I can't believe it's already October! We're taking off for the Big Island in about 6-7 weeks and I'm just touching up our itinerary now. I've left much of it open-ended because who needs planning in paradise... I do have a quick question for anyone who can answer: would you consider the (approx hour long) drive from Waimea to Kapaʻau worth the time and effort, if only to see the Pololu Valley Lookout? In other words, if not descending into the valley or doing anything else in the area, would you still suggest it a worthwhile destination if afforded the time? We'll already be driving roughly 20 min. from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel to the Waimea Town/Homestead Farmer's Markets on a Saturday morning, and since we're already a lot closer than our hotel and we have no other plans to drive along the mountain road (HWY-250), I thought it might be an option, depending on how we're feeling. I just wanted to weigh input from others on the forum to determine whether or not it's something we should prioritize. Also, would the 250 (mountain route) from Waimea Town be more interesting/scenic than taking the 270 (coastal route) from our hotel? If we only had time for one drive to the Kohala Coast, would you suggest the 250 or 270?
Mahalo!