Volcano Inn

This is where we stayed in Volcano Village just outside of Volcanoes National Park. It's a three story building with a bunch of little entrances to rooms for rent. Our room was called "Crater". In included a little kitchen table area with a mini fridge and a microwave oven. A wide hallway area with a bunkbed. Across from the bed was the bathroom. Then an entrance into a larger bedroom with a queen (?) bed, another bunkbed, and a TV. Home Sweet Home away from home away from home. I didn't ever meet "Deb", but I met her hippy husband when he brought the fresh bouquet of flowers to our cabin for our kitchen table. Every table had a bouquet of tropical flowers, even in the common area. Deb was nice enough to throw Cole's blanket in with the daily wash since he had gotten a little car sick on the ride to the National Park. There was a little sign in each room asking us to conserve the water since it was all gathered from the rooftops and held in huge water tanks. They had a couple of green houses where they grew a lot of their food. They had a common area on the second floor where they provided coffee and muffins. The inner area of this floor was the kitchen and office. All the way around was an open area that was enclosed with glass where you could sit at these little tables, sipping your reclaimed water, and view the tropical rainforest all around the building. It was beautiful.

On the drive there we drove down to Kona, around the bottom of the island (South Point) ad through an area called the HOVE. That stands for Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. The guidebook that we have says that this area does not have running water, power, tv, internet, or any other luxury that I cannot live without. The guidebook says that it is very easy to just blend into the scenery in this area and that there is a disproportionately high number of people named Dave. They are convinced that this is a favorite relocation place for citizens in the witness protection program. I would agree. I have decided that if it were to become necessary to be part of the witness protection program that I would really like to be relocated to the big island--not in the HOVE, but in Volcano Village, where we stayed. Rick and I could recycle rainwater off the roof and grow our own food in our greenhouse. We could run our own little B&B. I think we will call it Kileua Cottages. But I suppose that since I have divulged that information and it were to become necessary to go into hiding, the government would NOT grant my wish and send me to Hawaii. I would probably end up in Saginaw, Michigan where it is winter for about 9 months out of the year.

Clearly, I am on vacation and have way too much time on my hands on this lovely sunny Saturday to bother myself with the seriousness of life and I have let my mind wander just a little too much for one day. But, If I do wind up missing one day and there is no trace of me to be found...please cross your fingers that the Witness Protection Program has assigned me to be a macadamia nut tester in Volcano, Hawaii.