Since the introduction of mangoes to Hawaii in the early 1800s, the tropical fruit has become an adored harbinger of summer. The Aloha State boasts dozens of fragrant, lip-smacking mango varieties most often enjoyed fresh off the tree as a breakfast or dessert. In many ways, mango season here is truly the most wonderful time […]
Kilauea has been continuously erupting for over 30 years, but that doesn’t mean lava has been putting on a non-stop spectacular within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HVNP). In recent years most park-based lava viewing has been the distant glow of the on-going gas eruption and lava lake in Halemaumau Crater. Not anymore. On July 1,
It’s 8:30 p.m., and I’m lying in bed under a mosquito net staring outside the large screen windows that cover the four walls of the one-room cabin. I’m in the middle of the Kapoho jungle, deep in Lower Puna on Hawaii Island. I can’t see anything past the dark shadows cast by the forest’s large
While it’s easy to spend a week taking in all that the Big Island has to offer (Did you know, at 4,028 square miles, you can fit six and a half Oahus inside?), there’s a lot you can pack into a weekend to Kailua-Kona. And, with flights connecting Honolulu and Hawaii Island’s sunny side, there’s
Except for my teen years in Kailua, Oahu, I’d lived in Honolulu all my life, over half a century. City life has always been my cup of tea. But two years ago, I became enamored with thoughts of a quieter lifestyle, greener vistas, a cooler climate. I moved to Waimea on the Big Island, my
My grandmother and I recently drove slowly along the old, winding, coastal road now known as the “Four-Mile Sce- nic Drive.” It curves along the ocean between Pepe‘ekeo and Papaikou, just north of Hilo, on the Big Island’s Ha-ma-kua Coast. In the early 1900s, my grandmother attended Pepe‘ekeo School. As we drove across an aged
I live on the Big Island in a forest cottage with huge windows, 4,000 feet above sea level, less than five miles from the summit of Kilauea, the volcano that’s still tirelessly gushing molten lava after 13 years. Making your home atop a hyperactive volcano is not for everybody. Up here, it’s not the heat—temperatures
Local grinds, fresh ingredients and old-school charm. Hilo sounds pretty delicious, doesn’t it? Hilo’s blend of history and culture translate into amazing, unique food—unpretentious and fresh. Here are a few must-try spots for food lovers, the next time you’re in east Hawaii. Moon and Turtle Nori’s Saimin is the place for noodlesPhoto by Cody Kawamoto This casual
If you’ve ever caught sight of a pueo, the Hawaiian short-eared owl, perched and looking at you with its wide, intense stare, or seen one flying in the air with its elongated wings, swooping over a large, grassy field, you know immediately that you’ve just witnessed something special. “I can’t think of any other animal
First time visitors probably don’t think of cattle ranching and cowboys when they envision tropical Hawaii, but on Hawaii Island in particular, the history of paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) runs deep. Visitors to cool, northerly Waimea will soon see why so many say that Hawaii Island cattle are among the happiest in the world: They graze
A new Hawaii Island festival will celebrate kalo (taro) overlooking Hawaii Island’s northerly Waipio Valley where it has been cultivated for generations. The first Waipio Kalo Festival, will take place at Koaekea near the Waipio Valley lookout from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. Though at first blush a community festival celebrating
Modern materials almost replaced the traditional Hawaiian weaving arts in the early 19th century, but one group of weavers on Hawaii Island are not only practicing the craft, they’re perpetuating it. Last week, 130 weavers and 26 kumu (teachers) spent four days honing their skills as part of the 21st Ka Ulu Lau Hala O
