Hawaii - Part 5 - Kona

On Wednesday the 25th we were back on the Big Island, and anchored just outside of Kona. There is no port big enough to dock the ship there, so they anchor it outside the bay and then use the tendering boats (which are also the lifeboats) to bring us to shore.

Here's a shot of our ship, and us, and the gorgeous scenery:

We didn't do anything adventurous in Kona as far as excursions went. When we got to the shore, Matt and I hopped into a cab and went up to see the Kona LDS Temple.

Then we spent the rest of the day just hanging out and shopping at all the touristy shops right there on the shoreline. We were walking on the sidewalk next to the water's edge and looked down to see two sea turtles looking for food. We were so close to them - we probably could have touched them if we had climbed down into the water.

That night, the whole family got dressed up for our formal dinner. We were on the cruise, not only to be together as a family, but to celebrate Matt's grandparent's 50th anniversary as well as my mother-in-law's birthday. We stopped in the main atrium for some pictures. We had been teasing my father-in-law all evening that he looked like the president so we got him to stand by the U.S. Seal.