In the age of smart phones, are guidebooks necessary? For most visitors, the answer is “No.” Most visitors are seeing Hawaii for the first time, staying for about a week, and mainly want to hit the highlights and log some serious beach time. Each island has its top attractions, which are easy to identify and find. And, since Yelp and TripAdvisor have been on the scene, books are of little help in finding good restaurants.

But …

If you are adventurous and independent, and want to get off the tourist trail to find places to call your own, then, yes indeedy, you will want a guidebook.  In this case, Trailblazer Travel Books are essential gear. These comprehensive guides hit all the highlights (like Maui’s Twin Falls, above), but also have details on the tons of stuff you would otherwise miss—like the half-dozen other falls that are nearby.

You can find the popular trails on your own. But if you’d like to avoid crowds, without sacrificing scenic values, then check out a Trailblazer. These books were written by people who spent decades exploring.

Trailblazers are also a free-ticket to explore the luxurious side of Hawaii without necessarily paying for it. Each island has destination resorts where you can take a walk on the un-wild side. These places, like Maui’s Grand Wailea (above),  are beachside museums with gardens. Trailblazer gives specific driving and parking directions.

True adventure on Hawaii can be dangerous. Many people get off the plane and treat the Islands’ wild places like a Disneyland, and are unaware of the the risks. The safety tips in Trailblazer guides are specific to each destination. The people pictured above, at Maui’s Nakalele Blowhole, have not read Maui Trailblazer.

Take a vacation from your vacation and find a trail that few people know about.

True, most (but far from all) places in Hawaii are noted somewhere on the Internet. Instead of snatching these references (of varying reliability) from the Web, get all of them organized comprehensively in a Trailblazer book. Readers have called Trailblazers “the Swiss Army Knife” of guides.

Even where tourism reigns supreme, like Waikiki Beach, hidden gems await. A historical trail runs right through the middle of the place, if you know where to look for it.

Trailblazers are an homage to Hawaiian cultural traditions—which are alive and well today. Visitors can explore museums, heiaus (temples), and ancient sites, and also connect with many dozens of nonprofit groups. Locals like Trailblazers for the respect the books show for the Islands.

Not everyone needs a book to visit Hawaii. But for those who want dig deeper, Trailblazers are a must. Considering how much a Hawaiian vacation costs (even for the budget conscious) the price of a guidebook is money well spent. Read a Trailblazer before you go and hit the trail running.