Holoholo: Day Trips

Out & About in Hilo

Hilo has more park space along its bay front than any other city in Hawaii, but that’s because it suffered hardest from the state’s worst natural disasters, the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis. Instead of tempting fate and rebuilding homes and businesses too close to the ocean, the tsunami-stricken areas were transformed into parks and sports fields. One gem is the serene

Lili`uokalani Gardens, just off Banyan Drive. A stroll among its ponds, shaded lawns and Japanese bridges reveals magnificent views of Maunakea, Hilo Town and the coastline. Walk across the footbridge to Moku Ola (Coconut Island) to watch the sunset. Banyan Drive, where Hilo’s larger hotels are located, is where some of the town’s VIP visitors (Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, Cecil B. DeMille, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon) planted commemorative banyan trees. Today the banyans are huge, their leafy canopies shading the road.

Warrior Alert: the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) has placed Warrior Markers along the road at points of interest throughout the main Hawaiian Islands. A Warrior points the way to a 12-foot-high bronze statue of King Kamehameha the Great, standing vigil at Wailoa State Park. The sprawling green park encompasses the Waiakea Fish Pond, where families of ducks welcome bread crumbs. The art exhibits at the Wailoa Center near Kamehameha’s statue rotate monthly.

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The beauty and natural resources of East Hawaii have inspired legions of talented artists and photographers. Revolving exhibits by some of Hawaii’s most distinctive artists are displayed at the East Hawaii Cultural Center in the heart of Downtown Hilo, and it’s free. Other excellent art galleries in Downtown Hilo offer painting, photography, native woodcrafts, woven lau hala (pandanus leaf) hand-blown glass and pottery by local artists.

Downtown Hilo is a charming contradiction of old and new. Shops, restaurants, museums and art galleries reside in historic buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

One window into the town’s past is the Pacific Tsunami Museum, which shows how radically the destruction caused by huge earthquake-generated waves has changed the social and economic structure of the community. Pick up the museum’s free brochure, the East Hawaii Driving and Walking Tour of Historical Tsunami Sites. After the museum, head up the street to Sig Zane Designs. Sig’s upscale aloha wear reflects a bright homage to Hawaii plants and flowers, and island residents adore his threads.

More historical insight is at the Lyman Museum, which brings Hawaii’s natural history and culture front and center. On display are precious native artifacts and treasures, as well as exceptional exhibits from around the globe that change regularly. The museum is named for the Rev. and Mrs. David Belden Lyman, Christian missionaries who influenced Hilo during the mid 1800s. Sign up for a guided tour of their Mission House next door, lovingly restored and furnished with the Lyman’s original household items.

Spend more worthwhile time at the Mokupapapa Discovery Center for Hawaii ‘s Remote Coral Reefs. This free exhibit reveals an interesting look at the remote 1,200-mile string of atolls and islets that lies north of Kauai, the largest conservation district in the United States. Right next door is Café Pesto, one of Hilo’s most popular restaurants. Lunch and dinner selections showcase fresh local ingredients.

Don’t miss Hilo’s newest world-class attraction, the Imiloa Astronomy Center, housed beneath three striking titanium cones representing volcanoes. Imiloa (“exploring new knowledge”), which opened to the public in early 2006, offers two perspectives of the 13,796-foot Maunakea (“White Mountain”) volcano—its sacred cultural significance to Hawaiians, and its importance as the world’s foremost astronomy site. Interactive exhibits include a “walk” through a koa (native hardwood) forest to an ancient Hawaiian adze quarry near the summit, but what’s really out of this world is “stargazing” in the large planetarium. This Imax-style movie presentation makes viewers feel like they’re flying through space.

