Hawaii: The Big Island Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Surf, Bike, & Drive

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Summary: Truly great locales in which to hike, snorkel, surf, or bike
Review: A energetically presented and highly recommended resource guide, Hawaii - The Big Island Trailblazer by Jerry and Janine Sprout is a thoroughly "user friendly" travel guide featuring truly great locales in which to hike, snorkel, surf, bike, or drive anywhere in Hawaii. Specifically for families wanting shared recreational experiences, and ideal for solitary vacationers seeking memorable do-it-yourself adventures, Hawaii The Big Island Trailblazer is enhanced with 9 maps and over 200 black-and-white photographs; a "Kids Only" section; driving tours; safety trips; resource links; information on Hawaiian culture and history, and a great deal more.

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Summary: Five Star Rating
Review: A must have resource for anyone living here and a must read for anyone thinking of hiking our Big Big Island. Happy trails and aloha from Waimea!

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Summary: Five Star Rating
Review: A must have resource for anyone living here and a must read for anyone thinking of hiking our Big Big Island. Happy trails and aloha from Waimea!

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Summary: Sun Chasing
Review: Although we had rain, my girlfriend and I managed to make every day count with the help of Hawaii Trailblazer. The driving tours filled in the days when the trails were too wet. The Onomea Scenic Drive was green quintessential old Hawaii, bring alot of film.
We've used these books before on the islands of Kauai and Maui and like the classy way they lay out all the juicy stuff blended with a nice mix of legends and photos. There's enough stuff in this one to keep you going for a year and we wish we could have stayed three weeks instead of two.
Note for campers: there are separate maps for mountain biking and camping with routes and treks. We're already making plans and getting equipped to return in September.

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Summary: we were prepared and organized
Review: Five years ago we visited this island and never got beyond Kona. This time we brought this red guide along and spent three weeks hiking around the place. The authors have sliced the island up into six pieces and within each section tell you exactly where they've found the best hikes, how long they are, what you'll see and what in history took place there. There are plenty of photos so you get a nice preview. If the snorkeling is good, they let you know and if it's too dangerous to get in it's noted. We never would have realized we could summit Mauna Kea. Trailhead 66 gave us all our options and we timed it perfectlly to witness the dazzling sunset. If you want the full impact of the Big Island by all means read this all purpose intriguing book.

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Summary: hiking buddy
Review: I thought Kauai was the best Hawaiian Island and now I'm convinced it's the Big Island. If you take one guidebook make sure it's this one. For starters is puts the huge land mass into perspective, mapping it down into sections so you can economize on gas - $2.30 a gallon. Hiking the volcano area ranks high above all the hikes I've ever taken. No other island has flowing lava and huge petroglyph fields and wild beaches and I even swam with turtles. It was an amazing vacation. Hiker friendly and carefully engineered, it was a good choice.

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Summary: Endless Fun
Review: There are so many reasons we liked this guide. What stands out is the abundent mix of activities. We got a good solid workout everyday in the water and out on the rainforest trails. We scrambled down to the Captain Cook monument early enough to get there before the tour boats and kayaking groups and would have never known there was a way down without Trailblazer. It lives up to its name. A fabulous first trip to the Hawaiian Islands.

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Summary: Indispensable Active Travelers Guide
Review: This is another winner in the Trailblazer series. For travelers to the Big Island who don't want to be limited to the fancypants resort areas, the Sprouts have clearly laid out hikes, bike rides, water sport spots, drives, campgrounds, historic sites, and adventures galore all around this most fascinating and diverse of all the islands. My wife and I had the guidebook in hand for hikes to Pololu and Waipio Valleys, a wonderful excursion to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a drive to historical sites on the north end of the island, and an architectural walking tour of Hilo. Along with clear trail guides and maps for active adventures, the guidebook also helped us find magnificent and not overcrowded public beaches for catching some sun, art galleries, bakeries, public markets, restaurants, and two of the best B & B's we've ever stayed in anywhere--Acacia Palms and Shipman House. As all the guidebooks in this series, the writing is clear and helpful and the design is stunning; this one has a particular richness of black and white photos. All the practical stuff, from what to pack to ideas for kids to resource links, is included. The authors are always respectful of local history and customs, and this volume--with its Hawaiian glossary and brief history--is particularly infused with that aloha spirit. And we always enjoy the "Free Advice and Opinion" sections: "Never walk downhill with your hands in your pockets." This is one useful guide to the rich delights of the Big Island.

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Summary: Rescued Us
Review: We found this book to be an absolute necessity for accessing the wonders of the Big Island. Initially we bought it for its extensive trail listings and didn't realize that it tripled as a driving and snorkeling book. Terrific. Gorgeous. The photos were a huge advantage to finding all the special nooks.

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Summary: ON TOP
Review: We just returned from a two week tour of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. We planned the itinerary ourselves using the Trailblazer series. Our last stop was the Big Island and it scored a ten. There were fewer tourists and it was a place where we connected with simple less expenseive pleasures like hiking and snorkeling and coffee tasting. We owe all the fun we had to this guide. It got us on the right path every day with excellent maps and great insights. It has loads of photos and a real sense of fun. The people were so friendly and welcoming and this was a chance to get away from it all yet be a part of it all. Thank you. Mike