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

What’s There: Concerts, Fourth of July fireworks, theatrical performances, family gatherings, picnics, swimming, and the like. There is no overnight camping allowed.

Getting There: 1201 Ala Moana Bouldevard, between the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor and Ala Moana Beach. Arrive early, as parking is competitive on weekends.

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

Oahu isn’t the most visited island for nothing. With Honolulu’s big-city amenities, big historical exhibits, and big beaches, it’s the island that’s got it all.

Some no-brainers there include a day at world-famous Waikiki Beach (don’t forget the sunscreen). Also awaiting the fam:

• The Waikiki Aquarium and the Honolulu Zoo
• Pearl Harbor Memorial (and the USS Missouri and USS Bowfin)
• The view from the top of Diamond Head
• The beaches along the famed surfer haven, North Shore.

For the older kids with an interest in getting the low down on Hawai’i and its people, see:

• The Polynesian Cultural Center
• Bishop Museum at Kalia, in the heart of Waikiki. This hands-on museumette features a such activities as lei-making. You can watch some killer surfing movies, too.
• Shave ice in Haleiwa
• Hawaii Maritime Museum

Keiki style culinary escapades include shave ice in Haleiwa and Chinatown, where they’ll be spellbound by the exotic foods and goods at the outdoor markets.

Water, Water Everywhere
When the ocean’s not enough, take the kids to:

• Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, a 29-acre water-theme amusement park for children, teens and adults
• Hawaii Childrens Discovery Center is for keiki ages 2 to 13, and is a ginormous palace of stimulating color, motion, and activities that will entertain for hours with interactive exhibits and stations. Great for rainy days or for those with beach burnout.

On Maui

First stop: Lahaina, where the harbor beckons with its big boats, and Banyan Tree Park, home to the most impressive tree you’ve ever seen. Take in an art fair for the big and small and marvel at that great big tree. Have breakfast at the Pioneer Inn, which is one of the few places in town that opens as early as 7:00 AM and serves a mean macadamia nut pancake.

Lahaina Cannery Mall is where you and your wee one can go for an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen, and maybe catch a hula show. If your motto is, “Don’t leave the islands without a tee shirt,” this is a good place to fulfill your manifest destiny.

Whaler’s Village is the place for shopping, from low-end to off-the-charts, and from stores with an honest to goodness dressing room to carts parked along the beachwalk.

Next up: The Hawaii Nature Center in Iao Valley, where kid-friendly exhibits encourage exploration, and a great way to kill some time in a positive way while you wait for your late-night flight to depart.

And always: The Hana Highway. Take it just long enough to see “upcountry,” or swim in a few waterfalls, or take it, as the name suggests, all the way to Hana, home to some of the luckiest cattle I’ve ever seen. Beware of the trip with keiki with ants in their pants; a drive to Hana takes at least three hours one-way.

And Now for Something Completely Different
There are those days or nights in the islands when you’ll want to separate yourself from the babes, even if only for a few hours, so that you can do things like enjoy a plate of food without having to hide the condiments first, or use the bathroom all by yourself. What’s a parent to do? It’s during those occasions when you may want to use a babysitting service, founded just with people like us in mind.

For example, Happy Kids Maui and Happy Kids Kaua’i will send a sitter to you anywhere on either island. When we used the service on Maui in 2007, a very nice woman named Lynnette came to our condo with a small suitcase full of toys and goodies, and when we returned, our little 2 1/2-year-old looked happy as a clam in Maui. And, as an aside for all you folks who believe that island fever is inevitable for full-time residents: Lynnette was originally from California, and hasn’t been off the island of Maui since she moved there 24 years ago. (I actually can’t say that I blame her, but that’s just me.)

A personal tip from me to you: Most, if not all services will set a minimum number of hours for which you must schedule your sitter; in our case, the minimum was four hours. Because my husband and I are honest with ourselves that we are 400 years old and would be bushed by 9:00 PM, we knew we needed to request a nice, early start time of 5:00 for our “date night” to sunset-watch on Ka’anapali and dinnner at Cheeseburger in Paradise.   Obviously, your mileage may vary, depending upon which child-free activities you have lined up.

Wherever you go with the wee ones, go slowly and take in all the sights. It’s recommended that families limit their island-hopping to one island a week if feasible, and to focus on the journeys, rather than the destination. A direct flight to your destination can save you an average of two hours one-way hanging around an airport with your brood, so plan well in advance, and remember that wherever you go, there you are: In Hawai’i.

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler