It’s worth a stop along Banyan Drive—especially if the coast is clear and the summit of Mauna Kea is free of clouds—to make the short walk across the concrete-arch bridge to Moku Ola (Coconut Island) , for a panoramic sense of Hilo Bay and its surroundings.
Continuing on Banyan Drive, just south of Coconut Island, are Liliuokalani Gardens , the largest formal Japanese garden this side of Tokyo. The 30-acre park, named for the last monarch of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, and dedicated in 1917 to the islands’ first Japanese immigrants, is picturesque (if occasionally a little unkempt), with stone lanterns, koi ponds, pagodas, rock gardens, bonsai, and a moon-gate bridge. Admission is free; it’s open 24 hours.
Kaumana Caves Park NATURAL ATTRACTION Pick up an inexpensive flashlight or headlight ($5–$15) at Walmart in Hilo or Kona before visiting this wilder, longer sibling to the more famous Nahuku (Thurston) lava tube (p. 207) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. As the sign warns, there are “no lights, no walkway” in this eerily fascinating set of caves formed by an 1881 lava flow that threatened downtown Hilo. Princess Ruth Keelikolani is credited with saving the town by praying to Pele to halt the lava. You can thank the county for maintaining the steep concrete stairs leading into the lava tube’s fern-lined “skylight,” where the larger right entrance offers a short loop trail and the left entrance leads to a more challenging (that is, watch your head) out-and-back path. Your flashlight will help you spot the lava that cooled fast enough to keep its red cover, and help you avoid stumbling over protruding roots. Wear long sleeves, since it can be cool and dripping, and sturdy shoes, to avoid slipping on the often-slick cave floor.
Kaumana Dr. (Hwy. 200), west of Akala Road (4-mile marker), Hilo. Driving from Hilo, caves are on right and parking lot is on left; cross road carefully. Free.
Lyman Museum & Mission House MUSEUM/HISTORIC SITE Yankee missionaries Rev. David and Sarah Lyman had been married for just 24 days before they set sail for Hawaii in 1832, arriving 6 months later in a beautiful but utterly foreign land. Seven years later, they built this two-story home for their growing family (eventually seven children) in a blend of Hawaiian and New England design, with plastered walls, koa floors, and lanais on both floors. It’s now the Mission House, a museum of 19th-century missionary life. You can only visit the house as part of a guided tour, offered twice daily except Sunday.
The larger, modern Lyman Museum next door gives a broader perspective of Hawaiian history and culture. Walk through a lava tube and make your way through multiple climate zones in the Earth Heritage Gallery’s “Habitats of Hawaii” exhibit, with recorded bird sounds and full-scale replicas of sea life; mineral and shell enthusiasts can pore over an extensive collection. The Island Heritage Gallery examines the life of early Hawaiians, with artifacts such as stone poi pounders, wooden bowls, and kapa, the delicate bark cloth; other displays showcase clothing and other artifacts of plantation-era immigrant cultures.
276 Haili St. (at Kapiolani St.). www.lymanmuseum.org. 808/935-5021. $10 adults, $8 seniors 60 and over, $5 college students, $3 children 6–17; $21 per family. Mon–Sat 10am–4:30pm; guided house tours at 11am and 2pm (call to reserve).
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory FACTORY TOUR It’s a 3-mile drive through macadamia nut orchards before you reach the visitor center of this factory, where you can learn how the islands’ favorite nut is grown and processed. (It’s best to visit weekdays, when the actual husking, drying, roasting, and candy-making takes place; otherwise, you can watch short videos at each station.) The gift shop—mobbed when tour buses are in the parking lot—offers free samples and predictable souvenirs; a few items, such as Maunaloa chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread, appear to be exclusive.
16-701 Macadamia Rd., Keaau (5 miles from Hilo, 20 miles from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park). www.maunaloa.com/visitor-center. 888/628-6256 or 808/966-8618. Free; self-guided factory tours. Daily 8:30am–5pm (factory closed weekdays and holidays). Heading south from Hilo on Hwy. 11, turn left on Macadamia Rd., and head 3 miles to factory; it’s 20 miles north of Volcano.
Mokupapapa Discovery Center MUSEUM You may never get to the vast coral-reef system that is the Northwest Hawaiian Islands—the protected chain of islets and atolls spanning 1,200 nautical miles is remote (stretching from Nihoa, 155 miles northwest of Kauai, to Kure Atoll, 56 miles west of Midway), and visitation is severely limited. But if you’re in downtown Hilo, you can explore the wonders of the region that President George W. Bush protected as Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in 2008 (and President Barack Obama expanded in 2016). Inside a handsomely renovated, century-old building, the Mokupapapa Discovery Center reveals the beauties and mysteries of the World Heritage Site’s ecosystem and its relationship with Hawaiian culture. Exhibits include a 3,500-gallon saltwater aquarium with brilliant coral and reef fish; the sounds of Hawaiian chants and seabirds; interactive displays on each of the islets; a life-size Hawaiian monk seal exhibit, and life-size models of giant fish, sharks, and the manta ray. Both the content and the cost of admission—free—are great for families.
Imiloa: Exploring the unknown
The star attraction, literally and figuratively, of Hilo is Imiloa: Astronomy Center of Hawaii . The 300 exhibits in the 12,000-square-foot gallery make the connection between the Hawaiian culture and its explorers, who “discovered” the Hawaiian Islands, and the astronomers who explore the heavens from the observatories atop Mauna Kea. ’Imiloa means “explorer” or “seeker of profound truth,” the perfect name for this architecturally stunning center overlooking Hilo Bay on the University of Hawaii at Hilo Science and Technology Park campus, 600 Imiloa Place (www.imiloahawaii.org; 808/969-9700). Plan to spend at least a couple of hours here to allow time to browse the excellent, family-friendly interactive exhibits on astronomy and Hawaiian culture, and to take in a planetarium show, which boasts a state-of-the-art digital projection system. You’ll also want to stroll through the native plant garden, and grab a power breakfast or lunch in the Sky Garden Restaurant ( 808/969-9753), open 7am to 4pm Tuesday through Sunday; the restaurant is also open for dinner Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 8:30pm. The center itself is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm; admission is $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, $12 for children 5 to 12, and free for kids 4 and younger. Prices include one planetarium show; additional shows are $4.
76 Kamehameha Ave. (at the corner of Waianuenue Ave.). www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/education/center.html. 808/933-8180. Free. Tues–Sat
