Hawaii The Big Island Trailblazer: Where to hike, snorkel, surf, bike, drive (Paperback)

by Jerry Sprout (Author), Janine Sprout (Author) "Forget the movie version of Hawaii and prepare yourself to see another planet altogether when you journey to the Big Island..." (more)
Key Phrases: Big Island, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A guide for families and outdoor adventurers alike, the new and completely revised 2008 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

From the Publisher
With its obscure roads and enormous size--nearly twice that of the rest of the Hawaiian Islands combined--the Big Island presents a challenge to adventure travelers who have limited time. The Hawaii The Big Island Trailblazer for 2008 comes to the rescue with clear driving and trail descriptions to all of nature's all-stars, from the top of Mauna Kea to the shores of Kealakekua Bay. Presenting vivid maps and its easy-to-use format, Trailblazer is a personal tour guide that fits in your knapsack. Hikers, snorkelers, and surfers can zero in on all the island's scenic masterpieces, as well as seek out the quiet wonders the Sprouts are known to discover.

You'll find jungle valleys, blue lagoons, red-hot lava, hidden beaches, and starry nights on the tallest peak in the world. A separate map and listing shows bicyclists the island's hottest single tracks, along with trans-island cycling routes. Several driving tours take you to the Big Island's panoramas, but don't neglect the local-style galleries and restaurants, coffee and macadamia farms, and cultural curiosities. Handpicked accommodations present campsites and rustic digs, plus choice B&B's and resorts, both glitzy and budget. Hundreds of beautiful photographs illustrate a text rich with historical and cultural background. Reading Trailblazer gives you the feeling of being there, and then makes you want to get up and go!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Diamond Valley Company; 2 edition (September 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967007259
• ISBN-13: 978-0967007250
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Scuba > Excursion Guides
  #3 in	Books > Travel > United States > States > Hawaii > Big Island
  #28 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Hiking & Camping > Excursion Guides

• This is item 1 in The Trailblazer Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbeatable, October 6, 2004

By	R. K. Dennison (Mount Joy, PA) - See all my reviews

We recently spent ten extraordinary days on Hawaii. It was our first visit and had we not read this guide cover to cover before arriving we would have wasted alot of time and money taking packaged tours $$$. The book is literally overflowing with activities and has a finetuned list of recommended hotels, b&b's and restuarants. Itinerary planning was easy knowing how far and long the trails were and previewing the locations using the photos in the book was an enormous advantage. The hikes are grouped with the snorkeling beaches and so we didn't end up doing alot of extra driving. Taking advantage of the insider tips and advice it became our loyal travelling companion. Our timing couldn't have been better with the volcano spewing rivers of lava. This turned out to be a real adventurous vacation that Jenny, Patrick and I will long remember.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable Active Travelers Guide, November 9, 2003

By A Customer

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.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now in a completely revised, updated and expanded second edition, January 17, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Now in a completely revised, updated and expanded second edition, Hawaii The Big Island Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Snorkel, Surf, Bike, Drive is a user-friendly guide to families and outdoor adventurers, offering 153 hikes and strolls on Hawaii's big island from the peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, rain forests, botanical gardens, waterfalls, petroglyph fields, the Kona Coast, and much more. Also included are 73 snorkeling and swimming spots, 41 surfing spots, 24 bike trails, 25 campgrounds, a wealth of resource links with hand-picked accommodations and restaurants, safety tips, planning, advice, and much more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this easy-to-follow travel guide. An absolute "must-have" for any Hawaii vacationer who wants to explore the wondrous outdoors of the big island. Also highly recommended to anyone exploring Hawaii's other islands are the companion volumes, "Maui Trailblazer" and "Kauai Trailblazer".