The legendary beauty of Kauai

Posted on April 18, 2013 by alohajournal

Kauai is gorgeous, breathtaking and lush—living up to its name of the Garden Isle.

It is the home of Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and the breathtaking Na Pali Coast. From the crashing waves of Poipu to the lush Princeville on the north shore, Kauai offers scenic vistas, countless waterfalls and one of the wettest places on earth at the top of Mt Wai’ale’ale, which reportedly receives rain almost every day of the year. Kauai is a nature lover’s paradise.

Have I mentioned that it is gorgeous?

The first time I drove on the Kuhio Highway, I was speechless. Just when you think the island couldn’t be more picturesque, there is another view to take your breath away, such as the Hanalei Valley. Rainbows seem to greet you at every turn.

Kauai is the greenest and oldest of the Hawaiin islands. Many movies have been filmed in its natural beauty. When you visit, you instantly see why. It also maintains a somewhat rural feel and exudes old Hawaii. The entire island feels like a botanical garden.

It is easy to navigate as it is just 30 miles at its widest, but it’s best to take your sweet time when exploring this island to enjoy the awe and wonder of Kauai.

Interisland flights

Posted on April 17, 2013 by alohajournal

In the Midwest, we are bracing for more April rain and snow, so the thought of flying between two of the Hawaiian islands sounds like a dream.

If you fly into Honolulu and it’s not your final destination, you will likely take an interisland connection on Hawaiian Airlines. There are other airlines serving the Hawaiian islands with interisland flights, such as go!, Mokulele Airlines, Pacific Wings and Island Air, but we have always been automatically booked on Hawaiian with a major airline connection.

These flights are quick (or wikiwiki as the Hawaiians say) and you will be served an island juice from a happy flight attendant who truly seems to enjoy his or her job. Yes, the female flight attendants will usually have flowers in their hair, they will be wearing Hawaiian-inspired uniforms and the in-cabin music will be Hawaiian when you board the plane. This is not a commuter jet between Minneapolis-St. Paul to Fargo. (With apologies to my North Dakota friends. I just couldn’t resist.)

We have always found these flights to be at or near capacity. It would be interesting to know the number of visitors to the islands on these flights and the number of Hawaiian residents who commute or visit another island, perhaps even on a regular basis if they live on one island and work on another.

If you are traveling to the Big Island and fly into the Kona International Airport, you will exit the airplane directly onto the tarmac down stairs—no jetway. I think it adds to the charm and feeling like you are landing on a tropical paradise.

As you make your way to baggage claim at Kona International Airport, you’ll walk through the open-air gates past a lovely statue of hula dancers. No, you will not be greeted by someone who puts a lei around you as you descend the stairs from the plane. This only happens in the Brady Bunch.

If you fly into Maui and would like to visit Lanai, there is a ferry that departs from Maui and Lanai about five times back and forth each day. This is purely anecdotal and I do not have any statistics to back it up, but many Hawaiian residents we have met over the years mentioned that they vacation in Lanai. I have always wondered where Hawaiians would vacation since they are all blessed to live in paradise year-round.

Many people choose to visit more than one island during a trip to Hawaii. Planning for interisland flights is still somewhat overwhelming for me. For instance, a few years ago we planned a trip split between the Big Island and Kauai and in order to get from Kona to Lihue, Kauai, we first needed to fly back to Oahu.

Hawaii—not the easiest or quickest place in the world to get to, but so worth it once you arrive and get settled after your flight. Pack light and stay a while.

Our next stop is Kauai—the Garden Isle.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Posted on April 16, 2013 by alohajournal

In the Onomea Valley in Papaikou, on the Hilo side of the Big Island, you will find the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, described as a garden in a valley on the ocean. It’s difficult to describe the beauty of this Garden. You must visit to experience this nature preserve and sanctuary. Over the years, we have taken many photos during our visits, so I plan to do a series of posts on this Big Island treasure.

When you visit, you feel as if you are on the edge of the earth. Along the trail you will discover an orchid garden, an anthurium corner, the Onomea waterfalls, a blowhole, an amazing monkey pod tree and so much more. The boardwalk entrance is 500-feet long and you will want to stop and take it in during your time along the 1.25 miles of Garden trails.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden was founded by the late Dan Lutkenhouse. His wife and co-founder, Pauline Lutkenhouse, continues to be involved and serves on the organization’s board of directors. There is a plaque when you enter the gardens, which describes the vision, mission and dedication of these two individuals to preserve and create such a beautiful setting and world-class attraction for others to enjoy.

The Garden website describes how they discovered the beauty of Onomea Bay while on a vacation in 1977. For 8 years, Mr. Lutkenhouse would spend the days clearing paths by hand, and cleaning and restoring the property without disturbing the environment. The website history states that all of this was done by hand; no tractors were involved to ensure that tree roots and natural plants were not destroyed. I cannot fathom the work involved in restoring this tropical paradise.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden opened to the public in 1984.

