Hilo, Hawaii

On Friday, August 23, we flew from Sacramento to Hilo, Hawaii, where we will be staying the next month. This is our fourth trip to the Hawaiian Islands, but our first time on The Big Island. With one connecting flight and a 3-hour time difference, we landed in the Hilo airport by 2:00 p.m.  We have stationed ourselves in an apartment in a residential area, walking distance from Old Town Hilo and the daily Farmers Market. I am in tropical fruit heaven, by the way, with the abundance of (cheap) papayas, mangos, starfruit, bananas, pineapple, and many other exotic varieties I've yet to sample. We didn't do much on arrival day other than make a quick run to the Safeway to get enough food for the next couple of meals. But on Saturday, we started exploring both on foot and by car. There is much to do and much to learn, but we feel well prepared for the task with our guide books, maps, and camera in hand. Yes, we probably do look like typical mainlander tourists, but we are trying our best to respect the prevailing culture while still getting the full Island experience. During our stay we want to explore the Volcanoes National Park, drive up to the Astronomy Museum and Visitor Center on Mauna Kea, do some hiking, golf, snorkel, visit the beaches, tour the botanical gardens, see waterfalls, tour a coffee plantation, and take the opportunity to drive the perimeter of the Island, which spans about 220 miles. Here are some photographs from our first couple of days in and around Hilo.