fireflyparents

melissa, yeah yeah, we will write the transcript together!! what ya say?!!
gloria, while browsing the net, i came across the hilo zoo and thought of dropping in one day too. it surely looks nice and i think the kids will like it too. the sea-horse is something i did not come across and thank you for sharing.
farmer's market is also on my mind. rainbow falls market place and hilo farmer's market was on the list and now i am adding the ones you mentioned.

you know what guys?? after i posted this thread, suggestions have been pouring in non-stop and now i feel that 2 WEEKS IS NOT ENOUGH!!!! I feel awesome knowing that i am going to such a beautiful place with so much to do. it wont be so laidback after all!!

i just cant wait to get there!

wtm003

If you like coffee you may enjoy this tour near Kona. The guides were informative and the tour was very interesting. It would be easy to separate yourself from the group if the baby got fussy. My then seven year old was spouting coffee bean facts for months after the tour. Besides coffee, they also grow macadamia nuts, avocados and bananas. When we visited they allowed visitors to take ripe bananas and avocados free of charge. The avocados looked delicious. I was a fool and didn't take one because we were staying in a hotel and I didn't want it to go bad.

www.greenwellfarms.com/coffee_tour.htm

I am so bummed that we missed the seahorse farm! Now, I definitely have to plan a return trip.

fireflyparents

Avocados.....mmmmm.......both me and my husband loves them!! Jotted it down in my itenary as a must visit. My elder son is allergic to nuts, but as long as he doesnot eat the macadamia nuts, he should be fine.
I found this interesting article and wanted to share with everyone. http://www.epinions.com/content_72780910212
It definitely has some witty remarks and some useful tips for first timers.

fireflyparents

I just noticed that there is this silly sp mistake in my title.
Its Decision, not decission. I wrote it twice - in the title and then AGAIN in the original post.
Hmmmmm....what was I thinking?!

fireflyparents

Another question guys......did any of you buy the Entertainment book for Hawaii? If yes, was it really worth it? I saw most of the coupons are for Honolulu, will it be useful for BI? Its around $20, so its not much really, but I dont want to buy it and then use almost nothing from it.

highflyer

Don't forget to book a snorkeling trip with Fairwind. I recommend the morning trip which includes breakfast and lunch. We've been twice and loved it. On our first trip a dolphin swam ahead of the boat most of the way back. Your 6 yr old will enjoy the slide into the water.

GloriaE

IMHO the entertainment book is not worth it for just the Big Island. But, when you get to the airport, there will be several booklets with coupons in them on display. Pick up the "This Week On the Big Island", it should save you a little money on some activities.

Also, I don't know which airline you are useing, but Hawaiian Airlines gives out free maps of the island that are very useful. Just a note, if you are flying Hawaiian Airlines or ATA, all purchases must be made with credit or debit cards now, no cash accepted.

You are going to have a great time. I love the Big Island.

elsiemoo

If you use the Entertainment Book on any of the islands for condo/hotel discounts and rental car discounts for several days, that alone is way more than worth it! However if you're only looking at coupons for Big Island restaurants and attractions, maybe not ...

I think people who gets bored easily (at home and otherwise) will be bored on their vacation. If you enjoy life normally, you'll enjoy your two weeks on Big Island!

piluvyoga

Hi, we are going to the big island in May and are going to be staying at Uncle Billy's, no joke, and are saving quite a bit of money by doing so. Also, you might look into staying at a bed & breakfast there. For things to do, check out the web site for Hawaii Forest & Trail. There is a Botanical Garden outside of Hilo that is nice, there are several coffee plantations that you can visit, Kona has the Atlantis Submarine that is fun, you can snorkel with the Manta Rays, you can snuba, you can fish, take an ATV tour, go horseback riding, etc, etc. The King Kamehaha hotel has a very nice luau and I'm sure you can find others. All you have to do is Google Hawaii and you will find all kinds of things to do. Another idea is to subscribe to Hawaii Magazine. There are, also, many condos for short term leases there, as well. We actually are spending a week on the Big Island and are having trouble with so many things to do and so little time. I hope you have a great time there, as I sure we will. This will be our second time to Hawaii and I just love it.

MelissaHI

"Hi, hun, just wanted to give a quick call to let you know how we're doing on the Big Island. It's about 80 degrees and sunny, with these things called tradewinds. Did you know that that is the weather report almost every day here? Why the heck does anyone need to watch the news, then?! Why don't they just have a loop on the news that says, 'Ho hum, just another beautiful day in paradise.' What a hick town, I tell ya."

"Hi girlfriend, just wanted to give you a report. We drove aaaaaaalllllll the way out to the volcano today. What a drag! We had to stop and have a picnic at one of the parks to grab a break....."

"Hi there, I had my first strawberry papaya today. It's really good, but they have these here YEAR ROUND. I'm sure I'll be sick of it if I eat it every single day. Never mind that papaya is supposed to be like a superfood, can you imagine...? Well, I guess I can change it up with the lilikoi, pineapples, guavas, and other tropical fruit mixed in with my fruits from Safeway."

The avocados on the Big Island are creamy and yummy, by the way.

There's a video of Champion the Wonder Dog (from Conan O'Brien) doing a weather report on our local news here in Hawaii, once. It was HILARIOUS. I'll try to find it and post here.