Hilo

OK. So, there is a big rivalry between Hilo-side of the Island and Kona-side of the Island.

If you ask a Kona-side person what they think of Hilo, they will typically say things like:  “It rains too much.”  ”They have coqui frogs.” ”There’s no place to surf/swim/snorkel.”

If you ask a Hilo-side person what they think of Kona, they will typically say things like: “Kona? Pfft.”

We love both sides for different reasons. I will talk more about why we love Kona later. (The primary reason is that we have really wonderful friends there, and that always makes a difference, doesn’t it.)

But, some of the reasons that we LOVE LOVE LOVE Hilo side is that:

1) It rains. I don’t want to say “too much”, but it rains enough to make it lush and smell like a greenhouse. It has amazing waterfalls, vines, rainforests. And, I’m sure locals would tell me otherwise (they always do), but I haven’t seen it rain “too much”. The last time we were there (2 weeks), it rained every single morning – poured, actually. But, around noon, the sun came out and it go really warm, and then the next morning (or sometime throughout the night) the rain would come and cool down the earth again. For me, that’s perfect.

2) There are coqui frogs. I love them! I do! I’m sorry to all you coqui frog haters, but I love them! Sure, they are a little noisy (see previous blog), but if you think of them as “singing a song in chorus” rather than “screeching at 90 decibel”, I think you’d love them too! (and, if you can’t make them into “white noise” when you sleep, where earplugs and/or get a sound machine.)

3) There are MANY places to swim/snorkel/surf - they just are a bit off the beaten path and not near as crowded… (There’s more, too, than just that link I’ve included – they may or may not show up in my future blogs (or this one) but 1/2 the fun is finding these places by yourself.

But the REAL reason I love Hilo-side, is because of the “Locals.”  “Locals” include actual Hawaiian people, as well as (by way of my definition) people who are not tourists.  “Tourists” (by way of my definition) are those people who are travelling (obviously) OR people who’ve moved there, but haven’t really become part of the culture yet.

For example, I consider Tom, the Chicken Guy, to be a “local.”  Or, a little boy we saw at the beach, who, it seems, lives outside, and looks exactly like I would imagine Tom Sawyer looked – white blonde hair, lightly tanned skin with freckles, and no shoes.

Here’s another difference I’ve observed between Kona-side and Hilo-side.  Kona-side, you can pick out tourists because they are pale(r) than the residence.  Hilo-side, you can pick out tourists because they are tan(ner) than the residence.  (Not because of the amount of time that the sun is available, but because the Hilo-side has an abundance of people who wear hats and avoid full exposure to the sun.  Lots of – ummm – organic people on the Hilo-side. Heh! I love it!)

I will concede that there is more obviously touristy things to do on the Kona side (again, will discuss those later – if you are going to Kona before I get to that blog, please feel free to email me for suggestions), not including the most photographed waterfall in the world (in Hilo) and the longest erupting volcano in the world (south of Hilo at Hawaii Volcano National Park.)

There are very few hotels in Hilo, and the only one I’ve ever stayed at is the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, right on Banyan Drive, and beside the Queen Liliuokalani Gardens. (We usually rent a Vacation Rental by Owner.

Banyan Drive is known as “Hilo Walk of Fame”, because the Banyan trees along the drive have all been planted by celebrities, including trees planted by Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, former U.S. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt & Richard Nixon, Dr. Thomas Jaggar, and others.  It’s an interesting walk, and just across the street is an ice cream and shave ice stand, so you can have a little break, too – especially if it’s hot out.

The Queen Liliuokalani Gardens was named after Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, and dedicated in 1917, the same year the Queen died.  dedicated in 1917, the same year the Queen died.  (Her full name was Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaʻeha.)

The Garden is beautiful and last time we were there, we found a paintbrush in one of the trees.  You can just imagine someone spending the day, perched in a mango tree, painting the scenery below.  Perfect.

So…I have a LOT more to say about Hilo.  I haven’t really gotten started.. But, I have a tiny complication, which I will explain in a couple of weeks, so, I will have to return to this area later.  Hilo – to be continued…sometime.

In the meantime, next Sunday, I will be talking about some of the waterfalls.

"If you build it, they will come"

Annie Kinsella: If you build what, who will come?
Ray Kinsella: He didn’t say.

.......

Ray Kinsella: I think I know what “If you build it, he will come” means.
Annie Kinsella: Ooh… why do I not think this is such a good thing?
Ray Kinsella: I think it means that if I build a baseball field out there that Shoeless Joe Jackson will get to come back and play ball again.
Annie Kinsella: [staring in disbelief] You’re kidding.
Ray Kinsella: Huh-uh.

