Gambling in Hawaii Today we talk about a new survey which was released in Hawaii which found that 76% of local people questioned said they would visit an entertainment center with a casino in Waikiki. This comes as a bit of a surprise because traditionally gambling has not gotten much support in Hawaii. Today we talk about the reasons why this comes up every year and discuss the possibility of casino
gambling coming to Hawaii. Keep your distance from sea mammals in Hawaiian waters
We’ve been seeing very disturbing images over the last couple months of people taking pictures with sea turtles and monk seals underwater. While this may seem like an innocent activity, it’s wrong and completely illegal. Today we got a question from Donna wanted to know how much distance you should keep when viewing sea turtles or monk seals either on land or at sea. Interfering with these very delicate mammals constitute a federal violation. You are not to disturb them or their natural behavior patterns. The rule of thumb is that you should keep at least 150 feet from many marine mammals such as monk seals or sea turtles. You should also be especially concerned if you see any of these creatures in shallow waters because it could mean that they are sick,
Disney Aulani Update
Mike wants to know what I think of the Disney Aulani resort now that it’s been open for a while. Some of you may know that we stayed at the property during its soft open back in September of last year and thought that they needed to work out several problems. I’m not backing off my initial review of the property however, for families with children I think they have worked out a lot of the issues and the pricing has stabilized. We have a couple of specials now with the property which I think are a good value because they bundle in the Paradise Cove luau and a few other value added activities which makes this property worth another look for families.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Today we had the opportunity to talk story with Brian Brigner, the CEO of Legends in Concert. While we haven’t seen the show yet, I’m pretty confident from this interview that this production will deliver.
Brian has an interesting background. He’s done pretty much everything there is to do in the entertainment business from producing top names in country music to Broadway shows. Not only is he excited and dedicated to his art, he is fully engaged with eight LEC productions all over the world. I was impressed with his sensitivity to the Hawaiian culture and how he has made a commitment to present the show differently than the others in the franchise. This is the only production that varies in format from the other shows the company produces. Brian recognizes that for the show to succeed, it must have Hawaiiana as of part of the program. He’s is in for the long haul and is definitely up for the challenge to make this part of our community.
This new production will be taking place at the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian Theater. This is a 700 seat venue with huge vaulted ceilings with professional top notch special effects, lighting and sound setup. The cast and crew of the production is mostly made up of local talent with the exception of the main headliners which includes a rotating cast of over 80 live band members, performers and dancers.
The show is entitled Rock a Hula and has performances six nights a week starting at 8:15 PM with many packages available ranging from general admission to VIP seats which give you backstage access, For more information give us a call at 1-800-843-8771 and you can also get more information by visiting their website at www.legendsWaikiki.com you can find them on twitter @legendswaikii and Facebook
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Christmas is right around the corner so we brought in Katherine Finch who blogs about shopping for us to talk about unique holiday gifts from Hawaii. Katherine is passionate about all things made in Hawaii and she shares with us some unique inexpensive gifts that you can get here while you’re on vacation to send back to loved ones on the mainland for Christmas or any other special occasion.
Hawaii has so many wonderful special gifts that can only be found here in the islands. For example Katherine shares with us some of her favorite confections like Hawaiian white cane sugar from Maui, delicious Coconut Taffy Hawaiian cookies and yummy pineapple jam. Most of these items can be purchased for less than five dollars and are available readily in many of the local stores here in the islands.
Katherine also told us about a great experience that she had at Maui divers. This is a company that manufactures and sells pearls here in Hawaii. She shared with us a beautiful pearl necklace she got there which will make a perfect Holiday gift.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Holiday season begins
The holiday season always begins with the Thanksgiving holiday. This year we spent it with friends at a place called Willows on Oahu. This off the beaten path and if you would like a great buffet lunch or dinner this is a perfect spot to meet and eat with Hawaii locals. It’s also great for special such as weddings occasions and weddings. Today we talk about but the great food we have and share some pictures of our favorite dishes.
Hawaii hotel prices rising
Martin, one of our twitter friends, asked about the rising cost of hotels in Hawaii. Hotel prices in Hawaii been rising over the last year with the average stay at about 200 per night. For years the hotels have been trying to raise their price points and 2012 may be the year we see this come to fruition. Prices this year are 16% higher than the same week last year. One way to still get great deals is to work with a company like ours who contracts with the hotels. Those were here in Hawaii, we can also get upgrades and special amenities for our customers.
