My 86-year-old mom has a dream of going to Hawaii, so I'm taking her in October. She wants to see a friend on the Big Island, so I'm thinking we'll just stay there the whole 9 days to keep it simple. Does this sound reasonable? I've read all the posts about all there is to do and see on the BI. I've got "The BI Revealed." Am a little worried about hauling mumsy around in a rented jeep, since it sounds like you need 4WD. What do you all think? Is the Big Island too rough for an old lady? Is 4Wd essential?

Thanks! This is my first posting, but have really aprpeciated all the info on this board.

I think you will be fine without a jeep or 4WD vehicle, and hope carsickness does not pose a problem-as traveling to different areas of the island can involve driving for a couple hours.

No, you certainly do not need 4WD and there are a zillion places to go and see that won't take you "off road". My only thought is, the BI is SO big, that driving distances are pretty far sometimes. You will have to judge for yourself how you think your mom will do. If you think that several hours in the car etc. might be a bit much for her then perhaps stay 3 or four days on the BI and then head to Maui or one of the other islands where the driving distances are shorter. It just depends on your mom's health and stamina.

You might want to split your hotel time on the BI between the Kona side and the Hilo side, to cut down on the driving back and forth. There are beautiful sights to see on both sides. You can see a lot of Volcano National Park by driving the Crater Rim Dr, and if your mom is up to it, taking a few short hikes (not strenous). You might want to swap the jeep for a minivan, as (IMO) it would be more comfortable, but still provide better visibility when sightseeing than a regular car does.

You can do a "round trip" where you spend a few nights in Kona, a couple at Volcano, and a couple in Hilo. We did that, and it minimized the driving quite a bit.

We rented a regular car (I think it was a Buick) and it was just fine.

Thanks so much for all the feedback! I have talked to Mom, and she really doesn't want to do a lot of driving. So I think we are going to spend most of our time in Maui. I do want to see the BI, will just wait for my next visit.