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Yes, I love Hawi -- that feeling of being one with the wind, rather than gone with it. I do think that Pahoa has a certain ramshackle charm -- or did until a drug store chain parked a squat brightly illuminated box right at the very entrance to the village. Did they consult with Mauna Kea observatories before aiming a bright red thirty foot sign in their general direction. In the Michelin guides they ask <<Est ce'que ca vaut le detour?>> -- is it worth a detour? I detour through there when I am on my way to the tidepools, for example, but I wouldn't recommend that a tourist detour from Hilo to see Pahoa town. I get your point -- it is not at this point a very marketable "cute" stop. I do see some charm there, though. I love the Akebono. All that place needs is the same people who book at the Kilauea Military Camp theatre to book for the 'bono. I am absolutely fanatic about the campy volcano signs on either side of the Pahoa cash and carry. I would LOVE to see that sign enlarged and placed on the Long's. Picture it with me now. Got it? Ain't it grand? I know that we could get Puna together on that.
You want campy, western and walkable. The whole downtown area should be closed to cars on weekends. The wooden sidewalks need to be continued.
I do hope the Long's does well. I don't want to see it turned into -- gasp-- a church.
You are right about Tripadvisor (and thank you)....no one writes about Pahoa. We've taken a giant step backwards with this Long's. We can fix it though. I'm sure Fred will get on it right away. Need the tire company guy to help us pretty it up.
You go Glen!
I haven't seen the Longs. Does anyone have a pic of its Fugliness that they could put on Photobucket or something and link? (Not a Yahoo group, I can't see those.)
Pahoa has charm potential. From the guidebooks, one expects it to have more charm than is on view when one arrives.
I am in my heart mixed in feeling about "cute and charming" as marketing, for the reason that it works all too well, and that can destroy a place, to be overly successful as a destination. But if people want jobs and money, it would bring in all sorts of money, more than having a Burger King and a Longs. I hate to say it, but it's been proven that if you get a good look going and you bring in the right kind of gift shops, you can draw a lot of money. You just have to get that "walking tourists" thing going; then people will want to stay there so you can add B&B's -- then that supports more places to eat, it all feeds on itself.
Or -- people take a look, are put off, keep on driving,and go have lunch at the Kalapana Cafe -- which is well recommended.
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quote:
Originally posted by KathyH
I haven't seen the Longs. Does anyone have a pic of its Fugliness that they could put on Photobucket or something and link? (Not a Yahoo group, I can't see those.)
[urlhttp://peheaoe.com/2010/10/22/woodland-center-pahoa-hawaii/][/url]
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KathyH reminisces with us about Mendocino.
ME: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the memories...my brother lived in Sebastopol in the early '70's for a brief time. It was lovely there. Mendocino was one of the little drives we used to take when we visited the Bay area for vacation. We lived in Vacaville for a year and spent most or our Saturdays at Muir Woods, hiking the trails that overlook the beauty of that day. Can't tell you how many hours and miles we spent driving from San Diego to the Bay area and beyond for a visit. Thanks for triggering the memories...Pahoa is sort of reminiscent of the '70's jewel in the rough. Once the 'old town' folk begin to capitalize on the 'old town' feel and market it -- it will be hard to keep the visitor away.
I agree, park and walk would be great. After San Diego refurbished and recreated the 'old town' portion of San Diego [making it so you had to park and walk] the place took off and that was in the '70's despite the economy. Then they cleaned up downtown San Diego, creating the 'Gas Lamp Quarter' and that took off...[the trolly helped]. Also, Sea Port Village, a completely new concept for San Diego, was built, again, park and walk, which has now been replicated over and over in places like Long Beach, and it too has enjoyed success. You know what is missing from here that is very readily available there is the different kinds of public/private transportation.
When people think to come to Hilo, how well represented is Pahoa? I served on a few committees tasked with marketing Hilo for tourism and some of these committees were peopled with many, mostly in the hotelier, bed and breakfast, activities and attractions markets, but you know who was always there? KTA! Never heard anyone promoting Pahoa. We listed it as one of our hundreds of things to do/see while in East Hawaii through the business I was involved with but back in 2000 no one was promoting Pahoa. I don't know when Main Street was formed. Is Main Street a member of BIVB? or any of the visitor related organizations? Working in the travel/tourism/visitor industry for a decade here I can honestly say, membership in BIVB for any destination on Hawaii Island leverages the membership fee nicely.
Again, thanks for the walk down memory lane. 
Toni, who is a 'critter lover'
www.write-matters.com
"Q might have done the right thing for the wrong reason, perhaps we need a good kick in our complacency to get us ready for what's ahead" -- Captain Picard, to Guinan (Q Who?)
Sure thing Toni, it sure was beautiful back then, and unspoiled. We won't see that time come again.
I looked at the photos, and honestly it could look worse. It's mostly the starkness from lack of mature plants. Things do grow quickly here.
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Unfortunately, what you see as you drive into that Dangerous Y is not what is shown in the picture -- a gauzy, dreamy impressionist's rendering of the front. What you see is the massive side of the store, with a gigantic red sign on it with the corporate logo on it. Pahoa has gone Logorama. That sign is, like a high school student in drama club, always on.
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Glen would you put me on the list of people who want to buy your first book please! Seriously there must be a poney JK. I love your descriptions and it is like taking a trip just reading your comments of this and that at times!
mella l
Art and Science Our Future
bytheseasoap.com
mella l
Art and Science
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quote:
What you see is the massive side of the store, with a gigantic red sign on it with the corporate logo on it. Pahoa has gone Logorama. That sign is, like a high school student in drama club, always on.
Ah, well I asked if there was a photo of the fugly angle, so I thought that was it. I'd go look at it, but I'm skeered of the intersection! Really, I am.
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