Hawaii - Stuck in Hilo what to do?

I just came in from Honolulu to the dead town of Hilo. I tried to fix a tour tomorrow, but seems like nothing operate on Sundays and I phoned around to some companies which do operate on Sundays fro Hilo and they were sold out. I wasted like 250 dollars on return from Honolulu and I chose Hilo because I thought it was abit life here, but it is all dead. As far as I have understood no buses operate on Sundays either so I basically ask what to do on a Sunday in Hilo? I can rent a bike and cycle all the day, but the area seems dull and I think it is too long to cycle up to the volcano area especially as it is all way upwards... So what do you think? Should I just cancel the rest of my stay and try to reebok tickets back to Honolulu tomorrow or try to do something here?

The Hele-On Bus does operate on Sundays and Holidays, just a reduced schedule. Not quite sure what you are looking to do, but you can check out the bus schedule. The bus is free:

http://www.heleonbus.org/

Edited to add: Probably too late, but there is a great slack key and ukulele guitar festival at Kahilu Theater in Waimea tonight.

I just came in from Honolulu to the dead town of Hilo.

So you start off by dissing our town... :D Just kidding, I've lived here for years, and agree that Hilo is the kind of place where they roll the sidewalks up at night.

I tried to fix a tour tomorrow, but seems like nothing operate on Sundays and I phoned around to some companies which do operate on Sundays fro Hilo and they were sold out.

Out of curiosity, did you call Arnott's Lodge and Hiking Adventures (http://www.arnottslodge.com/)? They're one of the cheaper companies as far as guided tours go, and based in Hilo.

As far as I have understood no buses operate on Sundays eitherThe Hele-On Bus does operate on Sundays and Holidays, just a reduced schedule.

The vast majority of Hele-On Bus routes have absolutely no Sunday service - in fact, this was the first I'd ever heard of it, despite living in Hilo and riding Hele-On just about every week. :) It looks like the only route from Hilo to anywhere that runs on Sundays is the one to the Waikoloa resorts, and those runs tend to be kind of timed for commuting resort workers - westbound in early morning, eastbound in afternoon/evening.

so I basically ask what to do on a Sunday in Hilo?

Without any hints as to what you're into, it's kinda hard. Fortunately for you, Saturday's Tribune-Herald newspaper has a calendar of events in section B... so right off the top of my head, you could pretty easily go to a movie, a rodeo, a science center with a 3-D planetarium, a beach, a waterfall, or some combination of the above.

The historic (as in, has a pipe organ, and seats without cupholders) Palace Theater ( http://www.hilopalace.com) on Haili Street downtown is finishing a Chinese Film Festival for Chinese New Year, on Sunday. They're showing "Long Train Home" (directed by Lixin Fan) at 2:30pm. Tickets are $7, $6 for students and seniors. Then there's the first-run Prince Kuhio Theatres (http://gohollywood.com/tickets/hilo-hi-prince-kuhio) at the mall, and the second-run, $1.50-$1.75 a ticket Kress Cinemas (http://gohollywood.com/tickets/hilo-hi-kress) on Kalakaua Street downtown.

Sunday is also day two of the Panaewa Stampede Rodeo (http://hawaiirodeostampede.com/), at the Panaewa Equestrian Center, next to the zoo just south of town off highway 11. Tickets are $6.

'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii (http://www.imiloahawaii.org/), just above the university campus on Nowelo Street, has stuff about astronomy and Hawaiian culture, and the world's first digital 3D planetarium. There's a science and engineering fair (think school science fair) this weekend. The show I most want to see in the planetarium right now is "Awesome Light: Mirrors on the Mountain," about the Canada-France-Hawaii, Gemini and Subaru telescopes on Mauna Kea. They're showing that at 2pm.

Other stuff, let's see... right by the hotels, there's Liliuokalani Gardens, which is a big Japanese water garden. Cross the bridge by the marina and you'll come to the bayfront beach where the paddling canoes are. If you go east on Kalanianaole from Ken's House of Pancakes, you'll come to swimming and snorkeling beaches. If you go a bit north of town on highway 19, there's the Honoli'i Surf Beach (turn right across from the Alae cemetary). Further north is Honomu, and above that is Akaka Falls. Right in town, a little over a mile uphill from the Post Office, is Rainbow Falls. If it's not raining, 4 miles up Kaumana Drive there's a lava tube cave to explore - natural, no lights, not like the one in Volcanoes Park. :) There's bound to be a few people selling stuff at the downtown farmer's market, even on an "off day."

If you can find somebody with a 4WD who wants to go exploring, and you're over 16, not pregnant, no heart or lung conditions, and haven't been SCUBA diving in the last 24 hours, you could go up to the Vistor Station on Mauna Kea (about 34 miles from town) by 1PM and join in the regular Sunday afternoon guided summit tour there, go see a really big telescope and get told about all the other big ones up there. Or you could go to... well, anywhere. :)

I'd love to play tour guide, but unfortunately I've got about three hours until I leave town for a few days for work.

