Lord Of The Ring Trees...

These awesome old trees live at Kings Landing in Hilo, don't they just look like they should be in one of the Lord Of The Ring movies? Or maybe that Tomb Raider movie set in Africa...Cradle Of Life, where the uglies came out of the trees...

This is the way it looked from a short distance...like the whole grove was waiting there...and at any minute would hike up their roots and walk away...you can almost imagine elves dancing a fairy ring there in the center...

It a gorgeous beach park and it was a nice break from buildings, I sometimes forget how very close I am to the seaside at basically all times, usually I am a 5 minute walk to the ocean (from my office) or at most a 15-20 minute drive from home, when I shop at the Farmers market I am literally minutes from having my toes in the pacific (there is no better pedicure than salt water and sand!), this park is about 15-20 minutes from the heart of downtown Hilo and I really need to spend more time there!

Queen Liliuokolani Park by the sea shore...

This lovely little red pagoda/bridge is in the Queen Liliuokalani beach park, not far from downtown Hilo. This cute little pagoda is accessed by a path that winds thru the park and has many entries and exits, there is a small bench seat on either side of the pagoda and it is not unusual for a couple of Kupuna (respected elders) to sit and talk story while they enjoy the cool breezes coming off of the water, this great park is much loved and used by the local populace. It is chock full of idyllic nooks, comfy benches and picture perfect photo opportunities around every bend in the path. A great place to spend the afternoon...and it even has a authentic Japanese tea house where you can receive lessons in learning the intricacies of the tea ceremony...very cool, very fun and very beautiful.