central route past Mauna Kea), then down the coast to Kona. We hit whatever beach looked fun along the way. In Kona, there is historical stuff to see, there is snorkeling and even great scuba diving. They have a night dive where the Manta Rays soar above your head.

From Kona we worked our way down to Volcanoes NP for a day trip (I think since then that the road south was blocked by a lava flow and most people access the pak from the Hilo side). There are lots of reserves, you can hike thru most of them.

Keep in mind that this is an ISLAND, not a CONTINENT. You could easily spend a week on the island with a rental car and make those trips without feeling 'car crazy'. They call it the BIG ISLAND because it's the biggest of the islands, but its only 95miles across, and the drive only takes 3 hours because of the speed limit and stops for ice cream at Parker Ranch.

My next trip is back to the big island, I like Oahu, but still like Hawaii and Maui best.