I spent a week on the Kona/Waikoloa side of the Big Island, but wanted to experience the Hilo side as well. So I took a day to drive over and made the first stop at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens.

Open daily from 9:00 to 5:00, there is an entrance fee of $32.00 currently, but well worth it to support this amazing organization. The Gardens were donated by a private citizen who spent time clearing and planting over 2,500 tropical and subtropical plants, both native and collected species, over 17 years. The initial path into the Gardens does take a steep decline – so bear in mind if you have mobility issues.

After the Gardens, I continued on down to Hilo to drop in on the famous Hilo Farmer’s Market (it was a Wednesday, one of the better days to visit). Grabbed some poke at the Kitchen – highly recommended!

While at the Market, I found some beautiful local art to bring home and remind me of my trip! You can visit the artist here.