, just checking in. Now I'll have to go read and catch up.

Where were you? Watching guys lean on shovels. Glad you are here Mark.

Well, at least you had the right day.

Shut up you smart a$$.

Watching a film about how to escape a helicopter in a crash must be similar to watching Jaws right before you go diving.

When I was a kid, I saw Jaws and went diving in the Keys that weekend. It was the deepest I dove up until that time. As I am swimming around, the attack music is playing in my head. Sucked down air so fast it was only a 30 minute dive.

I'm sorry you missed out, but if taking a flight meant no diving, then I think you made a good choice.

I agree.

The thing that sticks out to me is the price. I always hear about how ridiculously expensive food is in Hawaii. Truthfully, those prices are a little bit on the high side, but they don't look out of place from any outher touristy area. You must have found a good place to eat.

That place was a favorite of ours. Meals were expensive but not overly so. Not much different than WDW or like you said other touristy places. What was different is groceries and gas prices were also high. Gas was over $4.00 a gallon.

Looks like a great day... despite some unexpected setbacks.

Thanks, it was.

LOVE this one.

Hey stranger. More to come.

OMG.

She didn't think it was funny, but I did.

Finally all caught up. I'm taking careful notes because it looks like my family and I will be heading to Hawaii next summer, so I'll need all the inside info I can get!

The jet lag doesn't sound fun at all. That's got to be a tough transition. And I hear you on plantar fasciitis. Had that last year and it took 6 months to go away.

Sorry you missed out on the helicopter tour. That's a bummer. Hopefully the diving made up for it!

Let me know if you have any questions as you get closer. Great place. The jet lag is a pain but I don't sleep a lot anyway.

This is going to be a good one!
Thanks so much for sharing your TR with us!

Great report so far. Looking forward to more. We really hope to do the same trip at some point so I am taking notes.

Thank you. Much appreciated.

wow!

Love the dive pics. Just showed my youngest son the pics and he thought they were really cool. The hotel was beautiful. Still waiting for more.

Awesome pics! Will be looking forward to more when you get back. Glad you told us this time it will be a couple weeks so we don't get worried!

Stay safe taking her to school. Ahhhhh what an adventure is in store for her! I hope it's not like my college days!

Thanks everyone. I have more pics and some videos of the diving coming up in the next update.

Beautiful!!! Was it very cold? I have mused to some divers how much I'd like to dive in Hawaii, and they all say after the Caribbean I'll be disappointed. Not warm, and not many colors. But here you're saying it's worth it. I'll have to try it out and see.

Editors Note: Diver Geek talk follows so if you are not interested, feel free to skip ahead.

It is different than the Caribbean and the Keys. I am a bit spoiled because one of the great diving spots is 45 minutes from my house. Diving is deeper there and the colors get washed out. Colors are still there though. I had problems with my strobe the whole trip and was disappointed with the quality of most of the pictures. You do need a good light to capture any color down there. There are also a lot of black lava rock that some people find interesting but I didn't.

It is colder than I am used to. We both have 3mm shorties for diving in the Fall and Spring down here (DD rarely uses one, she normally dives in the bikini). Used that for the day dives and were fine. We did rent full long johns for the night dive and I was glad we did.

While I would not go out there just to dive, a lot of people do. But then again, they are mostly from the West Coast and I can't blame them for picking Hawaii. I would never dive off California. The Manta dive is an experience I doubt that I would be able to top on any other dive. There are also some exotics like Dolphins and the occasional Whale Shark.

Wow is right, that was awesome so far.... I am hooked!

What a trip!

Thanks. More to come. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Time to wake up the Freshman and get her going.

 

[jekjones1558]

Bittersweet day for the Diving Dad. Glad you made it there safely!

 

[mckryan]

I'll be thinking about you two today. It's okay to shed a tear or two as you drive away, but it's also perfectly acceptable to do a little seat dance, too! As each year of college passes, less tears are shed and more seat dances are done by me. We are on year four, so I'm just about dancing the whole way home! =) I hope she has a spectacular year and a good roommate!

