Twelve Hours Around the Big Island: Waipi'o Valley and the Hawaiian Cowboys

Twelve hours, and the itinerary that goes with that much time: eleven stops, from the Kona coast round to Hilo and back over the middle of the island. Park entrance fees, lunch, snacks and refreshments are all in the price. Downtown Kona has the summer palace of the Hawaiian royal family and the oldest church in Hawaii. Bay View Farm covers Kona coffee, from harvesting to milling, with a tasting. At Punalu'u the sand is black and the green sea turtles come ashore. Inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: steam vents, the Halema'uma'u and Kilauea Iki crater lookouts, past lava flow sites, a short walk on the crater rim trail, and the Thurston Lava Tube, 600 feet of cave that an underground river of magma left behind. Hilo is the largest city on the island. Rainbow Falls drops 80 feet there, over a natural lava cave, into the Wailuku River, and the rainbows show on a sunny day. 'Akaka Falls falls 442 feet into a ravine, reached on a short walk through the vegetation. The Waipi'o Valley lookout has cliffs dropping straight into the ocean. Parker Ranch closes the loop: green pasture, one of the largest ranches in the United States, and the home of the Hawaiian cowboys. The walking stays easy throughout, and the day works for all ages.