Help! Planning a Day Trip in Hilo -- Knowledgeable opinions please!

[spaceflower77]

I am bringing my 9 year old son to Hilo for the day in late January (middle of the week). We fly in and arrive just before 7am. Our Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour starts at 8am. We are renting a Jeep Wrangler and want to do the VNP tour. Our departure flight doesn't leave until 8.57pm. Sunset is at 6.17pm.

We want to do the heli tour as early as possible, since we hear it is less cloudy at that time and they do not do one late enough to see it at night. But if we do the VNP tour in the evening would we be able to see any hotspots toward the end of the drive? If the sun sets at 6.15ish and we have a 40 minute drive back to the airport, and have to turn in our rental car, we'll just be finishing it up as evening falls. Would it be better to do the VNP tour right after getting back from the helicopter tour so we have plenty of time?

The other thing we must do while we are there is explore a black sand beach. My son is set on seeing the volcano and a black sand beach, neither of which we can see on Oahu, where we're spending the duration of our Hawaii vacation. He is obsessed with volcanoes and this is his dream trip. I want it to be perfect.

We are planning to snorkel at Richardson's Black sand beach in Hilo near the airport, the area is supposed to be stunning and being able to swim in/on the black sand beach is important... he also LOVES to snorkel!

Any of your expertise is greatly appreciated! I want this day for him to be the best day ever!!! I'm unfamiliar with Hawaii and excited to stuff as much as we can thoroughly appreciate into one day without making it too crazy. I'd love to see some waterfalls, but think that snorkeling and VNP is probably more than enough for one day.

We'll probably stop by Ponds restaurant, too, for dinner at some point if we find time since it is nearby. Thanks!!!

[kapoho2]

I believe that you had most of your questions answered in your previous posts of several months ago. Right now, there is no flowing lava to be seen inside VNP so staying after dark would probably not be of any great sightseeing value. You may be able to see a bit of glow from the crater at Halemaumau...but this is iffy and varies from night to night and hour to hour. Your best bet at seeing flowing lava will be from the helicopter tour. That will be a real treat for your volcano loving son!! Then spend as much time as you desire touring VNP.

 

You could try to drive out to the public viewing area in Kalapana, but again there is no guaranty for flowing lava. This area does not open until I believe 5pm and you would have to stay until after dark to see any glow. The last few evening, the area has been closed due to unfavorable winds. The decisions to close this area are on a day to day, hour to hour basis.....totally based on safety.

[spaceflower77]

I believe that you had most of your questions answered in your previous posts of several months ago. Right now, there is no flowing lava to be seen inside VNP so staying after dark would probably not be of any great sightseeing value. You may be able to see a bit of glow from the crater at Halemaumau...but this is iffy and varies from night to night and hour to hour. Your best bet at seeing flowing lava will be from the helicopter tour. That will be a real treat for your volcano loving son!! Then spend as much time as you desire touring VNP.

 

You could try to drive out to the public viewing area in Kalapana, but again there is no guaranty for flowing lava. This area does not open until I believe 5pm and you would have to stay until after dark to see any glow. The last few evening, the area has been closed due to unfavorable winds. The decisions to close this area are on a day to day, hour to hour basis.....totally based on safety.

 

 

Kapoho, once again you've answered my questions perfectly! Thank you for all of your help, thanks in great part to you I've planned what I hope to be the best day of my son's life thus far (one perfect day in the midst of a fantastic week on Oahu).

 

I booked it all and now it looks like we're set. I think we're going to rent the car, go on the heli tour, tour VNP for as long as we want to, snorkel Richardson's and have dinner at Ponds (or Ocean Sushi Deli on Keawe St, what do you think of that place -- Jack LOVES sushi -- is it near Richardson's and the airport, too?). Our flight back isn't until 9pm -- if there really isn't much lava to see at dusk, can you recommend a good Hilo evening activity? Thanks!