Maui wildfires create disaster conditions
Maui is burning. That’s not hyperbole. Dozens of homes and businesses in Historic Lahaina Town have been destroyed, and wildfires across the Valley Isle have closed multiple highways and roads, grinding traffic and commerce to a dead stop. High winds and drought conditions turned much of Maui into a disaster area. Acting Governor Sylvia Luke…
Read MoreOahu traffic – getting around the island
There is a construction staging area for roadwork projects in and around Honolulu below the HAT Blog Home Office, and it’s busy. It’s got us thinking about getting around on Oahu and choosing the best way to get to where you want to go and avoid the frustration of snarled Oahu traffic. Across the street,…
Read MoreHawaii hurricane season 2023 – what to know
June has arrived, and with it, so has Hawaii hurricane season. Hurricanes in Hawaii are rare indeed, although tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific are not. Forecasters at the NOAA say that they expect 4-7 of those potentially dangerous weather systems to form in 2023. This is not cause for alarm. It is, however, a…
Read MoreHawaii winter weather returns
Each year, usually in mid-December, a weather system moves over the islands of Hawaii bringing thunderstorms, lightning, (relatively) cold temperatures, and high winds. Hawaii winter weather is unique in that what makes it special is the fact that it is actual weather. For the rest of the year, it’s mostly sunny skies and gentle trade…
Read MoreHawaii Volcano Update: Kilauea & Mauna Loa
It seems like every few months, Hawaii’s volcanoes make an appearance in the news. After all, the state is home to three active volcanoes, something that makes a visit here both special and sometimes nerve-wracking. So where do you go when you want a Hawaii Volcano Update? Luckily, it’s easy to get info on what’s…
Read MoreMy Easy Maui Vacation Suggestions
The HAT Blog is back at the home office in Honolulu after a delightful week with the in-laws on Maui. I didn’t actually do a whole lot, but that was my personal plan to begin with. The others did, however, and we offer here some easy Maui vacation suggestions that we thoroughly enjoyed. We’ll also…
Read MoreMaui vacation tips from a local
We here at the HAT Blog have been on Maui for a few days for a 7-night stay with visiting family. Thus far, things have gone quite smoothly. We did encounter one minor snag. We also enjoyed a spectacular sunrise at the summit of Haleakala Crater. We offer a couple of Maui vacation tips from…
Read MoreHawaii golf tips for visitors
There are 75 golf courses in Hawaii. We’ve written about a bunch of them here at the HAT Blog over the years. Not only because are we hopelessly (and haplessly) enamored and enervated by the game, but also because Hawaii is a golf paradise and the activity is a major contributor to Hawaii tourism revenue.…
Read MoreMaui vacation planning from Oahu by a local resident
The HAT Blog has been informed that the home office will relocate to Maui for one week in September so it’s a perfect opportunity to share our Maui vacation planning. Honorable Wife Person (HWP) and I will join her parents, two sisters, and their husbands for dedicated mirth and merriment on the Valley Isle. That…
Read MoreHawaii place names: Pearl Harbor/Pearl City
The vast majority of neighborhoods and towns in Hawaii are known by their traditional native Hawaiian names. The literal translations of those Hawaii place names tend to reflect unique aspects of the areas they represent. We here at the HAT Blog have always found it unusual that Hawaii’s most popular visitor attraction, Pearl Harbor –…
Read MoreHawaii vacation safety tips
We’ve just had a major swell event on Hawaii’s southern shores, so I have to provide some Hawaii vacation safety tips. We’ve seen a series of rescues of imperiled hikers from popular trails. It seems like a good time to remind Hawaii visitors about some simple Hawaii vacation safety tips. Well, one tip, anyway: don’t…
Read MoreOahu’s popular visitor attractions: a couple of changes
As we barrel into Hawaii’s high-summer vacation season, we thought we’d point out some changes at a couple of Oahu’s popular visitor attractions. As Aloha Bruce noted on the latest Hawaii Vacations Podcast, visitor arrival numbers are approaching pre-pandemic levels. With Asia-Pacific arrivals expected to begin to surge as we move deeper into 2022, the…
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