A trip to Hawaii is a dream vacation for many, but choosing the islands for a vacation is only the beginning.  Although the Hawaiian Islands is made up of many islands and atolls, along with smaller islets, when it comes to vacation, you’re probably talking about visiting one of the six main islands.
Depending on what you want out of your vacation, frenetic levels of activity, rocking night life, or peaceful sandy beaches, you’ll want to choose an island that fits your personal preferences.  While sharing the basics of beautiful sun, sand, and surf, each island has its own special ambience, …read more

When I visit Hawaii, I love the sunny beaches (of course), but Hawaii is also rich in history and culture, and I always work a couple of these destination into my vacation plans.
Honolulu is rich in military sites and history, and although at time it can be painful to think about, these sites should be on every visitors list of things to see and do.  The islands and the country were shaped by the events of Pearl Harbor, and whether you choose to go on your own or as part of a tour, I think any trip to the islands …read more

Greetings from Kauai, the Garden Isle of Hawaii.
The fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands, it is often called the Garden Isle because it is lush and green.  It’s lush and green because it rains a lot here, and there are spots on the island that claim to have the most rainfall of anywhere on Earth.  Whether that’s a fact, or an urban legend, seems up for debate, but there’s no debating that this island is not what most people expect of Hawaii.
This was a view of the ocean on my walk this morning.  I was walking along a path to …read more

Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaii Islands, and is the fourth largest of the islands, and is about a 100 miles from Oahu.
Often referred to as the “Garden Isle,” Kauai is one of the wettest spot in the world, with an annual rainfall of 460 inches. 
I’m most familiar with the town of Lihue, on the southeast coast of Kauai.   Most visitors, however, may be more familiar with Waimea, once the capital of the island, and the first place in Hawaii visited by Captain James Cook. 
While there’s still beaches and sand, the lushness of Kauai lends …read more

My trip to Hawaii last fall was motivated by a desire for some rest and relaxation, some warm weather, and an overall escape from my gray Seattle life.  I was longing for time spent on a balcony, watching the sunset or sunrise, listening to the waves, and having a slow-paced week ahead of me.
In fact, that type of vacation is one of the reasons people love Hawaii – sun, sand, surf, and stepping on the treadmill of ordinary life.
But at some point, you’re going to want to do something else.  I had a handful of ideas of those “other …read more

When it’s raining in my corner of the world, sometimes it makes me feel happier (and warmer) when I think about a tropical location — like sunset time on the beach in Hawaii.
 
 
Photo credit: Personal collection
_______________________________________
 
_________________________________________

Honolulu’s Bishop Museum offers the natural and cultural history of Hawaii’s indigenous people.   Founded in 1889 by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last heir to Kamehameha I, you’ll find artifacts and exhibits representative of all the Pacific Islands.
A couple of my favorite highlights are the Science on a Sphere exhibit and the Science Adventure Center.

Science on a Sphere is a 68 inch, 200 pound fiberglass sphere suspended from the ceiling.  It serves as a sort of 3-D movie, displaying full color, satellite and animated images.  You can watch a hurricane forming, a dust storm, violent solar storms, or any …read more

If you watched the NFL Pro Bowl over this past weekend, you got a glimpse of Oahu, Honolulu, and the Waikiki area.  It’s very tempting to think of the island as one of sun, sand, surf, sunbathing, and adult beverages.  All that would be true, of course, but there is another side to Hawaii, a side full of history, culture, and reverence.
On my recent trip to Honolulu, I had the opportunity to enjoy both aspects of island life, and today’s post touches on a more serious side of island life.
Overlooking the city of Honolulu, is the extinct volcano Punchbowl …read more

A new museum has opened at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the Pacific Aviation Museum. The museum opened on December 7th, the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
In 1941, moored off the shores of Ford Island (located in the middle of Pearl Harbor) were some of the largest ships in the US Pacific Fleet.  The first attack by the Japanese began at 7:55 am, with the second attack ending two hours later.  The loss was immense:  2,403 people (military and civilians), 18 ships, 188 aircraft destroyed and another 159 damaged.  World War II had now begun for the …read more

Another day, another wonder, and this one will also stir the debate about whether wonders should be man made or natural.  Regardless of your position on that issue, there is no doubt as to the beauty of the underwater world of the Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.
The national monument encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and provides for protection and preservation of the marine area.  It is the largest single area dedicated to conservation, and the largest protected marine area in the world.  To get a sense of just how big we are talking about, it …read more