Fun things to do in Hilo

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For a unique experience, go see the black sand beach and watch the green turtles basking.
The turtles feed on the algae that flourishes in the brackish waters. Then they come up on the beach to rest.

This park has rocky tidepools along the coast. Beautiful blooming trees and a great place for a swim. We liked to go there standing on the rocks looking for the Green sea turtles.
The turtles feed in the shallow coastal waters around all the Hawaiian islands.

Downtown Hilo has a lot to offer if you appreciate small shops and like to see something besides chain stores and restaurants. Hilo has a special history and local flavor, and this is the place to experience it. There are several good restaurants, a great bookstore with items you won't find on the mainland, a classic old theater and a few galleries.

I used to hate when my parents forced me to go here with them. It was tiring spending a couple of hours haggling with Filipino immigrants over stuff you can buy in the store!! As a kid, you wonder why come here when the store is nicer? This place can be quite crowded.

The truth is, things are way cheaper here and you can find things not normally sold in stores. Many things are imported from Asia. There is also food sold in kiosks. It can be compared to an Arabic souq.

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King Kalakaua was the last king in the Hawaiian dynasty (Queen Liliuokalani was the last monarch). He was the second ruler who was not a part of the Kamehameha family. This park was dedicated to his memory and sits across of the federal building downtown. At the park's eastern border lies a memorial to the fallen soldiers during the Vietnam war. The park is beaufitul in the sunlight but unfortunately, Hilo isn't known for sun!

The Hawaii (Big Island) County Fair is one of the few times of the year Hilo really lights up. Most of the time, Hilo's quite dead to say the least. Legend has it that there is a curse on EK Fernandez so every year the fair comes around, it pours down torrential rains making it a muddy mess in the civic area. Flooding and parking are your biggest concerns at this time. It's rained for as long as I could remember every year on the dot. The fair offers rides for all ages and opens up several vendor booths on the inside. The rides are awesome but nothing compared to what they got on a daily basis in the mainland US. The best part is the food tent!!! Talk about gaining 30 lbs in a day.

The next fair is scheduled for Sept. 14-17 2006. Bring lots of money because it can be costly.

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Driving into Hilo, it's impossible to miss the exapnsive park along the bay. We learned later that the bayfront used to be a busy Japanese town that got washed out by both the tsunamies of 1946 and 1960. After those two devastingly expensive cleanups, it was decided this area would be best used as a park.

There is a statue of King Kamehameha in this park that is like the one on Oahu by the palace. Another interesting piece here is a clock on the side of Kamehameha Street is stopped at the exact time of the 1960 tsunami...1:04 am.

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We finally made it to Waipi'o Valley. Just continue up 19 north out of Hilo and follow the signs. This is probably one of the most beautiful spots on our whole trip. The view from the scenic overlook is just enough to make you never want to leave. This offers the quintessential photo for everyone's Hawai'i scrapbook.

This valley is held in high regards spiritually by the natives. They believe that the mana of their ancestors can be felt here. It is also here that King Kamehameha hid as a child to avoid assasination by the king.

There is another road you can access from this point...Waipi'o Valley Road. We didn't head down it, mainly because the 4-wheel drive vehicles were too rough riding while my hand was all pinned together. You need three tings to take this road:
1. A 4 wheel drive vehicle
2. Alot of experience driving steep roads in a 4 wheel drive vehicles
3. Alot of balls
This road has an incredible 45 degree down grade for 900 feet. The inexperienced will burn out their brakes.

There are many tour options that can get you into the valley more easily, including horseback.