This palm tree has a golden view of Oahu

Trees are like a magnet to my camera lens.  I find myself capturing trees around the world.  My recent trip to Hawaii was no exception.  The Big Island and Oahu were full of perfect trees ready to model for me!  Here are some of my favorites.

A Tree at the Punch Bowl war cemetary in Oahu

A lone tree sits along the Chain of Craters Road on the Big Island

Oahu coast

Drive from Hilo to Waimea on the Big Island

A complex leaf pattern near Akaka Falls on the Big Island

Trees in front of Iolani Palace in Honolulu

Rugged trees on the hike to Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse

Rain Forest on the Big Island near Hilo

Tropical Hawaii - Hilo Rainforests

For me, travel is about experiences and connecting with people. When I make a connection with people in a destination, then it will turn into one of those magical places that will be on my ‘favorite’ list for years to come. That is what the Big Island of Hawaii was for me. I made many connections while I was there that will keep me going back to revisit friends, and find new adventures.

I had eight days on the island, a car, and a passion to explore the diversity of the Big Island of Hawaii. For anyone who is looking for a Hawaiian vacation that is ‘not the normal beach vacation’ then here’s my itinerary to something different.

My Big Island Itinerary

Hilo and Around

It’s a great place to start on the Big Island, but be warned, it’s not the sunny Hawaii you may be dreaming of; it receives 75 to 125 inches of rain a year and it will rain pretty much every day at some point. However it keeps Hilo looking fresh, green, and cool. Rent a car and use Hilo as a home base for a few days. You can fly directly into the Hilo Airport.  From Hilo you can visit Volcanoes National Park in a short 40 min. drive, see Akaka Falls, or do a day drive to Puna.

Volcanoes National Park – You can drive the Chain of Craters Road yourself and stop anywhere you’d like to see the stunning landscapes, or you can take a complete tour of the park and see the glowing caldera at night with Hawaii Forest and Trail’s Twilight Volcano Tour.

From your home base in Hilo, don’t miss the beautiful winding roads of the Puna region.  If you are looking for beauty and seclusion then you’ve found it on Hwy 137. Pack picnic lunch and go eat on the secluded shore line and watch the waves crash against the jagged coast.

Akaka Falls – The biggest waterfall you can easily view on the Big Island is Akaka Falls and it a very short drive from Hilo. As you drive there you may ever get to see the summit of Mauna Kea if it’s a clear day!

Time to bid goodbye to the rain and head for the pastureland of Waimea.

Waimea and Around

Now you can use Waimea as a home base to explore the rolling hills and deep cut valleys of Waipi’o Valley. A great base in Waimea is the Aloha Vacation Cottages where you will have everything you ever needed for a delightful stay.

On your way to from Hilo to  Waimea be sure to stop near Honokaa and add a little sweetness to your day at the Volcano Island Honey Farm.  Pick up some rare organic silk honey, learn about the amazing lives of bee colonies, and meet Richard – a very unique bee keeper.

Farms & Ranches of the Big Island

Get an early start to the morning and do a little work on vacation; yes that’s right work. Be sure to try your hand at being a Hawaiian cowboy (Paniolo) and herd cattle at the Dahana Ranch.  This is the only place on the island that allows you to participate in an actual cattle drive and it’s absolutely worth it. It was the highlight of my trip on the Big Island.

Now since you’ve worked up an appetite, make a lunch stop at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company and pick up some delicious souvenirs to take home with you while learning all about how to cultivate vanilla orchids.

Take a day to discover some hidden beaches on the Kohala Coast from your base in Waimea. Stay for sunset and catch some great photo ops.

Kailua Kona and Around

Head down to your final location for the week to the pleasant beach town of Kailua Kona and use it as your last base to explore. Kona Hula Girl provides a great location to be near the famous Kona Brewery and the shops, restaurants, and beaches. (plus they will give you a discount if you mention Ottsworld!)

Lay on the beach and enjoy poke and watch sea turtles dive in the morning and then drive to Mauna Kea Summit to watch the spectacular sunset from the tallest mountain in the world. Or try to book an star gazing tour from Kailua Kona and have them take you to the peak, view the massive telescopes, and see star formations from a beautiful vantage point.

Finally, I suggest you end your time on the Big Island with a special treat that will bring the whole week long experience on the Big Island together; a helicopter ride! It’s a great way to see the ‘big picture’ of the Big Island from above This is your chance to see the lava flow from an amazing vantage point!

You can turn in your rental car at the Kona airport and fly out back to mainland having experienced the diversity of the Big Island.

The Big Island is a great place to rent a car!

What other non-beach experiences do you recommend for the Big Island?

Happiness in a Jar

Can honey make the world a better place?