 

[Pinkocto]

That's certainly a long drive. Whew! Good luck today

Thank you for the diving thoughts. I'll definitely incorporate some into my trip. The manta dive is top on the list.

 

[jekjones1558]

So how did the college move-in go?

 

[irenep]

She is already planning the next trip to Hawaii. Next summer however I think we are going to the UK to visit a friend of mine and then all go diving in the Red Sea.

Phew! For a second there I thought you were planning on diving the North Sea

Gas was over $4.00 a gallon.

If you think that's expensive, wait until you visit the UK -it's probably double that here

Hope the move went well and your DD settles in quickly.
Have a safe drive home and hope you get back to the TR soon

 

[cj9200]

Bittersweet day for the Diving Dad. Glad you made it there safely!

That's certainly a long drive. Whew! Good luck today

Thank you for the diving thoughts. I'll definitely incorporate some into my trip. The manta dive is top on the list.

So how did the college move-in go?

She is settling in at school. Finalized her classes today, got her ID and computer. She is doing well. I leave New Jersey tomorrow to drive to Washington to stay with some friends. Then to Savanna to take my SIL to dinner and spend the night. Some hugs today when I dropped her off but no tears.

An update on the TR will be soon. Maybe before I get back or at least soon afterwards.

For those interested in her move in, I posted this on the Dis Dads board yesterday.

The Pirate Princess Pirate moved into the dorm this morning. She is in bed now at the hotel taking a nap. At 6:30 she has to be back for a meeting. Then at 12 pm tomorrow for the start of orientation.

This was a well organized operation. They stagger the times to drop your stuff off and move into the room. We were between 8:45 - 10:00.

Each dorm had a staging area where you waited in a parking lot for spots to open up in front of the dorm.

You were then allowed to drive to the dorm and directed to an open spot. The student signs in and gets the key while you unload the stuff on the grass by the car. You then go park.

Lots of volunteers from the Athletic Teams, ROTC, Fraternities, Sororities and other clubs helped the kids move the stuff to their the room.

Music is playing and it was a fun atmosphere for the kids. The Athletic Department was selling season tickets for the Men's Basketball team. Good deal, $100 for the season and includes transportation to the arena. For $10 more you get to go to the tailgate parties for free food and drinks.

And they give out Class of 2016 T-Shirts. (I have no idea what she is doing in this picture)

Her dorm

I guess dorm rooms haven't changed much over the years

We unpacked everything and made the bed. Ta-Da!

We got there about 8:30 and were done with everything by 11:00. Andriana has yet to meet her roommate. Her stuff was already there and she was gone before we got there.

They are having welcoming parties over the weekend. Grilled cheese tonight, pizza tomorrow and sundaes on Saturday.

All and all a pretty easy move in. Liked that others did the work so I didn't have to.

It is a pretty campus. Most everything faces or is near a main quad. Lots of greenery.

 

[jekjones1558]

Nice that there is help for hauling stuff to rooms. Almost makes it worthwhile for The Diving Dad to be broke for 4 years!

 

[franandaj]

That is nice that they had people on hand to help out. I hope she likes her new roommate!

Drive safe on the way home and enjoy your stops. We'll be here when you get back!

 

[dgbg100106]

Glad everything went so smoothly, and that there was lots of help, seemed like it was pretty organized..

 

[kid-at-heart]

Music is playing and it was a fun atmosphere for the kids. The Athletic Department was selling season tickets for the Men's Basketball team. Good deal, $100 for the season and includes transportation to the arena. For $10 more you get to go to the tailgate parties for free food and drinks.

And they give out Class of 2016 T-Shirts. (I have no idea what she is doing in this picture)

What a great deal, $110 for tickets, transportation, food, drinks and companionship!

If they pass out "free" 2016 T-Shirts it will encourage the students to stay on track and graduate in 2016. We also will be having a graduation in 2016, but ours is high school. Sarah is already checking out colleges, none local. A few are across an ocean, most are on the west coast which would make me happy as I am originally from Washington (the real WA not DC).