The ranch is open from 10am to 2pm with their hours clearly listed by the parking lot…read more It's a quaint little museum that records how the Parker family contributed, and continues to give back, to the Big Island community. The gift shop has a range of clothing, books and other information pertaining to the cowboys. It was fun to learn about how Hawaii came to grow to what it is today. Apparently they have fun events with plenty of vendors frequenting the ranch on weekends and holidays.

Parker Ranch is such a nice gem in Waimea (Kamuela) and full of history; in fact, they have been…read morefeaturing on Scenic Hawaii Channel (now Experience Hawaii). As of Summer 2024, they only offer self-guided tours at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 1:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. But if you are able to make it out to Parker Ranch, it is so worth it. There are a couple houses that you can go into (including the main one which you check-in with the staff), and then select parts of the grounds, and you might even see the cattle and horses along the way.

This is a food court with tables and chairs with a grand stone fireplace in the center. Last night…read moreit wasn't lit. We ordered from one of the venue spots, Village Burger. it was excellent but at a price you can't do daily. There are several choices around the room Chinese, japanese , pizza, thai. All don't have seating, they share the middle tables. We are thinking of coming back tonight to look again at the alternate choices. The bathrooms are immaculate.

After finishing up a job at a nearby financial institution, I ventured out to the Parker Ranch…read moreCenter food court to forage for some grub-a-dub-dub. Unfortunately, I did not find an eatery that interest me, but what I did find while visiting the Parker Ranch Center was seeing some of the rich history of the paniolo cowboy, and learning a little about the lifestyle that the folks enjoyed while living within the Waimea community. Inside the food court you will see some really cool "old vintage pictures" of the paniolo cowboy, and how life was back in the day. The Parker Ranch Center has an array of businesses - you can find several eateries within the shopping complex like - 1. Burger King 2. Domino's Pizza 3. Don's Chinese Kitchen 4. L&L Hawaiian BBQ 5. Big Island Tokyo Table 6. Starbucks 7. Village Burger 8. Patisserie Nanako 9. Racha Thai 10. Yum Yum Teriyaki & BBQ The shopping complex also has financial services from banks to credit unions. There are other service providers like - Spectrum, Lex Brodies, Supercuts, The UPS Store, Verizon, Foodland Supermarket, a veterinarian, and hospital clinics. See the link for more businesses - https://parkerranchcenter.com/directory/ There is lot of free parking here, so it's very easily accessible. A really cool shopping complex, and if you're ever in the Waimea area, it's worth it to stop here and check out!

Closed for good. Nothing more to say but trying to get my required additional 68 characters.read more

The memorial to the brave soldiers from Camp Tarawa is very nice, but I was very disappointed in…read morethe rest of it. A small sign marked the entrance to Parker Ranch. Six flagpoles stand at the entrance without one flag flying. Driving up the driveway, no signs direct visitors where to go or what to do. We parked, got out, saw a woman walking toward one of the houses who did not speak to or acknowledge us, spoke to her and ask where we were supposed to go. She handed us two papers and went about her business. We walked around, looking at artifacts, not marked as to what they were, so I asked her what the deal was. She said, "The trustees are putting their efforts into the cattle ranching now." "So, in other words, they don't really care whether tourists come to the ranch or not?", I asked. She said, "Their efforts are in the cattle." We went ahead and toured the Mana Hale, the original Parker home, with it's rich Koa wood throughout. Lots of pictures and artifacts decorated this small home and most items were labeled. As we left the Mana Hale for the walk, again no signs and only the briefest description on the two papers made it impossible to know what we were seeing. One highlight, though, was seeing the giant pine tree in the front yard that was planted in 1852. Overall, I would advise, just going to the Camp Tarawa memorial out on the highway, pay your respects, and move on to the spectacular drive from there to Hawi on highway 250. We love this drive where you can view the Kohala mountain range (you're actually on it), Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Maui and the vistas from the highway are amazing. In Hawi, we got coffee, shopped, visited, then drove back on the coastal highway past the harbor, the Lapakahi State historic park, and all the Kohala resorts. Great drive!

We had a great time on the Hawaii Forest & Trail Secret Waterfalls of Kona Excursion! Our guide,…read moreMark, was incredible--he kept everyone talking and he was genuinely interested in hearing everyone's travel stories. He was very knowledgeable and provided us with a wealth of fascinating information about the island. After a comfortable van ride, we hiked a beautiful trail that led us to a series of truly stunning, pristine waterfalls. We were treated to a delicious lunch from a local deli, and we loved that it was served in eco-friendly, completely reusable containers. On the way back, we made a perfect final stop at a local macadamia nut store. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and we recommend it!

