A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to meet a gentleman by the name of Joseph Correa. Among other things, he’s been very active in restoring Hawaii’s shoreline and seawalls using native Hawaiian plant species. That’s an interesting enough subject in itself, however, as we were talking, we got off into a very interesting topic about the Duke Kahanumoku statue. It turns out he knows a lot of interesting things about this famous memorial to the legendary surfer. In fact, he was actually the person that delivered the statue where it currently rests today.
He pointed out to me that it’s common knowledge that Duke is not facing the ocean but instead the hotels across the street. This was done so that when people took pictures the ocean would be behind the statue. What a lot of folks don’t know is there are some unusual irregularities with statue that most people won’t notice.
The first thing is the actual shape of the surfboard itself. Joseph says the curvature is going the wrong way and should be the opposite direction. Some say there should be no curvature at all because the boards Duke used were made of balsa wood and had no curves in the first surboards.
Another interesting observation that Joseph makes, is that in the early days, there was no wax to keep surfers on their boards. To solve the problem of slipping off the board, surfers would carve scratches into the balsa wood which would allow for a better grip for the feet when riding waves. If you look closely at the Duke, Kahanumoku Statue you’ll see the scratches on the bottom of the board. If Joe’s observations are correct, that means that the surfboard is actually backwards and the scratches are on the wrong side of the board.
While this is hardly earth shattering news you may want to take a look at at it yourself when you visit Wakiki. The statue sits right across the street from the Hyatt Hotel and if you want to have some fun you can actually wave at a camera which is broadcasting live 24/7 in front of the statue. People from all over the world call up their friends on their cell phones and wave at the camera.
If you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, you should really think about bringing something unique back to remember your trip. In previous posts we’ve discussed what not to bring back as keepsakes such as lava rock or black sand from any of the beaches (strictly forbidden and brings bad luck). So let’s talk about something that you can bring back that will provide wonderful memories of your Hawaiian vacation.
So what is Hawaiian memorabilia? For the most part these are antique items that come from Hawaii, such as dolls, posters, quilts and the ever popular aloha shirts. There is one place on Oahu that has Hawaiian memorabilia and souvenirs that goes way beyond anything you could ever find at the typical souvenir shops. It’s called Bailey’s Antiques and Aloha Shirts. The store opened over 30 years ago and has a huge selection of vintage items from Hawaii going back to the early 50s. Bailey’s has paper goods that go even farther back to the late 20s and 30s.
We found lots of great stuff there and couldn’t resist taking home an antique "nodder" (ironically made in Japan) that is similar to "bobble head." The difference is the spring mechanism is located toward the bottom of the nodder that allows the hula skirt to move rather than the head as in the bobble head. Most nodders have magnets on the bottom which were placed on cars in the 50s that had metal dashboards; even I am too young to remember them!!
Bailey’s is located on 517 Kapahulu Avenue just outside of Waikiki, not too far from the Rainbow Drive-In which is famous for great Hawaii plate lunches. If you go to Bailey’s it’s truly a trip back in time and a reminder of the Hawaii of old. Go there on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday after 1PM and you’ll meet a wonderful woman named Suzie Coleman who works at the store. A resident of Hawaii for 48 years, Suzie has a wealth of information and love for anything and everything having to do with Hawaiian memorabilia.
If you are interested in learning more and you happen to be on Oahu during July 17-18, 2009, you can check out the 19th Annual Hawaii Collectors Show. There will be a huge selection of Hawaiian memorabilia that may be a treasure someday. Every other year (it happens this year) there surf auction at the same time in which vintage Hawaiian surf memorabilia will go to the highest bidder. All this will all take place at the Neil Blaisdell Concert Exhibition Hall. For more information please go to Ukulele.com.
When you come to Hawaii probably the last thing on your mind is finding any really good deals, especially when it comes to shopping for clothes and accessories. Sure you can imagine finding some inexpensive T-shirts or some souvenirs on sale but for the most part Hawaii isn’t considered a fashion mecca for deals on those kind of items.
Last week my in-laws from Taiwan wanted to do something almost immediately when they arrived. They wanted to go shopping. Not just any place, they wanted to go to the Waikele Premium Outlet stores. Apparently the bargains that they found were so terrific they couldn’t wait to get back. The big draw for them on they’re last visit was the "Coach" factory outlet. They bought several bags for their friends and family back home which cost twice as much and they would’ve had to pay it back in Taiwan.