Prior to traveling on the Big Island my answer to that question was most definitely “Huh? ” most likely followed by “No.” However, after meeting Richard of the Volcano Island Honey Company, spending hours talking to him enthralled with every piece of information that came from his lips – my answer is now an enthusiastic “Yes!”

I am hopelessly lost trying to find the sign for Volcano Island Honey and as usual I am running late. The drive here is distracting me with it’s beauty and I think to myself that this isn’t a bad place to be lost on the winding tree lined roads of Old Mamalahoa Highway near Honokaa.

Finally I see the turn off and it takes me deeper into the maze of private farms; at the end of the road I see the sign leading me to honey. I’m here to meet Richard Spiegel, a beekeeper who is leading the way in organic honey production. I have a dream of dawning a bee suit and seeing the hives, but Richard has agreed to fit me into his busy schedule, so I am simply thankful that I’m able to meet him at all.

A rainbow frames the bee hives at the Volcano Island Honey Farm

Richard wears a wide brimmed floppy hat, has a gray beard, and a welcoming smile. He leads me into a meeting room where I learn he holds presentations for various groups including students, tourist, media, and the neighborhood also uses it for a community meeting space. Richard gets me some tea and of course offers me honey. I accept and he brings out a jar of his honey, twists open the lid, and sets it next to my tea.

This is like no honey I’ve ever seen before. It’s cream colored and thick like frosting or a butter spread. I try a little directly from the spoon out of curiosity. It’s his rare organic white honey and even though it doesn’t look like honey to me, it tastes like honey; it has a delicious sweet flavor.

Creamy smooth organic honey

I’m eager to learn about his honey production.  However, when he starts telling me about his journey from attorney to beekeeper all of a sudden I realize that maybe my real interest is not honey, it’s his story from traditional career to finding and following his passion which interests me.   His views on business and life have captured me and I can’t agree with him more.

He describes himself as a retired hippie. He started as a lawyer participating in the civil rights movement, and ended up in a VW van traveling across the US to live an ‘alternative’ lifestyle. He wanted to show people that there’s another way to ‘do it’; ‘it’ meaning life in general.

I consider the fact that fate maybe brought us together. He was out preaching my way of life way before I was born. We begin to chat feverishly about our views of work, life, and of course career breaks and travel. I am delighted; yet we haven’t once discussed honey.

Richard talking about wax foundations

After a long, fun diversion, we get back on track and he begins to show me a slide show about his business and the business of bees. His hobby had been bee-keeping and when he moved to the Big Island he decided to use the bees as a way to change people. He wasn’t really interested in starting a business, but he wanted to see if it was possible to succeed in business based on values.

Richard next began to introduce me to the complexities of bees; the information he provides me is practically unbelievable.

• 1 colony contains over 50,000 worker bees – all female
• The queen bee can live for 3 or 4 years
• 1 colony can make 60 pounds of honey a week
• All bees in a colony have a specific role
• Bees fly 2 miles from the hive searching for nectar to make honey and when they find it they fly back and do a specific figure 8 dance to tell the other bees where the nectar is located.

The sheer thought of how a bee can communicate complex geographical coordinates of a 2 mile radius without speaking is about too much for me to comprehend. Richards describes the whole process of bee hives, pollination, and honey production as a four dimensional chess game.

Honey bees

I examine the prize jar of honey further as Richard continues to tell me about organic honey production at the farm. What makes this smooth, silky, mixture which is in front of me so unique is the way the bees are handled, and the way which the honey is produced. The first key is the honey is produced from pollen which comes only from one plant; the exquisite nectar of the Kiawe flower in its most natural form. Instead of the bees finding the pollen around them, Richard takes the bees to the kiawe grove so that it’s the only pollen to choose from. You can learn more about the process and why kiawe trees are used here.

The rest of the process is complex but Richard and his team of bee lovers are coming up with ways to lead the production of truly organic honey. As I listen to him talk I realize honey is not at all what I thought it was. Instead honey production is a true science. To get the rare organic white honey it takes into account things like purity, timing, crystallization, heat, enzymes, and filters.

Organic wax foundation

In the same vein in which Richard struck out of the corporate world to show people there’s ‘another way to do it’, he revolutionized honey production too. Volcano Island Honey has gone as organic and environmentally sustainable as they possible can. From organic beeswax foundation, to the jars they use, to the paper they print on, to the fuel they use for their vehicles; Richard is making the world a better place and teaching people to accept and embrace different ways to produce honey. He calls it his Bee-green initiative.

I tour the farm and we talk for hours about bees, honey, the world, careers, passion, and life. My trip to Volcano Island Honey is more than I ever expected it to be. It is different, surprising, and educational; but the best part is that I met a kindrid spirit in Richard.