A newsletter I picked up on a visit in March of this year describes the founder’s vision that the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden be a self-sufficient entity so that visitors from around the world would be able to enjoy its natural beauty. It is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit entity and the Gardens have never asked for or received government funding of any kind.

The newsletter also reports that they have welcomed 87,000 visitors from across the world in the past year and they have 1,256 members, who help sustain and preserve this treasure. I am always amazed at what can be accomplished by vision, dedication and hard work. To protect Hawaii’s natural beauty is truly something to be admired.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is located about 7 miles north of Hilo off Route 19 off the Scenic Route, two miles down on the left. From Kailua-Kona, the drive is approximately three hours. But, it is a lovely three hours with many interesting stops and sights along the way.

Kona Village Resort

Posted on April 15, 2013 by alohajournal

Reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Apple founder Steve Jobs was fascinating to me for many reasons. First, I am a big fan of all things Apple. Jobs completely transformed so many aspects of our lives through his visionary leadership at Apple including computers, phones, how we listen to music, publishing and more. I was intrigued when I learned that Jobs also found a visit to Hawaii a rejuvenating experience. In the book, I learned how Jobs would visit the Big Island and specifically the Kona Village Resort.

Kona Village Resort in 2004

These photos of the grounds on the Kona Village are from 2004. They are somewhat grainy as they are scanned images from a camera no longer with us. Although we never stayed at Kona Village, we were lucky to have a tour of this special place.

Kona Village opened in 1961. It was different from any resort we have ever visited. No televisions. No air conditioning (you don’t need it here with the ocean breezes). No phones (easier to accomplish before cell phones, but still admirable). No tall buildings or high-rises on this 82-acre slice of paradise. Your room was a Polynesian-inspired thatched bungalow. Meals were served in a gorgeous building in a group setting. Enchanting. Old Hawaii.

We were even told that at one time, they had their own runway for private airplanes visiting the resort. This was not the fanciest or most high-tech place to stay. This was the Big Island at its best—surrounded by natural beauty and the relaxation and serenity that come with it.

The Hawaiians have a beautiful word for family. It’s ohana. Ohana, to me, perfectly describes the feeling of this resort. Now the sad part. It is currently closed and has been since March 2011, when it suffered significant property and structural damage from an earthquake-generated tsunami.

Over the years, we have met people who made this their family trip and had returned to the Kona Village for decades. We’re talking generations of grandparents, children and grandchildren gathering for an annual or bi-annual gathering at the Kona Village. The very meaning of ohana as the staff would get to personally know and care for these families over the years.

The Kona Village website tells us that the goal is to one day open the resort again and that repairs are in process, certainly a huge and complex project. I know that there are many people hoping and waiting for that day to arrive. Until then, the resort operators worked with the Governor of Hawaii and nearby hotels to help the employees find jobs at other nearby resorts. It’s my understanding that a number of resorts, including the nearby Four Seasons Resort Hawaii at Hualalai, have employed the Kona Village’s former employees.

Hopefully, I will be able to write an update someday that the Kona Village is once again open. It is truly a special, one-of-a-kind place on a special, one-of-a-kind island.

Holuakoa Gardens and Café

Posted on April 14, 2013 by alohajournal

This restaurant is well worth the drive off the beaten path to Holualoa on the Big Island. We have only been there twice, but we will be back, most likely for dinner. We had the same waitress two years in a row and the service, even though it extremely busy, was terrific.

The restaurant is part of the Slow Food movement, an organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community, sustainability and the environment. A section of the restaurant’s website describes the local farmers they work with to provide organic fruits, vegetables and other ingredients.

There is a coffee shop indoors and nearby you will find the gardens with outdoor tables, nicely shaded and with a fishpond and a somewhat eclectic vibe.

The food here is the star. We each had a fresh local fish sandwich off the brunch menu and it was delicious. The wine list is respectable and I had a glass of red with my lunch.

There was a group of four women at the table next to us and they all ordered the baked thick cut french toast with fresh island fruit, whipped cream and pure maple syrup. They giggled when the waitress brought their brunch; it was so ridiculously generous of a portion and looked so yummy. The waitress smiled and replied, “I don’t know why, but people always laugh when we serve the french toast.”

Holuakoa Gardens & Café is located at 76-5900 Old Government Road in Holualoa, across from the bright pink-colored Inaba’s Kona Hotel.

Gecko greeting

Posted on April 13, 2013 by alohajournal

Hawaii has its share of geckos and they are surprisingly active during the daylight hours. They scurry and hide if they see you, but this little guy (or is it gal?) posed for the camera and looked so friendly, as if to say, “Well, hello there.” I always wonder, however, if the local residents find these lizards annoying, sort of like we find salamanders in our region.

Now, I am not a reptile expert, but I believe that this is an orange-spotted day gecko. They like to eat papayas, bananas or anything sweet with nectar or sap. We saw these geckos fighting over something sweet on the edge of a lanai at a breakfast joint on the Big Island.