The “Field of Dreams.” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/) It’s a fictional story that includes real historical baseball characters (Shoeless Joe Jackson and Moonlight Graham, for example). The book from which Field of Dreams was adapted is called “Shoeless Joe”, written by W.P. Kinsella. (I’m going to read it, now that I know.)

 

Shoeless Joe’s real name was Joseph Jefferson Jackson, and he got his nickname because he once ran bases in his socks, thanks to blisters on his feet.

 

In 1919, a scandal (allegedly accepted a bribe, along with 7 others, to throw the World Series) got him banned from playing Major League Baseball (forever), but many of his records still stand! (Apparently, even Babe Ruth claimed to follow the technique that Shoeless Joe used for hitting). In 1921, Shoeless Joe was acquitted (evidence seems to point to the fact that he was accused without cause), but because of his tarnished name, he still was banned from baseball.. Despite the many, many records that he set, he is still on Major League Baseball’s “ineligible” list and so far, cannot be inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame… Sad story…no wonder W.P. Kinsella wanted to give him another chance…

 

After Shoeless Joe left his professional baseball career, he moved to Greenville SC. where he’d lived as a child. As I was reading his story (just now), I was thinking: I wished I had’ve known he was in Greenville sooner – I could’ve gone to see his memorial while I was there visiting my Grampa years ago (my Grampa lived in the neighboring town of Easley)… and then I started thinking… that sounds kind of familiar…so I went through some old pictures, and sure enough! look what I found! (He’s wearing shoes…)

Moonlight Graham’s real name is Dr. Archibald Wright Graham. In the movie, he is also a doctor, and lives outside of the field, but is given the opportunity to come play inside the field, too. In real life, he did play right fielder for the New York Giants, from the bottom of the 8th inning, to the bottom of the 9th inning, one game. He never got to bat. It was his only game in the Major Leagues.

 

He completed his medical degree and became a doctor in Chisholm MN for 50 years. The movie includes this quote:

 

Ray Kinsella: Fifty years ago, for five minutes you came within… y-you came this close. It would KILL some men to get so close to their dream and not touch it. God, they’d consider it a tragedy.
Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham: Son, if I’d only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes… now that would have been a tragedy.

 

I’m not sure if he said anything like that in real life, but I bet he at least felt it! He was an actual Do-Gooder. For example, one expression of his Do-Goodness was that - not only did he serve as a doctor as his career, he also worked free of charge, helping children of the miners come get fitted for glasses (which were donated) on Saturdays.

 

He passed away in 1965 and his buried in Rochester MN. (Wished I had’ve known THAT earlier, since we were just in Rochester -see this past Sunday’s blog – October 28th). His legacy of helping people continues – there is still a scholarship set up in his name in Chisholm.

 

So – the Field! You can actually visit there – it’s a real baseball field – maybe not exactly how the movie portrays it…then again – maybe it is! I’m not the one who’s going to confirm or deny someone’s “dream”, that is for sure. You can go there….and see for yourself. (http://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/)

While there,

• you can sit in the bleachers and watch a game;

• you can play in the game if you want;

 

• and/or you can “disappear” into the corn, if you want. (For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, this is not a creepy disappearing-into-the-corn like some other movies – it’s not scary.)
  
  It was ridiculously hot the day we were there, so we opted for walking in the corn and watching other people playing baseball. As it was, it was a long, long way out to the edge of the cornfield, too. (I’m telling you – it was hot! we had to stop 1/2 way across the outfield and give the puppies water!)
 

In the movie, Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham says, “We just don’t recognize life’s most significant moments while they’re happening. Back then I thought, “Well, there’ll be other days”. I didn’t realize that that was the only day.”

 

Maybe that’s true. I mean, there’ll be other days- but not another day, just like today. THAT is why it’s important to pull over on the side of the road and look at things we’re passing by! A “stop and smell the roses” sort of thing.

 

 

That is why we went out of our way to go to the Toy Train Barn, and that is why, even though we arrived after they closed, they let us in anyway.  Wednesday – Toy Train Barn.

(In other news - I can't figure out how to put a "follow" button on here, so if anyone could tell me that, that'd be great! Also, I can't figure out how to allow people who aren't members of "blogspot" to comment, either... I'm certain it's an easy fix, but I don't know what it is... In the meantime, I'm also blogging on http://biggestballofstring.wordpress.com, which has a "follow" button right there and anyone can comment...)