My guess, you may be young and were looking for bars and clubs. Your not going to find that in Hilo as far as I know. That said, your in Hawaii and you can't find anything to do? Yes, Hilo is a quiet town but it is a nice, laid back town. I will switch places with you any day. I am on the east coast and we are looking at snow AGAIN tonight into tomorrow. Your looking at what, 80 degrees AGAIN! haha

Like any vacation, you need to get involved and become part of the place and Hawaii is a great place to do that. Learn the culture and you will be surprised that there is truly alot to do, alot to learn. Hawaii is not Disney like some people think. You can't disrespect the state, the land or it's people.

Question for the Hilo folks = Is the public library open on Sundays. I loved the public libraries all over the big island...convenient to rent DVDs, books, etc. Even got a out-of-state-person membership!

Also, the scenic outlook at Onomea Bay was awesome (near Hilo, IIRC).

No Big Island public libraries open on Sunday

http://www.librarieshawaii.org/text/hourstext.htm

No Big Island public libraries open on Sunday

http://www.librarieshawaii.org/text/hourstext.htm

Good to know!

A town full of waterfalls, a gorgeous Japanese garden, right next to a park of huge banyon trees, day trips to Akaka, the gorgeous coastline:
I should be so unfortunate as to be "stuck" in Hilo!:)

Ok. Sorry for the aggresive tone and of course i should have planned this better. But i found out that there is a waterfall park very close by which is doable by walking. And i actually managed to read to my exams for NeXT week yesterday which i wouldnt do in wakiki. Thank you for all the tips and i will take that into consideration today. And i was not going here for bars, but to see the volcano just to learn that the companies was sold out or do not operate on sundays.

I hope you had a great time today! We loved Hilo so much! The beauty of the flowers OH MY!!! We went to a botanical garden, wish I remember which one, and it was so pretty and peaceful.

We also enjoyed driving southwest of there, to Punaluu. They have a bakery with incredible breads!

I know our friends wanted to do a fly over the lava when we went, but they weren't running it. They were disappointed - not me, afraid of heights and helicopters! I wasn't going anyway.

Isn't the caldera open for walking? We stayed at KMC (Kilauea Military Camp) inside the park. It's very fun to hike through the lava tubes (especially with your 4 month old son in the backpack!).

My guess, you may be young and were looking for bars and clubs. Your not going to find that in Hilo as far as I know.

Shooters, Uncle Mikey's, 100% Moxie, Water and Ice, Green Onion, Cronies, Hilo Burger Joint, Palms by the Bay, Bamboo Garden, Club Rainbow, Coqui's Hideaway, Stephanie's Lounge, Golden Room... those are off the top of my head, and I don't even drink at all or hardly dance. ;)

i should have planned this better. But i found out that there is a waterfall park very close by which is doable by walking.

Yay!

Isn't the caldera open for walking? We stayed at KMC (Kilauea Military Camp) inside the park. It's very fun to hike through the lava tubes (especially with your 4 month old son in the backpack!).

I'm not sure whether any of the trails in the main Kilauea Crater - the one surrounding Halema'uma'u crater is - are open, but I think you should still be able to hike Kilauea Iki crater. The trail for it starts right near the Thurston lava tube. And then there's all the other trails, like the one by Mauna 'Ulu out to Pu'u Huluhulu - that's a real nice hike.

Hilo is a funny town, either you fall in love with it, or it drives you nuts. I've lived there two years now and I think I fall in the latter catagory since I fly back to honolulu so often, but I do love taking pictures of the scenery.

Aloha William,
I am glad you came to Hilo to see the Volcano. You would get as much of a kick out of renting a car (Hotwire.com) from Hilo Airport and driving yourself up to the Volcanos National park as you would from any tour company. It is a 28 mile very scenic and relaxing drive to get there. You can give yourself a great tour of the park with the map you will recieve at the main entrance to the park. Dan did a GREAT job giving you the low down, but I had to pop in and give a plug for the National PArk, you will love it. Hope your time here is meeting some of your expectations, it is a great place to relax and stare at the ocean too. Much Aloha.:cool:

Aloha William,
I am glad you came to Hilo to see the Volcano. You would get as much of a kick out of renting a car (Hotwire.com) from Hilo Airport and driving yourself up to the Volcanos National park as you would from any tour company. It is a 28 mile very scenic and relaxing drive to get there. You can give yourself a great tour of the park with the map you will recieve at the main entrance to the park. Dan did a GREAT job giving you the low down, but I had to pop in and give a plug for the National PArk, you will love it. Hope your time here is meeting some of your expectations, it is a great place to relax and stare at the ocean too. Much Aloha.:cool:

Aloha and thank you for your reply. I would have rented a car if i had a driving licence, but i do not have one... But i walked to rainbow falls and coconut Island. Next time i go with someone who has. I will take another trip anyway due to this trip was not like what i wanted it to be. Like i didnt see the volcanos or did i go to manua loa or kea.

Aloha and thank you for your reply. I would have rented a car if i had a driving licence, but i do not have one... But i walked to rainbow falls and coconut Island. Next time i go with someone who has. I will take another trip anyway due to this trip was not like what i wanted it to be. Like i didnt see the volcanos or did i go to manua loa or kea.

Give your fellow FlyerTalkers some advance warning next time, and who knows what might be arranged. :D

Give your fellow FlyerTalkers some advance warning next time, and who knows what might be arranged. :D

^

...i walked to rainbow falls and coconut Island....

You got your exercise!