Sometimes the best part of a vacation is just slowing down, taking a few minutes to sit and contemplate the meaning of life. . . enjoying the sun on your back and looking at the ocean.

This photo was taken on the island of Kauai, where I spent a fair amount of time doing just that.

Photo credit: personal collection

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Greetings from Kauai, the Garden Isle of Hawaii.

The fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands, it is often called the Garden Isle because it is lush and green.  It’s lush and green because it rains a lot here, and there are spots on the island that claim to have the most rainfall of anywhere on Earth.  Whether that’s a fact, or an urban legend, seems up for debate, but there’s no debating that this island is not what most people expect of Hawaii.

This was a view of the ocean on my morning walk, as I was walking to the city of Kapa’a, the second largest on the island.

In addition to the surf crashing against the volcanic rocks on the beach, my morning walk was peppered with the sounds of roosters crowing and chickens clucking.  The area is home to thousands of wild roosters and hens, and they roam freely around yards, walkways, and even along the edge of the beach.  I

It’s unusual to be walking alongside the ocean and hear roosters crowing.  It’s even more startling to have on cross your path on the beach!

Photo credit: personal collection

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Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

The last time we were at Mauna Kea beach on the Big Island, the red flags were up, indicating rough conditions. We had our boogie boards with us, and as a lifeguard came out of the water, he warned us, “Be careful out there. People get their necks snapped on days like today.”  It sounds harsh, but he knew what a lot of people don’t: That sharks may make the headlines, but drownings claim far more lives.

Although the state of Hawai’i is serious about their lifeguards, most drownings occur at beaches where there aren’t any.  

The City and County of Honolulu has a staff of 200 professional lifeguards (the largest in the nation) and so to educate people about ocean safety, and how that beautiful blue ocean is to be respected as much as it’s to be admired, the state has launched several websites, including Hawaii Beach Hazard Forecast. Kaua’i keeps its own excellent beach and surf conditions Web site, with daily updates from lifeguards around the island.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Unobtanium 

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Best hike across what looks like a moonscape before finding yourself on a deserted black and white beach with a terrific array of tidepools:   Kiholo Bay  on the Northwest side of the Big Island.
Best beach for swimming with turtles and the occasional school of spinner dolphins: Tunnels Beach on Kauai.

Best giant-sized bathtub: Queen’s Bath on Kauai. (Pictured)

Best beach that requires four-wheeling first:  Mo’omomi Beach on Molokai. (Visit during the summer months for best results.)

Best beach that’s totally unsuitable for swimming: Shipwreck Beach on Lana’i.

Best beach for windsurfing locals: Baldwin Beach  on Maui’s north shore.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by ericrichardson

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

First off, it’s cut, not color that makes the difference in a flattering suit. (Are you a summer or a winter? The answer is: Who cares?) Although it’s true that black is slimming, what’s most important is that the suit fits properly, and makes the most of the attributes you want to accentuate, and minimizes the areas in which you aren’t as fortunate.  (Heidi Klum, you can skip this post altogether.)

It bears repeating: Accentuate the positive. It seems like everything’s “out there” when we wear a suit, but there are some cuts, styles, and fabrics that can work miracles by making your torso look longer or shorter, your bustline bigger or smaller, your tummy flatter, or your legs longer, for example.

Don’t shop for a suit in a hurry. Take your time–alone–and visit lots of stores, even if that means shopping months before your plan to wear your find.

Some of my friends swear by suits made with Miratex fabric because it prevents the bulging effect found with other girdle-like suits that attempt to shore up our, uhem, loose ends.  You can find suides with Miratex in them at Cyberswim.com and Land’s End.

At the end of the day, don’t sweat it too much. Most beach-goers are more concerned with their own appearance than anyone else’s.  Do you care about the opinions of other people at the beach anyway?  Are you hoping to be discovered by a talent scout for America’s Next Top Model?  I didn’t think so.  But if you’re super self-conscious anyway,  you can always go to the beach at night. During a new moon.  Or, as this store subliminally suggests, put a coat over your swimsuit.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by iowa spirit walker

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

You’ve no doubt seen bumper stickers and other materials with some version of the line art figure above. Called “honu” by Hawaiians and the Hawaii-friendly, it’s a representation of the green sea turtle, an endangered species you’re bound to see while snorkeling in Kaua’i.

Hawaii is the Endangered Species Capital of the World. With 100s of plants and animals listed as Endangered or Threatened, there are more endangered species per square mile on these islands than any other place on the planet. Arguably one of the best places to glimpse one of these endangered creatures is at Tunnels beach, on the North Shore of Kaua’i, where the honu swim freely and relatively happily.

There you’ll see turtles ranging in size from petite to as big as your car door. (The grandfather turtles.) While the grandfathers can look intimidating up close, I assure you, they will do you no harm, and are better swimmers than you’ll ever be. If you decide to visit a turtle, swim above or next to it, where its belly is less vulnerable. Don’t ever touch, disturb, or harass a turtle. The state imposes heavy fines for even the slightest physical interaction with a turtle, not to mention that it’s unkind to distress any animal, endangered or common.

