Hope everyone had a great weekend!
After 4 days at sea we have made our first stop to Hilo. We decided since we have visited Hilo many times in the past, to walk instead of taking a taxi or van to stop at the various gardens/parks/falls. It was a beautiful overcast day with temps in the mid-70’s and we began our 4.5 mile walk from the cruise ship to Rainbow Falls. For those that have not visited Hilo, don’t miss out on taking a tour to: 1) Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where you can see two of the world’s most active volcanoes and lava landscapes while getting insight into the birth of the Hawaiian Islands; 2) Tropical Botanical Gardens – This unique garden is situated in a 40-acre valley, rich with fertile volcanic soil and protected from the trade winds. The garden is filled with tropical flora, such as orchids, anthuriums and native plants as well as picturesque waterfalls and walking paths; 3) Falls cascading over 440 feet down to the gorge below at Rainbow Falls. The picturesque Rainbow Falls gets its name for the rainbows that appear when the cascade hits the water below and the mist creates a prism of color in the dazzling sunlight; 4) Outdoor adventures – hiking, caving snorkeling, and kayaking amidst waterfalls are just some of the incredible activities you can participate in on Hilo. Something new at Hilo is a “Hoppa-On, Hoppa-Off” bus that takes you around Hilo for a reasonable price of $15 per person for the day.
Our first stop was at Kahio Kalaniana Ole Park where we took several photos of our cruise ship, Golden Princess in the background along with local families enjoying the outdoor water activities (kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, stand up paddleboarding, etc.).
Next we continued to Banyan Drive where the roadway is lined with Banyan trees as a result of monetary donations received by famous individuals such as Amelia Earhart, Richard Nixon (senator at the time), and Babe Ruth to mention a few. From Banyan Drive we walked through Liliuokalani Gardens which was beautiful and saw many families enjoying their Sunday family day at the park.
Upon completing about 2 miles of our walk we came to the town of Hilo and started our remaining 2.5 mile up-hill walk to Rainbow Falls. Once we viewed the sights at Rainbow Falls we headed back to the town of Hilo and did some shopping at local artist stores and visited their farmer’s market. At this point, we laughed as we wondered how many walked from the cruise ship to Rainbow Falls. Answer: 2 – just us!
We headed towards the cruise ship walking along the bay area for our return walk watching many families still enjoying their many water activities.
Next stop Honolulu!