Hilo

I imagine distint, misty volcanoes… trees with ripe fruit to be eaten… high surf and clean water… waterfalls… hidden groves in the forest… flowers everywhere… ahhh I imagine it to be like heaven!

Someday, someday soon, this is going to be my city. My place. It is everything I want in my city. It has first of all the friendliest people in the world living there and being there. It is all about aloha.

Hilo is th e gateway to the rest of the Big Island, and the gateway to the rest of the world.

It has Cafe Pesto, one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. You sit in there and look out on Hilo Bay, through palm trees, and eat yummy food and drink tropical drinks. Across the way is a fabulous gallery, and down the street, the Hamakua Coastline. Waterfalls, botanical gardens, dreams come true. The other way, big city beaches where you can swim with sea turtles. OK, you don’t think Hilo is big city? It has Ken’s House of Pancakes and a Harley Davidson rental place. Is that not big city for you?

And did I mention is it gorgeous?

And has the Tsunami Museum?

I love Hilo.

I met my father for the first time in Hilo, Hawaii = February 2007. What a beautiful place = I can’t wait to go back next year.

Things I liked
1. Overall, friendly patient people, very down to earth.
2. The food: Farmers market, Ken’s House of Pancakes, Hiro’s, 1 Plus 1 Cafe were all good. Lots of food for cheap.
3. University of Hawaii at Hilo.
4. Downtown Hilo with restaurants, small shops, and the farmers market.
5. Rainbow Falls close to town.
6. Hamakua Coast on the way up to Waimea/Waipio, one of the nicest drives I’ve been on.
7. Close to Volcano, reasonably close to black sand beaches, even driving around the island and back can be done in under a day.

Things I didn’t like
1. Coqui frogs.
2. Beaches are rocky (which makes sense, given that parts of this side of the island are really young), though a black sand beach is fairly (~45 min.) close by.
3. While there’s not a lot of people per se, and while places like the shopping malls have a lot of parking, everybody goes there creating (relative) parking problems.

Check out the Japanese lunch spot on the main drag (facing the bay)!

Summer of 2006 I housesitted for my aunt in Hilo, Hawaii. Hilo is a quiet beach town that is very differant from the other islands and the other cities of Hawaii. Great farmer’s market, the Palace theater is a must, but also the Kress, the dollar theatre which is a great way to spend the afternoon to save yourself from a sunburn. Sometimes it can rain for a week solid but when everything is going right it rains all night and suns all day. THe beaches are rocky and not always sand, but the hidden places like the hot ponds, black sand beach, and lava make up for the slight inconvience. I recomend water shoes in the ocean. AND SNORKLING.

Now I did not know when I said this last time I was here that the “other day” would be when I came back. I guess the simple fact that it rains here all the time might have had more to do with the rain then some personal vendetta of the rain clouds against me, but I can still complain. Can’t I?

OK. Hilo is awesome if you can take the rain. Rainbow Falls is a place that is worth seeing. I am not a big fan of towns so I will not talk about that much. I will say that there are so many nice places over in Kona that you can rent for really cheap that have 3 – 15 acres of land you can play on. Trust me it is awesome for an island boy who is used to living in his 904 sqft apartment.

it’s a little crowded for some local tastes but all in all the heart of hilo is beating with thunder! you have to like the rain to visit here. it generally rains on and off almost everyday. about 12 inches of rain a month average. although march 2006 was over 30… hah, but that was pretty rare. but the people are amazing. no doubt you will make at least one friend for life. everything is pretty easily accessible by walking. i go to UHH and it’s about an hour’s walk to the beach, 30 minutes to the farmer’s market and everything is is just inbetween. not the most exciting night life unless you know people. some of the best stuff are local gatherings. but there are few bars and a pub in the area playing local music and DJ’ing and what not. tons of geckos and not too many mosquitoes. hilo is my heaven. the negatives in hawai’i, grocery shopping is always a bite in the bum cuz most stuff is shipped from the mainland. my advice to people is that if you want something, get it at the farmer’s market if you can. it’s a good town. i don’t think it’s too populated, but then again i spent half of my life in brooklyn, NY. hah! some locals don’t like the growth but i can say it will NEVER BE AS BAD AS HONOLULU! this place is simply magical. it really is.

It’s a nice place, a little sleepy, oftentimes rainy, growing to big, but still nice.

Waking up to gentle rain every morning, then sunny blue skies all day, exploring lush waterfalls…perfection!