Blog - Page 37 of 55 - Hilo, Hawaii

Why You Should Not Move to Hilo, Hawaii

May 22, 2013 by admin

One of the reasons I like living in Hilo, Hawaii is that it is less crowded than the mainland. To keep it that way, I am going to attempt to convince you not to move here. So here are my top reasons why you shouldn’t move to Hilo.

This Hilo Rooster Won't Let You Sleep In — This Hilo Rooster Won’t Let You Sleep In

Hilo is a dangerous place

According to Neighborhood Scout, Hilo is more dangerous than 88% of the other cities in the United States. I guess we almost make the 90th percentile in something. Too bad its for something bad.

Hilo is located on the side of an active volcano. I mean what could go wrong. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984, but fortunately the lava flow stopped short of Hilo.

It’s tough to find a job in Hilo

This Yahoo article gives a little picture of how hard it can be to find a job in Hilo.

Heck I live in Hilo, but even I don’t have a job in Hilo. My company is located in California. I’m glad I can telecommute, because the 2,389 miles to California would be one hell of a long drive. Oh wait, there’s no bridge from Hawaii to California.

A good number of our keiki (children) leave Hilo for the mainland to get jobs, because there are not enough jobs here. So if people are leaving for jobs, coming here expecting to find a job quickly might not make sense.

Electricity is very expensive here in Hilo

Our electricity prices average $0.40 per kilowatt hour. We have the highest electricity rates in the nation according to Civil Beat.

You won’t be able to sleep in the morning because of the roosters

Lots of people have roosters here in Hilo, including us. They can get very loud in the morning, so forget being able to sleep in. And sometimes their internal clock goes off and they decide to start crowing in the middle of the night too.

You won’t be able to sleep at night in Hilo because of the coqui frogs

We have these evil little frogs called coqui frogs. They come out and night and make an exceptionally loud chirping noise that is sure to keep you awake at night.

How loud is a coqui frog? Well when you put a few hundred of them together they are about as load as a jet engine. Hope you have ear plugs.

Food is costs more here in Hilo

A lot of our food is shipped in from the mainland. As you might imagine, it costs a lot of money to ship perishable food, so food costs more here because of additional cost to ship it here.

Gasoline is very expensive in Hilo

I usually pay about $4.35 per gallon to fill my car up. I live in town, so I don’t do much driving, but if you have to drive a lot this can really add up. Public transportation aside from a few sparse bus routes is non-existent here so expect to drive a lot even if you live in town. And if you live outside of Hilo expect to drive a whole lot.

The air in Hilo is worse than Los Angeles

Okay, not all the time, but L.A. has smog, while Hilo has vog. Vog is produced by the Kilauea Volcano, which has been erupting for a very long time. When the trade winds stop, all of the vog from the volcano lingers over Hilo and harms Hilo’s air quality.

Hilo rains all the time

Hilo is the rainiest city in the U.S., so unless you are hydrophilic, Hilo might not be a fun place for you.

Please don’t move to Hilo

Please don’t move to Hilo. I want to keep it all to myself.

Okay, I might be exaggerating a little, but these are somethings you might want to consider before moving to Hilo, Hawaii.

UH Hilo Web Cams

May 22, 2013 by admin

Want to know what is happening at UH Hilo? Here is a collage of images from the UH Hilo Web Cams. Click on an image to see a full sized image on the UH Hilo Website.

Student Life Center - UH Hilo Web Cam — Student Life Center – UH Hilo Web Cam

Is Hilo a Dangerous Place to Visit or Live?

May 19, 2013 by admin

Is Hilo a dangerous place? The short answer is no, but with a few caveats. In comparison to a lot of other places, Hilo is much safer. There are fewer violent crimes, though property crimes may be slightly higher. The relative safety of Hilo depends on you personally.

Are you a person that tends to get in bar fights? Well then, Hilo might be a dangerous place for you. Do you like to go to the tougher parts of town at inconvenient hours? Well this would also make Hilo dangerous for you?

Or are you a person that gets along with everyone and is smart about where they go and what times they go there? If this is the case, then Hilo is an extremely safe place.

Hilo Crime Rates

According to Neighborhoodscout, Hilo is safer than 12% of the cities in the U.S., which means that it is more dangerous than 88% of the cities in our country. Is Hilo really this dangerous? Perhaps, but I don’t think that this is indeed the case. I think that this might be skewed by certain regions of Hilo. Most of Hilo are relatively safe, but a few areas skew the statistics. Just keep your eyes and ears open and don’t go there.

Do Hilo Locals Harbor Ill Will Towards Mainland Visitors?

The short answer is no. Hiloans are some of the friendliest people around. Most of the stories you hear are the result of visitors who behave obnoxiously. If you act foolishly Hilo or even the safest city in the world can be a dangerous place for you, but if behave with a reasonable measure of decency and common sense, Hilo is a safe and friendly place.

Should You Stay in Hilo or Kona?

May 19, 2013 by admin

When 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

May 18, 2013 by admin

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.

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.