If Trees Could Talk
The history of the trees lining Hilo's Banyan Drive is one of the Big Island's most interesting and least-known stories. Banyan Drive was named for these trees, which were planted by VIP visitors to Hilo. Altogether, some 50 or so banyans were planted between 1933 and 1972.
The majority are Chinese banyans, and each one is marked with a sign naming the VIP who planted it and the date on which it was planted. The first trees were planted on October 20, 1933, by a Hollywood group led by director Cecil B. DeMille, who was in Hilo making the film Four Frightened People. Soon after, on October 29, 1933, another banyan was planted by the one and only George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who was in town playing exhibition games.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt planted a tree on his visit to Hilo on July 25, 1934. And in 1935, famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart put a banyan in the ground just days before she became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean.
Trees continued to be planted along Banyan Drive until World War II. The tradition was then revived in 1952 when a young and aspiring U.S. senator, Richard Nixon of California, planted a banyan tree. Nixon's tree was later toppled by a storm and was replanted by his wife, Pat, during a Hilo visit in 1972. On a bright, sunny day, strolling down Banyan Drive is like going through a green, shady tunnel. The banyans form a regal protective canopy over Hilo's own "Walk of Fame."
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Big Island. No one knows for sure what happened on February 14, 1779, when English explorer Captain James Cook was killed on this spot. A 27-foot-high obelisk marks the spot where Captain Cook died on the shore of Kealakekua Bay. At this writing, the monument was closed to all land access due to the earthquake of October 2006. more ›
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Big Island. There are few beaches with as many old Hawaiian archaeological ruins as these three, sheltered in a 1,160-acre park near Honokohau Harbor, just north of Kailua-Kona town. All are good for swimming. The park's wetlands provide refuge to a number of waterbirds, including the endemic Hawaiian stilt and coot. www.nps.gov. more ›
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Big Island. Often overlooked, this garden fosters a wealth of Hawaiian cultural traditions. On 12 acres grow 250 types of plants that were typical in an early Hawaiian ahupua'a, pie-shape land divisions that ran from the mountains to the sea. Call to find out about guided tours or drop in between 8:30 AM and 5 PM. more ›
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Big Island. Exploring the surface of the world's most active volcano -- from the moonscape craters at the summit to the red lava flows on the coast -- is the ultimate eco-tour. more ›
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Big Island. Waterfalls frame the landscape, the valley has become one of the most isolated places in the state. more ›