Richard is “interested in changing the world in a more positive way.” He’s doing it through bee keeping and in my opinion he’s been quite successful. His honey is on shelves all around the world. He uses his famous honey to get into the hearts and minds of people, planting seeds of change inside people.

He may actually be a retired hippie, but he’s succeeding at making the world a sweeter place.

More Information:
Website: www.volcanoislandhoney.com
Purchase products
Ways to use Honey

You can (and should) visit Volcano Island Honey Farm on the Big Island and purchase products directly, or take a tour!
Tour Information
Bee Farm Tour (watch the bee hive through a glass window)
Bee Hive Tour (Dawn a bee suit and get up close and personal!)
Educational Tour for students or non-profits

You can purchase products directly at the farm

Kona Hula Girl in Kailua Kona

Big Island – Accommodation – Kona Hula Girl

When I first wrote to the Kona Hula Girl owners to learn more about their rental property the owners said, “I do want you to be aware that this is not a traditional hotel in any way”.
They clearly knew exactly what to say to me to get me interested! He went on to explain that the rooms are ‘open air’ with no glass windows but only screens instead. It gives it a light beachy feeling. Their goal is to make it feel like a “home away from home”.

It was easy to make the Kona Hula Girl feel like home since it was their home that you were staying in. Dean and Sherri live there on the upper floors and they built and custom designed the home themselves; Dean is in construction so this was his chance to build a dream home/guest house. Since they lived in the house on the upper floors, they took meticulous care of it and were always floating around somewhere coming and going.

I got along with Dean and Sherri immediately; they were from the Midwest and northwest of the mainland and had lived in Kailua since 2003 and clearly loved it there. I love it when a room is more than simply a place to stay and instead it’s a place where you feel welcome and taken care of.

Location:

Lots of windows!

The Kona Hula Girl Vacation Rentals are located in Kailua Kona and were very easy to find. There was plenty of parking available around the house and if you didn’t have a car, it was central enough that you could walk places. It was an easy walk down to the main shops and restaurants of Kailua. It took me about 15 minutes to walk down to the shore in Kailua-Kona town where it was bustling with activity of coffee vendors, farmers markets, and cafes. However I preferred the Hula Girl location because it was off the main tourist trail and a bit more secluded from all of the tourist shops.

Since the rooms have a partial kitchen facilities, you could walk to the store (another 15 to 20 min walk) and get supplies. I will say though I think I was the only person staying there who didn’t have a car which meant that there are very few people walking to the store and the beach; I was the minority! Dean and Sherri would occasionally see me and offer me rides if they were coming or going, but I enjoyed the walk in the perfect 80 degree weather. I wanted to soak all of the lovely sunshine in!

There was a shuttle that ran through Kailua Kona, but I have to admit, it was very slow and I found that I could walk places quicker than the shuttle could transport me.

Rooms and Amenities:

There are four rooms to rent and each room is different, I stayed in the smallest room called Hualalai and it was perfect for my short term solo stay. One whole wall was screen windows with pretty white shutters to keep privacy. The room had wifi, a kitchen sink, small fridge, microwave, and a few minimal place settings and glasses. Perfect for snacks and drinks. I went to the store and bought a variety of poke and a bottle of wine and I was set for the night! It was easy to eat breakfast there in the morning with a few items from the grocery store so it was a nice way to save money.

The other rooms were the same feel, but different designs. Two of them had bay screen windows and high ceilings, which let in tons of light. Plus the Garden Room had a patio and outdoor shower.

The house had laundry facilities, beach chairs, boogie boards, and supplies that any guests could use. However my favorite amenities was the patio and grill that was available for all to use.

One very special amenity listed on their information sheet was that Dean would come remove geckos for you! In this climate geckos are normal, but many tourists get a little freaked out by the cute, bug eating creatures. I loved the fact that you had a personal gecko remover if needed! I prefer to keep my geckos around, but to each his own!

Hualalai Room I stayed in

Kitchenette was enough to make small meals

Patio for all guests to use

Atmosphere:

Open, cheery, and helpful is what come to mind regarding my stay at Kona Hula Girl. I met some couples who were staying at the Hula Girl for a few months at a time; they were repeat customers which it a great indication of how well Dean and Sherri take care of the house and provide a great experience.

Costs:

10% off your stay

Range from -
$79 per night (Hualalai room) to $85 per night (Garden Room)
Or $500 – $550 per week

Special Discount! The Kona Hula Girl is offering a 10% discount off of your stay if booked by Jan. 1, 2013  when you mention that you heard about them in Ottsworld.

Would I recommend it:

For anyone making a stop in Kailua Kona I would definitely recommend the Kona Hula Girl. I feel that it provides a more personal and homey touch than hotels and it’s a great place for longer stays since it does have the kitchen and laundry amenities. The owners on site is a big plus and adds to the atmosphere of the place. It would be a great place to stay for a week (cheaper than hotels), rent a car and be able to explore the south part of the island or the Kohala coast’s gorgeous beaches.

