The Hawaii Traveler

This is a guest post from Mary Jo Manzanares, Travel & Culture Channel Editor and blogger at Flyaway Cafe.
 
My trip to Hawaii last fall was motivated by a desire for some rest and relaxation, some warm weather, and an overall escape from my gray Seattle life.  I was longing for time spent on a balcony, watching the sunset or sunrise, listening to the waves, and having a slow-paced week ahead of me.
In fact, that type of vacation is one of the reasons people love Hawaii – sun, sand, surf, and stepping on the treadmill of ordinary life.
But at some point, …read more

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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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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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If you happened to catch NPR’s piece on heirloom tomatoes,”Heirloom Tomato Farmer Finds Beauty in the Ugly,” you’ll be glad to know that you’ll be able to find a little piece of that kind of wonderful ugliness right there on Oahu.North Shore Farms is the home of homegrown tomatoes and the big wave of flavors that go with them. Drop by, call, or just check out some of their recipes online.
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by jackie-dee

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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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If you’re a local full-time or half-time resident looking for an activity you can do with your little ones that is as educational as it is fun, consider taking a Music Together Class.  Music and music proficiency has long been associated with higher test scores, higher IQ, appropriate avenues of expression, a sense of confidence, better coordination, and more. And now there’s a way for parents who aren’t necessarily considered “musical” to pass along those gifts to their children.  Music Together. (Tip: Even if you don’t live on the islands, but would like to try out a Music Together class …read more

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If you’re wondering if Hawaiians hand out pineapple instead of candy on Halloween, there’s only one way to find out: Come on out, wearing your best Elvis costume, of course.And while you’re here, don’t miss Hallowbaloo, Oahu’s most totally awesome art and music festival that takes place on October 31. (Coincidence? I think not.)
Other Halloween celebrations around the islands:

Halloween in Lahaina, Maui is always fun, and draws a big crowd. Sounds like this year, there’s going to be an effort to curb the “Mardi Gras” atmosphere and make things a little more  family-friendly. Find other kid-friendly Halloween activities at About.com
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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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

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Do you love Hawai’i, rainbows, drive in restaurants, and good red chili? Me too.  That’s why whenever I’m in Honolulu, I set up camp at the Rainbow Drive In.  The Rainbow’s been around since 1961, when a former Army cook and restranteur joined forces to provide working folks and the Waikiki crowd with good food at good prices. (And did I mention the chili?) If you’re the no-frills type, you’ll love it, too.  Try the mixed plate!
Rainbow Drive In
Address: 3308 Kanaina Ave
Honolulu
Phone: 808-737-0177
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by bobster1985

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