The bright green, along with the orange spots, almost gives them an animated look and feel. Or, maybe it’s those GEICO ads? Either way, this mainlander thinks that they are pretty darn cute.

Maui sunset

Posted on April 12, 2013 by alohajournal

It’s snowing again where we live. The forecast from the U.S. National Weather Service this morning includes this: “A new storm system will begin to affect the region late Saturday night into Monday morning. A wintry mix of snow, ice pellets, rain and a chance of freezing rain will be encountered with this system.”

So, on this Aloha Friday, I will take a moment to remember this Maui sunset. This photo was taken in Wailea. I think this sunset is reason enough to plan another visit to Hawaii’s second largest island, also known as the Valley Isle.

What’s Shakin’?

Posted on April 11, 2013 by alohajournal

Craving the best smoothie of your life? Made with organic ingredients grown locally, right on the grounds of the most adorable little stand ever? Then it’s time to head over to What’s Shakin’ on the Hilo side of the Big Island.

What’s Shakin’ is located at 27-999 Old Mamalahoa Highway, the 4-mile scenic route, in Pepeekeo. It’s a great place to stop on your way to the Hilo side of the island, or to make a stop if you are staying near Hilo. Earlier this year, we stopped on our way to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden for lunch. We had a smoothie for lunch and split the most delicious ahi tuna wrap with fresh avocado. This is one of the freshest, most delicious lunches or snacks you will ever find.

They also sell the organic fruit they grow right on the grounds. Yum.

The smoothies? I highly recommend the Bananarama or the Peanut Braddah (banana, peanut butter and chocolate and milk, but I ordered it up with mac nuts). I might need to go back to eventually try all of them.

As if the 4-mile scenic drive wasn’t enough after the drive over from Kona with its twists and turns through gorgeous gulches and views, you make the turn to the scenic drive and suddenly, there you are—at the What’s Shakin’ stand just in time for lunch or the perfect afternoon snack.

The service at What’s Shakin’ has always been friendly. They have picnic tables for you to leisurely enjoy your smoothie or lunch. The view? Well, how about the lush green of the Hilo side along with flowers and the ocean off in the horizon? Doesn’t get better than that.

Beach bliss

Posted on April 10, 2013 by alohajournal

It’s a common misperception that the Big Island is not the island to visit if you are looking for the quintessential Hawaiian beach experience. The picture perfect, fine, soft sand beach you would expect to see on a postcard.

Yes, the island’s landscape is filled with lava and there are many gray and black sand beaches, and even a green sand beach at the island’s southernmost point. These beaches are uniquely gorgeous and you should visit as many as possible. This could be a good lifelong goal to set.

Head north, however, and you will discover one of the world’s top rated beaches on the Kohala Coast side of the island—Hapuna Beach.

I took this photo with an antiquated cell phone camera on a whim. You could point and shoot anywhere near this gorgeous beach and your photo would turn out beautifully.

Although I am not too much of a spend-all-day-at-the-beach person, a visit to Hapuna Beach is a must when visiting the Big Island. It’s one of the most peaceful, calming places you could imagine. Give me my 50 SPF, a place in the shade, a good book and I am set.

Parking is a breeze as the beach is part of the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area and there is no entrance fee. The entrance is on Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway (Highway 19), 2.3 miles south of Kawaihae.

This place is a gem. It’s April 10 and in the Midwest we are in the middle of a major spring snow and sleet storm. Hawaii, how I miss you.

Yoga by the sea

Posted on April 9, 2013 by alohajournal

Where we live, the weather forecast calls for snow, sleet and ice, so I am desperately trying to hold on to the memories of yoga by the sea.

It would be difficult to think of a better location for yoga than Hawaii. This photo is from a morning beach yoga session at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. You do not need to be staying in the hotel property to participate. You may purchase one class or a package at the Manua Lani Fitness Club. One session is currently $16, a package of 5 is $70 or a package of 10 for $120. To purchase a session or package, just stop by the Mauna Lani Fitness Club.

Considering that a yoga class at my favorite local studio is $15, I would call this a bargain.

The instructors were terrific. My favorite line was when one instructor said, “This is not New York City yoga. This is Hawaii yoga. Breathe. Relax. Look at the whales jumping out of the water.” And just like that, there they were. Whales frolicking and playing in the sea close enough for us to relax and deepen into our pose. Unforgettable. This is my kind of yoga practice.

There are many other places on the Big Island offering yoga. Here’s a shot of another outdoor studio in Keahou at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keahou Bay.

During the 60-minute beachfront practice at the Mauna Lani, the morning sun shifted in the sky. The milo tree provided a shady outdoor studio. This is a memory that keeps me going as we wonder when spring will arrive in the Upper Midwest.

Namaste.

Aloha Journal

Celebrating the Islands of Hawaii

Category Archives: Hawaii