As an aside, turtles in Hawai’i and elsewhere often suffer from the disease fibropapillomatosis, a virus-like invasion that causes fibrous tumors and warts, and ultimately does the poor turtle in.  For more information on this and other turtle facts, visit Turtles.org.

If you’re lucky, you’ll find a whole trip’s worth of turtle sightings at Tunnels Beach in just one morning. Watch out for the coral, especially if you’re snorkeling or swimming in rough waters. Tunnels is also a spectacular place to dive, walk, and watch the sun set.

To get there: Take Highway 560 east from Hanalei toward Ha’ena. Two short dirt roads, just past Mile Marker #8, lead to the parking area for the beach.  (Not only will you spot turtles, here, you may sight a celebrity. I once saw Glenn Frey of Eagles pretending to direct traffic here.) Parking is very limited, so prepare yourself for a hike from your car to the water.

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Glass Beach in Kaua’i has strong currents, dangerous shorebreak, high surf, a sudden drop-off, sharp coral, and slippery rocks. It’s near a trash dump, and is hard to find. The view is industrial, and pretty bleak. Why would you want to go there? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn’t, depending on how much you’re interested in sea glass. Think back to the name, Glass Beach. Catch my drift?Glass Beach is home to one of the rare natural sources of sea glass; the Hawaiian variety being more desirable to the crafty set because it’s smoother and rounder, and better for jewelry, as opposed to the more jagged east coast variety.  The inventory at Glass Beach varies; its booty originates at the nearby dump, which is why you won’t just find glass there. You’ll also find small motor parts, little pieces of metal, and the obligatory lone shoe. I’ve never seen any medical waste there, but let’s state the obvious: it’s not really a barefoot experience.

Even for those of us who are uninterested in collecting sea glass, it makes for an interesting novelty beach trip that’s not far from the more traditional and popular Poipu beaches the southern end of the island.  It’s worth seeing at least for a moment on the way to your regular beach stop, or on the way back.  With the manufacture of glass containers, especially the colored ones, becoming less common, and with more responsible waste management on the rise, sea glass is becoming an endangered species itself. 

According to local sources, the whole beach was glass once, with the members of some generations claiming that it was once a foot deep.  Now you’ll be lucky to collect a jar full. (Some say don’t take the glass.  The authorities say that one gallon is the limit on toting away beach sand for personal use.) If you decide to take some, keep in mind: leave some for the next person to find.  The rarest and therefore most valuable sea glass colors are orange, red, turquoise, yellow, black, teal and gray.  It’s all pretty, though. And don’t overlook the little pieces of pottery–they’re pretty cool, too.

If you’re tired of the same-old, boring, glorious Kaua’i beach, Glass Beach is something completely different.

To get there: Head toward Hanapepe, take a left on Waialo Road, toward Port Allen.  Turn left on Aka Ula, which turns into a rutted dirt road (near a rental car company).  Take a right and park.  Walk onto the beach with no one else on it, and look down.

There won’t be glass at Glass Beach forever, so go while you can still find a little treasure crafted by the sea itself.  You can hold a small, smooth shard, and tell your grandchildren all about it.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Jef Poskanzer

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Ka’anapali has been crowned America’s Best Beach, and I’m in full agreement. It’s not so crowded that a couple can’t share a romantic moment alone, and not so isolated that swimming is a dangerous proposition. It’s where old school meets new school, where the old Whaler condominiums live in harmony down the way from the newer Westin Resort and Spa. There’s a concrete sidewalk for strolling that runs almost the entire three-mile stretch from the Sheraton (Black Rock) to the Hyatt (Canoe Beach), and it’s a spectacular place to be at sunset.

It’s not hard here, on one of Maui’s most renowned and relished beachfronts, to get along. In fact, the aloha spirit is everywhere: There’s music in the air, dinner cruises plying the waters, kayaks and outriggers riding the surf, shopping kiosks along the path, delicious restaurants, couples holding hands, and, if you’re lucky, whales breaching within eyeshot.

If Whaler’s Village is the place to shop, Black Rock is the place to snorkel. That’s where I heard whales singing when I dove down to get a gander at some urchins at the bottom. The north end of the beach in general is a lovely stretch of sand and clear water that is especially kid-friendly.

Yes, it’s on the commercial side, and it’s not advised to leave your stuff unattended while you swim. It is patrolled by lifeguards, but not well, and it’s a good idea to heed the signs and warnings at high surf. (I’ve seen a few comical and not-so-comical tourist poundings there.) It’s also where the groceries stores will put the hurt on you, so it’s a good idea to grab your milk before or after entering West Maui.

Also, one other warning: Hawai’ians believed that Black Rock was the jumping off point for spirits joining their ancestors. Those who got lost on the way remained along the lava as ghosts, causing mischief and making trouble. So if you go, take your pictures home, but not the rocks. Your fellow plane travelers will say mahalo for it.

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler