Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
square-foot park is divided into two sections: one for vertical skating with a
peanut-shaped bowl with 10- and 7-foot deep ends, and the other side for street
skating with ramps, curbs, and rails. Helmets are required at all times. Bring
your own skateboard—there are no rentals on the Big Island.
SWIMMING
Most likely the hotel or condo where you are staying will have a pool. If it
doesn't, Hawaii County has nine swimming pools located around the island. For
information on the one closest to where you are staying, contact
Hawaii County
Department of Parks and Recreation,
25 Apuni St., Hilo, HI 96720 (
&
808/
961-8694;
www.hawaii-county.com/parks/aquatics_program_guide.htm).
TENNIS
You can play for free at any Hawaii County tennis court; for a detailed list of all
courts on the island, contact
Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recre-
ation,
25 Apuni St., Hilo, HI 96720 (
&
808/961-8720;
www.hawaii-
county.com/parks/parks.htm). The best courts in Hilo are at the Hoolulu Tennis
Stadium, located next to the Civic Auditorium on Manono Street; in Kona, the
best courts are at Old Airport Park.
Most of the resorts in the Kona-Kohala area do not allow nonguests to use
their tennis facilities.
8 Shopping with Your Kids
The Big Island will give you plenty of opportunity to spend, spend, spend.
There's not a lot of mega-mall shopping centers on Hawaii's largest island, but
there are plenty of unique boutique shops to browse. The visual arts are flour-
ishing on this island, but beware: The line between shop and gallery can often
be too fine to determine. Too many self-proclaimed “galleries” sell schlock or a
mixture of arts, crafts, and tacky souvenirs. T-shirts and Kona coffee mugs are
souvenir staples in many so-called galleries.
Shops in resort areas generally open around 9 to 10am and close around 9pm.
Shops in nonresort areas open around 9am and close about 5pm.
THE SHOPPING SCENE
KAILUA-KONA
Kailua-Kona's shopping prospects pour into the streets in a festival atmosphere
of T-shirts, trinkets, and dime-a-dozen souvenirs, with Alii Drive at the center
of this activity. But the
Coconut Grove Market Place,
on Alii Drive, across the
street from the seawall, has changed that image and added new shops around a
sand volleyball court. Great shops to check out include:
Rift Zone
gallery (
&
808/
331-1100
), offering a large selection of ceramics and crafts by island artists;
Kane Coconut Grove
(
&
808/334-1717
), a good source of aloha wear for men
and women; and
Giggles
(
&
808/329-7763
), a collection of “fun and fancy
fashions for kids.”
HOLUALOA
Charming Holualoa, 1,400 feet and 10 minutes above Kailua-Kona at the top
of Hualalai Road, is a place for strong espresso, leisurely gallery hopping, and
nostalgic explorations across several cultural and time zones. One narrow road
takes you across generations and cultures. Prominent Holualoa artists include
Setsuko and Hiroki Morinoue of
Studio 7
(
&
808/324-1335
), who exhibit
their work in a serene, beautiful setting; Matthew and Mary Lovein, who show
