If we can work it in during vacation, I like to have a couple hours of alone time on a street filled with shops, art galleries, and eateries while my boys do something else. They have no interest in browsing. I don't buy much. I go at an extremely slow pace (helps preserve my feet) and do lots and lots of thinking. It's incredibly relaxing.
The street for this kind of shopping in Kona is Ali'i Drive. My boys dropped me at a good spot and drove off to go hiking. It was wonderful. There were hardly any people. I was often the only person in the stores I walked through. Blissful peace and quiet.
I took several pictures of mammoth trees, because I love mammoth trees and can't get enough of them. One of the best things about Hawaii was all the mammoth trees.
I stopped for my first shave ice. It was every bite as good as they say. I chose mostly neutral flavors so they wouldn't clash. For the ice cream inside, I had vanilla macadamia nut. The three flavors were wedding cake, cream, and cherry. (Check out their flavors here. Which three would you put together?) Cherry was my one loud flavor, but it was great. And I had it topped with a snow cap (drizzle of sweetened condensed milk).
More shopping.
I visited my first ABC store. ABC stores are famous in Hawaii. I was actually impressed with their variety of souvenirs. I loved their selection of kid's purses/pouches/wallets.
More mammoth tree pics. Couldn't help myself.
I half expected to find something magical hidden in here, but I didn't look too closely, because there could also be something gross like bugs.
Meanwhile, Greg got some pics from their hike with his phone. :)
Interesting rules for the beach they visited.
We decided to try an Indian restaurant for dinner. Beautiful flowering tree outside.
We had a terrible time finding the place. We asked Bubba Gump's people, who directed us up the stairs. Even upstairs, it wasn't obvious. We needed to walk past a jewelry shop and cafe before we found it.
Open air seating, which is common in Hawaii. The ocean is through those slats.
The food was delicious, though all our dishes tasted the same. We must have chosen entrees with similar base sauces.
While Greg packed up the leftovers and paid, I ran over to the art gallery in the same building. This guy's photography reminded me of Clark Little's work.
Alex Gupton is making quite a splash in Hawaii. I learned that his cartoonish sea creatures are made up of tiny drawings. Pretty cool.
We found a coupon for a 4D short and decided to give it a try.
It was a sub-par experience, but it gave us a reason to visit a Hawaiian mall. First time I've seen a performance outside a mall.
Kinda neat. I think it's a regular occurrence. There was an announcement time during which they promoted some of the stores. For example, everyone was encouraged to visit the ice cream shop afterwards for a special discount. Why don't they do stuff like that at malls here? Seems like a win win. An opportunity for kids to perform in a low stress environment, business brought in, and a great community feel.
That was the end of day 6. :)
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