This time it was no exception. We hopped in the car and headed for a long ride to Waikele. And you guessed it, they made a beeline for the coach factory outlet. In a matter of about a half an hour they came out with several shopping bags with deals that they could not believe they found. Apparently they weren’t alone this store was filled with people on the Monday afternoon all bargain hunters and most of them from either Japan or somewhere in Asia.
The deals don’t just stop there with the coach factory. There is a wonderful Armani exchange store which we’ve been shopping at for years. For example, I needed some new board shorts and the best price I could find at anywhere was
$38-$61, at the Armani exchange I got a pair of high quality shorts for only $29. I know this store has great prices because I’ve also shopped at the outlet malls in Las Vegas and don’t find the same deals that I can get here in Hawaii.
My wife who loves shoes, has found many great deals at nine West, and some nice designer dresses at Saks Fifth Ave. There is a great Tumi outlet where I found an amazing deal on a computer tote that I’ve always wanted.
If you have a rental car it’s a nice drive but there are other options including shuttles and trolleys that take you directly there from your hotel in Waikiki. It’s a long ride, but you get to see some of the scenery of Oahu on your way
there. If you’re a shopaholic it’s perfect for you, they even have a VIP shopping club which gets you even more discounts if you’re serious about this kind of activity.
So the next time you come to Oahu you may want to think twice about the shopping thing, there is actually a great place where you can find bargains on designer clothing and accessories. For more information or to book a trip there just give
us a call or visit our website at Hawaii-Aloha.com.
It’s a solemn, moving place with a spectacular view of Honolulu and the eastern shore of Oahu.
The National Memorial of the Pacific rests high in Punchbowl, a volcanic crater that once was known as Puowaina, or “Hill of Sacrifice.” The volcano’s summit was used by early Hawaiians as a sacrificial site for those unfortunates who had committed acts that were deemed forbidden (kapu). Its slopes were the site of part of the battle between the forces of Oahu and those of Kamehameha, which ultimately led to the unification of the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s. The name “Punchbowl” comes from its elevation and round shape.
Built in 1948, the National Cemetery is a memorial to the sacrifice made by the men and women in the United States Armed Services. After its dedication on September 2, 1949, 776 casualties from the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor were among the first to be buried there.
On the grounds, the Honolulu Memorial was dedicated in 1966 to honor the sacrifices and achievements of American Armed Forces in the Pacific during WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. The memorial sits high on the wall of the crater overlooking the graves area of the cemetery. It contains a non-sectarian chapel, two map galleries, a monumental staircase that leads from the crater floor to the Court of Honor. Flanking the staircase are the ten Courts of the Missing on which are inscribed a total of 28,778 names.
The front of the tower that houses the chapel bears a 30-foot female figure known as "Columbia" which stands on the symbolized prow of a U.S. Navy carrier. She holds a laurel branch in her left hand and this inscription of President Lincoln’s words: "…the Solemn Pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom." Columbia symbolizes all grieving mothers.
The grounds cover 116 acres and hold the remains of almost 50,000 war casualties. Five and a half million people visit the cemetery every year. Admission is free. The American Legion offers walking tours Monday through Friday. There is also a variety of broader tours that include Punchbowl among their stops.
Pick an agent from the Hawaii-Aloha Web site (hawaii-aloha.com) or call 1-800-843-8771. We’ll help you include the Memorial Cemetery in your vacation plans.
If you’d like a taste of the “real” Hawaii, take your rental car for a trip up the east coast of Oahu. The drive itself is gorgeous (many think it’s the prettiest in the whole state) and it will take you to the little town of Waimanalo.
On the way you’ll pass Waimanalo Beach Park, where there are restrooms, a picnic area, a pay phone, and a lifeguard on duty. It’s Oahu’s longest stretch of sandy, swimmable coastline. You might consider taking your swimwear.
The terms “quaint” and “rustic” both apply to Waimanalo. The highway you’ll be on (Kalanianaole) is the scenic way to get from Waikiki to the Windward communities of the island. It’s heavily used by both vacationers and locals. There have been attempts to widen the highway in Waimanalo Town, but the residents just won’t have it. You’ll agree it would be a mistake, even if you get tied up by sluggish traffic there.