We went on an almost 100% full (flower) moon. It was special to see the terminator line on the…read moreCelestron telescope - it had such great definition! The color of Mauna Kea with the moon shining on it was so magical all around us. There were some clouds that cleared pretty well by the end of our star gazing. We were the last ones up there so it got dark enough to see more than you'd expect with the moon. Jeff, our awesome tour guide, used a laser pointer to help us see the constellations we usually can't back at home. The images on the digital telescope like nebulas, the moon & star clusters were an amazing addition to have as keepsakes. My husband and I felt he made the tour a great balance of learning and fun. He had the group feeling like family before we even left from the pickup lot. Things to consider: I do recommend following the moons cycles booking this tour/your trip if this is especially important for you to see as many stars as possible. The sunset and views of the observatory's make it awesome anyways :) I struggled with altitude sickness around 12,000 ft. Jeff had made sure to let us know beforehand if we experienced any issues to speak up. I was hesitant as I know it would mean turning the whole tour around, but some tingling turned to dizziness and then a brief fainting. He immediately stopped the bus and helped ground me and make sure I was completely okay & coherent before letting me know our options for the tour. We made it up to the top with 2 more (included in tour) stops and I felt better with each one having more time to acclimate :) Thank you Jeff!! You handled this so professionally and I appreciate your check-ins for the rest of the trip. It's cold even with parka and gloves. It's so worth packing warm shoes and layers. The bus had ac and heat so that was great! Do it if you can! Awe-inspiring! Such an unreal environment that makes you wonder about so many things. Just take the precautions seriously, move slow and breathe deep.

This is the place! In the higher and cooler beautiful Kohala…read moreranch area. Expansive barn , beautiful horses, they have boots, slickers, headgear. It's a legitimate riding experience on well behaved horses, not a little lead along- independent and fun riding! All the staff are wonderfully pleasant and experienced! Ask for Liz a skilled, beautiful and wonderfully calm wrangler! Morning, afternoon or sunset rides are all equally wonderful!

Returned to the Big Island for the first time since 2019. I took three friends on the morning…read morePaniolo ride and last-minute booked a wrangler ride for myself for the next day. Loved it. I rode Sterling both days, and what a sweetheart -- peppy but safe! I am still really impressed by the level of care that clearly goes into these horses (one of the staff ladies was literally combing manes and tails while the horses waited between rides). The wrangler staff is small and it's obvious they know the herd, which makes me feel good about asking my horse to work. Ayla, Azia, and Liz were all wonderful. Liz especially managed a wrangler ride of 3 with different riding levels with aplomb. I'd definitely book the wrangler ride for myself again the next time I'm back!

We did a Captain Cook snorkeling tour with Sea Quest Hawaii today and were very impressed. Erin,…read morethe phone representative, was friendly, patient, and answered all my questions, which made me choose this company. Captain Natalie and Assistant Anna were fantastic, knowledgeable, funny, and very attentive throughout the trip. Captain Natalie shared interesting stories about Captain Cook and the surrounding lava caves, and she even helped me with my snorkeling gear and inflating the vest. The snorkeling spot near Captain Cook Monument was incredible, and we saw so many fish. They also provided fresh fruit, chips, cookies, and soft drinks. Thanks to Captain Natalie and Anna, all six of us had a great time and would highly recommend this company.

Hands down one of the coolest things I've ever done. We popped over to the Big Island with cousins…read morefor Spring Break and didn't book until a couple days out because of weather. Thankfully, they had space for our entire group for the sunset time (615pm check-in) and we didn't have to wait for the late-late slots. Online booking was easy-peasy (no kama'aina discount, unfortunately). We checked in (parking is street parking and there are several boats leaving from the same area, so it can be a bit of a challenge) pretty easily - there were folks out front directing us where to go for Sea Quest. I decided the $35 for the GoPro rental was a steal compared to trusting my waterproof phone pouch and I have no regrets - you can leave the camera running the whole time and they give you the SD card at the end. It was no trouble to do that once we got there, as I didn't add that when booking. They have a decent gift shop and the keiki in our party bought themselves some stuffed souvenirs. We got fitted for shorty wet suits and prescription masks if needed, and then waited for them to split us into boats and groups. We were accompanied in the water by Wylen (sorry if I butchered the spelling) and Abram, and they had the perfect blend of aloha, humor, and information. Super chill, but you also knew they meant business about Rule Number 1. From there, we boarded the boat, a small zodiac-style craft, for the 5 minute journey to Manta Village. The website made it seem like we could leave things on board, but that really wasn't the case. We left all bags, clothing, towels in a secure room on shore, slippers got collected on the pier, and small things like eyeglasses were stored in a bin on the boat. No trouble, but I wouldn't plan to take anything with you on the boat. Getting into the water was easy, and we had one keiki who was a little apprehensive about everything - they took great care to lower him into the water, and when he wanted to go back to the boat a little early, they accompanied him back to the ladder no problem. There were plenty staff around to help and also identify the mantas by their markings. And there were SO MANY mantas! We had an amazing evening watching them - I lost count and forgot many names, there were so many swimming past. We had 30-40 minutes in the water and we had multiple mantas around us the whole time. I thought the time was plenty - by the time we had about 5 minutes to go, my stomach was ready to be back on land. My only regret is not stretching my triceps beforehand - I was not expecting my arms to be so sore after holding onto the bar around the light board! We paid $135ish plus fees per person (all ages) and it was the highlight of the trip, for sure.

