Category: Hawaii Culture & Happenings

What’s Happening at Aloha Stadium? Swap Meet & Demo Updates

Aloha Stadium has been in the news a lot lately. Its planned redevelopment looks like a glistening new era for the old Oahu entertainment center. But not everyone is on board for its renovation and expansion, and many wonder what’s happening to the stadium in the meantime.  Let’s get the latest updates on Aloha Stadium […]

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“Eddie Would Go” – Why Hawaii Celebrates Eddie Aikau

Eddie Aikau was the first lifeguard to work on Oahu’s North Shore. He became a surfing legend and local hero before sacrificing his life to save fellow Hokulea voyagers in the 1970s. Today, he is honored throughout Hawaii as a symbol of aloha and Hawaii traditions.  Hawaii has a unique culture that’s brimming with its […]

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10 Reasons to Visit Iolani Palace on Oahu

Iolani Palace is a beautiful attraction in Honolulu, and visiting can change your entire outlook on Hawaiian history and culture. But it can be tempting to skip it since there are so many things to see and do on Oahu. After all, you may wonder if it’s worth stepping off the beach and exploring some […]

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Hawaiian music: start with Gabby Pahinui, Pops

A confluence of factors, algorithms, and introspection among them, compel me to write a blog about Hawaiian music. It’s a fool’s errand. Books have been written and graduate studies courses have been taught about Hawaiian music and the major players who constellate the firmament of beloved performers who have forged its modern and mainstream identity. […]

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Is ‘Chinaman’s Hat’ on Oahu a Culturally Insensitive Name?

If you’re coming to the Island of Oahu, you will likely be heading to the island’s Windward side. This part of the island includes, among other sites, Kaneohe, Kualoa Ranch, and a small island off the coast called Mokoli’i Island or also named Chinaman’s Hat. Name Origins This small island is also known as ‘Chinaman’s […]

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Maui Ocean Center – Hawaiian Culture & Plant Tour

While Maui Ocean Center showcases marine life and fish, a tour offered by the family embraces Hawaiian culture and plants. Visitors to the Maui Ocean Center now have the opportunity to join a new tour dedicated to native plants and their significance in Hawaiian culture. Guided by a marine naturalist, the 90-minute tour was developed […]

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Go local in Hawaii – Wahine Volleyball

The good folks that comprise the Hawaii Aloha Travel Ohana often field various versions of the same question “How do we go local in Hawaii?” Visitors are often looking for an authentic Hawaii experience on their Hawaii vacation, and we’ll submit here that you can’t get much more local than attending a University of Hawaii […]

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Hawaii Theatre – a visitor primer

We made a trip to the Hawaii Theatre Centre with some of the HAT Blog ohana recently and I was struck anew by the splendor of the 100-year-old edifice and its remarkable history as the “Pride of the Pacific”, named as such by the papers here and abroad at the time of its September 1922 […]

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Hawaii funerals, Hawaii weddings – lessons in life

Recently we’ve had the impetus, if not the time, to think about living and dying in Hawaii. Two friends, in the same age cohort, have passed away. Both fought their battles with pancreatic cancer to a draw. After all, the cancer within them died with them, as the comic great Norm MacDonald once put it. […]

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Hawaii stargazing – bring on the night

The Hawaii summer solstice has come round again (and for everyone in the Northern Hemisphere). Surely many in the Southern Hemisphere will be celebrating the return to longer days of sunshine (it’s their Winter Solstice). Here in the North Central Pacific, the summer solstice means that beach days will be getting shorter for the next […]

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Iam Tongi – American Idol, Ambassador of Aloha

Iam Tongi is the new American Idol. With his angelic voice, inspiring backstory, and gift for songwriting, Tongi has captured the hearts of the show’s judges and millions of its viewers and voters. He became a national sensation when his audition went viral. His journey to the top of the world of music and entertainment […]

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Why Hawaii Loves Iam Tongi, American Idol Winner

Though Iam Tongi’s American Idol season is fading into the past, he remains a beloved musician throughout Hawaii and beyond. Let’s take a look at the Hawaiian musician’s rise to fame and what he’s up to today. Iam Tong’s American Idol Season I’ve never been much of an American Idol fan. Not even a little. […]

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