The Waimanalo area invites your investigation. Its backdrop is the unique Koolau range, which is a vertically corrugated, cliff-like curtain of green hovering behind produce farms and stables.
You’ll see a little shopping center with a couple of worthwhile stops. Keneke’s is a terrific local restaurant with low prices (especially compared to Waikiki prices), delicious food and really friendly servers. And there’s a flower shop called Flowers by Jr Lou & T that has a good variety of orchids and exotic flowers. It’s kind of expensive, but they’ll ship your purchases home for you. Even if you don’t buy anything it’s good browsing.
Up the road, the Waimanalo Polo Fields hold matches on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. from May to October. That’s a pleasant way to spend an afternoon; very casual and comfortable. There’s a grandstand, but you can pack a picnic lunch and hang out near your car and watch from there, too. If you like, you can go onto the field between chuckers and stomp down the divots the horses’ hooves make. If you’re vacationing with the family, you can take the children to visit the ponies after the match. Admission is only three dollars, and kids under 12 get in free.
As you leave the “business area,” you’ll see a turnoff immediately after the McDonald’s. The sign for Sherwood Forest is small and difficult to see, but the beach is definitely worth a stop. The surf is calm, and it’s a good place for relaxing.
Olomana Golf Links is one of President Obama’s favorites. If you’re a golfer, consider a round on that diverse course. It has two distinctly different nines – one featuring level fairways with a formidable water hazard at each hole, and the back nine has irregular rolling hills with abundant sand bunkers.
This is anything but an exciting way to explore the island and not many vacationers take the time. They should.
Most of the states have great places for hiking, but it’s hard to beat Hawaii’s variety. All the islands have great hiking territory. Here are a few to consider if you’re a hiker or if you just enjoy beautiful walks:
On Kauai, the Kalalau Trail hosts some of the most spectacular views in the Hawaiian Islands, and the Hanakapiai Falls Trail begins two miles up the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast at Hanakapiai Beach.
On Maui, the Halemauu Trail to Holua Cabin descends the sheer cliffs of Haleakala on the west crater wall.
Waipio Valley and Mauna Kea are near the northernmost point of the Big Island. Once the home President John F. Kennedy’s first Peace Corps training camp, the area today is a remote and little-visited place modern man has all but forgotten.
For the full spectrum of all that is Hawaii, consider the 1,875 acres of Waimea Valley on Oahu’s North Shore. It’s been a sacred place for more than 700 years of Native Hawaiian history. 78 sites of interest have been identified in the valley, including religious sites and shrines, house sites, agricultural terraces and fishponds.
The valley’s150-acre botanical collection contains more than 5,000 kinds of tropical and subtropical plants, including native and endangered Hawaiian plants. Four out of five species of native freshwater fish can be found in Kamananui Stream.
Once you’re in the valley, for which there’s an admission fee of $5.00 to $10.00, you can participate in several free activities including lei making, kapa demonstrations, hula lessons, Hawaiian games, crafts, music and story telling.
Several free (with your paid admission) walking tours are offered at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
You want to be sure to take in the Valley’s 45-foot waterfall, Waihï. It’s about 3/4 of a mile from the park entrance booth.
Waimea Valley hosts larger tours – from easy and moderate family walks every Saturday to strenuous five-hour scrambles on the last Saturday of every month. Guides will help you identify the native and exotic plants, and will point out the indigenous birds and fish. The family hikes cost $5.00 per person, and the five-hour hikes cost $10.00 in addition to the valley entry fee. You’ll need reservations.
As you finish your visit, there is a retail store that showcases the work of local artists and Hawaii crafters of locally made products. The store also hosts weekly demonstrations by featured vendors. The valley’s on-site concession services uses locally grown, made-in-Hawaii ingredients for tasty local dining.
If you want to include hiking in your vacation on any of the islands, pick an agent from our Web site home page (hawaii-aloha.com), or call 1-800-843-8771. We’ll set you up.
There are good reasons for renting a car on your Hawaii vacation. Even if you are part of a group that provides transportation to and from most of the venues on your itinerary, you’ll probably want to go off and explore on your own. Public transportation is pretty grim on the “outer” islands – Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and the Big Island. On the other hand, if you’re staying in Waikiki, you can walk to just about all the shopping and entertainment venues, but Oahu’s a big island with many, many attractions away from Waikiki.
