We’ve now arrived in Hilo and attended to our first two orders of business – wolfed down some burgers and fries (at Verna’s) and caught up on some sleep.
Stunning banyan tree outside of Hilo
We’re anchored in Radio Bay, a small man-made notch behind the commercial port in Hilo. The key benefits are are restrooms and hot showers on shore for boaters, an easy beach to use for landing the dinghy, and the waters in the bay are completely flat and calm (unless there is a big north swell running – when that happens, the waves apparently break completely over the jetty to make the anchorage untenable).
Radio Bay sunrise
The main downside is that it’s basically in the commercial harbor, so there are gigantic forklifts moving containers around during working hours. That means that it’s definitely not an idyllic tropical paradise, but we think it adds to the ambiance and the Hilo experience. Our impression of Hilo so far is that it’s the least touristy town in Hawaii that we’ve encountered, and for sure the atmosphere around where we’re anchored adds to that.
Rainbow Falls
Our first full day in Hilo was a good mix of chores and recreation. To make both easier, we rented a car. The chores were starting on the shopping list and the process of refilling the diesel tank (since there is no fuel dock here). The recreation included a delicious breakfast, a nice walk along the waterfront, a visit to a local waterfall, and another burger and fries (this time at Hilo Burger Joint, much more expensive and not as good as Verna’s). And Mike is back to work, so there was plenty of time for that, also.
Breakfast at Ken’s House of Pancakes
Tomorrow should be more of the same as we get ready to sail around to the Kona side of the island at the end of the week or over the weekend.
