You messed up.\u00a0 You booked most of your vacation in Kona because that\u2019s where the nice hotels are.\u00a0 You arrive in Kona and realize the place looks like a moon landscape and your hotel doesn\u2019t even have a beach. You decide to travel to the Hilo side while you are on island.\u00a0 Maybe you just rented a Hilo location for one night.\u00a0 Let’s make this one day in Hilo your best day.\u00a0 You will realize that you will need to come back next year.\u00a0 Let’s go\u2026<\/p>\n
You know you need to go to the Volcano National Park.\u00a0 That\u2019s what people do because there is no other active volcano you will probably ever visit.\u00a0 Although I agree you need to go there, the trick is realizing quickly there is little to do there and to move on to better activities.\u00a0 We\u2019ll save this activity for early evening.<\/p>\n
If you are in Kona you will travel either Saddle Road or drive a bit North through Weimea.\u00a0 Saddle Road is 1:30 hours instead of 2:00 hours through Weimea.\u00a0 However, the drive through Weimea is nicer, down the Hamakua Coast.\u00a0 Your choice.\u00a0 Either way you will end up on Hilo Bay.<\/p>\n
Need Breakfast or Lunch?\u00a0 Once in Hilo, go to Ken’s House of Pancakes on the corner of Kamehameha Ave. and Highway 11.\u00a0 Order a Moco Loco, a Hawaiian comfort food that is uniquely Hawaiian. Go across the street on Banyan Drive.\u00a0 When you see a collection of ponds and a Japanese Bridge you are at Liliuokalani Park & Gardens.\u00a0 There is a bridge over to a small \u201cisland.\u201d\u00a0 That is Coconut Island.\u00a0 Spend half an hour here unless you decide that you need a great picture of you jumping off the rocks into the ocean on Coconut Island.\u00a0 In front of the golf course on the main road (Kamahamaha Ave.) is an antique clock that no longer tells time.\u00a0 It is a small monument of the 1946 tsunami that killed hundreds in Hilo.<\/p>\n
The next destination is Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots a few miles away.\u00a0 Go North on Kamahamaha Ave. for a mile until you are just about to leave town and turn left on Kauman Drive.\u00a0 Go inland about a half mile until Waianuenue Avenue.\u00a0 Veer to the right and look for the Rainbow Falls sign. \u00a0A beautiful waterfall and river (depending on the amount of recent rainfall) awaits you.\u00a0 You can walk around the beautiful area but don\u2019t spend too much time here.<\/p>\n
Next, drive a half mile farther up Waianuenue Avenue and look for the Boiling Pots sign and park.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have a picture yet of you waving under a waterfall, here is your chance.\u00a0 The water is a bit cold, but you will always smile passing the picture around to your friends.\u00a0 See my post for important cautions as this river has claimed lives.<\/p>\n
Drive back down to the bay.\u00a0 Your next stop is Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens.\u00a0 It is only a 10 minute drive to the best tropical gardens on the island. \u00a0You came to this side of the Big Island for the lush beauty, and you can find it here.\u00a0 Spend an hour here.<\/p>\n
If you are hungry for lunch, in the middle of downtown Hilo is Cafe 100.\u00a0 It is a quick lunch of traditional Hawaiian food for a great price.<\/p>\n
Your next visit will be Richardson\u2019s Beach Park, south Hilo bay.\u00a0 If you want to enjoy the best snorkeling you may ever experience, here is your chance.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have snorkel gear, no problem.\u00a0 You can get a decent mask at Walmart for $10 (of course my homes have them to use).\u00a0 If snorkeling isn\u2019t for you, a visit to this beach park is still a must.\u00a0 Finding Richardson’s Beach Park is easy.\u00a0 It is on south Hilo bay, 3.5 miles down Kalanianaole Ave.\u00a0 The area is beautiful.\u00a0 If you decide to snorkel, enter the water at the farther black sand beach, in which the water is warmer.\u00a0 Swim out toward the rocks out in the ocean.\u00a0 Here, the water is shallow and the fish abundant.\u00a0 Green Sea turtles are very popular, and chances are you will see one.\u00a0 If you want to see turtles come to rest for the night, arrive back at sunset and walk over the rocks beyond the black sand beach.\u00a0 Turtles come to rest for the night in the canal of water between the rocks.<\/p>\n