Especially on Oahu, the strongest argument against renting a car is the parking hassle. Parking spaces are becoming harder and harder to find in Downtown Honolulu and in Waikiki, and the private lots are getting really expensive. But you can still find free spaces or spaces with reasonable rates if you check around.
Here are some general tips you can make note of:
There are about 750 free parking stalls in Kapiolani Park lots near the bandstand, the Natatorium, the Waikiki Shell and the tennis courts. Hundreds of additional free parking spots are available on the makai (ocean) side of Kalakaua Avenue in the park and along the Ala Wai Canal.
Street parking is free, even at metered stalls, on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.
Restaurants that offer validated parking for the price of a meal and valet service at multi-plex movies all amount to free parking.
Restaurant Row parking is free with merchant validation. Ala Moana Center and the Ward Centers both offer free parking.
Downtown, there are several private lots, but municipal lots or street parking are your best choices. Some suggestions:
Marks Garage: Chaplain Lane between Bethel and Nuuanu. $3 per half hour, $8 flat rate before 3 p.m., $5 flat rate after 3 p.m. and weekends.
Beretania Nuuanu Lot: Nuuanu between Beretania and Chaplin Lane. $3 per half hour, $7 flat rate before 3 p.m., $5 flat rate after 4 p.m., $4 flat rate on weekends.
The following are the most affordable Downtown parking lots:
Municipal Parking Garages’ first two hours are 75¢ per 1/2 hr, $1.50 1/2 hr thereafter. After 5 p.m., 50¢ per ½-hour or $3 max.
• Kukui Plaza: Kukui St. between Fort and Nuuanu.
• Alii Place: Alakea between King and Hotel.
• Chinatown Gateway: Bethel between King and Hotel.
• Hale Pauahi: Beretania St. between Maunakea and River.
• Harbor Court: Bethel St. between Nimitz and Merchant.
• Harbor Village: Nimitz Hwy. between River and Kekaulike (meters)
• Kekaulike Courtyard: Maunakea between Nimitz & King
• Marin Tower: Smith between Nimitz & Marin
• Smith–Beretania: Beretania St. between Nuuanu & Smith
• Metered Street Parking: $1.50 per hour. Have change handy. Free after 6 p.m.
• Most Private Garages offer $3.00-$5.00 flat rates evenings and weekends.
If you have other questions about driving in Hawaii, pick an agent from the Hawaii-Aloha. Web site (hawaii-aloha.com), or call 1-800-843-8771.
When on vacation in Hawaii don’t be afraid to drink the water. There are lots of vacation destinations that come with built-in cautions about water quality. Hawaii definitely is not one of them.
Oahu in particular is blessed with water that ranks with the best quality in the world. Part of the reason is the island’s unique water cycle, which is difficult to find in places such as, say, Kansas City.
Hawaii’s almost-omnipresent trade winds carry with them moisture that has evaporated from ocean water warmed by the sun. The winds blow across the ocean and reach Oahu from the northeast, then are deflected upwards as they hit the steep cliffs of the Koolau Mountains. The rising moisture cools as it reaches the mountaintops then forms clouds, condenses and falls as rain. If Oahu didn’t have both mountain ranges and flat plains, the island wouldn’t be able to capture the moist air needed to support the living things that exist now. (The island of Niihau, on the other hand, gets very little rainfall because it doesn’t have much in the way of elevated slopes.)
In a year, about two billion gallons of rain fall on Oahu every day. About a third of that replenishes the island’s aquifer (the layer of rock, sand and gravel ground water flows through), another third nurtures the island’s vegetation and the rest runs off into the ocean.
For the drinking water you’ll enjoy while you’re here, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply uses four shafts, 12 tunnels and 84 well stations around the island to draw water from the ground. Dike Tunnels are drilled through a mountain to its dike rock compartment where freshwater is drawn out before it reaches the aquifer. Inclined shafts descend hundreds of feet to the top of the aquifer, skimming its upper layer to extract fresh water. Deep wells are located over the aquifer and supply most of the island’s water.