Celebrities in Hawaii
Many folks ask us if we see a lot of celebrities because very often they see them on vacation in Hawaii. Today we talk about where celebrities stay at how accessible they are while visiting the islands. Demi Moore and Jennifer Lopez have been spotted here the last few days after their very public breakups.
Purikura Come to Hawaii
There’s a new craze sweeping Hawaii called Purikura. It’s a high-tech photo booth that allows you to take a picture behind a green screen and create your own fun photos. The booths have their origin in Japan where people have been using booths like this for years. You can get pretty creative with some of the graphics and have a lot of fun with this high-tech version of the old-fashioned phone booth.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Bounty Hunter open Retail store
Dog the bounty Hunter’s new retail store opens this weekend so we show you the location and talk about what might be going on in his new establishment. The dog and his family live in Hawaii Kai so naturally a perfect location for the store is Koko Marina. Starting Saturday he’ll be open for business and you can purchase all of your favorite bounty hunter memorabilia. Koko Marina is conveniently located on the east side of all who close to Hanauma Bay.
Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach Review
Over the weekend we had the opportunity to stay at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. We wanted to see it just one more time before major renovations take place. We stayed in a oceanfront room and while it was beautiful and clean there is no question that a upgrade is needed. The furniture was old and dated. The beds were pretty uncomfortable because of the old-age and the bathroom, while squeaky clean, really needed to be freshened up. They have some great rates I wouldn’t avoid this property but you should know what to expect if you decide to book this property. We love the staff, everyone was friendly and nice with lots of Aloha.
Floating Tsunami Debris
Today we answer a question from Shawn who want to know what was happening about the debris which is floating towards Hawaii as a result of the Tsunami in Japan in February of this year. We talk about the possibilities of debris coming up on the shores of Hawaii and what’s being done about this serious problem. The debris is moving faster than expected and will most likely move north of the Hawaiian Islands on its way to mainland U.S.. However it’s pretty clear that it will be caught back up to currents that will bring debris back to Hawaii over several years. No one really knows for sure what’s going to happen but we will keep a close eye on it and let you know anything we hear about this issue.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Heeia Kea Pier
Today we talk about a off the beaten path experience at Heeia pier. This small pier in Kaneohe on the island of Oahu doesn’t get a lot of publicity. For years it mostly serviced tour companies who take tourists to the famous sandbar located half a mile offshore. The pier is also home to the only commercial fishing boat in the area. A couple years ago some local businessmen took over the general store, rebuilt built it, and turned it into a delightful place to eat and enjoy the day. We talk about some of the fun experiences there and give you some tips how to get to this unique spot,
Geeks Eat Oahu
We’ve been scanning a few restaurants this past week in preparation for Geeks Eat Oahu. This is an annual event put together by Mike Prasad which pulls together great food and fun for people who are passionate about food. On Thursday we had the opportunity to sample the tastes of a new restaurant in Kailua. It’s called Prima and we were fortunate enough to sample almost the entire menu. I share some of my favorite dishes they are including their Crudo which is raw fresh Opakapaka mixed with pepperoni chips and basil.
Waikiki Sand Myth
We got a interesting question from Melanie who said she heard that the sand on Waikiki Beach actually came from Australia. While I’m not a historian I don’t think that that is true. The early Hawaiian settlers used the beaches in Waikiki for their livelihoods however, over the years the beach has eroded and there is a project slated for next year dredged sand back to the area near the Sheraton Waikiki.
Since 2006 Bruce has been writing and producing Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast and the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. His postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible. The tone is anecdotal, breezy, and devoid of any commercialism.
Written by Bruce Fisher
Today we had the opportunity to talk story with Brian Brigner, the CEO of Legends in Concert. While we haven’t seen the show yet, I’m pretty confident from this interview that this production will deliver. 
Christmas is right around the corner so we brought in Katherine Finch who blogs about shopping for us to talk about unique holiday gifts from Hawaii. Katherine is passionate about all things made in Hawaii and she shares with us some unique inexpensive gifts that you can get here while you’re on vacation to send back to loved ones on the mainland for Christmas or any other special occasion.
Holiday season begins
