The Hawaii Traveler

Dear Friends,
It’s with some sadness and a lot of hope that I’m leaving the Hawaii Traveler.  It was a personal decision that had to be made, which didn’t make it any easier. That’s life, wherever you are.
If you’re itching to read more about the islands and traveling there, I highly recommend the “Revealed” series from Wizard Press.  There’s no question they’re the most thorough, helpful Hawai’i travel books ever written.
Thanks to the b5media blogging network and the other fine bloggers who have been so friendly and helpful during my tenure here, especially Mary Jo at FlyAway Cafe and Jon Rochetti …read more

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It has been raining in Honolulu for the past three days and there appears to be little end in sight.  Which got me thinking about two things: first, I feel bad for tourists who make the journey out to Hawaii only to find rain; second, I considered what kinds of activities there are two do in Hawaii that don’t involve being outdoors.  
Luckily, there are a few things that one can do on a rainy day.  Here are my top five choices:
1. Surfing! 
I mean, you’re going to get wet anyways, so it doesn’t really matter if it’s cloudy, dark, …read more

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Good news for loan seekers: On October 9th, the Bank of Hawaii  began lowering its base lending rate from 5.0% to 4.5%.  While that’s not a huge reduction, it can make a difference to the businesses and individuals suffering from today’s economic meltdown.   This is especially true in light of bank closures, the likes of which hit institutions likeBank of Hawaii provides comprehensive financial services to businesses, consumers and governments in Hawaii, the West Pacific and American Samoa.
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Jenn_Jenn

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If you know Twitter, you know that it’s a way that news and countless people’s communications are transmitted  around the world.  If you don’t know Twitter, it’s still that, and also a way to waste a fair amount of time reading little 140-character blurbs about the world and people’s lives. I love it.
Not long ago, the Twitterer CityMama wrote, “Mccain’s ‘obama discovery team’ has landed in honolulu… ‘Honolulu mayor is democratic, Harvard-educated, oh, and Samoan.’”
Stay tuned to Twitter for more breaking news, no matter how cryptic it may be.  

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On November 6 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, University of Hawai’i students will host a bone marrow donor drive at Campus Center.  Their efforts are to help find a match for Krissy Kobata, who was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.
If you can’t attend, but would like to enter yourself into the bone marrow registry, please contact Hawaii Bone Marrow Registry at the Hawaii Medical Center at 808-547-6154.
For more information about the registry please contact Chrystin at 808-741-1521, or  Marichris at 808-630-7686 or e-mail uhprssa@gmail.com.

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How do you spell “relief?” Some spell it G-A-S. That’s because, for the first time since May, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Honolulu dropped below $4.  O’ahu drivers are now paying an average price of $3.99 per gallon.
Gas isn’t always sky-high in the islands. Last year, California consumers were paying more than Hawaiians for regular gas.  Here’s hoping the trend in lower prices will continue.

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If you think that Baccarat is just crystal, think again.  Baccarat Wailea is Maui’s premiere luxury resort, with residences. Which means that you can come for the crystal and stay for a lifetime.If you don’t know Wailea, it’s a community nestled at the base of Haleakala along Maui’s southern coast.  Primarily a resort community consisting of luxury hotels, private luxury homes and condominiums, and golf courses, it’s known as the place to be…if you’ve got a few million burning a hole in your pocket.
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Eric_Charlton

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Looking for an “Authentic Hawaiian Voyage Through Time and Space?” Who isn’t? If you haven’t visited the Big Island’s ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center to take in a show at the planetarium or view its exhibits, you’re missing out on some of the most interesting resources Hilo has to offer.
Located on a nine-acre campus above the University of Hawaii-Hilo, with spectacular views, the center, formerly known as Maunakea Astronomy Education Center, is where families and students from all walks of life explore the connections between Hawaiian cultural traditions and the science of astronomy.
Visit BigIsland.org for maps and driving directions to the Hilo …read more

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Norfolk Pines in Wahiawa
Surprisingly, a fair number of Christmas trees arrive in Hawai’i from Washington State; however, with the growing trend toward buying local, Helemano Farms may be getting a little more business in future seasons.Located in the cooler regions of Oahu’s central region of Wahiawa, the farm sprang from the agricultural curiosity of a retiree who has since passed away and left the farm to the rest of the family to care for and manage.  Today, Helemano Farms sells trees that stay green for over a month after they’ve been cut, and because their needles don’t fall, won’t make …read more

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Honolulu was recently one of MSNBC’s 34 Cities Where It’s Better to Rent. The “better to rent” designation was the conclusion of a study using the generalization that truly affordable homes cost no more than 15 times their annual market rent.
Home prices in Honolulu, although falling, have farther to go, according to the study, and therefore are going to leave owners with negative equity were they to sell in four years.
In a related story at MSNBC, you can also explore real estate on the mainland, and Sixty Six Cities where Buying Makes Sense .

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