More Information:

Kona Hula Girl – www.konahulagirl.com
Don’t forget the 10% Discount you can get on your booking by mentioning this article.

Sherri and I before my departure

Disclosure: Kona Hula Girl hosted my stay with them.  However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Halema’uma’u Crater glows with lava at night

I stand looking out over the jagged landscape; toppled-over trees without bark and a silver sheen provide a contrast against the dark petrified sea of lava. Occasionally I see a tuft of green sprouting up as if it was trying to reach to the sun. I imagine these scarce green leaves sprouting out of the hard lava core and screaming out, “ Life!” at the top of their lungs. I walk across the years of devastation, with each step the rocks crunch as if glass is under my feet. I stop and plant my feet firmly on the ground as I survey the area; I can feel the energy. The energy is deep beneath me, bubbling, rumbling, and aching to get out; I can feel it in the soles of my shoes. This land is alive; the Big Island of Hawaii is alive.

The tour guide, Taj, asks us all to introduce ourselves and say what we are passionate about; I knew right away this wasn’t your average tour. This ‘ice breaker’ takes place with my fellow tourists in the 13 passenger van driving towards Volcanoes National Park to witness the unstable ground we are all vacationing on. This is going to be a long day, a 13 hour tour, and getting to know each other seemed like a pretty reasonable idea.

Even though outside of my window the landscape appears very foreign to me, there is no mistaking that we are in the US when the waiver form is passed around and all of the seat-belts in the van are functional. Taj explains we are traveling between the world’s two largest mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, but they don’t look like they deserve that title if you ask me. They seem like barren hills rather than mountains; however their mass comes from below the surface. ‘Below the surface’ seems to be the theme of the Big Island.

Taj chats away on his microphone non-stop as he drives along the saddle road. He begins by informing us volcanoes are simply giant masses of weak rock. The volcanoes on the Big Island are considered shield volcanoes, which are ‘built’ entirely of fluid lava flows. The lava is thinner and takes less pressure to erupt; it oozes out making it easier to view and get close to. Taj is more than an enthusiastic guide, he has a degree in environmental studies; today is going to be a learning experience for all of us. However he not only discusses the science of volcanoes, but he starts to tell us about the rich folklore of the Big Island’s volcanoes and the story of the goddess of volcanoes, Pele.

The scary and beautiful Pele

Taj points out the pu’u’s, which are small hills created from spurting lava in flank eruptions. The pu’u’s look out of place in the middle of the flat landscape; like a zit on the Big Island’s forehead. We eat our box lunches in the van as Taj prepares us for our first stop, a trek inside a lava tube. A lava tube is actually as scary as it sounds. When it’s active, it’s a conduit through which lava travels beneath the surface draining lava from an eruption source. However the lava tube we are trekking through today is extinct; the lava flow has cooled and formed a cave like structure.

I know just how much I like Taj when he says we are skipping the ‘Disney version’ of a lava tube (aka Thurston Lava Tube inside the park) and instead going to the real deal with no tourists. We get out of the van and Taj passes out rain coats and flashlights; I’m liking the non-tourist lava tube already. Kaumana Cave is an extinct lava tube which once carried molten rock from Mauna Loa’s upper rift zones down to the ocean.

We descend deep into a damp cave, ducking jagged rocks and carefully placing each step along the slippery rocks. Taj takes us into the mouth of the lava tube and invites the adventurous among us to follow him deeper into the tube. I go willingly, walking through water that is ankle deep for another 5 minutes to where he is stopped. He tells the few of us who followed him to turn off our flashlights and we all get to experience complete and utter darkness. He lectures us on the formation of the tube and tells us we can find them all over underneath the island. They are like a vein system in a body, once again reminding me that the Big Island is alive.

Kaumana Cave entrance

Hiking out of Kaumana Cave

We stop at the Halema’uma’u Crater near Volcanoes National Park visitor center and Jagger museum. Taj walks us through the museum intertwining the science with the folklore and let’s us view the Halema’uma’u crater by daylight . The crater is impressive at it spews out vog, but Taj informs us it will look completely different at night when we return. I love the anticipation he builds in us.

Halema’uma’u Crater by daylight

This area of the park is literally bubbling with activity. We hike a trail around the steam vents and Taj points out hardly noticeable plants and flowers describing them to us and telling us the Hawaiian mythology associated with them. The smell of sulfur and bright colors of chemicals make the landscape look like an experiment in a petri dish. The hike is very moderate, but Taj makes it interesting and fills our heads with even more information.

