The Hawaii Traveler

A few years ago I was asking my cousin about her trip to Maui. Her face fell. “It rained the entire time,” she said, “we were so disappointed.”

Although it’s possible for a rain-out during an island vacation, most of the islands are big enough that tourists can drive to a dry side in a matter of an hour or so. But my cousin said that, with the whole island socked in with clouds and rain, the trip was a bust. There was nowhere to go but back into their condo unit, which wasn’t that interesting, especially with two children under the age of four. Thus the question, what do you do when you’re rained out–or in, as the case may be?

• Museums–The Hawaiian cultural experience is the richest on Oahu, but there are usually small exhibits and “ad hoc” museums on every island, if not in a designated spot, then at hotels and resorts.
• Libraries–Getting something good to read while you wait it out doesn’t have to be expensive. Hang out at a library, not just for the books, but because librarians are a wealth of information about what else there is to do during your stay.
• Botanical gardens–Most public and botanical gardens have at least a few indoor areas, and are beautiful, fragrant places to spend time.
• Indoor tours–Home Tours Hawai’i is a culinary tour of the Big Island, but if you consider homes on wheels, there’s also a motor home tour of Oahu that sounds interesting and totally unique.  Upcountry Maui is also a great place to take self-guided tours of arts studios.
• Make something–with arts and crafts studios cropping up everywhere, it’s easy, even on-island, to find a place to let your inner artist out, even if it doesn’t want to get wet.
• Go up–Getting high in Hawaii, so to speak, is easy, because each island is situated around one or more volcanoes. Drive to the highest place on the island, and you might just find yourself above it all.
• Helicopter rides–Depending on how severe the weather is, a helicopter service may cancel all flights; however, call to get the scoop. The rain may actually free up a charter service’s schedule.
• Water parks–one way to ignore the rain is to get wet, at your own discretion.
• Hotels and resorts–Take a tour of the grand, sprawling resorts in your neck of the rainforest.
• Play centers–take the kids to an indoor playground or learning center, and make new friends to boot.
• Spas–a no-brainer, for anyone, anytime.
• Take a drive–Get out the map and point. Remember the saying, “No rain, no rainbows?” Rainbow hunting in gray conditions ought to be easy.
• Get out of Dodge–Check the weather and visit another island. If you’re on Maui or Oahu, you can take a ferry. If you’re elsewhere, you may have to take an interisland flight.
• Malls–Not only can you shop and grab a shave ice or ice cream, you might catch a free show while you’re there and do some people-watching.
• See a movie–Either by renting one, or going to a theater.
• Take in some live music–It’s everywhere on the islands; walk or drive to the nearest cluster of shops or restaurants, and listen for the slack key guitar.
• Go out anyway–When was the last time you went singing in the rain? Most of us don’t have the gills it takes to weather a week of exposure to the elements, but an hour or two could be fun. Just make sure, if you decide to swim, that conditions are safe.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by gavdana

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