Imiloa enlightens folks about the world’s tallest mountain, but there’s nothing like visiting Maunakea in person. The 13,796-foot summit can easily be reached from Hilo in about an hour, but winter clothes, a 4WD vehicle and at least a half-hour stop at the visitors’ center (about 9,000 feet) to acclimate to the elevation are recommended. There’s no admission fee, but be sure to pay attention to weather reports, because winter snowstorms can close off the “top of the world” to the rest of the world. You may want to spring for an organized expedition with a reputable tour company. It is money well spent, and leaves no question as to why so many nations have chosen Hawaii’s highest peak to peek into the heavens. Hearty hikers with warm clothes and big lungs will enjoy traipsing over the cinders in the cold, thin air. Note: Pregnant women, people with respiratory problems and young children should avoid the summit.

Waterfall Wonders-Hilo makes chasing waterfalls easy, fun and rewarding. Some of the abundant rainfall and moisture gathered by Maunaloa and Maunakea becomes the Wailuku River, feeding waterfalls and ponds along its canopied ride through Hilo to the sea. Two beautiful falls are easily accessed within the Wailuku River State Park. One of them, Rainbow Falls, drops some 80 feet to the pool below.

Peepee Falls (pronounced Peh-EH Peh-EH, silly), and its pools, or “Boiling Pots,” are just a couple miles mauka (toward the mountain or upland) from Rainbow Falls. Please remember: nature is not an amusement park. There are no lifeguards or den mothers on duty and the falls and river pools are not safe for swimming. More waterfalls are found on Day Five.

The Hilo Farmers Market lures both locals and visitors downtown with East Hawaii’s freshest delights at affordable prices. You’ll find a colorful selection of locally grown exotic fruit, herbs, vegetables, flowers, lei, island honeys, macadamia nuts, fresh fish, bakery items, and handcrafts. The full-fledged market happens every Wednesday and Saturday, but some vendors are there most every day. Insider’s Tip: 95 percent of Hawaiian papayas are grown in East Hawaii. Look for strawberry papayas, a local delicacy. They look like regular papayas, but their beautiful pinkish-orange flesh is sweeter and juicier.

The beaches of Hilo are definitely worth checking out, but don’t expect white sand and Mai Tai bars. Instead, you’ll find great little patches of black sand and calm, clear tidepools ideal for children. There are rocky points where easterly swells pound the lava coastline, local fishing spots and, offshore, imposing currents that command respect. On sunny weekends, local ohana (families) outfitted with barbecues and coolers, flock to the beach parks. The beach parks in the Keaukaha area are the most popular.

Let the keiki (children) splash around in the big, protected, sandy-bottomed sea pool at Onekahakaha Beach Park, and if conditions are calm, splash some more at Richardson Ocean Park, which has two black sand beaches. Snorkeling here can be very good in calm weather. James Kealoha Beach Park (you’ll hear locals refer to it as Four Mile or Carlsmith’s) is another great spot for the keiki, with stairs leading down to the waist-high water. On the north side of town, Honolii Beach Park is a surfer’s dream during seasonal swells, and right in front of town is the long crescent of black sand beach along Hilo Bayfront (not good for swimming), from where canoe clubs launch their outriggers. During the summer paddling season, there is regatta racing here nearly every weekend.

A quick word about rain: Hilo is beautified by an average of 130 inches of rain per year, resulting in abundant waterfalls and rainbows, and lush, fertile rainforests and farmlands. But the rains often come at night, clearing by afternoon. And you can always pick up an inexpensive umbrella at KTA Supermarket , or for more stylish protection, check out the selection at Sig Zane Designs or nearby Basically Books in Downtown Hilo. While you’re there, browse the excellent selection of Hawaiian books, maps, music, guidebooks and other items.

After Dark: Find out what’s happening downtown at the Palace Theater, Hilo’s top venue for live theater, concerts and interesting movies. This stately performing arts center was built in 1925 and has excellent natural acoustics and a dramatic interior. The night’s act could be anything from the soulful vocals of a Hawaiian chanter, to an Agatha Christie mystery performed on stage. Reggae acts, independent films and dance troupes are often in the mix.