Hilo

A trip to Hilo is a trip to the lush, green, breathtakingly photographic side of Hawai`i Island. Here one finds the anticipated Hawai`i -- wild ginger blooming along the roadsides, waterfalls plunging through hillside jungles ...and rainbows. Hilo is blessed with more rain than any other city in the U.S. (averaging about 120" annually), and the gulches and hillsides around the Hilo area have more shades of green than there are names for. The rain-washed air is sweetened by flowers, and wonderful to breathe. Deep blue waves shatter into white spray against and over the jagged jet-black shoreline edged in vibrant greens. Colorfully dressed and undressed children splash in the calmer pools and sheltered beach areas edging Hilo Bay. Hilo (pronounced hee-low) is the town time forgot, with its false-front stores, covered sidewalks, and small town charm. Life moves at a slow, friendly pace. Shopping in downtown Hilo is an international adventure, free of "tourist traps". Pick up a walking tour map and just stroll around Old Hilo Town. Refresh yourself with a paper cone of shaved ice in some exotic flavor (be real "local", order the li hing mui shaved ice), or sample the preserved seed so loved by locals. See how many old hitching rings you can spot, and figure out why Hilo's sidewalks are black instead of gray. Be sure to visit the farmers' market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings for locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Vendors offer taste samples of the more unusual produce, and sprays of orchids or bouquets of exotic flowers can be bought for just a few dollars. This county seat wears a wide greenbelt of parks and soccer fields along its half-mile-long black sand beach. Several local canoe clubs house their outrigger canoes along the water's edge, hold practices after work, and, during the summer, compete in day-long regattas with other canoe clubs from around the island and the state. Each paddling club sets up a food booth to help pay expenses, and this is real local food. A canoe meet is a "must" experience for visitors. If you are lucky enough to be in Hilo when it rains, grab an umbrella and go for a walk.

The rain is blissfully warm, and brightly-colored umbrellas pop up everywhere. These are not your ordinary umbrellas, as Hilo people favor the large size usually found in golf bags. Few sports events are cancelled by rain, and the sidelines may be a cheery line-up of umbrellas topping shorts, bare legs, and rubber slippers. Local folks love to be outdoors. Walkers and runners favor the beautiful oceanfront. Others fish along the waterfront and at Wailoa State Park. Golfers abound, and surfers dot the ocean just off downtown, and 2 miles up the coast at Honoli`i. There are public tennis courts and an Olympic-size pool. A favorite picnic spot is the beautiful Lili`uokalani Park, 30 acres of Japanese gardens with fishponds, gazebos, bridges, and a spectacular view across Hilo Bay of the town as it hugs the crescent ("hilo") beach and edges up Mauna Kea's gentle slopes. Nearby, and across a footbridge, is Coconut Island, just big enough for picnics and open-air concerts. It is from here the fireworks are launched to delight Hiloans on the Fourth of July, as they gather, Norman Rockwell-like, in the park surrounding Mo`oheau Bandstand, across from the farmer's market. In the last few years Hilo has attracted a number of restaurateurs serving delicious and varied fare, and the appropriate dress ranges from quite casual to more dressy, yet none requires a coat and tie.

21 °C


Rain, moderate rain (1.27 mm last hour)


Wind3.09 m/s
Cloudiness100 %
Temperature (min/max)21/21 °C
Pressure1021 hpa
Humidity96 %
Last update: 23 Dec 2024 @ 15:37

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