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Globe Pequot Press (GPP)

Providing expert travel advice for families

With over 600 new books published each year, Globe Pequot Press (GPP) is the largest publisher of regional travel in the United States. Their imprints include the Footprint Guides, The Lyons Press, FalconGuides®, and the Insiders’ Guides®.

GPP has partnered with Trekaroo to provide their Fun with the Family™ series to parents through the Web for the first time. The Fun with the Family series is an opinionated, personal, easy-to-use set of state guides. Each book is packed with hundreds of great ideas for keeping kids age’s two to twelve entertained for an hour, a day, or a weekend. From historical attractions and children’s museums to wildlife habitats, festivals, and parks, each guide includes hundreds of fun—and many free—things families can see or do. Each book also provides comprehensive listings of family-friendly places to stay. Now through Trekaroo, parents can get all this great information for free online.

"Bound to lead you and your kids to fun-filled days . . .
that help compose the memories of childhood."
—Family Travel Times

+ Other imprints from the GPP collection.



GPP_HI's Passport
 

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Member since:
11 September 2008

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Icon_pictureBeen to 159 Attractions
Icon_star231 Reviews
Icon_star1196 First to Review
Icon_camera244 Photos
Icon_thumbsup9 Helpful Votes
About Me & My Family

As former managing editor of Hawaii Magazine, Julie Applebaum-DeMello became well versed in the beauty, history, culture, and activities of the Hawaiian Islands. Her career gave her the opportunity to explore the nuances of Hawaii’s small towns, many beaches, and fun-filled attractions. She has felt the pulsating heat from the erupting Kilauea on the Big Island, sailed Kauai’s Na Pali Coast, hiked to the top of Diamond Head, ridden mules on Molokai, picked pineapple on Lanai, and watched the dawn of a new day from the top of Haleakala. Julie currently works as a full-time mom, always searching for the next great family adventure.

Top Picks for Family Fun on the Big Island

The Big Island is so vast, it’s impossible to explore every nook and cranny in just one visit. There are two airports serving both sides of the island: Kona and Hilo. Whichever one you choose, a rental car is essential because the island begs to be explored, and sights are spread quite far apart. The Kona International Airport accepts many direct flights (United, American, Hawaiian) from the Mainland; another option is to land first in Honolulu and hop on a commuter flight.

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27-717 Old Mamalahoa Highway
P.O. Box 80 Papaikou, Hawaii

Comment:
Exploring the rain forests at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

reviewed on: April 23 2009

"Definitely worth a visit!"
Even if your kids aren’t excited at the proposal of venturing to yet another beautiful garden, you should insist on including Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens on your itinerary. Here, you’ll get to explore a true tropical rain forest up close. Facilities include restrooms and drinking fountains. (Bring mosquito repellent!) The walking tours are self-guided and take about an hour. The various trails are well maintained and easily navigable. The Ocean Trail leads to the sea, where violently foaming waves crash into the jagged coastline. Even the sounds are impressive as the water sloshes in and out of submerged lava tubes.

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Hawai`i National Park
Hilo, Hawaii

Comment:
Delving into Thurston and Kaumana Lava Caves

reviewed on: April 23 2009

"Very neat! "
The Thurston Lava Tube is an amazing, 450-foot-long cave. The plant life surrounding the cave’s entrance is vibrantly green and lush, its very existence a testimony to the tenacity of regenerating plant life. If you bring flashlights, you can walk far into the cave; for the first 50 feet the cave is illuminated with electric lights and is quite spacious. The remainder of the cave is about 15 feet in height and width. Be sure to wear sturdy, closed toe shoes, as the lava is rocky and uneven in many sections, guaranteed to stub a sandal footed toe! Explore with the utmost of caution, because getting lost in these caves means getting lost in a place that never sees the light of day.

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P.O. Box 129
Honaunau, Hawaii

Comment:
Visiting the ancient structures at Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park

reviewed on: April 22 2009

"Informative and Interesting"
The temple was completely restored and earned national park status in 1961. During the restoration local artists studied old records and drawings from ancient voyaging ships to give the site as much authenticity as possible. They used traditional techniques and tools to carve the renditions of the gods from large ohia logs.

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No Address
Captain Cook, Hawaii

Comment:
Snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay

reviewed on: April 22 2009

"Great place to visit"
A wonderful underwater playground and one of the best snorkeling sites on the island. Dozens of commercial charters flock here on picnic, snorkel, and sail trips. Although the bay can get crowded, there’s still plenty of room for travelers who venture here on their own. For those independents, access to the bay is via Napoopoo Beach Park, where there are restrooms, showers, and picnic tables.

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67-1185 Mamalahoa Highway
Kamuela, Hawaii

Comment:
Horseback riding at Parker Ranch in Waimea

reviewed on: April 22 2009

"Educational"
A visit to the Parker Ranch Visitor Center and Museum will give you a complete history and overview of the Parker Ranch and Waimea town. There are two museums and a wonderful slide show that demonstrates how today’s ranch hands hold fast and proud to their important place in history.

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Crater Rim Drive
Uninc Hawaii County Hilo, Hawaii

Comment:
Watching the lava flow from Kilauea into the sea

reviewed on: April 23 2009

"Great sightseeing"
The moving lava is just one of many attractions in the park. Extensive trails lead to steaming vents, fern forests, ancient petroglyphs, and even into old lava tubes. The best idea is to save visiting the flow for the end of the day, when you can watch the glowing lava hiss its way into the sea, creating a cloud of steam that turns an eerie purple color at sunset.

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425 Waikoloa Beach Dr
Waikoloa, Hawaii

Comment:
Swimming with the dolphins at Hilton Waikoloa

reviewed on: January 10 2009

"Great kid pools and programs"
Guest can cruise around the resort on mahogany boats or an air-conditioned Swiss-made tram. the resort encompasses a whopping sixty-two acres with three pools, two of which have waterfalls and waterslides. The Camp Menehune program for kids is available as a day or night camp. It's for ages five through twelve and can accommodate non-Hilton guests. The camp even has its own Website. www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/camp.

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P.O. Box 5128
Kukuihaele, Hawaii

Comment:
Traveling to the depths of Waipio Valley


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End of Highway 270
Kapaau, Hawaii

Comment:
Hiking to the floor of Pololu Valley

reviewed on: April 22 2009

"Breathtaking"
From the Pololu Valley Lookout, you can see the astounding beauty of the Hamakua Coast. A series of trails here transcend five lush, relatively uninhabited valleys to Waipio, the most well known. By all means, do take the short trail to the bottom of the valley, where a beautiful black-sand beach awaits you. The trail takes about fifteen minutes and can be slippery if recent rains have fallen. But, slippery or not, this is one of the prettiest hikes in all Hawaii.

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Macadamia Nut Road
Hilo, Hawaii

Comment:
Watching the macadamia nuts being processed at the factory in Honoka`a. FREE!

reviewed on: April 23 2009

"Very interesting and tasty snacks!"
No doubt the macadamia is Hawaii’s most famous nut. Visit the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Mill for the opportunity to see how the machines crack the tough hull and harvest this tasty treat. You can watch a free video that fully explains the process and then take a self-guided tour among the orchards. Especially wonderful are the macadamia treats at the snack shop.