Volcanoes National Park Hike

Taj hiking by the steam vents

Chemicals oozing from the surface

We get back into the van and drive down the Chain of Craters road stopping along with way to see various lava formations, dangerous pit craters, and hearty plant life. I am left in awe of the power beneath me and the havoc it could wreak at any moment. Yet I’m also considering this same dangerous land I’m walking on as the beginning – the birth. It’s a strange dichotomy that leaves my head spinning.

Maybe I’m feeling light headed because I’m hungry, so our picnic dinner down at the coast comes at the perfect time. We drive to the end of Chain of Craters Road where the island is expanding as lava flows into the ocean. Although lava flowing into the ocean is not currently visible (and hasn’t been for a long time), you can still imagine it as you peer down the jagged coastline.

Lava covered trees along Chain of Craters Road

The rugged lava formed coast

We have dinner by lamplight while Taj shows us his personal videos that he’s taken as he and some of his friends have gone lava chasing around the island. Lava chasing is like storm chasing, and it sort of explains why Taj is so enthusiastic about teaching us on the volcanoes and the ecosystems here. Volcanoes and specifically the Big Island is his passion.

In darkness we drive back thru the Volcanoes Park and learn it’s the only national park open 24 hours. We park again at the Jagger museum to view the big finale to the tour, the glowing lava of Halema’uma’u Crater. (see the first photo) As we snap photos on tripods, Taj is able to ‘connect the dots’ from the full day of touring with a last story about Pele and her immortal friends.

As we drive back to the Kohala coast, Taj was quiet for the first time all day as he let us soak in all of the knowledge of the day. It was a long but educational, fun day. In one day we did 25,000 feet of elevation change and drove over 300 miles. Taj put on Hawaiian luau music and I dozed off in the back of the van dreaming about the birth and continual growth of this amazing island.

The Good:

• This was a well organized, informative day long tour. The customer service from booking to the day of the tour was very high quality.
• Lots of knowledge dispersed on the ecosystems, volcanoes, and mythology.
• Meals (lunch and dinner) were excellent and plenty of drink and snacks were provided throughout the day.
• Raingear and warm weather gear was also provided which was a nice touch since we were traveling through various climates all over the island in one day.
• I loved the fact that we got off the typical tourist trail and explored the lesser-known lava tube.

The Could Be Better:

• I would have loved a bit more hiking, but we had a full day to fit many things in so the hike was only for about 45 minutes and very easy. It was more of a gentle walk than a hike.

Would I recommend it:

Yes, even though I had already been to Volcanoes National Park on my own, I was able to learn so much more and see many more things than I ever could have independently. I loved our guide and his passion for what he did was evident making the whole experience fun as opposed to dry. It was a reasonable price ($179) if you consider the fact that you drive 300 miles, had two meals and entrance into the park. It was a long day, but I was never once bored. If you are going to spend 13 hours with a guide, they better be good, and Taj was certainly the right person for the job.

More Information:

Twilight Volcano Adventure Tour
Hawaii Forest and Trail Tour Company (they offer a variety of hikes around the Big Island

It's hard not to enjoy Volcanoes Park

Photography from the Volcanoes Tour

Disclosure: Hawaii Forest and Trail hosted my Volcano Twilight Adventure. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Colorful sunsets on Mauna Kea

As I drove the gradual incline, the car downshifted to a lower gear, jerked and slowly inched up the road; I could feel just how hard it seemed to be working to get up to the Mauna Kea visitor center.  Hawaii has the tallest mountain on earth.  No, I haven’t lost my mind, and no, Everest hasn’t moved to the Big Island of Hawaii.  Mauna Kea is in fact the tallest mountain; from it’s base (under the sea) it comes in at 33,000 feet which puts it significantly above Mt. Everest!  However from sea level it is measured at 13,796 ft – which is certainly tall enough to wreak havoc with your body and provide a hefty headache.

This was one of my most anticipated sites on the Big Island, Mauna Kea, home to the best stargazing and astronomical observation.  This is where my Big Island luck had run out.  I had tried to go on a astronomy tour to the summit, but thanks to a number of factors, I was unable to go.  So I was relegated to the 9,000 foot level at the visitor center only.  However I made the drive up to the visitor center as I knew it would be a fascinating area to see that would once again leave me thinking, “I can’t believe this is Hawaii.”

That’s exactly what I thought when I parked the car and stepped outside into the cold air.  I quickly kicked off my flip flops, put on my socks and tennis shoes, and put all the layers I could possibly fit on my body.  With a two wheel drive car I was unable to go any further up to the summit, but I was able to still go the visitor center which had some interesting videos of the observatories and after the sun sets they bring out telescopes to do some star gazing with students from the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy.

