Farmers Market + Waterfalls + Huli Huli Chicken

Let's not mince words - I MISS HAWAII.  I loved everything about Hawaii.  It's hard sometimes to even look at the photos of our trip.  We had so much fun.  In fact, another one of the best days of our trip was the day after our first visit Volcanoes National Park.  In contrast to the rainforest and caldera hiking, we opted for some exploring of the farmers market.  We grabbed breakfast and some popsciles, snacks and fruit and headed out to Waianuenue Falls.  

It's always a sight to set your eyes on the waterfalls for the first time but in Hawaii, the journey itself among the exotic plant life is one equal footing. The banyan trees were just killing it here. Not too far away is Akaka Falls, which offered another gorgeous hike and vista.  Check out my Instagram feed for a little video of the falls.

We rounded out the hikes with a scenic drive along that side of the island, stopped to take in the view several times, found the best cafe for smoothies (the business is for sale!), and did some boutique shopping in a little town nearby.

But the day just kept getting better and better.  At this point in our a long trip, all of us are completely over our jetlag and ready for full days of adventure.  I had heard about the famous Gina's Huli Huli chicken truck on the Big Island but I couldn't find out where it was.  While driving along a route to look at more banyan trees, we spotted the sign and found Gina's!.  The chicken was so delicious and we found the perfect spot on the waterfront to picnic.  By then, the clouds had set in and the weather was balmy with a slight breeze.  You know those perfect weather days?  We sat outside for probably close to two hours while the boys played in the Asian garden.

And if that wasn't enough, before we headed home, we stopped in to Two Ladies Kitchen for their famous mochi.  Our visit to the Big Island coincided with the Merrie Monarch Festival so lots of Hawaiians traveled to Hilo and like me, were ordering mochis.  I got the Merrie Monarch Strawberry mochi - special for that time of year - and man were they delicious.  Like I said, another perfect day on the Big Island.