We drove back up Highway 19 to get to the Waipio Valley. On the way, we stopped at Akaka Falls State Park. It is located about 20 minutes north of Hilo. This is a must. The one-half mile trail weaves through a lush tropical forest with bamboo and affords great views of the waterfall.
A few miles north of Akaka is Kolekole Beach County Park. This is an area, frequented by local people, with a waterfall and great view of the Pacific Ocean.
Next, we stopped at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park. At this site is a memorial to the people who died in the tsunami of 1946. Many of the deceased were young students and teachers of the local school. As a result, the town was moved uphill and exists there today.
Then we headed up Route 240 to the Waipio Valley. There is a hike down to the Valley via a road with a 900-foot descent. Only 4 wheel drive vehicles are allowed on it, as it has a 25% grade. Going down is hard on the knees, coming back up is hard on everything. However, it's well worth the effort. When you get to the bottom of the hill, you can continue straight to view the waterfall and the Waipio River. If you turn right at the bottom of the hill, it leads you to a black sand beach. There are remnants of a car that didn't make it down the steep road along this road. You'll likely see horses roaming free along the way too.
We ended our day with burgers at Blane's Drive Inn, which is a chain, in downtown Hilo. The burgers were really good. However, Blane's has neither a drive-thru window nor is it an inn.
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