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Hawaii The Big Island Trailblazer: Where to hike, snorkel, surf, bike, drive | 
 enlarge | Authors: Jerry Sprout, Janine Sprout
Publisher: Diamond Valley Company
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy Used: $6.85
You Save: $9.10 (57%)
Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 41305
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7
ISBN: 0967007259
Dewey Decimal Number: 917
EAN: 9780967007250
ASIN: 0967007259
Publication Date: September 28, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Like New condition
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| Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
A guide for families and outdoor adventurers alike, the new and completely revised 2007 Trailblazer takes you to all of the Big Island's famous attractions, as well as its hidden spots. Nearly twice the size of the rest of Hawaii combined, the Big Island presents a challenge to adventure travelers with limited time. Trailblazer comes to the rescue with its trademark organization and clear directions for . . . 156 hikes and strolls: the peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the shores of Waipio Valley and Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, rain forests and tropical gardens, waterfalls, petroglyph fields, and the Kona Coast
75 snorkeling and swimming spots including remote hike-to specials
39 surfing spots: boards, bodyboarding, and body surfing
24 bike trails for adventure cyclists: mountain, coastal, forest, pasture
25 campgrounds and rustic cabin hideaways Hawaii the Big Island Trailblazer also includes . . . 9 maps and more than 200 photographs
A Trailblazer Kids section for adventuring famiies
A Best Of section that lets you pick the right activity for the right day
Resource Links with hand-picked accommodations and restaurants,recreational outfitters, transportation, and visitor information
Hawaiian culture and history
Museums, attractions and shopping
Driving tours to the Parker Ranch and Kohala Coast, Hilo and the Heritage Coast, and Kona coffee country
Safety tips and trip-planning advice
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
incomparable guide on the title essentials shame restaurant/food info is mediocre (find our suggestions below) April 20, 2008
Cheshire Cat (Switzerland)
Great book, I bought it after having figured out which islands to visit using the book by the same authors, no worries Hawaii, which is a must buy if you don't know where to go and what you want to do. Following input from the first book we picked 1 day Honlolu, 5 days big Island and 9 days Kauai.
The big island trailblazer is unique in that the information on trailheads and how to find them is really really accurate, if you have to follow a dirt road for 2 miles and then stop next to a hidden bridge then that information is there. You rarely spend hours searching for stuff, the detail on where to look for something once you get to the end of the trail is less good, but that is because in the islands appear not to go in for signposts in a big way, so we were often looking at something and wondering whether or not this is it. Best ofs were generally good, didn't understand focus on Hilo, we went there on a Sunday and it felt like a run down sad little town, but maybe on a weekday there is a different vibe. The only negative is that restaurants mentioned a little more information on them to help you chose would help unless you like the sticky table-top ketchup bottle and drip coffee atmosphere and generic grub, this is fine if it is what you want, but you don't need a guidebook to discover such places, of course to be fair the book doesn't target the foodie population nevertheless a little more selectivity would help though or just a little more text on the restaurants. From personal experience if you are staying in Kapaa on Big Island try the restaurant Rapanui, a small hole in the wall joint run by a saturnine chef from New Zealand and his partner, its location is not attractive (in a mall when you enter Kapaa on the coastal road from the north on the left after the bend in the first mall), and it is BYOB but the food is really, really well cooked, from a European stand point, fresh, flavourful, beef melts in your mouth, rice/coconut nuttily satisfying, great, cooked but crunchy veggies, freshly made sauces, not a bottle or deep fryer in sight. Another great place to eat is Jays on the road towards southpoint, before the turn-off to Puuhoonuau (I forget the spelling) national park, two step snorkeling and the painted church from Kappaa, it is described in the guidebook, really spectacular and don't be put off by the appearance of the kitchen/living area. Oh and for sandwiches, a satisfying stop is Choicemart on the Highway 19 approximately in the area of the Manago Hotel, Choicemart is on the left, there is a great Vegan Cafe next to Choicemart and the sandwiches sold there and in Choicemart are spectacular. The locals recommend Choicemarts plate lunch especially on Lau Lau Friday. We tried to get it on Sat and it was all sold out. And the snorkeling at two step was the best we had on the island. Ok after all that digressing: if it is culture/food you are after then you need an additional book or to do some food research ahead of time online, for hiking, biking, walking and general reliable information then the trailblazer is a great book. Another option is to get the No worries Hawaii that has almost all information on all islands best ofs etc and then supplement that with a more foodie cultural guide for the islands depending on what you want. We did this for Kauai, although Fodors Kauai while better on culture etc really did badly for hiking and trails and was way less reliable than the Sprouts books.
If you love the Big Ilsand April 6, 2008
D. Oeltjen (Sublimity Oregon USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. We have traveled to the big island many times, but still have not discovered or seen everything. This book reaches beyond of the general guide books and one of the other more popular reads about the island. Great for those who are into hiking and especailly for driving tours. Snorkelers will like some of the off the beaten path places to go.
Everything we wanted to know about Hawaii March 11, 2008
Anita O'Keefe
Lots of detailed info, good maps, great pics, best directions and extremely well laid out for picking out all the cool places everywhere on the island. We lucked out and got to see lava flowing down the mountain near the volcano. For driving directions and staying out of danger, it's full of dos and don'ts.
This was this best thing we took with us on our honeymoon. It's so well organized and we used it as a tool to plan our daily escapades. I highly recommend this book for travelers who haven't been before and are looking for ideas and advice from authors who tell it like it is.
Right on target February 28, 2008
Liz Parker-Boehert (Kansas City)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reading this guide was truly a breath of fresh Hawaiian air. The authors passion and knowledge of this island jumps off the pages. For our family it delivered so many fun little sidetrips since our 3 kids love the water. What made it different from all the other travel guides was the intelligent way the sightseeing places were presented following along on the highway. It made picking and choosing the day's activities so easy.
There was always something to discover around every corner. It is concise, to the point and took us through fields of lava to white sandy beaches and reef pools where it was safe to swim. Turtle watching became a favorite pastime.
If you haven't yet been to the Big Island, you owe it yourself to get a copy before you go to see what's in store.
Great introduction to Hawaii February 19, 2008
April Mueller (Burwell, NE)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I would say this is THE guide to take on your trip if you don't have much time and you need information presented in easy-to-follow format. All the listings are numbered so you don't have to dig out the information.....the trail descriptions are right there as is the mileage. The maps and photos and they way they are laid out is very appealing. The advantages don't stop there. The authors have added historical and cultural information, just enough so we could appreciate this place we had flown so far to see. For finding the hiking trails and all the beaches which were quite hidden, it was a jewel. The most beautiful were north of Kona unseen from the highway.
As a tool for maximizing our family time and sticking to our budget, having this book paid off. The sense of freedom being our own tour guides was a huge advantage. Driving directions were key and knowing the lay of the land before arriving made everything seem friendly and familiar.
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