Hilo: September, 2005

Our first stop on Pride of America was Hilo, on the green side of the big island of Hawaii. The reason this side of the island is so green usually becomes obvious at least once a day. This is not, however, a chilling winter rain on the mainland but more of a cooling sprits that's actually welcome when you've been hiking.

And hike you should at this port, with many great trails to explore through gorgeous rainforests, along beautiful coastlines and past dramatic waterfalls. The combination of choices could be baffling, but the ones my wife, Julie, selected all seemed excellent examples, and none charged for admission.

For our rainforest hike, we went to Kohala Forest Reserve. After enjoying miles of lush vegetation, we arrived at a point from which the guidebook said we should see an enormous canyon with a long waterfall on the other side, but the mist thickened to obscure any view. Like a movie fade-in, however, the mist cleared and we realized we had definitely arrived at a remarkable panoramic view.

For a beautiful coastal view, we visited Waipio Lookout, with dramatic lush green hills above a black sand beach surrounded by clear blue water and white wave caps.

Waterfalls can be seen off the highway heading north out of Hilo, but a walk through Akaka Falls State Park and by Umauma Falls should be on your agenda, too.

How do you get to these great hiking areas? Rent a car. In fact, even if your health prohibits you from taking long walks, driving is a great way to see scenery in Hawaii. Because you're always in America on this cruise, renting a car couldn't be much easier. The roads are pretty much what you're used to back home, but probably with less traffic. You can bring rental car phone numbers like we did, or get the numbers from the purser's desk, but simply walking off the ship and asking one of the waiting rental car reps is probably the easiest way. The agencies with the best rates, which seemed to consistently be Dollar or Budget, generally required a request for pick-up by phone. Among the mini-cars that we rented, Budget consistently had better cars than Dollar, but Dollar was cheaper. I wouldn't advise renting a car before leaving home, as a change of itinerary would just complicate matters. Budget, in fact, consistently had "Pride of America" special pricing available that probably beat advance booking rates.

The second night out on most cruises is a formal dinner, but not on Pride of America, where it is Hawaiian-style dress theme that night. We arrived in our Hawaiian shirts at the dining room at 6 PM and were given a table right away. The food was delicious, and the service was friendly, if a bit slow due to the dining room being slightly understaffed. For the big show that night, we enjoyed the comedy and juggling of Barry John, who has been a regular on Pride of America sailings since her Hawaii debut. He is the first juggler I have ever seen receive a standing ovation from a packed theater, and he deserved every last clap.

Are you ready for a simple-to-plan vacation in a casual environment? Would you like to enjoy the best of four Hawaiian islands while unpacking only once?