Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SAFETY TIPS
Always check the weather and Mauna Kea road conditions
before you head out (
&
808/969-3218
). Dress warmly; the temperatures drop
into the 30s after dark. Drink as much liquid as possible, avoiding alcohol and
coffee, in the 36 hours surrounding your trip, to avoid dehydration. Don't go
within 24 hours of scuba diving—you could get the bends. The day before you
go, avoid gas-producing foods, such as beans, cabbage, onions, soft drinks, or
starches. If you smoke, take a break for 48 hours to allow the carbon monoxide
in your bloodstream to dissipate—you need all the oxygen you can get. Wear
dark sunglasses to avoid snow blindness, and use lots of sunscreen and lip balm.
Pregnant women and anyone under 13 or with a heart condition or lung ailment
are advised to stay below. Once you're at the top, don't overexert yourself; it's bad
for your heart. Take it easy up here.
ACCESS POINTS & VISITOR CENTERS
Before you climb the mountain,
you've got to find it. It's about an hour from Hilo or Waimea to the visitor center
and another 30 to 45 minutes from here to the summit. Take the Saddle Road
(Hwy. 200) from Highway 190; it's about 19 miles to Mauna Kea State Recre-
ation Area, a good place to stop and stretch your legs. Go another 9 miles to the
unmarked Summit Road turnoff, at mile marker 28 (about 9,300 ft.), across
from the Hunter's Check-in Station. The higher you go, the more lightheaded
you get, sometimes even dizzy; this usually sets in after the 9,600-foot marker
(about 6
1
⁄
4
miles up Summit Rd.), the site of the last comfort zone and the
Onizuka Visitor Center
(
&
808/961-2180;
www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis).
Named in memory of Hawaii's fallen astronaut, a native of the Big Island and a
victim of the
Challenger
explosion, the center is open daily from 9am to 10pm.
Every night from 6 to 10pm, you can do some serious
stargazing
from the
Onizuka Visitor Center. There's a free lecture at 6pm, followed by a video, a
question-and-answer session, and your chance to peer through 11-inch, 14-
inch, and 16-inch telescopes. Bring a snack and, if you've got them, your own
telescope or binoculars, along with a flashlight (with a red filter). Dress for 30°
to 40°F (-1° to 4°C) temperatures, but call for the weather report first (
&
808/
961-5582
).
THE HAMAKUA COAST
The rich history of 117 years of the sugar industry, along the scenic 45-mile
coastline from Hilo to Hamakua, comes alive in the interpretive
Hilo-Hamakua
Heritage Coast
drive guide, produced by the
Hawaii Island Economic Devel-
opment Board,
200 Kanoelehua Ave., Suite 103, Hilo, HI 96720 (
&
808/966-
5416
).
The free guide not only points out the historic sites and museums, scenic
photo opportunities, restaurants and stores, and even restrooms along the
Hawaii Belt Road (Hwy. 19), but has corresponding brown-and-white, points-
of-interest signs on the highway. Visitor information centers anchored at either
end in Hilo and in Hamakua offer additional information on the area.
NATURAL WONDERS ALONG THE COAST
Akaka Falls
All ages.
In about a half-hour you can see one of Hawaii's
most scenic waterfalls via an easy, 1-mile paved loop through a rainforest, past
bamboo and ginger, and down to an observation point. You'll have a perfect
view of 442-foot Akaka Falls and nearby Kahuna Falls (a mere 100-ft.). Keep
your eyes peeled for rainbows.
