Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Volcano-Visiting Tip
Thanks to its higher elevation and windward (rainier) location, this neck
of the woods is always colder than it is at the beach. If you're coming
from the Kona side of the island in summer, expect it to be at least 10° to
20°F cooler at the volcano; bring a sweater or light jacket. In the winter
months, expect temperatures to be in the 40s (4° and up Celsius) or 50s
(teens Celsius), and dress accordingly. Always have rain gear on hand,
especially in winter.
Tips
Lymans, and one of the first mirrors in Hawaii. The kids will probably skip the
artifacts and go straight to the interactive, high-tech exhibits.
276 Haili St. (at Kapiolani St.), Hilo.
&
808/935-5021.
www.lymanmuseum.org. Admission $10 adults, $8
seniors over 60, $3 children 6-17; $21 per family. Mon-Sat 9am-4:30pm.
Maunaloa Macadamia Nut Factory
All ages.
Spend a half-hour exploring
this unique factory and learn how Hawaii's favorite nut is grown and processed.
And, of course, you'll want to sample the tasty mac nuts, too.
Macadamia Nut Rd. (8 miles from Hilo, off Hwy. 11), Hilo.
&
888/MAUNA LOA
or 808/966-8618. www.
maunaloa.com. Free admission; self-guided factory tours. Daily 8:30am-5pm. From Hwy. 11, turn on
Macadamia Nut Rd.; go 3 miles down the road to the factory.
Naha Stone
All ages.
Make a quick 10-minute stop at this 2
1
⁄
2
-ton stone,
which was used as a test of royal strength: Ancient legend said that whoever
could move the stone would conquer and unite the islands. As a 14-year-old boy,
King Kamehameha the Great moved the stone—and later fulfilled his destiny.
The Pinao stone, next to it, once guarded an ancient temple.
In front of Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Ave.
Pacific Tsunami Museum
Ages 7 and above.
Oddly enough, pre-teen
boys love this museum. Volunteers who survived Hawaii's most deadly “walls of
water” in 1946 and 1960, both of which reshaped the town of Hilo, tell their
stories of terror as they walk you through a range of exhibits, from interactive
computers to a children's section to a display on what happens when a local
earthquake triggers a seismic wave, as it did in 1975 during the Big Island's last
tsunami. Plan at least an hour here.
130 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo.
&
808/935-0926.
www.tsunami.org. Admission $7 adults, $6 seniors, $2 stu-
dents and children. Mon-Sat 9am-4pm.
Panaewa Rainforest Zoo
All ages.
This 12-acre zoo, nestled in the heart
of the Panaewa Forest Reserve south of Hilo, is the only outdoor rainforest zoo
in the United States. Some 50 species of animals from rainforests around the
globe call Panaewa home—including several endangered Hawaiian birds. All of
them are exhibited in a natural setting. This is one of the few zoos where you
can observe Sumatran tigers, Brazilian tapirs, and the rare pygmy hippopota-
mus, an endangered “minihippo” found in Western Africa. Plan to spend a cou-
ple of hours and bring a picnic lunch.
Stainback Hwy. (off Hwy. 11), Hilo.
&
808/959-7224.
www.hilozoo.com. Free admission. Daily 9am-4pm.
Rainbow Falls
All ages.
Go in the morning, around 9 or 10am,
just as the sun comes over the mango trees, to see Rainbow Falls at its best. If it's
not raining, within 10 minutes the 80-foot falls, spilling into a big round natu-
Moments
