July 18, 2023
My Hawaii Adventure continued this morning with a great breakfast at WSW across the Hilo Bay from Becka’s neighborhood, followed by a walk along Banyan Drive where we admired the great banyan trees and colorful flowers.
After walking along Banyan Drive and visiting Baby Beach, we stop for a beverage break at a fancy place called Hula Hula’s, where we sit in the shade to watch the sailboats in the bay as we sip our tasty cold drinks.
Volcano Garden Arts by artist Ira Ono is also known as Ira’s Garden. This unique gift shop, about 30 miles south of Hilo, is our next stop.
This place features beautiful grounds and a great gift shop. We spend a while browsing through a unique assortment of crafts, jewelry, and art work. There are so many lovely items to look at, and eventually I settle on a pair of earrings and a wooden spoon for honey. It is a special treat that Ira is there and we are able to thank him in person for creating this beautiful place for the public.
We take our time walking the trails through the grounds. It is fun and relaxing to just walk about looking at so much beauty both inside and outside the shop.
We are hearing of wildfires, mostly on Maui, over 17,000 acres and many deaths, blamed on dry condition and gusty winds. Who knows! Anyway, I thought it odd that we on Big Island can not see the smoke. Maui is only 30 miles away across open ocean, but the trade winds are blowing the smoke away from Big Island. Although I am grateful for our clear skies, I feel great compassion for those on Maui who have lost so much these past 10 days.
