I don’t know why, but I expected, after all the foreign ports we had approached by sea, that Hilo would look different….I guess more ‘merican (which, according to the urban dictionary, is a word that means “American”, but doesn’t require you to put your burger and fries down to use the shift button in order to create a capital letter for the “A”). But, it really didn’t. Located on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Hilo resembled many of the island towns we visited in Polynesia, with its volcanic landscape, local markets, small town feel, and laid-back people. Maybe because it is still in Polynesia, with a wide mixture of Pacific and Asian influence.
It was almost odd to be back in the United States, but somehow comforting and more relaxed so we did not have any scheduled sightseeing excursions here, even though the island boasts dramatic waterfalls, tropical botanical gardens, state parks, and snow-capped volcanos.
Many cities in the world have a “hop-on hop-off” bus for self-touring and Hilo has their own version, called the “Hoppa-On Hoppa-Off”. I found their little cottage terminal at the end of the pier and took a ride down the island past a neighborhood dedicated to exclusively housing local Hawaiian natives where, across the street on the oceanfront park, families had set up tents for the summer to enjoy picnics and weekends. Beyond was Richardson Beach and Park, popular for it’s volcanic rocks and black beaches, boogie boarding, and snorkeling among the sea turtles.
Back in town, the bus zig-zagged through Hilo, past the Federal building, the towering King Kamehameha statue, the historic colonial Masonic Lodge building, and the Pacific Tsunami Museum, dedicated to the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960 that nearly swallowed the town. Just west of Hilo we visited Wailuku River State Park, home to the 80-foot Rainbow Falls, where we could take a short hike to the banyan forest above.
I got off at the bus station on the oceanfront park along the main street of Hilo, now a vibrant town of about 44,000 with restaurants, unique shops, galleries, and even the Hot Yoga Hilo studio. I met Dean and some friends and we strolled around the popular Hilo Farmers’ Market with fruits, vegetables, and Korean and Thai condiments on one side of the street, and a wide array of jewelry, clothing, and souvenirs on the other.
Beside the market was a variety of tempting food trucks, including Mr. D’s Bar-B-Q On a Stick, a challenge for us Kansas City BBQ aficionados. We opted to eat lunch instead at Cafe Pesto, a nice restaurant in a quaint restored historic building on Kamehameha Avenue, where we had Italian fare….’merican style.
Didn’t know it could be skied! That would be fun! Ski in the morning….lay on the beach in the afternoon!
And ….. they speak English! Did you take some Hawaiian Money (Hah!). Of course, if you had a little more time you could ski Mauna Kea. They frequently have 100 square miles of ski area, though it’s pretty high, starting about 13,000 feet. It’s one of my favorite islands because it is so diverse.