The Pines of Lana’i

Posted on November 10, 2013 by alohajournal

The island of Lana’i is also known as the Pineapple Island. Until the late 1980s, a large portion of the island was dedicated to growing the tropical fruit—the world’s largest pineapple plantation at the time.

Lana’i is sparsely populated with approximately 3,200 residents. Lana’i City is the only town you will find here and there are just three places to stay: two Four Seasons resorts and the Hotel Lana’i. The island is blessed with gorgeous pine trees. They are everywhere and they give the island a different feel.

The pines of Lana’i City in Dole Park

We were told that this is the largest pine on Lana‘i and it graces the entry of the Four Seasons Lodge at Ko’ele, located in upcountry Lana’i.

You feel worlds away in upcountry Lana’i at the Lodge at Ko’ele. Some of the unique activities include horseback riding, croquet, archery, lawn bowling and carriage rides.

Explore the beautiful pines on bikes at the Hotel Lana’i in Lana’i City

For complete relaxation, you could spend a week or more on Lana’i. Or, you could take a day trip from Maui. Or, split your stay between Lana’i and one of the other islands. The possibilities are endless.

Ahalanui on the Big Island

Posted on November 2, 2013 by alohajournal

How does a dip in a volcanically heated thermal pool next to the ocean sound? Sign me up!

This somewhat hidden gem is located off of highway 137 in Pahoa on the Big Island, near mile marker 10, you will discover Ahalanui Park. The pool is a balmy 90 degrees. The setting is gently swaying palm trees all around you and the sound of the ocean surf in the background.

You feel protected in the pool by a manmade wall, which separates it from the ocean. But if you look off into the distance, you feel as if you are swimming in a hot tub in the sea. A refreshing swim in the pool of Ahalanui does wonders for the soul. Ahhhh…

Aloha

Posted on October 27, 2013 by alohajournal

Is there a better greeting in the whole entire world than the word aloha?

It means hello. It means goodbye. It exudes warmth, peace and affection. And when you arrive in Hawaii, residents use it—and often.

It offers a feeling of sincerity and gratitude as if to say, “Yes, this is my home and I know it’s absolutely gorgeous and I know how lucky I am to live here.”

Everyone seems to use it freely as a greeting on the Hawaiian Islands. It never gets old. Even the gate agent uses it as you board the plane back to home. And if you are lucky to have a Hawaiian-based flight crew, you will hear it for just a little bit longer on your flight back home.

Aloha.

Enchanting Waipi’o Valley, Hawaii, the Big Island

Posted on October 21, 2013 by alohajournal

The Waipio Valley of Hawaii’s Big Island is lush and historic. Referred to as the Valley of the Kings, it’s an important place in Hawaiian culture and history. From the Waipio Valley Lookout, you will discover one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The Waipio Valley is sparsely populated, but remains home to approximately 50 residents.

Steep cliffs, a black-sand beach and a fertile valley filled with waterfalls, streams, taro fields and spectacular views surround you. Even on a cloudy day, the bright greens with the sound of the pounding waves are a feast for the senses.

The Waipio Valley lookout is located off Highway 240 at the town of Honokaa. Follow it to the dead end. The road down from the lookout is accessible only by four-wheel drive and is very steep. The grade of this road is approximately 25 percent, so a regular car is out of the question.

There are other options such as a an official tour–shuttle service in a four-wheel drive van followed by a tour with experienced guides on horseback in the valley.

Hiking is also an option if you have the time and ability to spend hours and make the mile-long trek, which is certainly more difficult on the way up than on the way down.

Orange hibiscus of Lana’i

Posted on October 18, 2013 by alohajournal

An orange hibiscus flower seems perfect to kick off a fall weekend in October. Spotted at the Lodge at Koele on Lana’i. Happy Aloha Friday.

Sunny Poipu on Kauai

Posted on October 16, 2013 by alohajournal

The island of Kauai has micro-climates. From tropical rain forest on the north side to dry and desert-like on the west side. Sunny Poipu is semi-arid and tropical. When it does rain, it tends to be brief. This creates warm temperatures year-round with just enough of a breeze from the trade winds to make it feel like paradise. No tall buildings here and most everything is a short walk to the beach. In other words–perfect.

Surfing Goat Dairy in Maui’s Upcountry

Posted on October 13, 2013 by alohajournal

When we discovered that there was a dairy on the island of Maui, I could hardly believe our good fortune. After all, my favorite food groups are the three Cs: chocolate, cabernet and cheese. So, after a morning of watching the sunrise at Haleakala National Park, and a tour of a lavender farm, we drove to the Surfing Goat Dairy in Upcountry Maui.

