Today’s guest posts is from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and travel blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
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
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This is a guest post by Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel editor, and blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
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 …read more
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Hawaiian Spotted Puffefish
Although Hawai’i is not a world destination for diving, as are other ocean destinations, such as Cozumel and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, there is still great diving to be had. Although I’ve only personally experienced a few dive expeditions in Hawai’i, they’ve been memorable ones.You might be able to spot all kinds of sea life at Mexico’s Palancar Reef, from giant parrot fish to lobsters, but you aren’t as likely to see the number of monk seals and other rare and endangered creatures that you will off the coast of Kaua’i and Ni’ihau.
Bubbles Below is one of …read more
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More from the Alohaween files: If you and your little ones are interested in some pumpkin carving activities for this season, here are a few starter ideas to get you going wikki wikki.
First Check Architects Hawaii LTD or give them a call. They usually hold an annual pumpkin carving that’s top notch.
Look at Kuhuku Public Library. It’s Halloween Extravaganza is scheduled for Oct. 20.
Keep looking at the Honolulu Advertiser or the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for current events and announcements as Halloween time draws near.
Hanapepe Spook Night is an annual event that takes place on or near Halloween night every year in …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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When the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson visited the islands, he was at the top of his game. He’d published Treasure Island and Doctor Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. It was 1889, about fifty years after Herman Melville visited while making his way back from Tahiti. In 1873, Isabella Bird got off her boat on the way to New Zealand to assist a friend whose son had taken ill. Two years later, her letters about her stay were collected and published as a bestselling book titled Six Months in the Sandwich Islands.
Arguably none of them stayed and savored the islands like …read more
The path to the falls
If you grew up near water, you might consider the rope swing de rigeur for summertime frolicking and fun. And rightly so; nothing says “rite of passage” and “finding your inner Tarzan” like a good rope over a cool, natural body of water. (Hope it’s deep, too.) That’s why if you’re a traveler who’s rope swing literate, you’ll love Kipu Falls on Kaua’i. If you’re lucky, some locals will be there to give you the best high diving show on the island. Disappointment alert: The swing isn’t always there. Authorities periodically cut it down, only to …read more
Stay out of Hanalei Bay until after Sunday, say Kaua’i authorities. The Bay will remain closed until then because of a shark sighting today. Watch for signs; for more information please ask a lifeguard or call the County Department of Parks and Recreation at 808/241-6670.
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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 …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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