Hilo, Hawaii

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Should You Stay in Hilo or Kona?

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hilo-rainbow-fallsWhen visiting Hawaii, where is the best place to stay on the Big Island: Hilo or Kona?

The answer is that it depends on you. Given the time you should spend a few days in both places. But if you have to choose one or the other, it depends on what you would like to experience more.

What is Hilo Like?

Hilo is the side of the island where you can get a more authentic local experience. Less tourists stay here and it is less geared towards tourists and focused on everyday locals. It is rainier, but the rain makes it very verdant and provides the raw material for majestic waterfalls and amazing lush gardens and greenery.

What is Kona Like?

Kona is focused on tourism. You will run into a lot of fellow visitors there. It has most of Hawaii’s resorts and more beaches too. It seldom rains at the lower elevations and is much more suited to you if you like relaxing on the beach and hanging out at the resort.

Why Stay in Hilo?

Hilo has excellent bed and breakfasts, so it is a great place if you like those sort of accommodations. It is known for waterfalls and is closer to the Kilauea Volcano, which is one of the things that should be on every visitor’s list of things to see. If you like gardens and waterfalls it is also the place for you. Hilo might be the wettest, rainiest city in the U.S. but most of the rain falls at night, leaving your days open to see things like Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls and Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden http://www.htbg.com/. The Hamakua coastline is located just north of Hilo and has spectacular cliffs and ocean views along with the scenic Waipio Valley lookout. It is also easier to get to Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s Highest Mountain, using Saddle Road, from the Hilo side of our Island.

Why Stay in Kona?

If you want warm sunny beach weather and all the typical tourist amenities like white sand beaches, sprawling resorts, fine restaurants and stunning sunsets, then the Kona side of our island is the place for you. Kona is also home to Kona Coffee Farms, some of which give tours and has a lot of opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and short boat cruises to places like Kealakekua Bay, which has amazing quantities of brightly colored tropical fish and also the Captain Cook Monument in the location that Captain Cook died. You can also see the City of Refuge, which is a fully preserved Ancient Hawaiian City.

So should you stay in Hilo or Kona?

The real answer is that you should stay in both places.

Titus Coan: The Hilo Missionary

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Titus Coan was one of the first missionaries in Hilo, Hawaii. He presided over a great revival in Hilo and also built Haili Church, one of the oldest churches on Hawaii.

Titus Coan: Hilo Missionary
Titus Coan: Hilo Missionary

Who is Titus Coan?

Titus Coan is a missionary from New England who came to Hilo in 1835 and led one of the greatest revivals that the world has ever seen. At one point, the church he helped build, Haili Church, was the largest Christian Church in the world. What makes this remarkable is that Hilo is not a big city, but a small town and the reason that Haili Church grew is that just about everyone in Hilo became a member of Haili.

Where is Titus Coan Buried?

Titus Coan’s grave is located in Homelani Memorial Park, which is off Ponahawai Street. Homelani and Alae Cemetary are the two largest cemetaries in Hilo and a significant number of my ancestors are resting at both.

His grave stone says:

TITUS COAN
FEBRUARY 1st, 1801
DECEMBER 1st, 1882

He Lived by Faith
He Still Lives
Believest Thou This?
John 11:26

What is Titus Coan Known For?

Coan is known for his missionary work in Hilo. He learned the Hawaiian language, supervised the building of Haili Church and oversaw one of the greatest revivals that the world has ever seen. He also made significant contributions to the study of volcanoes by observing the eruptions of Kilauea Volcano.

What books did Titus Coan Write?

Titus Coan wrote Life in Hawaii, which was his autobiography. He also corresponded heavily with James Dana who was a noted geologist.

Where was Titus Coan Born?

Titus Coan was born in Killingworth, Connecticut on February 1, 1801.

How Did Titus Coan Come to Hilo, Hawaii?

Titus Coan rode a narwhale to Hilo…Not. Coan hitched a ride on a merchant ship called the Hellespont in 1835. They arrived in Honolulu and then sailed to Hilo, which is where he spent most of his life.

What is the History of Titus Coan?

Coan was born in New England in 1801, attended the Auburn Theological Seminary in New York in 1831, arrived in Hawaii in 1835, oversaw the building of Haili Church from 1855 to 1859 and he died on December 1, 1881.

Coan, wrote Life in Hawaii, which is an autobiographical history of what else but his life in Hawaii.

 

The Best Way to Find a Job in Hilo

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What is the quickest, easiest way to find a high paying job in Hilo? There are a lot of high paying jobs in Hilo if you know where to look. Here are tips on finding a job in Hilo and where to search for jobs in Hilo.

The Best Way to Find a Job in Hilo

The fastest, easiest way to find a job in Hilo is to utilize your network. The very first place you should look for a job is on LinkedIn since it is the top business networking site. Simply ask your connections there if they know of any job openings that are suitable for you.

Fortunately most Hilo Jobs don't involve carrying a sack of rocks on your head.
Fortunately most Hilo Jobs don’t involve carrying a sack of rocks on your head.

Next you should do the same on Facebook, just ask all of your friends if they know of any job openings that you are a good fit for. More jobs are found through friends and networks as opposed to any other way such as reading the classifieds or visiting internet job sites.

Hilo Job Search Tips

  • Decide exactly what you are looking for
  • Tap your network before any other source of jobs
  • Until you are employed, devote 8 hours a day to your job search, because it is your job until you get an actual job
  • Utilize the internet to speed up your job search
  • Think about what problems you can solve for your potential employer and tell them in the job interview

Find Jobs in Hilo Classified Ads

One of the first places you can look for a job is the classified ads in the Hawaii Tribune Herald or West Hawaii Today. You can also find Hilo Jobs on Craigslist but you may have to sift through more junk because it is free to post on craigslist so the advertising fee which serves to filter out the employers that are not so serious isn’t there like in the newspapers.