However the most fascinating thing to me was the drive to Mauna Kea via the saddle road.  The road climbed up out of the rain forest and Hilo area and soon I felt as if I was on another planet.  There were plants I had never seen before, and the landscape was barren except for complex cloud formations.  The drive to the visitor center was stunning, and it’s worth a stop, especially if you time it for sunset as I did that evening.

However, on my next trip, I’m determined to get to the summit and see those laser telescopes in action!  You have to leave some things for the ‘second visit’!

The stormy saddle road to Mauna Kea

Unusual plants dot the landscape as I get closer to Mauna Kea

A rainbow appears in the distance welcoming me to Mauna Kea

The Road to the Visitor Center

Climbing the hill near the visitor center to get the best view

The visitor center is graced with a full rainbow!

The last bit of light slips away on Mauna Kea

Aloha Vacation Cottage Patio - a great lodging rental on the Big Island

As a solo traveler I look for smaller, intimate places to stay. I feel lost in big resorts and quite frankly it’s just not my style. I was combing the internet in search of a small, local place to stay near Waimea on the Big Island and I came across Annette at the Aloha Vacation Cottages. I contacted her about availability and to learn more about the cottages to see if they would be right for a solo traveler. Annette and I immediately bonded over worldly travel and expat living. She was an avid traveler and expat for her career in Europe, however a medical scare made her re-evaluate life and landed her in Hawaii based solely on an instinct to follow her passion. Clearly you can see why we would get along!

As I pulled up to the Aloha Vacation Cottages in South Kohala in my rental car, there was Annette waiting for me to arrive. After speaking to her extensively on the phone to set up my reservation, I felt as if I knew her. I got out of the car and gave her a big hug as if she were an old friend. She introduced me to my new ‘home’ at Hale Kea Cottage, showed me around, and then we sat in the kitchen and chatted for the next hour about travel, careers, taking chances in life, and about the Big Island. She had a passion for the Big Island and her home that was delightful to see.

I only stayed 2 nights at Aloha Vacation Cottages, but it was a very memorable 2 nights, and when I left I knew I would be back again one day for a much longer stay. It was a place you could easily call home.

Location:

The cottages were nicely located for travel around the North side of the island. They are nestled in a neighborhood far from the big commercial resorts. From the cottages, you could easily reach the gorgeous public beaches of the Kohala Coast within 15 minutes, the ranchlands of Waimea, and the stunning views and hiking in Waipio Valley. Annette will send you detailed instructions on how to get to the cottages and will be there to welcome you!

Annette has maps and info at the house on how to get around the island and information on the nearby attractions and hidden beaches.

Rooms and Amenities:

Aloha Vacation Cottages consist of 2 separate cottages – Hale Kea and Hale Plumeria. Each have separate entrances and driveways. I stayed at the Hale Kea cottage; it was quite large and slept 4. It had everything one would need for a long term, comfortable stay; kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom with laundry, a patio, grill, and parking.

The living room is bright and sunny

Kitchen has everything you'll need

However, what made the cottage stand out above any other I have ever stayed in was the all of the extra amenities. I was so surprised to find all condiments, fresh fruit, and even food for a dinner (spaghetti) in the cupboard! Everything you needed for the beach was also provided – towels, beach hats, chairs, mats, boogie boards, and snorkel gear.

In addition, she offers a free laptop and wifi for you to use, a bathrobe and slippers, a cooler for the beach and ice pack, and even sun screen.

Atmosphere:

You could easily tell the love that was put into the cottages. I was especially impressed with the amount of information provided on Hawaii. Don’t bother with a guide book as Annette will have all the info and maps you would ever need; maps and pictures of beaches and other sites.

Plus I really appreciated the notes left all over the cottage with instructions. Little notes on the beach towels informing me to not use the bathroom towels at the beach. Or a note about using the ice for the cooler or how to use the cable box and the washer/dryer. I found the notes endearing and clearly a sign that a lot of love and work was put into all of the details of the cottage and your stay there.

A friendly reminder....

She even had a quilt project for those who liked to sew. A quilt square was started with a traditional Hawaii design and she allowed guests to contribute by quilting on the square. Even though I don’t sew, I love the idea of the traveler’s quilt project.

Hawaii Quilt Project

Costs:

Hale Plumeria – from $125/night + tax (double occupancy) – seasonal / 13.25% tax
Hale Kea – from $160/night + tax (double occupancy) – seasonal / 13.25% tax

Would I recommend it:

If you want a central place to stay in the North of the Big Island that feels like ‘home’, then I recommend Aloha Vacation Cottages. The price was competitive and you get an abundance of extra amenities that make it really stand out. It is clearly evident all of the work and thought they’ve put into the cottages. I just wish I had more time to spend there. I greatly appreciated all of the information provided about the nearby attractions and island. Plus – stocked cupboards = BLISS!

