by  istolethetv 

Hilo Hawaiian Hotel where my family and I have gone for decades to eat at their buffet has recently hired a new chef. Chef Khamtan Tanhchaleun was recently hired to fill the shoes of Chef Piet Wigmans who recently retired.

This article says:

Tanhchaleun will lead the food and beverage team at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, including the hotel’s award-winning Queen’s Court Restaurant, known for its inventive approach to traditional Hawaiian cuisine and its focus on fresh, local ingredients.

Tanhchaleun, a long-time Hawaii resident, is a native of Laos with extensive culinary experience. He began his career at Waikiki’s notable Michel’s at the Colony Surf in 1972 where he quickly worked his way up to sous chef and sommelier.

Tanhchaleun followed his training at Michel’s with extensive world travel and further training. In 1990, he returned to Hawaii to open the food and beverage facilities at the Hawaii Prince Hotel and Golf Club, where he remained employed until joining the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

So it appears that my taste buds will be in good hands. Aside from the food, what I like about the Hilo Hawaiian is the excellent views it has of Hilo Bay. The only bad thing about the dinner buffet is that since Hilo Bay is located on the East Side of our island we don’t get to see spectacular sunsets during dinner. But our sunrises are quite nice. Unfortunately, I’m not the biggest fan of big breakfasts, I prefer dinner buffets. So there…

Hilo Gas Prices hit a new high of $4.70 per gallon this week. But cheer up. It could be worse. Our neighbors on Molokai and Lanai are now paying more than $5 per gallon. I guess it is time to take my horse out of the barn and leave my car in the garage. Oh wait. I don’t own a horse.

According to the folks at HawaiiReporter Oahu dealers only make $0.10 to $0.12 per gallon and their profits actually go down as gas prices go up:

Bill Green, an energy consultant and the former owner of Kahala Shell in East Oahu, said Oahu dealers make about 10 cents to 12 cents per gallon, and as the prices go up, their profits actually decrease. That is in part because credit card fees rise percentage wise as sales do. In addition, it takes more cash to fill the underground gasoline tanks, with many dealers having to take out loans to fill their tanks.

I found this to be very interesting and very counter-intuitive. But I guess it makes sense. So when do I think gas prices go down? Probably when we discover oil in Hawaii. Barring that I suspect that it would take a massive economic downturn to put a dent in rising gas prices, so I’m a little afraid to wish for lower prices. Or if we all went Amish and stopped using cars, maybe that might have an impact.

Surprise, surprise: according to Pacific Business News Hawaii gas prices keep on going up. The average price of gas in our great state is now $4.44 and this really sucks. But look at the bright side, if you want  to drive from one side of our island to the other you only need to travel 100 miles or less. In my car that is only 4 gallons of gas. To drive from one side of the mainland to the other it is around 3,000 miles. I don’t want to think about how much gas that would take.

Anyway Pacific Business News says:

The statewide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was 24 cents higher than a month ago and 42 cents higher than a year ago, according to AAA Hawaii, which this week released a survey in which 66 percent of Hawaii residents said that the high gas prices were affecting their household budgets.

But I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to tell you that higher prices will affect family budgets.

Hilo’s very own Lincoln Park has been closed for repairs. It turns out that the rubberized surface is cracking and falling apart according to hawaii 247:

The Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation announces the closure of portions of Lincoln Park in downtown Hilo.

Several holes have developed in the rubberized surface of the Dr. Ruth E. Oda Playground located within the park, Deputy Director Clayton Honma said in announcing the temporary closure to undertake emergency repairs.

Parks maintenance staff has performed inspections that determined the fall zones in certain areas of the playground are unsafe due to the weakened surface.

In fact, this past week, my friend’s kid noticed this and was trying to put pieces of the rubberized surface back into place. You might think that this is no big deal. But her kid is only 51 weeks old. He turns 1 this week.

I came across this website called trip advisor that lists things to do in my favorite town in the world, Hilo. I think that I will go through their list as time permits and immodestly interject my take on what they think are the best things to do in Hilo.

Mauna Loa Observatory

First on their list is Mauna Loa Observatory. First off, this is not in Hilo. Second, people talk about seeing pretty stars. Hello! This is an atmospheric observatory, not an astronomical observatory. The real observatories that gaze into the heart of the universe are on Mauna Kea, not Mauna Loa. But in any case, no one is going to let the general public look through a telescope. At least on Mauna Kea, you can stop by the visitor center. It has a few exhibits and a small shop. On Mauna Loa, I don’t think that you will find the same amenities. There is a nice lake on Mauna Kea which is kind of nice to look at and I guess it is somewhat novel to go to the summit and see snow. But why come all this way to a warm, tropical island to see some snow? There are better things to see near Hilo, but I guess this might give people a cool story to tell.

So best thing to do in Hilo? I would have to say no. But if you are staying here for a while, I guess you could do worse.

But if you are a cyclist and if you brought your bike, if you want one of the toughest climbs I have ever seen, you might consider the ride from the hunter check in station to the visitor center on Mauna Kea. The gradient hits 17% in a few spots and makes for a fun ride if you like pain and lots of suffering. And the descent, well that’s scarier than the climb for me. Just make sure you watch out for the two cattle guards or you might end up flying off your bike or at least denting or shattering a rim (depending on whether you prefer aluminum or carbon fiber). Now this is something worth talking about, but it only applies to a small group of people so it doesn’t count in my highly scientific rating system.

Yes, this list of things to do in Hilo is kind of short right now. Don’t worry, I have a lot more to say once I get around to it.

Akaka Falls

Again another one that trip advisor gets wrong. They say it is 9.3 miles from the city center but it really isn’t. Akaka Falls is barely in the district of Hilo and it is actually located in Honomu. But they are right that this is definitely something that is worth seeing. It is a 422 foot waterfall that is the biggest on the island and it’s well worth seeing. From the parking lot a short path takes you to an area where you can view Akaka Falls and it is majestic. The path goes through a rain forest so the vegetation is also worth seeing, though you might get tired of hearing birds singing. But I guess it is better to hear birds than coqui frogs. The path gets slippery when it rains, so be careful out there.

So the verdict on Akaka Falls is that it is well worth seeing, but it is a bit far from Hilo, proper.