Would you pay $99 for AYCE prime rib dinner for two? Yes, but how about if you had to attend a…read moretimeshare sales presentation? 48 Hilton guests took the $99 offer, and came up a packed bus 20 miles from Hilton Waikoloa Village. Gathered in a large dining room sitting around six tables to hear the host give a long talk on the cultural history of the Ranch. Everyone attentive until the singer started playing Hawaiian songs, at which point everyone started talking to the others around the table. Had to talk really loud to be heard across the large table, due to the large amount of background noise. Dinner buffet self serve by table in multiple courses, including unlimited wine and lemonade. Fabulous mixed salad, so good that everyone finished their salad, even those that don't like vegetables. Main course included broccoli, potatoes, fish, and prime rib. I got a double portion of prime rib, while everyone else got a 12 oz to start off with. Thought the outside portion was way too salty and tough. Not for someone to chew with a temporary crown. Center portion was tender and juicy. Threw out a good portion of the outside and fat and gristle. Meal topped off with a dessert of cheesecake covered with sweet mango sauce. Met the host outside. Turned out we were both UC Berkeley graduates, me of class of 1975, and he of class of 1963. Oh, by the way line outside the mens bathroom, as the urinal was out of order. Those people who didn't show up for the Hilton timeshare presentation would be assessed the full $390 price of the event for two!

Fabulous opportunity to come up to Anna Ranch for a dinner with Chef Ipi via a special weekly…read morecultural event managed by the Hilton Grand Vacation folks. We were treated to oral history of the area, music, and an impromptu Hula. Truly honored to be part of this event. Oh, the food? Locally made ricotta in a crostini, mixed green salad with toasted sesame dressing, local shrimp, beef, zucchini, potatoes, and a lava cake with strawberry ice cream.

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 was a hit. So much to learn about horse and cattle history. Before 1847…read more Most stay with the ranch's for life or more than 40 years. If you know horses, you will appreciate what is here.

Amazing museum and gift shop! This is the only historical cowboy museum on the island sharing how…read morethe paniolo (Hawaii cowboys) came to existence, very interesting and the gals (museum help) were very informative. From what I understand they are building a new part of the museum showcasing the vaquero (Spanish cowboys) how they changed/influenced the Hawaii cowboys. I'm very excited to see their next phase of their development on our trip! It's a must see!!!

Wonderful displays and interactive learning activities for all ages!! The owner did a fabulous job…read moreputting together a center for learning and play.

What a fun, relaxing, STEAMpunk-y space! Can't wait to come back and hang out again!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!

What a strange visit, and a complete letdown after being so excited to visit. We drove around for…read morequite a while trying to find this place. Once we found it we weren't even sure we were in the right place. But, we went inside anyway. We walked around inside the building for a solid 20 minutes looking at artifacts on the walls before speaking to anyone. Nobody would have spoken to us either had I not asked what was going on and if they were closed to the public. It was as if we were in their office space and they just completely ignored us while sitting at their desks. The lady I spoke to looked rather bothered by my inquiry. She handed me 1 well used sheet of paper with some information on it for our group of 4 people. She very unenthusiastically said we could go look at the house if we really wanted to and pointed in its general direction. She was uninterested in having any additional conversation with us after that. So, after passing around and reading the sheet of paper we handed it back to her thinking it was the only one they had. She again looked bothered. We then went to find the house she mentioned. It had some nice koa wood and other historical artifacts. We saw nobody else while we were inside. We left with that what just happened feeling. The day wasn't a complete bust. The drive out to this place is very pretty and scenic. They should just close this place to the public and stop promoting it. They obviously don't want any visitors.

This is the best place that offers quality dance education (Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop) on the Big…read moreIsland! Not only voted "Best Place For Dance Lessons" West Hawaii Today every year from 2000-2012, many of their students have continued with careers in dance (San Francisco Ballet, Complexions, Nashville Dance Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Company) or degreesin dance from major universities.

Happened to pass by around 2pm on a Thursday and decided to drop in because they were open. Turned…read moreout they were having the 2023 Hawaii Wood Guild Masters Show. Wow! Inside was a variety art forms of impressive quality. Even more interesting looking at the price tags for all these beautiful paintings and various wood works (furniture, bowls, Jewlery boxes). So impressed by the quality that I will make sure to check if they are having the Wood Guild Masters Show again the next time I visit.

Although we have enjoyed this Art Center before it has been very difficult to determine when they…read moreare open. In the last 3 weeks we have tried twice to visit during their hours of M-F and each time they have been closed. Very discouraging! Even their web site mentions they were open. If they want support of visitors they need to follow their days and hours. Disappointed too many times!

This small art gallery features work by local artists at very reasonable prices. You'll find…read moreoriginal paintings and sculptures, plus prints, cards and jewelry. The Firehouse Gallery (it's actually an old firehouse) is a program of the Waimea Arts Council, which has been around for over 40 years. 40 years! The Gallery itself is staffed by artist members who are knowledgeable in the various arts, plus they may also point out where you can get a good bite to eat. They keep limited hours and open only 4 days a week.

Original art, prints, cards and fine crafts by local artists. A good place to shop either for…read moreyourself or when looking for unique gifts.