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Actually, a large portion of South Kona speed limit on the belt highway is 45, many sections are 35, all through Kona is 35, most of the Waimea section is 35-45 as well as all the areas around the horseshoes. Many of the numerous construction zones are 25. Hilo is 35 or less. Many of the curves are too sharp to go faster than 20. You cannot average 37.5 around the island, without speeding, which you seem to be advocating, for a tourist.
It isn't a joke. Run along and find some more semi-correct facts to post. Capiche?
Actually, I'm sure it felt much hotter. Hilo averages 65 percent humidity in late summer, with peaks that are higher, while Phoenix is lower overall, and has never exceeded 45 percent on its many 100+ days. As you can see on the linked Heat Index chart, 90 degrees at 65 percent feels like 102 degrees, while 90 degrees at 45 percent feels like 95.
You know, I'm so out of touch with humidity that every time I'm about to go on a beach vacation and look at the temps it always looks chilly to me! And I HAVE been chilly! While the end of May is generally great at Riviera Maya, one time it was chilly... Once I went the very beginning of November and it was OK during the day, but quite cool in the evenings...
My preferences cut down my costs - I've no desire to be at beach destinations at their supposedly "high" seasons. The problem is pretty much the rest of the year is hurricane season! I usually try to sneak into the fairly safe and warm enough "shoulders."
Consider renting a car. It's rather cheap compared to most places. It's a great way to get away from the hotels, too.
I have to agree, at least part of the time, when you want to get out and about on your own. And you can often get rates through used car dealers that are cheaper than the national chains.
Obviously I'm a fan of the Big Island, since I chose to live here. And the point of my previous comment about being able to drive all the way around the island in much less than a day wasn't about my driving speed, or about why anyone might actually want to circumnavigate the isle at one hop, but simply to point out how incredible it is that so many choices in climate are available within such a small area.
From my vantage point in Volcano, at 4,000' altitude in the rainforest, where it is 65 degrees right now, I could drive north to Hilo, about 28 miles to the shopping centers and airport and bayfront beaches, where it is 76 right now (typically Volcano is 10-20 degrees cooler than Hilo); or I could head south, through desert areas that get a small fraction the rainfall we do here, past Pahala (75 now) to the black sand beach of Punalu'u, where the sea turtles come ashore, about 31 miles away. Either trip will take me about 45 minutes. And depending on my destination of choice, along the way I'll pass orchid farms, coffee ranches, macadamia nut orchards, the southern-most winery in the US, and many other delights.
And of course right here in my backyard is the Kilauea volcano in Volcano National Park, consistently the second most popular tourist destination in Hawai'i, and lately, with all the recent activity, possibly the top draw currently. Seeing the sunrise from the crater is an amazing sight, as is a full moon, or the Milky Way overhead on a moonless night. Several of the self guided hikes are easy, but will take you past endangered plants and wildlife that exist nowhere else on earth. If you are around on a Monday morning you can catch a free guided nature walk at the Volcano Art Center. And many weekends the park features walks, talks, live music, hula, crafts demos, all kinds of fascinating non-strenuous activities.
Heading mauka (up the mountain) from here will get you to alpine meadows, cattle ranches, vegetable farms. Heading makai (down the mountain) will not get you too far at the moment, because the Chain of Craters road leading down to the coast is closed only 6 miles down, roughly halfway, due to current eruptions.
Approaching Hilo you can turn makai at Kau'u and head down through the Puna district to the beaches north of Kalapana, or go to see the lava splashing into the ocean. Or get off Highway 11 in either direction along the way to get a taste of the rural, historically agricultural nature of much of the island.
All easy day trips. And the Kona side has its own charms... it's generally much drier than the eastern side, although it's the one area of Hawai'i that tends to get more rain in summer than in winter. Kona side is where you see the great sunsets from great beaches. Personally I love prowling around the area south of Kailua, like Captain Cook, looking at the old buildings, shopping the old style general stores that are still operating.
I could say more, but basically I suggest that if you do decide to visit the BI, split your time between the Kona side, and Puna side, and don't ignore the top (waterfalls, Parker Ranch) and bottom (green sand beach, southernmost point in US).
I have to agree, at least part of the time, when you want to get out and about on your own. And you can often get rates through used car dealers that are cheaper than the national chains.
Obviously I'm a fan of the Big Island, since I chose to live here. And the point of my previous comment about being able to drive all the way around the island in much less than a day wasn't about my driving speed, or about why anyone might actually want to circumnavigate the isle at one hop, but simply to point out how incredible it is that so many choices in climate are available within such a small area.
