The 442 foot plunge of Akaka Falls is likely the biggest natural attraction on the island, and matched with the smallest parking lot it was a pain in the ass to see. Add to it the $5 “parking fee”, which of course you have to pay even if you do...
The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve located just North of Hilo on the East side of the big island. The garden is located in a scenic valley opening out to Onomea Bay, and features streams, waterfalls and a boardwalk along the ocean. It ...
It is rare that the Hilo side of the Big Island gives a sunny day, but this morning was one of those days. Perfect weather to stroll the local zoo and snap a few photos of animals and plants (plants are th perfect models if you ask me). While the...
Before leaving the Hilo side of the Island I had to visit to super-easy-to-visit Rainbow Falls State park which features… well, Rainbow Falls which has an 80-foot drop and is known for the rainbows that are formed in the surrounding mist (not for me this day). It is easily within...
The Kipukapuaulu Trail is an easy 1.2 mile hike through the “Bird Park” portion of Volcanoes National Park. It is an area of older vegetation surrounded by more recent lava flows from Mauna Loa. I was surprised at the trailhead signage stating that 2-3 hours were required to hike this...
After four days camping, hiking, and exploring I was desperately in need of a shower, so the Wild Ginger Hostel in Hilo became my second ever hostel visited in my life. The original plan was to simply pay for a shower and camp at a beach not far out of...
Chain of Craters Road is a 19-mile winding paved road through the East Rift and coastal area of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The original road, built in 1928, connected Crater Rim Drive to Makaopuhi Crater. The road was lengthened to reach the tiny town of Kalapana in 1959. The...
Kilauea Iki is a collapse crater adjacent to the main summit caldera of the active volcano, Kilauea. Beginning in August of 1959, geologists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory began detecting a swarm of deep earthquakes on seismographs located at the observatory. By early October, measurements indicated that the summit of...
Kīlauea is a currently hyperactive shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, and the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaiʻi, and, perhaps, the most active volcano on earth. – Wikipedia If I had read up on Kilauea before my visit, maybe I would have...
Thurston Lava Tube, also called Nahuku, is located in the rain forest ecological zone of the National Park. The abundant rainfall contributes to the lush growth of the forest canopy trees and the understorey vegetation. The hike inside lava tube itself is short and a bit to sanitized. With the...
