| If you've never been to the Big Island, you're
in for real treat. The
Big Island is the largest in size of the Hawaiian Islands and it's full
of things to do--or you can choose to do nothing but relax.
Kona is on the dry/sunny side of the Big Island.
Temperatures range from the mid 70's to low 80's year round.  Monthly
rainfall is less than an inch in the summer and just one to three
inches in the winter. There are hundreds of things to do on the Big
Island, every thing from scuba diving to snorkeling to shopping to
whale watching trips. You can bike, hike, swim, kayak, fish, play golf,
tennis or volleyball, or search the tide pools. Some of the most
beautiful white sand beaches in the world are on the Big Island.
If you don't want to do anything, spend the day at
the Kona
Reef sitting by the pool or hot tub, cooking something on the barbecue,
or relaxing on your private lanai and watch- ing the sunset, the
surfers,
the parasailors (pictured above) and the cruise ships.
 If
you have more time and/or energy, you'll want to plan a trip to Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park (about 2 1/2 hours from Kona.) It's likely
you've never seen anything like these mounds of new (and not so new)
lava. If you're lucky, you may have a chance to see new lava erupting.
To get the daily Eruption Update message and for general park
information, call (808) 985-6000. Press 1 for Eruption Update and 1
again to hear the recorded message of the previous night's lava viewing
conditions. Eruption information is also available at the USGS's website on Kilauea.
In general the Volcano's eruption is most visible at night. If you go,
dress warmly and take water, sturdy shoes, and a flashlight.
If you have time, travel throughout the rest of
the Island to
the old town of Hilo, the beautiful Waipi'o Valley, the cowboy country
of Waimea and all the other wonderful places on this Island. It's best
if you can take at least two days to circle the Island. Although it's
only a total of about 225 miles around the Island, this is not freeway
driving and you'll miss a lot (plus be exhausted) if you try to do it
all in one day. Without stopping, you can count on it taking 5 1/2
hours to go from Kona, around the Island, and back again to Kona.
Rather than trying to see everything in one day, several day-long trips
from Kona will be more enjoyable. Plus, if you don't get to see
everything this trip, you'll have to come back!!
For more information about visiting the Big
Island, go to www.konaweb.com.
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