From my vantage point in Volcano, at 4,000' altitude in the rainforest, where it is 65 degrees right now, I could drive north to Hilo, about 28 miles to the shopping centers and airport and bayfront beaches, where it is 76 right now (typically Volcano is 10-20 degrees cooler than Hilo); or I could head south, through desert areas that get a small fraction the rainfall we do here, past Pahala (75 now) to the black sand beach of Punalu'u, where the sea turtles come ashore, about 31 miles away. Either trip will take me about 45 minutes. And depending on my destination of choice, along the way I'll pass orchid farms, coffee ranches, macadamia nut orchards, the southern-most winery in the US, and many other delights.
And of course right here in my backyard is the Kilauea volcano in Volcano National Park, consistently the second most popular tourist destination in Hawai'i, and lately, with all the recent activity, possibly the top draw currently. Seeing the sunrise from the crater is an amazing sight, as is a full moon, or the Milky Way overhead on a moonless night. Several of the self guided hikes are easy, but will take you past endangered plants and wildlife that exist nowhere else on earth. If you are around on a Monday morning you can catch a free guided nature walk at the Volcano Art Center. And many weekends the park features walks, talks, live music, hula, crafts demos, all kinds of fascinating non-strenuous activities.
Heading mauka (up the mountain) from here will get you to alpine meadows, cattle ranches, vegetable farms. Heading makai (down the mountain) will not get you too far at the moment, because the Chain of Craters road leading down to the coast is closed only 6 miles down, roughly halfway, due to current eruptions.
Approaching Hilo you can turn makai at Kau'u and head down through the Puna district to the beaches north of Kalapana, or go to see the lava splashing into the ocean. Or get off Highway 11 in either direction along the way to get a taste of the rural, historically agricultural nature of much of the island.
All easy day trips. And the Kona side has its own charms... it's generally much drier than the eastern side, although it's the one area of Hawai'i that tends to get more rain in summer than in winter. Kona side is where you see the great sunsets from great beaches. Personally I love prowling around the area south of Kailua, like Captain Cook, looking at the old buildings, shopping the old style general stores that are still operating.
I could say more, but basically I suggest that if you do decide to visit the BI, split your time between the Kona side, and Puna side, and don't ignore the top (waterfalls, Parker Ranch) and bottom (green sand beach, southernmost point in US).
Enjoy!
You've been so helpful, OpenD! I don't even know if I'll end up in Hawaii now, but I should some day, so it's all good to know!
Even though I like exploring, I generally avoid renting cars in foreign countries unless I'm with a husband, which is something I'm short of right now . Obviously, Hawaii is not a foreign country per se and I expect traffic to be about the same as it is on the mainland and most likely easier on the smaller islands, but the idea of having an accident away from home in a rental just doesn't sit well with me even if I get full coverage.
It's interesting there are so many different zones there... I wasn't aware of it. It's the same here in Tucson. We have our Mt. Lemon (1 1/2 hour drive) and start from cacti, go through all kinds of other vegetation, and end up with evergreens and a ski lift!
Even though I like exploring, I generally avoid renting cars in foreign countries unless I'm with a husband, which is something I'm short of right now .
You might be able to find one here, at least for the duration of your trip. The Aloha Spirit is alive in the islands.
You also might enjoy a bus tour or two. There are small ones and large ones, long trips and short, with all kinds of orientations. You can get to many of the destinations I mentioned, and more, and I'll admit it can be more relaxing to just sit back and look out the window while someone else drives.
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Originally Posted by sierraAZ
We have our Mt. Lemon (1 1/2 hour drive) and start from cacti, go through all kinds of other vegetation, and end up with evergreens and a ski lift!
Yup. At certain times it is possible here to snow ski on Mauna Kea in the morning, and surf on a warm beach in the afternoon. The biggest everyday surprise, however, is how much variation there can be in just a few miles, because of the numerous small microclimates. I have friends 20 minutes away whom I always call to check the weather with before I head over for a visit, because it can be raining here and dry there, or vice versa. And I typically have a light sweatshirt or jacket on when I leave here in the morning headed for Hilo, and shuck it off before I get down to town. So the layered approach to clothing here makes a lot of sense.
You might be able to find one here, at least for the duration of your trip. The Aloha Spirit is alive in the islands.
Ha-ha, I'd rather drive the rental myself than give it in the hands of those!
