Whale Watching from our Lanai

Deep Sea by unitedthread on Etsy. (I own one of her prints and it is the most beautiful quality of any print I've purchased there. It has the richness of an original. )

It's Humpback whale season in Hawaii (It's the largest migration of mammals on the planet! The whales come to our warm island waters to have their babies where there are fewer predators.) and we Kazanas are short people. The railing on our lanai completely obscures my view when I am seated at our table, so I asked Eric for some chairs that would heighten our viewing experience!

As always, he came through for me. Can you believe he managed to get two massive bar chairs shipped to Hawaii for $88?! Some assembly required, but still. He's a wonder. (And so cute too!)

Voila! She can see! We've spotted four whales from our balcony. The trick is to watch for the white plumes of their spouts. Then, if you're lucky you might see a breach or even a tail, which usually means they are on their way down deep again. They need air about every 15 minutes or so.

Have you ever been whale watching? Were you lucky enough to spot one?

Stay Like a Local on The Big Island of Hawaii at Veltris' Ohana!

When Eric & I finally arrived back in Hawaii after our European Summer, we ended up crashing with our dear friends Dan & Lisa. Not knowing how long our house hunt would take, we decided to get a short term vacation rental so we wouldn't cramp their style for more than a few days. Eric scoured Craigslist to find something clean, affordable and centrally located and found Sharon & Frank Veltris' Ohana. It was everything we needed for a home base while we looked, but I think it would be a lovely place for a vacation too.

It was clean, tastefully decorated, and well appointed with a living area, giant closet, partial kitchen (a stove, grill, mini fridge & micro oven)...

A lovely view from the spacious wraparound lanai where we enjoyed watching the sunset each evening...



And a two person jacuzzi tub complete with seascape mural & candles. So nice to soak with a glass of wine after looking at dismal studio apartments all day!

King size bed & cable T.V too- all for $40 a night? I had to tell all of you about it so you can come and see what life in Hawaii is like! You will need a car at this location in the hills above the elementary school, but you'd need one anyway to see all The Big Island has to offer. Sharon & Frank were so friendly and laid back- they made us feel right at home as we hunted for the perfect place. That's real Aloha. Please contact Sharon if you are planning a vacation on The Big Island. Get in touch with her at threespeakATaolDOTcom

Mahalo Veltris!