Nearly twice as large as all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, Hawai'i (known as the Big Island to avoid confusion with the state name) is used to setting records. Perhaps most dramatically, it has the world's most active volcano: the east rift zone below Halema'uma'u on Kilauea has been spewing lava intermittently since January 3, 1983. The island's southern tip is the southernmost point in the United States, although to the southeast, far beneath the ocean's surface, Loihi, a sea mount bubbling lava, is slowly building another Hawaiian island, due to emerge in about 100,000 years. If you measure Mauna Kea from its origins 32,000 ft beneath the ocean's surface to its 13,796-ft peak, it is the tallest mountain in the world. The Keck Observatory on its summit, with one of the world's most powerful telescopes, searches the universe from the clearest skies on earth.
With its diverse climate and terrain, the Big Island offers skiing (but only for experts) in winter and year-round sunshine on its southern and western shores, where the temperature averages 69°F to 84°F in July and 53°F to 75°F in January. So much rain falls near Hilo, the island's major city, that a botanical garden at Onomea Bay provides umbrellas to enter its tropical jungle. By contrast, land along the Kona-Kohala Coast feels desertlike, with uninhabited stretches of lava.
In earlier times, Hawai'i's kings and queens lived and played along the Kona-Kohala Coast. King Kamehameha I was born close to its northern shores, near Mo'okini Heiau, built around the end of the 5th century (a heiau is a stone platform that was used as a site of worship). All along the water's edge are reminders of earlier inhabitants. At Kawaihae, two heiaus -- Pu'ukohola and Mailekini -- mark the site of Kamehameha's final victory in 1810 in his battle to unite the Hawaiian Islands.
Developers are becoming increasingly aware of the cultural significance and rich history of the 'aina (land). They attempt to preserve and restore the bits and pieces of Hawai'i's past that come to light when a bulldozer rakes the land. You'll find historic markers scattered along trails and roadways, at hotel grounds, and in parks. Resorts, such as the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, the Fairmont Orchid Hawai'i, Kona Village, and Ohana Keauhou Beach Resort, conduct tours of petroglyph fields and historic sites. The Waikoloa Beach Marriott, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows have restored the fishponds that once supplied the tables of Hawaiian royalty.
Although Kilauea Volcano remains the greatest attraction to visitors, one other thing is certain: business owners in all sections of the economy have combined efforts to make the island exciting, welcoming, and fun. Ongoing airport expansions in the Kona area reflect their success. In Hilo, despite the rain, the farmers' market remains the most inspiring in the state, displaying colorful produce reflecting the island's full range of climates and ethnic traditions. In North Kohala, the statue of King Kamehameha I has been spruced up in the red and yellow colors of royalty, and the area draws an increasing number of visitors to its plantation past. Gated communities are sprouting up along the entire coast, and even remote South Point has become well worth the long drive.
