"What if I come to Hawaii for sun and sand and it rains the whole time, did I waste the trip?" It won’t and you didn’t. Rain in Hawaii takes many forms. Right now, the wind is blowing and rain is falling but the sun is shining. It’s not cold outside, just wet. The photo is of rain during a picnic at the beach — we just covered the food to keep it from getting soggy and played in the ocean anyway. Once you’re wet, a little extra water from the sky doesn’t really matter.
If you encounter heavy rains - and we do get those days - you might switch to alternative excursions. There’s plenty to explore indoors in Hawaii. Not only are there the sorts of museums and art galleries one might expect on the mainland, there are also places that chronicle Hawaii’s unique history. For example, the Mission Houses feature craft displays from the earliest western settlers. The Bishop Museum includes pre-contact culture, including a recently renovated Hawaii Hall. If history isn’t your thing, take a walking tour of the art galleries near Chinatown. There are many alternatives to a day of sunbathing other than checking out the offerings on cable TV from your hotel room.
We are entering the "winter" season in Hawaii, which is rainier. A winter Hawaii vacation means fewer crowds on the beach and a more relaxed tempo (if that is possible). It also means you may want to have a rainy-day itinerary on stand-by, just in case. That way, the change in the weather doesn’t disrupt your plans; it just alters them for a moment. And you get to experience the very best thing about rain in Hawaii — the inevitable rainbow that follows!
The Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Hall is scheduled to reopen August 8 after nearly 3 years and $21 million dollars for renovations. This was the first building built at the Museum and Victorian architecture has earned it a place on the National register of historic places. It was built in three phases from 1889 to 1903, using lava stone that was quarried on the site of the museum’s Kalihi campus. The building itself is more than a hundred years old and needed renovation. Teams of workers have pulled out the koa-trimmed cabinets and are restoring them, bringing historic iron railings and supports back to their original, unpainted condition.
The exhibits have been redesigned in the hall to reflect the Hawaiian culture and will be divided into three parts in the tradition of Kanoa which means many layers and corresponds to the three floors of the building. On the first floor the theme is water and will look back at the importance religion played to the Hawaiian people. The second floor is devoted to Hawaiian lands and will feature video presentations about where Hawaiians worked. Hawaiian Kapuna tell first-hand stories about how practices and traditions were carried out. The third floor is devoted to the mountain relm and shares the rich history of Hawaii’s Alii’ (royalty) and Chiefs. Here, you’ll experience Hawaiian chants and stories which are in Hawaiian but also translated into English.
The heart of the exhibit will remain which is the many artifacts and favorites that many people come to expect when they visit the Bishop Museum. You’ll see the famous red and yellow feather capes, Outrigger canoes, and the grass houses from the early 1800’s.
Admission for adults is $16: $13 for children. The museum is open daily except Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Posted by: AlohaBruce
Well, it’s wintertime. For most of the country, that means severe — and sometimes terrible — weather. Here in Hawaii it means a little more rain than usual.
Unless we get flooding conditions, which occur sometimes, we don’t care much about the rain. It comes and goes. It’s warm. We rarely carry umbrellas and few of us own raincoats.
But if you’re here for a vacation, rain can keep you off the beaches and discourage you from sightseeing jaunts. Don’t worry. There’s plenty else to do.
On Maui and Oahu, there are really good aquariums. The Waikiki Aquarium is located at the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Avenue. It exhibits more then 450 species of aquatic animals and plants and it welcomes more then 350,000 visitors a year.
The Oceanarium at the Pacific Beach Hotel is three stories tall with 280,000 gallons full of swimming creatures, and it can be viewed from three different restaurants in the hotel. It houses more then 400 varieties of sealife.
The Maui Ocean Center, Hawaii’s top-rated family attraction, provides an up-close view of Hawaiian marine life. This is a great activity during any vacation to Maui, regardless of the weather. Aptly named “The Hawaiian Aquarium,” this state-of-the-art marine park is the only facility in the world dedicated to fostering understanding, wonder and respect for Hawaii’s marine life. You’ll see spectacular live coral displays (the largest collection in the country), enjoy playful swimming displays by Hawaii’s beloved green sea turtles, have close encounters with sharks, rays and more – while learning about Hawaii‘’s natural history and cultural heritage.
And there are good museums, too.
Bishop Museum on Oahu is a great rainy-day diversion. Plan to spend at least half a day there. The museum was founded by Princess Bernice Pauahi, who collected priceless artifacts and in her will instructed her husband, Charles Reed Bishop, to establish a Hawaiian museum "to enrich and delight" the people of Hawaii. Not only does this multibuilding museum have the world’s greatest collection of natural and cultural artifacts from Hawaii and the Pacific, but recently it also has added a terrific new 16,500-square-foot Science Adventure Center, specializing in volcanology, oceanography, and biodiversity.
Also on Oahu, The US Army Museum of Hawaii has exhibits and educational programs emphasizing the roll Hawaii played in military actions from WWI through the Vietnam Conflict. The museum is located in Battery Randolph at Waikiki’s Fort DeRussy.
The Honolulu Academy of Arts in Honolulu is Hawaii’s premier art museum, with a collection of more than 50,000 works. An encyclopedic museum where original works of art can be experienced in state-of-the-art galleries, it has major strengths in the arts of Asia, European and American painting, and graphic and decorative arts.
Iolani Palace is a Hawaiian national treasure and the only official state residence of royalty in the United States. It was the residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s last two monarchs — King Kalakaua, who built the Palace in 1882, and his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani. During the monarchy period, the Palace was the center of social and political activity in the Kingdom of Hawaii. The Palace is open for tours from Tuesday through Saturday, with hours varying depending upon the type of tour you take during your visit. It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The Haleiwa Surf Museum is a vintage surfboard museum that was founded in the 1990’s by surfing memorabilia collectors Mark Fragale and John Moore. It’s located in the Marketplace Shopping Center on Oahu’s North Shore.
Each of the major islands has an abundance of museums. Regardless of where you are, you’ll find some worth visiting. Pick an agent from the Hawaii-Aloha Web site, or call 1-800-843-8771. We’ll advise you — or even help you fit some into your vacation planning.
