I don’t even know where to start with today’s adventure! It was one of the most emotional days yet for me. We got up, had breakfast, and headed out to Waimea Falls Park and Botanical gardens. We got there just as they were opening so it wasn’t busy yet. When we paid our admission they gave us red wristbands and told us that would get us entrance into the Hawaiian music festival they were having today. We weren’t sure what that was all about but we were game! We started the ¾ mile hike up to the falls through the botanical gardens and let me tell you – talk about beautiful – God’s handiwork is on pure display in this place. It was stunningly beautiful in every direction you looked. We strolled at a slow pace and snapped pictures as fast as the camera would let us sometimes! It actually took us 3 hours to go ¾ of a mile through the gardens. We saw the most unusual birds, flowers, trees and greenery. It is a photographer’s paradise. The trail ends at Waimea Falls which usually this time of year is only a trickle but because of the heavy storms yesterday it was at full flow and awesome to see. They usually allow swimming under the falls, but because of the current it was closed to swimmers today. What a treat to see it in it’s glory! We asked a lifeguard to take our picture together with the falls and he enthusiastically agreed – he was so nice! As we started to head down there was a shuttle waiting to take anyone down that wanted to go so we decided to take the ride down – my back was ready to sit! We decided to have lunch there at the park and were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a special Hawaiian Plate that you could buy at the music festival. For $10 we got kalua pork, rice, Hawaiian sweet potato, poi, marinated salmon/tomato salad, coconut crème and a slice of pineapple and a bottle of water. SOOOO GOOD! We sat down to eat and were treated to 3 siblings that were singing Hawaiian music and playing their ukelele’s. They were very talented too. That is when the emotion hit me – tears started to flow as I listened to the youngsters sing and watched the girl doing a Hawaiian dance to the music, and took in the sights and sounds and smells around me – I LOVE Hawaii and it is going to be sooooo hard to leave. Greg saw the tears and asked if I was okay and I assured him everything was OK the blessing were just spilling out of my eyes! We sat and listened to the music until they were done and then decided to head over to the Dole Plantation. We got in the car and I popped in a Hawaiian music CD I had purchased in the gift shop at Waimea Falls. I listened to the music and watched the mountains and pineapple fields as we drove and the tears came again – I truly believe I will be leaving a huge piece of my heart here when I go. I sometimes think that when we get to heaven, that it will be different for each person depending on what and where make them the happiest – my heaven will be in Hawaii! The Dole Plantation was nice but too touristy for my tastes – we walked around the gift shop and watched a pineapple cutting demonstration then got a pineapple Dole Whip cone. Next we decided to take a train ride around the plantation. It was fun, but not much to see because the fields were already harvested an in a rest phase. But the narration was interesting and informative. I didn’t realize a pineapple takes 18 months to mature. Next it was time for us to head home – my back said time to call it quits so we headed home. Dinner is next on our agenda – I am going to make turkey sandwiches with the leftovers from last night, fresh pineapple, and cold vinegar cucumbers. Sigh . . . can life get any better right now? I think not!
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