We were in Hilo for a story that had zero to do with the parks. Visiting Volcanoes National Park again, together with the coconut bridge problem, had sent us across the island from Kona, and the plan was straightforward enough: After our long-awaited volcano visit ended, we planned to do the remaining reporting, get something to eat, and head back out to Kauai via wonderful Hilo Airport. We had not flown through Hilo in years and wanted to check it out, too, and we were glad we did. And we were not expecting Hilo itself to change anything about the day. But it did.

Hilo gave us something we weren’t expecting.

What changed it was not a museum, any paid admission attraction, or some “must-see” visitor stop. It was a public park near the airport that we could have very easily passed by.

Liliuokalani Gardens does not look that impressive from the road. There was no gate, no fee, no reservation sign, and none of the now-familiar friction that can come with so many Hawaii stops. You did not have to plan for it, book it, or have any special reason for just being there. We just showed up. And almost immediately, we had the same thought that many other locals and visitors probably would: how is this still free?

Liliuokalani Gardens still feels generous and opulent.

Not free in the sense of being modest or “nice for what it is.” Free in the sense that if this were packaged somewhere else as a formal attraction, people would pay for it without much hesitation. The gardens are spacious, beautifully kept up, and full of details that only really register once you show up and slow down. The ponds, the bridges, the stonework, the open lawns, the beautiful trees, the way the paths keep opening up to new views. Nothing about it feels slapped together or reduced to the bare minimum.

What impressed us was just how easy it felt spending time there. People were wandering, stopping, sitting, talking, exercising, and taking their time. Some sat on benches and picnicked, as we did, while others strolled along the paths without any clear destination. Nobody seemed rushed. It was clearly Hilo at its best.

More often than not, the Hawaii experience starts before you even arrive. There is planning, the fee, the booking window, the parking issues, the time slot, the shuttle, the warning signs, the whole uncomfortable low-grade sense that you are entering something managed as tightly as Hawaii deems necessary. Some of that is understandable. Some of it is probably unavoidable. But it changes the feeling of a place in Hawaii. And it turns too many stops into logistics first and enjoyment second. But not here.

Liliuokalani Gardens felt like the opposite. We could hear planes not far off landing and taking off, and still see how close we were to the airport and town, but inside the gardens, all of that fell away. What took over instead was the sound of water, the stillness around the ponds, the nesting nenes, the bridges, and the rare feeling that nobody was trying to move us along.

After we left the park and before returning to Hilo Airport, we also stopped at Rainbow Falls. That stop turned out to be a whole different story. More on that soon.

Liliuokalani Gardens dates back to 1917.

The Territorial Legislature set aside land in Hilo for a public park dedicated to Queen Liliuokalani. The gardens’ own history says the park grew out of an early Hilo push to create a Japanese garden and tea house, influenced by Hawaii’s large Japanese immigrant community and by Laura Kennedy’s 1914 trip to Japan. That history helps explain why the place feels so substantial today: it now spans 24.67 acres, including the Japanese-style garden, Moku Ola, and other connected park areas.

What Hilo exposed about Hawaii.

These places are not good only because they are free. They are just good, period. The fact that they are free only sharpens the comparison. In a state where more visitor experiences now come wrapped in fees, reservations, restrictions, and various bottlenecks, Hilo can still find ways to offer places that feel open.

That does not mean every site in Hawaii can or should work this way. Some places are too fragile, too much in demand, or too small. But Hilo is a reminder that not everything meaningful in Hawaii has to be turned into a managed product. Not every worthwhile thing needs a layer of hassle between the visitor and Hawaii itself.

We did not go to Hilo looking for a parks story at all. We were nearby because of the coconut bridge problem.

Hawaii visitors are paying more, planning more, and dealing with infinitely more rules than they used to. Sometimes that is the price of preserving what visitors came for in the first place. Sometimes, however, it reflects a broader shift in how the state now handles access, demand, and public spaces.

