Spacious house surrounded by anthuriums, lush " old growth" Ohia trees and other exotic ferns, palms and rare plants. 15 minutes from Rainbow Falls and the hospital, 20 to downtown, 50 to the volcano. Lots of private parking. Peaceful and private with locked gate, fresh forest air. Pure Hawaiian faucet water. Fast internet. Great for family, remote work groups and retreats.<br /><br /><b>The space</b><br />Kitchen: Cook your own meals in a beautiful and bright, open kitchen. The kitchen has a full-size fridge, oven, stovetop, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, electric kettle, blender, and rice cooker. Enjoy your meals at the dining table, or at counter bar seating . The County tap water is safe to drink and delicious. <br /><br />Entertainment: A 55” big screen TV in the family room allows you to access Netflix, Amazon Prime, cnn, Disney+ or other streaming accounts. Free Spectrum TV and related apps. <br /><br />Recreation: a cooler with ice pack, and beach towels are available for your use at nearby beach parks. <br /><br />Bedrooms: Each bedroom has a ceiling fan, bedside lamps & outlets, a closet, a mirror, and a luggage rack. All windows have curtains for privacy.<br /><br /><b>Guest access</b><br />The living space is all on one floor. You will have access to the entire 4 bedroom and 3 bathroom home, including the following:<br /><br />- a car garage with internal access to the house (convenient on rainy days)<br />- a covered deck just off the kitchen with an BBQ grill. The hot tub is out of order.<br /><br />The front door and one car garage have code lock locks.<br /><br />Amenities for Kids and Babies: We welcome families with children and babies.<br /><br /><b>Other things to note</b><br />Steve’s notebook<br /><br />When we retired we could have moved anywhere in Hawaii. People ask why we chose to live in Hilo and not sunny Kona. For many reasons. The air in Hilo is fresh and humid. Our skin stays moist and rash free. We look and feel younger. The faucet water is pure and tasty, filtered by the lava and delivered by the County. The temperatures are moderate all year round, averaging 75 degrees F. Yes, there is more rain in Hilo, but that creates the lush tropical forest with its abundance of rich oxygen. The anthuriums surrounding the house once planted require no care. The combination of rain, sun and shade make these and many other plants maintenance free. We feel close to nature.<br /><br />We moved to Hilo for its ideal environment, but we discovered much more. King Kamehameha, who conquered and united the Hawaiian Islands, could have chosen any island on which to live, but preferred the Big Island as his home and headquarters. The Big Island is dotted with cultural sites of temples, villages, and history of those early days. The Big Island is where Captain Cook, the missionaries and sugar plantation immigrants first landed. That history is embedded in the culture of the Big Island.<br /><br />Then there is the constantly fuming Kilauea volcano in Volcano National Park with it’s many wonderful trails. Mauna Kea is considered the highest mountain in the world, if measured from its base in the deep ocean. It is sometimes covered in snow in winter. Because its clear skies, the mountain is home to some of the greatest telescopes in the world. <br /><br />Hilo has a small town flavor with its laid back life style and friendly people. Life goes on at a slow pace and makes for a relaxed and stress free experience. After centuries of mixing, there is no dominate race, but a mixture of many racial backgrounds; Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese,Filipino, Korean, Portuguese, and many more. Their common language is also a mixture called pidgin English.<br /><br />There are sights and sounds that are unique. You will wake to the cheerful rustle of bird song and sleep to the serenade of the mating coqui frogs. Wild chickens and pigs abound. <br /><br />We have tried to capture these experiences at the Anthurium House and hope you enjoy them, as much as we have over the years. <br /><br />Your hosts, Steve and Noko.<br /><br />Aloha!<br /><br />Some facts:<br /><br />Climate: Hilo is a lush, tropical location. Like most homes in the area, we do not have air conditioning, but all windows and sliding doors have screens to allow airflow through the house. Our hilltop location allows for cooler breezes to help keep the home cool. The living room, family room, and all 4 bedrooms also have ceiling fans. There is also a portable fan. <br /><br />Temperatures: We are at a higher elevation, so our temperatures are moderate and uniform. Jan-May averages, 60-75 degrees F., June-Dec., 64-71 degrees F. Hilo is known for its rain with November the wettest and June the driest. Rain runs in cycles and is followed by the sun, sometimes every day. It is this cycle that creates the condition for the spectacular tropical forest. Furthermore, the rain tempers the hot temperatures and quickly dries. Please bring an umbrella for the rain and sunglasses for the sun. <br /><br />TROPICAL WILDLIFE AND NOISES:<br />Hilo's lush rainforest climate provides many great things, however it also means there might be more insects here than you are used to. Screens are provided on all windows and sliding doors, but sometimes insects will make their way inside the home. To make the indoors less inviting to insects, keep all food stored in air-tight containers and keep counters and tables clear of crumbs and dirty dishes. 1 bug zapper is available for your use if desired. Here are a few more suggestions:<br /><br />1. Try to cover up, especially outside. <br />2. If bit, use the salve provided, which will reduce the itching and insect repellant, as needed. <br />3. Shut the doors to keep insects from entering the house. <br />4. Use the insect coils to deter the bugs. <br /><br />- You will likely hear the gentle chirping sounds of coqui frogs at night and birds during the daytime. Hopefully you will find these noises soothing.<br /><br />License <br />The property conforms to the County of Hawaii STVR requirements.<br /><br /><b>Registration Details</b><br />GE-177-735-4752-01