Travels Outside Kailua Town

We stayed on the west side of the Big Island, and took a day trip to visit the east side, including the county seat of Hilo. Hilo is a very rainy region, with averages of 170-200 inches a year, but was fairly dry on our visit. It's a lovely beach town with a quaint, laid-back vibe.


We stopped at a statue honoring King Kamehameha, the chief who conquered all the Hawaiian islands in 1810.

Nearby, we stopped at a park with these beautiful, gigantic banyan trees. That's Cora in front, looking so tiny!

Up close, the trees were just as fascinating.

The 442-foot Akaka Falls were gorgeous, and we enjoyed a wet hike through a rainforest to reach the lookout point.

We also spent a couple of hours at the Place of Refuge, a state park showcasing the history of the island. This temple was where lawbreakers could flee to find safety and mercy from capital punishment (which might be the consequence for even minor offenses).

We also took a tour of a coffee farm, since Kona coffee is a major industry and my parents and I are majorly into good coffee.

This man we're with, Emmerich, runs a company from an open-air shed that supplies the farms with equipment. He also roasts and sells beans and macadamia nuts. We visited him and bought some treasures to take home.