Hilo offered exceptional beauty without a transaction attached and access without any conditions. We could just arrive spontaneously, stay as long as we wanted, look around, and then leave on our own terms. After so many Hawaii stops built around fees, timing, and control, this is one place where the welcome doesn’t come with a price tag.

For more information, visit the Friends of Lili’uokalani Gardens website or Facebook page.

Lead Photo: © Beat of Hawaii.

California has launched a huge crackdown on criminals buying and registering supercars outside of the state to avoid eye-popping sales tax.

Fourteen people have been charged after $20 million worth of vehicles were sourced to the Big Sky State in what authorities are calling the “Montana Loophole.”

The cars include a $1.8 million McLaren Elva, a Porsche 918 Spyder and a $1.26 million Ferrari F12TDF, the attorney general’s office said.

In the Golden State base rate sales tax is 7.25%. For a Lamborghini or Ferrari that can reach up to $250,000 or higher, that can mean a tax bill over $18,000. In Montana it is zero.

The gang, from Alameda, Marin, Santa Clara and Sacramento, allegedly dodged more than $1.8 million in taxes since 2018.

They are accused of filing false records showing the supercars were bought in Montana but then drove and kept them in California.

The DMV has launched nearly 100 criminal investigations into similar schemes across California since 2023 and recovered $2.3 million. It says the schemes are costing over $10 million per year.

It says there are 601 fraudulently registered cars involved and the DMV and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration have reviewing all car sales made in Montana.

California AG Rob Bonta said: “When bad actors abuse legal loopholes and submit fraudulent documents to evade their obligations, the California Department of Justice will not stand idly by.

“Every dollar of unpaid taxes is a dollar taken from California’s roads, schools and the vital services our communities rely on.”

The AG’s office said Beverly Hills was the city with the most suspicious car sales, with 416 cases on its radar from the luxury enclave.

It also released a series of text messages from defendants in Marin County and Walnut Creek, which said: “Don’t want the state of California to know anything about this car.”

Another asked: “Before you deliver it to him can you please remove the dealer plate.” One more asked if those with Montana plates had issues, the reply was: “Not yet.”

Another defendant added: “70k saved — I can’t believe the registration lasts for five years — that’s crazy. Stupid California. Paid 3k to own a 600k car for 5 years — lol in Cali that’s like 75k for 5 years. Hella dumb.”

California DMV Director Steve Gordon said: “We encourage all Californians to do the right thing and register their vehicle here if they are operating it in California.”

As the Middle East conflict continues, politicians across the country are sharing their views on the situation.

On Sunday, Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) paid a visit to Reno for a Democratic campaign fundraiser at the Neil Road Recreation Center.

At the event, he criticized the Trump administration’s actions.

“I think the president went into this conflict without having a strategic goal. Without having a plan and without having the timeline and what happens then is you don’t have a way to exit a conflict, so I’m really concerned about putting more Americans’ lives at risk with no explanation as to why,” said Kelly.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo recently released a statement on the Iran attacks.

“Iran has long been a threat to the United States, Israel, and any hope of peace in the Middle East. They must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon,” Lombardo said. “Right now, my priority is the safety of all Nevadans. Increased police presence may be seen at certain locations as we continue to monitor and synchronize with partners as the situation evolves.”

And prices at the pump are skyrocketing here in northern Nevada, and around the country. It’s partially due to traffic stalling in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, which controls roughly 20% of the world’s oil supplies.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright aimed to ease concerns over rising costs.

“The world is very well supplied with oil right now. The United States is a net oil exporter, we’re a net natural gas exporter… We’re communicating with our allies abroad. The oil is there,” Wright said.

But Senator Kelly says gas prices could keep rising.

“This war in Iran is gonna drive up energy costs. Gasoline prices are gonna go up. Just driving down the road here, I noticed it was about $4.50 a gallon for a gallon of gasoline,” Kelly said.