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.

Hilo Merchant, Michael Tokunaga was named Hawaii’s SBA Business Person of the Year. Tokunaga is the third generation owner of S. Tokunaga Store which sells fishing, hunting and outdoor supplies. And I am proud to say that I am a patron of his store. Let’s just say that he has the widest selection of diving equipment in town and his gear helps me catch a few lobsters from time to time. Where exactly do I dive for them? Well that’s my little secret.

Anyway, Tokunaga will be representing Hawaii in Washington D.C. at a big SBA event in May. Tokunaga is the son of Ethel and Earl Tokunaga. Ethel, his mother, ran the store after his grandfather retired. I also remember seeing Earl at the store from time to time too. Back in the day, I remember hearing stories from Earl about his exploits in bowling. From what I recall, he was quite the bowler. In fact, I believe that he bowled 300 a number of times. To someone like me who struggles to break 80 in a round of bowling that is impressive indeed.

Photo is from the Pacific Business News website where I spotted the original article.

Here in Hilo we have some of the highest gas prices in the nation. Right now it costs $4.50 per gallon for us to fill up. It always bugs me when people from other places complain about high gas prices, but don’t realize how much worse prices are over here. For example, gas prices in Wyoming are only $3.05 per gallon right now. But I bet people there are complaining as we speak about high gas prices.

If Hilo’s high gas prices are getting you down. Here is where you can find the Best Gas Prices in Hilo.

But I guess that short of selling my car and buying a horse, there isn’t much that can be done. I mean it is a matter of supply and demand and of course taxes thrown into the mix. If you look at a chart of crude oil production, supply has not increased for the past few years. Now I suppose OPEC could be holding back, but at $100 per barrel they could be making a lot more money if they pumped more oil, so perhaps they are tapped out. So the only way to get lower prices is if demand falls or if taxes on gas are reduced. Did you know that 13% of the gas price is due to taxes?

But one way to find lower gas prices is to take a look at this website that lists the prices of gas at the various gas stations in Hilo. Right now the lowest price is at Tesoro which is $4.51 per gallon. But this changes every day. I guess one way to get lower prices is to always choose the gas station with the lowest prices to encourage the other stations to match the lower price, which they might be inclined to do if no one goes to their station. And since Hilo is a small town, you don’t have to drive very far out of your way for a lower price.

After all, what is the point of saving $0.05 per gallon if you burn a gallon of gas driving around to find the absolute lowest price?