Hawaii Visit in Mid-October...

[bkrownd]

Originally Posted by fujiwaru

I know there is at least 1 person on here from the big island so hopefully he could let you know about the best spots to check out.

The stuff that tourists do and the stuff that people who actually live here do are so fundamentally different that some of us won't be able to offer much. Tourists are mostly here for the fake fantasy world that the resorts promote - beaches, golf courses, expensive boutiques, touristy restaurants, ziplines, waterfalls, and other assorted touristy things. Occasionally there are those who like to take the road less travelled and see something different.

The volcano park should be your first destination. Steaming holes in the ground are always fun, but hopefully you'll visit some of the more out-of-the-way parts of it as well.

If you want a quick rundown of first choices for scenic vistas and checking out the scope of the island: Saddle Road, Mauna Loa Access Road (north slope), Mauna Loa Strip Road (south slope), "Kohala Mountain Road", Pololu Valley overlook, the entire highway through Ka'u district. (4-wheel-drive opens up some other interesting possiblities, but costs big $$$.) Branch out from there. Be sure to check out the lava visiting situation, which changes daily and hasn't been really good recently. If you are on this island you should be all over the mountains!

There are now direct flights into Hilo from LA.

Hopefully you will slip in before the autumn rainy season, which is usually around November.

I can say that I have a strong dislike for Kailua (Kona), Waimea/Kamuela and the surrounding area. We call it Konafornia...and spit on ground!

[Kioshi]

Originally Posted by bkrownd

The stuff that tourists do and the stuff that people who actually live here do are so fundamentally different that some of us won't be able to offer much. Tourists are mostly here for the fake fantasy world that the resorts promote - beaches, golf courses, expensive boutiques, touristy restaurants, ziplines, waterfalls, and other assorted touristy things. Occasionally there are those who like to take the road less travelled and see something different.

The volcano park should be your first destination. Steaming holes in the ground are always fun, but hopefully you'll visit some of the more out-of-the-way parts of it as well.

If you want a quick rundown of first choices for scenic vistas and checking out the scope of the island: Saddle Road, Mauna Loa Access Road (north slope), Mauna Loa Strip Road (south slope), "Kohala Mountain Road", Pololu Valley overlook, the entire highway through Ka'u district. (4-wheel-drive opens up some other interesting possiblities, but costs big $$$.) Branch out from there. Be sure to check out the lava visiting situation, which changes daily and hasn't been really good recently. If you are on this island you should be all over the mountains!

There are now direct flights into Hilo from LA.

Hopefully you will slip in before the autumn rainy season, which is usually around November.

I can say that I have a strong dislike for Kailua (Kona), Waimea/Kamuela and the surrounding area. We call it Konafornia...and spit on ground!

I'm all in for doing what non-tourist people do. I try to do whatever locals do wherever i travel abroad :)

What do you mean by, "out of the way parts"? of the volcano? like a different route that leads elsewhere?

I do want to do kayaking and ziplining. I can't swim for shit, so snorkling is out of the question for (ME).

I'm coordinating with my friends now about traversing the mountain areas. Can we take ATVs on some of the mountainous roads?

I will jot down the names you provided, THANK YOU!

I too am hoping it wont rain when we are there. Is it humid over there? Not that I mind, I've walked several miles in rain + humidy.....

hahahahah, thats funny.

You provided lots of information for our trip, thank you once again!

[bkrownd]

Originally Posted by Kioshi

What do you mean by, "out of the way parts"? of the volcano? like a different route that leads elsewhere?

Pretty much anywhere off of the main highways. Most rental cars never leave the highways. Plantation towns, back roads, wilderness, gnarly mud, sketchy hillbilly neighborhoods, etc. With proper 4WD (Jeeps) you can explore any old side road and sometimes get way off the beaten path, though it might not always be obvious what roads are private and what are public. There are many dead ends and sketchy neighborhoods, of course - get the Bier map mentioned below.

I'm coordinating with my friends now about traversing the mountain areas. Can we take ATVs on some of the mountainous roads?

Woah, do you really mean an ATV, or do you mean a 4WD car? There can be some regulations for both. They are trying to cut back on rogue off-roading, which is a huge problem in some areas. If it's obviously a road (i.e. tire tracks in the mud/dust) it's probably OK. In some cases permits may be required, but you might get different answers about that from different government offices. Most roads on the island are unpaved, though most of those are remote or private.

If you do go way off the highways get the nice map of the island by Bier - on Amazon search for Bier Hawaii Map and you'll see it. It's available at airports, and a handful of places in town.

I too am hoping it wont rain when we are there. Is it humid over there? Not that I mind, I've walked several miles in rain + humidy.....

It's always humid on the windward side up to about 5000-6000 feet elevation, though usually not soupy carribean style humid. During "rainy season(s)" there can be a few days when it pours for hours - luck of the draw. Another drawback of the rainy season is that the wilderness areas above 1000-2000 feet elevation can get socked in with blowing mist/rain most of the time.

You can do really wacky things like hiking to the "summit" of Mauna Loa (the big caldera), which is a day-trip if you take the short trail from the weather observatory at 11,500 feet on the NORTH slope of the mountain, at the top of the paved road. (Mauna Loa Access Road off of Saddle Road) The view from the weather observatory is really nice. Hang out in the lava fields near the weather observatory for a bit before heading up - there is fun lava to look . The trails from the volcano park side on the south slope are both in the "death march" category.

Example: (this site has other interesting outing suggestions to browse, BTW. it isn't remotely comprehensive, tho)
http://www.instanthawaii.com/cgi-bin/hawaii?Drives.loa
http://www.instanthawaii.com/cgi-bin/hawaii?Hikes.loa

[bobolinko]

You can do really wacky things like hiking to the "summit" of Mauna Loa (the big caldera), which is a day-trip if you take the short trail from the weather observatory at 11,500 feet on the NORTH slope of the mountain, at the top of the paved road. (Mauna Loa Access Road off of Saddle Road) The view from the weather observatory is really nice. Hang out in the lava fields near the weather observatory for a bit before heading up - there is fun lava to look . The trails from the volcano park side on the south slope are both in the "death march" category.

So we just booked our tickets to Honolulu as our destination.

Oct 14th around 9pm we arrive at the airport.
We leave on the 19th at 6am.