Hawaii's Big Island is not only the largest (twice the size of the other Hawaiian Islands combined), but it's also the most diverse in climate and topography. At 800,000 years, it is the youngest of the islands, and was the first discovered by Polynesians nearly 2,000 years ago.

Visitors can fly into Kona on the leeward shore and be sun-drenched in a wonderland of magenta, fuchsia, crimson, and violet blooms along bay-front Ali'i Drive. Along the Kona-Kohala Coast, the scenery includes glistening golf courses and some of the finest accommodations, from private, thatched-roof bungalows to mega-resorts.

In the hills of Kailua-Kona, boutique coffee farmers welcome visitors to tour their facilities and sample the only gourmet coffee grown in the United States.

Waimea is a cowboy town founded 150 years ago. Its history is detailed in life-size dioramas at the Parker Ranch Museum. Waimea offers bed and breakfasts, trail rides through pastures and country lanes, and kayaking through old flumes originally built to provide water for cattle and crops.

New on the Big Island

• Three international marathons
• are scheduled: Kilauea Volcano Wilderness Run in July; Kona Marathon in August; and Big Island International Marathon in October.
• Hard Rock Cafe is opening a new restaurant in Kona.
• Hilton Waikoloa Village has been selected as Best Family Resort by The Family Travel Network