Next will be the 40 minute drive to Volcano National Park, with a few optional stops depending on your timing.\u00a0 You will want to arrive at Volcano National Park at sundown to see the glow of the lava deep in the caldera.\u00a0 To do this, continue to Mamalahoa Hwy., also knows as Highway 11 (where Ken’s and the airport are on).\u00a0 This takes you all the way up to Volcano National Park. As you pass the airport and mall (Walmart) you have a choice to see the Kaumana Caves.\u00a0 It is a lava tube that is better than the Thurston lava tube in Volcano National Park.\u00a0 Simply turn right above the mall on highway 2000.\u00a0 It is only a mile off this street.\u00a0 If you see the tube now, you can skip Thurston, especially if you arrive too late to visit the tube after arriving at the Park.\u00a0 Just over 4 miles up you will see a turn off for the Hilo Zoo.\u00a0 It depends on the amount of time you have and if you have kids who want to see a zoo.\u00a0 Another \u00bd mile up you will see on the other side of the road an entrance for Mauna Loa Nut factory.\u00a0 This is just a \u201clook through the window\u201d type of tour and a gift shop.\u00a0 Both of these activities are free, so even a 20 minute stop at each is an alternative.\u00a0 We saved both of these for a two day visit.\u00a0 If you have time for afternoon coffee, 10 minutes farther up the road is a town called Mountain View.\u00a0 Keep an eye out on your left for Hilo Coffee Mill.\u00a0 Stop by for a quant coffee shop with a garden, some animals, and a peek at the coffee mill.\u00a0 It is a quick stop.\u00a0 When you approach the Volcano National Park gate, you have a choice.\u00a0 Since there isn\u2019t much to do at the park, how about a wine tasting first?\u00a0 If you want a bite to eat go just a mile or so farther to the Volcano Winery and get a cracker and cheese spread.\u00a0 Get the very reasonably priced wine and cracker\/cheese package.\u00a0 A quick visit will do, so tell them to keep the samples coming.\u00a0 If you are interested in the vineyard they give little tours.\u00a0 It is a beautiful area.<\/p>\n
Now go back and through the gate of the Volcano National Park, paying your fee.\u00a0 What is there to do?\u00a0 As of January, 2022 lava is flowing inside the caldera and has raised to the level where it can be seen by a short walk\/drive from the visitors center.\u00a0 Ask an employee at the visitors center which direction to travel in order to see the lava.\u00a0 At the visitor\u2019s center one can watch a little movie and view other displays.\u00a0 They give little walking tours, but they simply describe some local plants.\u00a0 After the visitor\u2019s center, drive a mile down to the sulfur steam vents.\u00a0 The vents emit steam from rain coming in contact with the hot rocks below.\u00a0 Pretty cool.\u00a0 You can also look down into the Kilauea crater and see gases raising up from the lava lake.\u00a0 The problem is that the lake stays about 150 feet below.\u00a0 At night you see a glow – a faint one.\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\u00a0 On the other side of the road is a \u00be mile trail of more vents and sulfur deposits.\u00a0 It\u2019s alright if you walk quickly.<\/p>\n
Prior to 2018 one could go 5 miles farther down Crater Rim Drive to the Jagger building.\u00a0 In 2018 lava drained out of the caldera and the surrounding land collapsed into the caldera.\u00a0 This undermined the land around the Jaggar building and it will likely never open.\u00a0 Driving back to the gate, you veer right to go to the Thursen Lava tube.\u00a0 It is only a couple miles of beautiful road so this is a must.\u00a0 Park your car as best as possible and go down the steps to the tube.\u00a0 It is a short, well lit tube.\u00a0 You then climb the stairs back to your car.\u00a0 If you continue the drive you will end up near the ocean until the road stops.\u00a0 You then have to drive all the way back up.\u00a0 No time for this [eh don’t say this].\u00a0 That is all one can do unless you enjoy hiking rocky, barren trails. [Some people really like hikes? maybe add more for this?]<\/p>\n
About 5 miles back down highway 11 you will see Akatsuka Orchid Gardens.\u00a0 Make this a 10 minute stop, if at all.\u00a0 The orchids are expensive and nothing you can\u2019t buy at home.\u00a0 They just started charging to walk around the store where growing orchids are sitting.\u00a0 It’s a silly tourist trap.<\/p>\n
Ready for dinner?\u00a0 Drive back to Ponds in Hilo.\u00a0 The food is excellent and you views of the water around the restaurant with the Koi are great.\u00a0 Another great place in Pineapples in downtown.\u00a0 Pineapples doesn\u2019t have views, but it has a younger crown and usually live music.<\/p>\n
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You messed up.\u00a0 You booked most of your vacation in Kona because that\u2019s where the nice hotels are.\u00a0 You arrive in Kona and realize the place looks like a moon landscape and your hotel doesn\u2019t even have a beach. You decide to travel to the Hilo side while you are on island.\u00a0 Maybe you just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n