This was a quality place to stay with owners who were amazing hosts.

“Hawaii is about warmth on different levels: it starts with the first “Aloha” you are greeted with upon landing. The ground beneath you is warm. The sun is warm. The ocean’s warmth is inviting. The people are special. Hawaii offered me a warm, soft place to land when I first arrived. It’s what draws people here and brings them back. It’s what makes it easy for me to call home. It’s infectious. Be aware. Hawaii is now your “home away from home”– Annette

More Information:

Aloha Vacation Cottages Website: www.alohacottages.net
Hale Kea Cottage
Hale Plumeria Cottage
Inquire about Availability: www.alohacottages.net/Order.html

Disclosure: Aloha Vacation Cottages hosted my stay with them.  However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Vanilla produced on the Big Island of Hawaii

Ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, coffee, cakes, and shakes – these are all places where you expect to find vanilla beans or vanilla flavor. But what about lemonade, BBQ sauce, chutney, cornbread, maple syrup, jelly, or salad dressing? And would you expect to find a vanilla farm (the first & only commercial vanilla operation in the US) in Hawaii?

The Big Island continues to surprise me and today the surprising secret ingredient is….”Vanilla!”

The ingrediants for Vanilla Extract

Today is my day to learn all about one of my favorite flavors in the world, vanilla. I don’t think that I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t like the taste of vanilla; it invokes thoughts of comfort food, warmth, sweets, and pure flavor. The simple thought of vanilla makes me salivate in hunger which is a good thing because I’m at the right place for lunch – the Hawaiian Vanilla Company.

I park the car next to the cheery yellow house with white trim.  It’s shaded by big trees and trimmed in flowers. It looks picture perfect as I walk up the stairs to go inside for my lunch reservation. As I pull open the screen door with a creak and walk inside the smell hits me – vanilla. I stop and take a big deep breath in, close my eyes and a little grin creeps onto my face as my stomach rumbles.

Other couples are milling around and soon we are all called into the dining area in the back where a waiter asks me if I’d like vanilla ice tea or vanilla lemonade. A vision of Willy Wonka passes through my head and I think if Willy had a vanilla room, he would have vanilla lemonade -  I’m sure of it. I order the vanilla lemonade and settle into my table for one, ready to eat and be educated for the next 2 hours.

Jim Reddekopp, the owner of the family run farm, introduces himself and starts to tell the story of how he and his wife started growing vanilla. The first thing I learn which surprises me is that vanilla is an orchid and it’s the only orchid that has a flavor associated with it.

Jim tells us his vanilla story

I love hearing the story of an entrepreneurial dream. Jim grew up in Oahu and married Tracy and they have 5 kids. This is a family operation for sure; the kids are involved in all areas of the business from working in the kitchen to working in the Orchid houses. Plus, vanilla was not something that Jim or Tracy knew anything about originally, instead they came up with the idea since the Hawaiian climate was right for raising vanilla orchids and they built their knowledge and business from the ground up.

As Jim talks about the science behind raising vanilla orchids and making extract, he simultaneously fries a skillet full of shrimp in butter served with vanilla mango chutney. He says, “Everything here is fattening. It’s the way food is supposed to taste!” As he places the vanilla shrimp appetizer on my table I can’t help but feel his enthusiasm about food. He exudes joy for bringing the farm to table movement to Hawaii and clearly is a leader and innovator on the Big Island. I think to myself, this is what passion is. When you can find your passion, everything falls into place. My first bite of shrimp with vanilla chutney is full of flavor; a fabulous start to my Vanilla Experience lunch.

Our first course - vanilla grilled shrimp

Jim continues to explain to us how to make vanilla extract with a variety of different liquors, which is surprisingly simple once you have a good vanilla bean. He also gives us a demonstration of how to remove the seeds from a vanilla bean. The waiters bring out our main course consisting of bourbon citrus marinated chicken breast on a vanilla sweet bread roll with vanilla caramelized onions and organic greens. It is served with a salad with dusted vanilla pecans, feta, and a vanilla raspberry balsamic dressing. Vegetables also get the vanilla treatment; we have Okinawa potatoes with a vanilla southwest rub served with vanilla BBQ sauce.

Prepping in the kitchen

Bourbon citrus marinated checken breast with vanilla carmelized onions

The vanilla flavors are subtle and not overpowering, and I consider licking my plate. Would anyone notice? I think that Jim would probably give me a standing ovation if he saw me do it!

After all of the new, creative vanilla dishes that I try, it is time for a well known favorite – vanilla bean ice cream.

This.  Is.  Heaven.

Vanilla bean ice cream is an 8 billion dollar business worldwide.