Surfing Goat Dairy produces and sells award-winning cheeses and offers visitors on Maui a variety of tours. The people we met were welcoming and seemed to truly love their jobs.

We took a casual tour, which for a fee of $10 included a personalized tour of the entire operation. We were able to see the goats, feed them, view the milking and cheese-making areas and taste a variety of the gourmet goat cheeses.

The first impression of this dairy is how well these animals are lovingly cared for. The dairy is Certified Humane Raised & Handled, which means that they don’t use any pesticides or herbicides and the goats have resting areas, shelter and sufficient space to engage in natural goat behaviors. They also name each goat in the herd after birth. Plus, as a bonus these goats get to live on Maui. German expatriates Thomas and Eva Kafsack own and operate the dairy. We learned that they moved to Maui more than a decade ago after leaving their previous professions. He led a software company and she taught high-school German in Germany. They brought with them the knowledge gained from visiting dairies throughout Germany, Austria and France.

The goats are milked twice a day, and then the milk is immediately pasteurized at a temperature designed to ensure that the vitamins are not harmed. It is then cooled down quickly for the cheese making. After adding organic cheese cultures and a vegetable rennet, they produce three types of cheeses: soft cheese, fresh chevre and quark, which is a European-style cheese also known as fromage blanc and has a consistency between yogurt and cream cheese.

The chevre cheeses were delicious and we found these cheeses frequently on the menus of many Maui restaurants. The list of hotel customers is impressive and includes the Ritz Carlton Kapalua and the Four Seasons in Wailea on Maui, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island and a number of mainland hotels such as the Peninsula Beverly Hills and the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The best surprise was a gourmet chevre called Men’s Challenge, which won a second place National Award in 2004 and would be a perfect substitute for horseradish for a holiday meal. The fruit quark was made with fresh organic fruits such as Kula strawberries, lilikoi and apple bananas. The aged Maui gourmet goat cheese comes in tempting flavors such as Napa Wrap (fresh chevre wrapped in grape leaves), MacGoatNut, Swedish Heart (caraway seeds in black cheese wax) and French Dream (herbes de Provence, in white wax). Their feta, plain and ripened five months in brine and olive oil, won a first place National Award in 2006.

Oh, and did I mention that they also make gourmet goat cheese truffles in flavors like toasted coconut, lychee, lilikoi, Hawaiian chili pepper and lavender?

From Kula, Surfing Goat Dairy is located 3.6 miles down Highway 37.

West Maui: The road past Kapalua

Posted on October 11, 2013 by alohajournal

Maui’s most famous drive may be the Road to Hana, but the drive along the top of West Maui on highway 30 heading north also has its share of sights to take your breath away. If you’re lucky, you will be in the passenger’s seat so that you are able to take a photo of the road ahead. It is narrow and curvy and you do see netting above to stop the rocks from falling, but if you take it slowly and enjoy the journey, it’s full of places to stop and admire, or even spend the day. These include Dragon’s Teeth, the unfortunately named Slaughterhouse Beach, Honolua Bay, Punalau Beach, the Nakalele Blowhole, the Olivine Pools, Kahakuloa Village and some of the best banana bread on the planet. Enjoy the view!

Mahalo

Posted on October 10, 2013 by alohajournal

Mahalo–thank you–for reading.

Aloha Journal is now on Facebook. Please give it a “like” to celebrate the Islands of Hawaii. Aloha.

Kauai’s Wailua Falls

Posted on October 8, 2013 by alohajournal

Hawaii’s waterfalls are magical and diverse. Many of them are hidden treasures, off the beaten path and not visible without a hike. On Kauai, the beautiful Wailua Falls were made famous in the opening of the television series Fantasy Island, which aired from 1978 to 1984.

Starring Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as Tattoo, the opening of each episode would include Tattoo running up the bell tower to ring the bell and rejoice at the arrival of new guests to the mysterious Fantasy Island. “Da plane! Da plane!” Mr. Roarke would always be dressed in a white suit with dark tie, curiously awaiting the guests for each episode.

The best was when Tattoo started to arrive at the bell tower in his own Tattoo-sized go-kart. Not that I ever watched it or anything.

In real life these waterfalls are impressive, beautiful, everything a waterfall should be. They are located off Highway 56 to Highway 583 (Ma’alo Road). Follow it to the end of the road to the viewing area.

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