Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, United States of America

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 1 — located on the northeastern side of the island of Hawaiʻi, Hilo offers breathtaking natural beauty plus all the amenities of a vibrant town; is the largest settlement in, and the county seat of, Hawaiʻi County

With a population of around 40,000, Hilo is the largest settlement in, and the county seat of, Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States of America.  “Located on the northeastern side of the island of Hawaiʻi, Hilo offers breathtaking natural beauty plus all the amenities of a vibrant town.  On the geographic flipside of the volcanic Kohala Coast, the region is blessed with dramatic waterfalls, fertile rainforests and blooming gardens.  It’s also home to Hilo International Airport and is a convenient stop on your way to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, located 45 minutes south.  A busy farming and fishing area in early times, Hilo evolved into a commercial center for the sugar industry in the 1800s.  Downtown Hilo was built around its crescent-shaped bay and became the seat of county government.  Today, Downtown Hilo is a charming town offering museums, art galleries, shops and restaurants.  The Lil’uokalani Gardens is a peaceful respite and features Japanese-style fishponds, pagodas and rock gardens on its 30 acres.” — www.gohawaii.com  Lil’uokalani Gardens

Our second day in Hilo was spent at the Lil’uokalani Gardens , with a nice luncheon in downtown Hilo at Café Pesto, followed by a meandering shopping and sightseeing walk around town, with late afternoon stops for shaved ice at the famous Wilson’s by the Bay, the local farmers’ market and the local grocery store for some provisions for the eight day crossing after our final port of call in Hawaii, Honolulu.

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 2 – the Mauna Loa volcano looms over Hilo in this view of the city from the ocean, looking southwest from Hilo Harbor

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 3 – Torii gates mark the entrances to Lil’uokalani Gardens in several places; a torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine

“Replicating a Japanese garden and overlooking Mokuolah and Hilo Bay, Lil’uokalani Gardens is a beautiful tribute to the island’s first Japanese immigrants and the largest Edo style ornamental garden outside Japan.  We spent the morning strolling through its lush landscape complete with red arching bridges, pagodas, stone lanterns, and a beautiful tea house.  We observed that it is a favored spot for morning running, yoga, tai chi, and outings with infants and young children (not is school).

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 4 — Lil’uokalani Gardens is a peaceful respite and features Japanese-style fishponds, pagodas and rock gardens on its 30 acres

“Queen Liliuokalani donated the original five acres of land to create a public park in 1907.  This was increased to seventeen acres by the Legislative Committee concerned with management of public lands in November 1917.  Named for Hawaii’s last ruling monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani, the garden opened in 1919 and was styled as a tribute to the first Japanese immigrants to the Big Island who helped build its agricultural history starting in 1868… Liliuokalani Gardens features Japanese imported stone lanterns, sculptures, arched bridges and gazebos from as early as 1916… Liliuokalani Gardens highlights plant species and building styles drawn from traditional Japanese temples and gardens.  As you stroll along Waihonu Pond, crossing arched red bridges over koi ponds to pagodas, and a Japanese traditional teahouse named Shoroan, you might feel like you’re transported to the incredible temples of Kyoto.” – www.bigislandguide.com/liliuokalani-gardens

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 5 – a traditional Japanese stone bridge in the gardens

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 6 – the size of this gigantic banyan tree in Lil’uokalani Gardens can be gauged by the people in the front, posing for a friend’s photograph

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 7 — downtown Hilo is a charming town offering museums, art galleries, shops and restaurants

Hilo, Hawai’i Island, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 8 – our afternoon treat (replacing desert at lunch in town) was a three-flavored shaved ice from the hole-in-the-wall, but iconic, Wilson’s by the Bay

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2024 by Richard C. Edwards.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, U.S.A.

