The Hawaii Traveler

4th Annual Seafood Festival
Turtle Bay Resort, Kahuku, Hawaii
Friday, October 10th
“Taste of the North Shore Shrimp Trucks”
6:30pm
Tickets: $35 per person
Saturday, October 11th
“Sam Choy Poke Contest”
10:30am – 1pm
Tickets: $ 25 per person
“Seafood Under the Stars”
6:30 pm
Tickets: $75
Taste of the North Shore Shrimp Trucks, Friday, October 10th
All along the world famous North Shore of O’ahu stands Shrimp Trucks. This is the one and only event where you can actually “taste” from each truck for one admittance price, $35.
Turtle Bay Resort has commitments from Macky’s, Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp & Seafood, Hono’s, Famous Kahuku Shrimp, Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, Romy’s Kahuku Prawn & Shrimp Hut, Big …read more

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Several years ago, I was behind the wheel in Kaua’i, on my way to the north shore’s Tunnels beach, my favorite.  I didn’t have much time on the island, and wanted to see as many turtles as possible while I was there, and still enjoy a burger in Hanalei.  I had crossed the seemingly endless chain of one-way bridges on the way there, and had been so kind as to wave the car on the other side over instead of going first every time.Near the end of my drive, I was getting anxious. I could see the water from the …read more

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You might think of Hawaii as a quite respite dotted with little grass shacks and small gaggles of beachcombers lugging their snorkeling gear to and from their swatch of shade under a waving palm tree. And for the most part, that ’s what it is. Except for Honolulu, which has grown into a center of commerce and culture. It’s a real city, with skyscrapers, crowds, and most of all, traffic.
In an attempt to alleviate some of the pain associated with the lack of rail-based public transportation on Oahu, the city and county of Honolulu launched TheBus in the ’70s. It …read more

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If you’re an inter-island commuter or just looking to see another island for a day or so, you probably already know that your choice of commercial airlines in Hawai’i just became a little more limited with the closure of Aloha Airlines. Even other forms of inter-island transportation, such as ferries, are feeling the economic squeeze and limiting the number of trips they’re able to make from the major islands to the smaller ones.
In the interests of freedom of choice, I’d like to introduce some small, public carriers that provide inter-island flights.
Mokulele Airlines is a small, public carrier that provides inter-island …read more

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News from the This Oil Crisis Sucks files: the Moloka’i ferry I’ve mentioned here at The Hawaii Traveler raised its rates today by adding a temporary fuel surcharge.  The regular $40 one-way fare to/from Maui and Moloka’i will now cost you $66.  Work commuters are certainly going to be the most hard-hit from the hike, but Sea Link, the ferry operator is appealing to the PUC for a special concession to avoid shutting down.Unlike other operators like the Superferry, Sea Link  receives no subsidies, loan guarantees or other special considerations from government; gas prices combined with declining tourist turn-out in …read more

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Is there a deader horse to beat than the one about commercial airlines and airports? The overselling, the delays, the lack of in-flight goodies, and the security measures that don’t make any sense. (I can carry on two pints of milk for the kid, but my lip gloss is confiscated.) There’s also the other passengers (and their idea of hygiene), the pickup/drop-off procedures, the lines for a bad cup of coffee, and the germs.
In fact, I’m home today with a cold that I probably picked up at one airport or another while traveling to and from Albany, …read more

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For decades, the only way to travel among the islands was by air. But with the closure of Aloha Airlines, and the skyrocketing costs of jet travel due to the oil crisis, having to take a flight left an estimated 1.3 million residents and tens of thousands of tourists with interisland designs high and dry.
And then in 2007, Hawaii Superferry Inc. began running the first passenger-vehicle ferry service between the Hawaiian Islands; however, protesters in Nawiliwili Harbor on Kaua’i suspended operations last August.
Today, however, Hawaii Superferry offers daily inter-island ferry service between Honolulu, Oahu and Kahului, Maui, with plans …read more

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From the Put on Clean Underwear Before You Go Out files: Identify the urgent care centers near your island destination before you leave home, and keep the information with your other important travel docs and itinerary information. (I can’t tell you how many times I have needed this information, especially when we began traveling with a young one.) Wouldn’t your mother be so proud of you for taking your health and safety into consideration?What is an Urgent Care Clinic?
It’s a medical treatment facility in which doctors and nurses treat acute illnesses and injuries that are not …read more

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by © marcinkamil

It’s the end of an era in island travel. On March 31st, travelers said “aloha” to Aloha Airlines, the airline of choice for inter-island fliers, and mainland travelers alike for over sixty years. The Aloha shutdown will affect more than 1,900 employees; United Airlines and other code-share partners prepared themselves to assist those who were inconvenienced by the sudden closing of doors.
Inter-island flights aren’t just the way that tourists make their connections from Oahu to the islands without direct service from the mainland; it’s also the way that residents and business commuters make their way to work, …read more

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At the corner of Hoohu and Pee
Photo by Flickr–Joe Schlabotnik

Either it has happened to you, or it will: You’re driving somewhere in Hawai’i, and are either holding a map or your companion in the passenger seat is. “Where am I supposed to turn?” you want to know. The next words uttered by your navigator are unintelligible, and sound like he/she has a mouthful of macadamia nuts, and a few stuck in her throat.
Why?
Because your friend or loved one with the map just took his or her first stab at pronouncing a Hawaiian word. And by the time she …read more

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