Hilo Jobs Websites

There are a number of great websites to search for Hilo Jobs on the internet. Here are some of the top websites:

Part time Jobs in Hilo

More and more Hilo Companies are offering part time jobs so that they do not have to pay for health insurance. If you do not need health insurance and you don’t want to work full time a part time job in Hilo may be just the thing you are looking for. You can easily search for part time Hilo Jobs by using one of the job websites I listed above and checking the box to limit your search to part time jobs.

Hilo Airport Jobs

Hilo airport has approximately 100 jobs that range from clerical to fire fighting. You can learn about employment at Hilo Airport at: http://hawaii.gov/ito/airport-information/employment and you can search for job openings at Hilo Airport.

Hilo Government Jobs

There are a lot of government jobs in Hilo, Hawaii. You can work for the county, the state or even the federal government in Hilo.

Hilo County Jobs

Hilo County offers great jobs with nice benefits like retirement plans, health insurance and a lot of paid holidays and vacation. You can search for Hilo County Jobs at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/countyhawaii/

Hilo State Jobs

The State of Hawaii has a lot of jobs located in Hilo. You can search for state jobs in Hilo at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/hawaii/default.cfm

Hilo Federal Jobs

The U.S. Government has a number of Federal Jobs in Hilo. You could work for the Post Office or even the USDA. To find Hilo Federal Jobs checkout: https://www.usajobs.gov/

UH Hilo Jobs

Whether you are a student, a professor, or just an ordinary person looking for a job, UH Hilo usually has a number of job openings. You can look for UH Hilo Jobs at UH Hilo’s Job Website.

 

Hilo Grocery Stores

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There are a number of great grocery stores in Hilo, Hawaii. Some of my favorites include: KTA, Island Naturals and Safeway. Each have their own specialties, so you might have to visit all of them to get the most ono food.

Island Naturals Market & Deli

Eat moar vegetables!
Eat moar vegetables!

Island Naturals Hilo Store is located Kilauea Avenue at the Old Hilo Shopping Center. It is the place to go for what else but natural, organic food grown and made here in Hawaii. They are the best place to get organic and natural food on the Big Island. They are a great place if you are vegan or vegetarian

Island Naturals Hilo Store Location
1221 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 935-5533

Home

Store Hours
Monday – Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m. -7:00 p.m.

Hilo Safeway Store

The Hilo Safeway Store is located on Maka’ala street right next to the Hilo Target. It is the place to go if you want one of the widest selections of mainland food.

Hilo Safeway Store Location
381 East Maka’ala St.
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: 808-920-8870

Store Hours
Open every day from 6 AM to 12 midnight

Cost-U-Less Hilo

Cost-U-Less is the place to go in Hilo if you want bulk amounts of food and groceries in Hilo without having to drive to Costco in Kona. It is located next to the Hilo Lanes Bowling alley on Kinoole Street.

Hilo Location

715 Kinoole St, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 933-3030
costuless.com

Cost-U-Less Store Hours
Monday to Friday: 9am to 7:30pm
Saturday: 9am to 6pm
Sunday: 9am to 5pm

Sack N Save

Sack N Save of Hilo is where to go if you want to save money by bagging your own groceries. They are smaller than some of the other grocery stores in Hilo, but they have a good selection of food and produce. They also make great pokes.

Sack N Save Hilo Location
2100 Kanoelehua Ave, #A1, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 959-5831

Manono Mini Mart

The Manono Mini Mart of Hilo was also known as Freddies. They are smaller than the other hilo grocery stories, but a lot of us like them because they sell one of the best pastrami sandwiches in Hilo.

Manono Mini Mart Hilo Location
454 Manono St
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-0611

KTA Super Stores of Hilo

There are two KTA Stores in Hilo. The biggest is located on Puainako Street across from Firestone and the Prince Kuhio Plaza. KTA stocks the widest selection of local and Hawaiian food like poke, poi, sashimi, mochi, punaluu sweat bread, spam musubi and much more. KTA has an excellent seafood section with fresh poke made daily and great bakery section with a lot of local desserts like haupia, kulolo and various other tasty treats.

KTA Stores Location

50 E Puainako St
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 959-9111
ktasuperstores.com

Hilo Farmers Market

The Hilo Farmers Market is not a grocery store, per se, but it has a wide selection of food and produce and if you go near closing time, sometimes you can get a big discount when vendors want to unload their produce rather than haul it back to their farms. They may not be the biggest farmer’s market but they are one of the original farmers markets in Hawaii and they are one of the best according to a number of travel magazines and travel guides.

Hilo Farmers Market Location
Mamo St & Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 933-1000
hilofarmersmarket.com

 

Do You Need A Room With Air Conditioning In Hilo?

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Hilo Temperatures
Hilo Temperatures

If you are visiting Hawaii, you may be wondering if you need to get a room with air conditioning when visiting Hilo.

The answer is that it depends. My house in Hilo doesn’t have air conditioning and I am perfectly comfortable using standing fans and ceiling fans even when the summer heat arrives. But then again, I get cold in air conditioning.

If you come from a cold, dry climate, then it you are probably going to need to get a room with air conditioning when you visit Hilo, because the average high temperature during August is 83 degrees and the average humidity is 75%.

But if you are from a place that is hot and humid, you can probably don’t need a room with air conditioning. You will probably feel more than comfortable with a ceiling fan or standing fan.