Hawaii Things to Do

More than just a pretty picture, the Big Island’s Waipi’o Valley is a place of immense cultural and historic significance to the people of Hawaii. Over the centuries this one-mile wide, five-mile deep valley on the island’s northeastern coastline was home to generations of kings, one of which–King Kamehameha, who spent time here as a child–would go on to unite all of the islands and form the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Given that Hawaii is the only U.S. state to commercially grow coffee, it only makes sense there be a day of celebration centered around the aromatic and caffeinated bean. Regarded as Hawaii’s oldest food festival the Kona Coffee and Cultural Festival has championed the cultural import of the flavorful coffee bean since the event’s founding back in 1970.

Reaching 13,796 ft. above into the sky, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the state of Hawaii, narrowly beating out neighboring Mauna Loa by a mere 118 ft. The accolades don’t stop there, however, because when measured from the bottom of the sea floor Mauna Kea actually tops out at an astonishing 33,476 feet, thereby making it the tallest single mountain found anywhere on Earth.

Let’s be honest: It can get confusing. You’re heading to Hawaii, but what island again? There are a handful of islands that comprise the 50th US state, but Hawaii specifically refers to the state’s biggest island (aptly named The Big Island), Hawaii.