On a rare sunny day in Hilo, Cliff Mark likes to explore the park alongside Banyan Drive in Hilo. This is where many of the local hotels are located.

Just outside Hilo one can still often see locals fishing in the traditional manner. Many rocky pools make for fine fishing as well as very photogenic views.

It's hard to believe that you are seeing almost 14,000 ft of relief in the amazingly clear view of Mauna Kea, taken from Hilo Bay. One can get a good appreciation for how the vegetation changes as the elevation increases. To see just how desolate the summit area is, go to Stop #8 in this tour.

One of the most civilized ways to see Hawaii is to take a 3-day or 7-day cruise around the islands. Every weekend, one of these pleasure boats sails off into the sunset to see new wonders in Hawaii.

From here you can continue on to Stop 3 on the ground, or you can pick another point from the Big Island Virtual Field Trip page.