Lahaina is a historic town that has been transformed into a Maui hotspot; it was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early nineteenth century and also a historic whaling village; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

“Once known as Lele, which means “relentless sun” in Hawaiian, Lahaina is a historic town that has been transformed into a Maui hotspot with dozens of art galleries and a variety of unique shops and restaurants.  Once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the early nineteenth century [1820 – 1845], Lahaina was also a historic whaling village during the whaling boom of the mid-1800s. Up to 1,500 sailors from as many as 400 ships took leave in Lahaina, including Herman Melville, who immortalized the era in his classic novel Moby Dick.  Today, Lahaina is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can still get a feel for old Lahaina as you stroll down lively Front Street, ranked one of the “Top Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association. Visit historic stops like the U.S. Seamen’s Hospital, Hale Paahao (Lahaina Prison), the Pioneer Inn, Maui’s oldest living banyan tree and other sites on the Lahaina Historic Trail. Approximately 55 acres of old Lahaina have been set aside as historic districts.” — www.gohawaii.com/islands/maui/regions/west-maui/Lahaina

While Lahaina itself has a population of only 12,000, it hosts about 2 million visitors a year; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Lahaina has over a thousand years of rich history.  While Lahaina itself has a population of only 12,000 (and Maui has a population of 111,000), it hosts about 2 million visitors a year (80% of the tourists who come to Maui).  Lahaina’s popularity as a tropical getaway has made its real estate some of the most expensive in Hawaii; many houses and condominiums sell for more than US$5 million, according to Wikipedia.

The old Pioneer Inn sits in the center of town, adjacent to the Lahaina Pier (where out tender boats dropped us off) and adjacent to Lahaina’s famous giant banyan tree, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Lahaina’s banyan tree, planted in 1873, is not only the largest in the state but also in the United States; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

“The banyan tree in Lahaina, in Maui, Hawaii, United States, was planted on April 24, 1873, in Lahaina to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of first American Protestant mission. The banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) (known in Hawaiian as paniana, located in the Courthouse Square, which was renamed Banyan Tree Park covering 1.94 acres, is not only the largest in the state but also in the United States. The tree was a gift from missionaries in India. A mere 8 feet (2.4 meters) when planted, it has grown to a height of about 60 feet (18 meters) and has rooted into 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk, with the canopy spread over an area of about 0.66 acres (0.27 ha).” — Wikipedia

Lahaina’s banyan tree has grown to a height of about 60 feet (18 meters) and has rooted into 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Air roots of the Lahaina banyan tree; Maui, Hawai’i, USA

The reconstructed ruins of Lahaina Fort are on the southeast corner of Banyan Tree Park with the old Lahaina Court House in the background; the fort was originally built in 1832; Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

The old Lahaina Court House now is home to the local artists’ gallery and the tourist visitors’ center, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

King Kamehameha conquered all the Hawaiian islands and established his kingdom of Hawai’i in 1810.  He located the capital of his kingdom in Lahaina, a central location to oversee the activities of the islands. In 1819 – the year of his death – the first whaling ships began arriving in Lahaina; and in 1845 the capital of Hawaii was relocated to Honolulu.

Lively Front Street, ranked one of the “Top Ten Greatest Streets” by the American Planning Association, Lahaina, Maui, Hawai’i, USA

Visible from Lahaina is the beautiful island of Lanai – known for decades, after the first pineapple was planted there in 1921, as the “pineapple” island, due to the large pineapple plantations that exported tons of fruit annually; Hawai’i, USA

“In 1921, Charles Gay planted the first pineapple plant on Lanai.  The population had decreased again — to 150 — most of whom were the descendants of the traditional families of the island.  A year later, James Dole, the president of Hawaiian Pineapple Company (later renamed Dole Food Company), bought the island and developed a large portion of it into the world’s largest pineapple plantation.  Upon Hawaii statehood in 1959, Lanai became part of the Maui County.  In 1985, Lanai passed into the control of David H. Murdock as a result of his purchase of Castle & Cook, which was then the owner of Dole.  High labor- and land costs led to a decline in Hawaii pineapple production in the 1980s, and Dole phased out its pineapple operations on Lanai in 1992. In June 2012, Larry Ellison, then CEO of Oracle Corporation, purchased Castle & Cooke’s 98 percent share of the island for $300 million. The state and individual homeowners own the remaining 2 percent, which includes the harbor and the private homes where the 3,000 inhabitants live.” — Wikipedia

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2022 by Richard C. Edwards.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.