Fairmont Orchid, Hawai'i

We arrived after waking at 3:30 AM to make our 6 AM flight.
Kona is an amazing wild landscape of black lava fields. The locals and tourists line the fields beside the Queen Ka'ahumanu high way with dried white coral stones and spell out messages on the black lava.
Our resort is amazing. Like a movie set. Quiet, tropical and beyond beautiful. The birds sing outside out balcony all day. Our suite is over 1000 sq feet of luxury (two balconies).
Yesterday was windy. As we visited the beach, a huge whale jumped from the water ( I missed it!).
My Mistaya, Theresa, Kyran and Joop arrived last evening and we spent an evening at the outdoor restaurant/bar by the ocean while the kids swam just across the lawn. Tabs had a head ache from the exhaustion of the trip, so she rested in the suite with Peter. But today she is raring to go. Pip and Tabs are bathed and we will head out to purchase snorkle gear and spend the day at the beach pictured above with the honu (seaturtles), whales and tropical fish.
The big island is proving to be off the beaten path, laid back and nothing like the high-rise tourist beaches one might expect to see on other Islands.