On the surface, the water enters a complex and unique water transmission system, which transports water from pumping stations to customers. Pumping stations pump water from the shafts, tunnels and wells into the transmission system. Sometimes, booster stations are used to push water over long distances and to higher elevations. The purpose of pumping and booster stations is to deliver fresh water to the reservoirs, which store water for future use. Finally, when water is needed, it’s fed back into water mains for delivery to hotels and resorts, homes and businesses. More than 2,000 miles of transmission mains are utilized to convey fresh water from the pumping stations to the reservoirs, and to your hotel room and the restaurants you visit.
You’re aware that a whole lot of exotic movies have been shot in Hawaii, as is the TV series “Lost.” You might correctly assume the most exotic locations would be found on the island of Kauai with its amazing verdure, or the Big Island with its other-world-like terrain.
But imagine you were location scouting for the first “Jurassic Park” film, looking for dense rainforestation; broad, open valleys and rich, green cliff faces through which the producers’ fantastic prehistoric creatures could roam and scamper.
Well, they found exactly what they were looking for on the island of Oahu, less than an hour from Honolulu.
Kualoa Ranch is a 4,000-acre working cattle ranch, spread between steep mountain cliffs and the sea, on the northeastern side of the island. More than just a pretty place, it’s truly a great setting for outdoor recreation, accessible only by horseback, on an all-terrain vehicle or by hiking. And, far from being remote and unattended, it’s one of the ten most popular visitor attractions among all the islands. There are two major areas of the ranch. The northern half includes K`a`a`awa Valley, which contains many of the movie location sites, and the southern half that includes Hakipu`u Valley, the 800 year-old Moli’i fishpond, and Secret Island. If the ranch’s views look familiar, you may have seen them in other movies such as “Windtalkers,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Godzilla,” “Tears of the Sun” or “50 First Dates,” or in other TV shows such as “Hawaii Five-O” or “Magnum P.I.”
The ranch offers one- and two-hour horseback tours, on which riders take different trails beneath the cliffs and overlooking the ocean. Vistas of the famed "Chinaman’s Hat" island and ancient Hawaiian fishponds combine spectacular scenery with the old saying that there’s nothing as good for the inside of a person as the outside of a horse.
Or you may choose to take it all in by navigating an ATV through trails deep into the scenic valleys and to remote areas rarely visited by others. The ranch’s tours go out in all weather, through the dirt and crossing seasonal streams. One- and two- hour tours are available.
Kualoa is one of the most historically significant destinations on Oahu. In ancient times, it was considered sacred land. In 1850, Dr. Gerrit P. Judd purchased the land from King Kamehameha III and the property has remained in the family since. The current family owners strive to be model stewards of the ‘aina (land) by preserving and protecting it from development.
If you’d like to learn more, or to work a visit to this wonderful place into your vacation plans, pick an agent from the Hawaii-Aloha Web site home page, or call 1-800-843-8771.
If you’re going to be vacationing on Oahu over the weekend of March 14 – 15, there will be a festival going on you won’t want to miss. Dubbed “Pacific Harmony,” the 15th-annual Honolulu Festival celebrates and displays the fascinating arts and diverse culture of the Pacific. This year’s theme is “Heart of the Pacific, Creating our Future.”
The weekend celebration will feature live musical and cultural performances, as well as impressive art exhibits by artisans from Japan, Australia, Tahiti, The Philippines, The Republic of China (Taiwan), Korea, Hawaii and the rest of the United States.
And it’s all free. The events will be located at the Hawaii Convention Center, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Waikiki Shopping Plaza and Waikiki Beach Walk, concluding with a Grand Parade through the heart of Waikiki on the final evening, Sunday, March 15.
During the weekend you’ll be treated to performances by the Obama Girls (no relation) from Obama, Japan; the “daijayama” or fire-breathing dragon float, and the Descendance from Australia, among other spectacles. The festival also will showcase Hawaii cultural groups who will share the beauty of their heritage with you in several venues.
The festival has become enormously popular locally and a special treat for visitors. Last year, almost 100,000 spectators enjoyed the festivities and the event attracted some 6,000 visitors from Japan. More than 90 cultural groups performed, many of them coming from countries throughout the Pacific Rim.
If you would like more information or details about the Honolulu Festival, pick an agent from the Hawaii-Aloha Web site , or call 1-800-843-8771 and check out the festival blog http://honolulufestivalinhawaii.blogspot.com/
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