Beautiful, wide-open park with play fields, gymnasium and yes, an awesome playground. When Anuenue…read morePlayground gets too crowded, we head to this park to get away from the crowd. There's a decent sized playground and lots of room for kids to run around and get out some energy. We usually bring baseballs and gloves, a frisbee and a Nerf football. Plan on staying awhile. Pick up lunch at nearby Parker Ranch Center and have lunch and let the kids play. It can get chilly in Kamuela, so bring a sweatshirt or a jacket for the kiddies. If your kid(s) get tired of this playground, head back to Anuenue Playground and hope that the crowds have left, and your kid(s) can burn off even more energy running around that expansive playground. And hopefully, they will either take a nap when you get back to your hotel room or go to bed early that evening :)

Thank you so much to Captain Arthur and Sawyer. My family and I were visiting to fulfill my dad's…read morelifelong dream of catching an Ono. We ended up catching 4! Arthur and Sawyer were the perfect team to help us, and my dad would be so proud. Arthur was very polite and communicative throughout, and Sawyer was so informative and friendly. They taught us a lot about the island, their homemade lures, and fishing. After catching our last (and biggest) ono, we dropped a lei in the water and Arthur circled it in a marine send off. Thank you so much for helping us fulfill my dad's dream and making it a lasting memory for my family!!

Once again, we had an awesome 2 days (Wednesday and Saturday) fishing with Night Runner Sport…read moreFishing. From my previous review in 2019, I raved about the awesome experience my husband and I had. This time (February 2024), I can say my husband, myself and our 9 year old daughter all had an epic time. On Wednesday we fished with Capt. Shawn, Sawyer and "Pops," and on Saturday we fished with Capt. Shawn, Arthur and "Pops." Both days, the crew worked HARD to get us on fish. They were focused, efficient, tenacious and determined. Even though Wednesday was all fishing and no catching (it just wasn't in the cards for anyone on the water that day), we still had a great time. The crew was engaged, friendly, helpful, knowledgable and courteous. Sawyer even gave us a bunch of great tips for visiting the Big Island, which we used on our exploration day on Friday, and we had a blast thanks to his suggestions. Then Saturday, the crew had the same level of awesome focused determination, and the bite was HOT! We good-sized hooked 2 Mahi almost instantly, then it was tuna town the whole day. Our daughter had SO much fun reeling in and fighting tuna for the first time. The guys did not stop working to get us bit. Once we were comfortable with the process, we asked if we could hook up, and they were more than happy to oblige and gave us some great instruction. Shawn - your jigging technique is enviable and could not be duplicated! Haha. Once our full 8 hour day started coming to a close, the guys kept working hard and trolled for marlin on the way back to the harbor, and it paid off: we hooked a SpearFish (short-billed Marlin), which was a fun way to end our day. We charter fishing guides all over the country, and appreciate and recognize authentic fisherman and their methods. Both days, the guys were so sweet with our daughter. They kept everything fun and engaging. Everytime the hooked on a fish, you'd hear, "Parker! (our daughter's name), This one is for you!" And then they would help her reel it in, hholding the rod, encouraging her, and coaching her all the way. Then lots of cheers and "way to go!" once the fish was landed. For the negative reviews (I've had the pleasure of reading over and laughing at): ignore them. Any true fisherman is going to set the departure date EARLY in the morning. That's how you set yourself up for the BEST opportunity to catch fish. Especially if you need to catch bait. That's your one shot: early. Any good charter is going to handle the gear themselves (then hand it over once a fish is hooked for you to reel in) to make sure you have the highest opportunity to catch fish. They just met you, they have no idea what kind of fisherman you are. Be respectful, show common sense and experience, and they'll be more than happy to hand over the gear if you want to cast and hook as well. Bottom line: the Captain and crew at Night Runner Sport Fishing are top-notch, professional, hard-working, personable, friendly, great with kids, and just all-around awesome.

My family and I did the nine zipline and ATV tours. They were both ran smooth and were a fantastic…read moreexperience. We would highly recommend to all staying on the big island!

We booked the 4 line tour. Our family of 3 was the only booking so they took us early and we had a…read moreprivate zipline tour. On the 4 line you get to go to the 4 and longest/highest zip lines including a 2,000 long one over the falls. Excellent experience and beautiful area. Enjoy a dole whip after! A must do!