Quote:
You also might enjoy a bus tour or two. There are small ones and large ones, long trips and short, with all kinds of orientations. You can get to many of the destinations I mentioned, and more, and I'll admit it can be more relaxing to just sit back and look out the window while someone else drives.
I'm usually OK with a few tours and harbor cruises in beach destinations. It is easier. In some locations I really want to drive around a lot and not doing so can be frustrating...
Quote:
Yup. At certain times it is possible here to snow ski on Mauna Kea in the morning, and surf on a warm beach in the afternoon. The biggest everyday surprise, however, is how much variation there can be in just a few miles, because of the numerous small microclimates. I have friends 20 minutes away whom I always call to check the weather with before I head over for a visit, because it can be raining here and dry there, or vice versa. And I typically have a light sweatshirt or jacket on when I leave here in the morning headed for Hilo, and shuck it off before I get down to town. So the layered approach to clothing here makes a lot of sense.
Wow, you learn something every day! I had absolutely no idea you get snow!
Wow, you learn something every day! I had absolutely no idea you get snow!
Yeah, it surprises a lot of people, but the peak of Mauna Kea is nearly 14,000' above sea level, and subzero winter temps are not unusual. (11 of 13 climate zones, remember) We had a couple of snowfalls this winter that made the peaks white.
Yeah, it surprises a lot of people, but the peak of Mauna Kea is nearly 14,000' above sea level, and subzero winter temps are not unusual. (11 of 13 climate zones, remember) We had a couple of snowfalls this winter that made the peaks white.
Pretty! I also got some snow this winter. Many times the outskirts get some dusting whereas the rest of the city doesn't.
Mauna Kea is presently a dormant volcano, having last erupted about 4,500 years ago.
If you know me, you wouldn't invite me there. With my luck, it's likely to erupt if I come! Last time I went on a real beach vacation I booked early November as a responsible citizen... (after the end of the hurricane season) What do you know?! The irresponsible citizens had a great time in Sep and Oct when the hurricanes are most likely to hit while dear Aunt Ida started heading for Cancun a few days before my flight! Those days I was planning to relax and pack in peace I spent looking at the hurricane watches to see if she'll hit it or not and wasn't even sure which option would be better for me! Anyway, I'm digressing, but you can see my post count...
If you are looking for a swimming beach with no waves and in an area you don't need to rent a car in, then Ala Moana Beach on Oahu might be a good choice. There is a reef offshore which keeps all waves away from the beach and makes a big nice flatwater swimming area. Big white sandy beach, nice park behind it, nice warm flat swimming water and in the urban setting of Honolulu and right on the edge of Waikiki. If you stayed at the Ala Moana Hotel, you'd be within walking distance of Ala Moana beach as well as Waikiki Beach, too. There might be slightly larger waves at Waikiki, but nothing more than ankle snappers. About the only thing between Ala Moana Hotel and Ala Moana Beach is Ala Moana Shopping center. That's a huge four layer shopping mecca, good if you want high end clothing and such, not so good if you want a framing hammer. It does have one of the largest bus stops on the island, so being car-less you'd be able to catch almost any bus to bring you back to your hotel.
If you are looking for a swimming beach with no waves and in an area you don't need to rent a car in, then Ala Moana Beach on Oahu might be a good choice. There is a reef offshore which keeps all waves away from the beach and makes a big nice flatwater swimming area. Big white sandy beach, nice park behind it, nice warm flat swimming water and in the urban setting of Honolulu and right on the edge of Waikiki. If you stayed at the Ala Moana Hotel, you'd be within walking distance of Ala Moana beach as well as Waikiki Beach, too. There might be slightly larger waves at Waikiki, but nothing more than ankle snappers. About the only thing between Ala Moana Hotel and Ala Moana Beach is Ala Moana Shopping center. That's a huge four layer shopping mecca, good if you want high end clothing and such, not so good if you want a framing hammer. It does have one of the largest bus stops on the island, so being car-less you'd be able to catch almost any bus to bring you back to your hotel.
Yeah, that's my kind of water! Thanks.
However, even though I'm tempted to possibly see the famous Walkiki Beach and Honolulu, I don't feel like going on a beach vacation in pretty urban setting... I want the lush greenery around.
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Thank you, Hank!
And I HAVE been chilly! While the end of May is generally great at Riviera Maya, one time it was chilly... Once I went the very beginning of November and it was OK during the day, but quite cool in the evenings... 
I usually try to sneak into the fairly safe and warm enough "shoulders."
Those days I was planning to relax and pack in peace I spent looking at the hurricane watches to see if she'll hit it or not and wasn't even sure which option would be better for me!