All of us are now fat and happy and full of vanilla, but there is no rest, we have more to learn and see. Doug, one of the managers, takes over the tour and has us get up and walk around a bit, which I’m quite thankful about.

A vanilla orchid plant growing in the shade house

Doug explains how the orchids are grown and most importantly pollinated. He walks us down to the shade houses on the farm and points out various plants along the way. From Doug I learn about the rich and proud farming community on this part of the Big Island. As I listen to Doug talk about the surrounding ranches and people doing amazing things on the Big Island I wonder if it’s possible for me to love this island any more?

The shade houses are the home to many new baby orchid plants. Doug explains that a baby orchid takes 4 years to flower; patience is a necessary trait for vanilla farming. Plus, farming vanilla is incredibly labor intensive, the vanilla orchids are pollinated one by one by hand. This explains why vanilla is so expensive.

The tour comes to an end back at the yellow house in the gift shop where you can purchase your beans and various products to take home and try your own vanilla recipes. The last piece of advice that Jim leaves us with, “Anyone who thinks that vanilla is ‘just plain vanilla’ hasn’t tasted pure vanilla. It’s divine.”
I can’t agree more. Now it’s time to make my way to the beach for a big vanilla coma nap.

The Good:
• The food was phenomenal, and service was great.
• The 2 ½ hours was very educational and took you through the whole process of vanilla production.
• I walked away with knowledge on how to make my own extract!
• I loved the fact that Jim, the owner, was involved with the luncheon. His enthusiasm and love for vanilla and the Big Island was infectious.
• I liked the fact that the group was a manageable size. There were place settings for about 15 people so it was intimate and easy to see and hear while on the tour.

The Could Be Better:
• It would be nice to get some of the recipes from the luncheon or to have some of them available on the website so that we could recreate the dishes we ate.

Would I Recommend It:
Yes!  I highly recommended a stop at the Hawaii Vanilla Company as a great afternoon to get out and see another part of the island. My lunch was a true farm to table experience; I not only ate an amazing meal with the key ingredient grown down the road, but I was educated and entertained throughout the whole process. If you are visiting the sites of Waipio Valley or Akaka Falls, then this is a great stop to make, even if it’s just to come to the gift shop or for one of their Afternoon Tea tastings. I felt like the price ($39 for lunch, drinks, tour) was very reasonable in comparison to eating on other parts of the island.

More Information:
Hawaiian Vanilla Company Website:  www.HawaiianVanilla.com
Information on the Vanilla Experience Luncheon (Reservations are required!)
Other tours and tastings offered at the farm: Vanilla Tours
Hawaiian Vanilla Company Inc.
P.O. Box 383
43-2007 Paauilo Mauka Road
Paauilo, Hawaii 96776
Phone (808) 776-1771
Fax (808) 776-1661
Toll Free (877) 771-1771
orders@hawaiianvanilla.com

See all photos from the Vanilla Luncheon Experience and tour:

Disclosure: The Hawaiian Vanilla Company hosted my Vanilla Experience Luncheon and Tour. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Kohala Coast - Big Island Hawaii

When I first started my career break travels in 2006, I stumbled across a photography exhibition in Melbourne Australia called The Earth From Above; aerial photography from all over the world.  I fell in love with it immediately; it provided such a unique perspective that few people get to see.  The exhibit inspired me so much that I actually made a trip to Morocco to see the leather dying vats in Fez that I saw in the exhibition.  They captured my interest and I wanted to photograph them myself.  Actually – I wanted to photograph many of the places I saw in the exhibit, but access to  a helicopter  is not normally in my travel budget!  So when I had the opportunity to take a helicopter tour via Paradise Helicopters in Hawaii, I jumped at the chance to finally get my shot at aerial photography!

Shooting through glass is not easy, but here’s the best of what I saw….from above.

You can purchase any of this photography by simply clicking on the photo to learn more.

Lava Tube viewed from Above

Halema’uma’u Crater spewing vog (Volcanic smog)

Hidden beaches are revealed from above

The forested regions between Kona and Hilo

A pit crater in Volcanoes National Park along the Chain of Craters Road

Waipio Valley - a sacred place on the Big Island

A tree surrounded in flames of lava

The dry side of the island cracked and desert like

The wet side of the Big Island is full of green forests and valleys

Vog and lava dominate Volcanoes National Park

Coral formations are works of art from above

Molten Lava ignites - a spectacular view from above

To learn more about the helicopter tour beyond the photos, be sure to check out the post from yesterday – Touring the Big Island from Above

Disclosure:  Paradise Helicopters  hosted my Hawaii Experience tour. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The coast of the Big Island is ever changing

After driving around the entire Big Island for a week I could appreciate the diversity of landscapes, however today is when the all of the puzzle pieces come together. The lava field piece connects with the rainforest piece. The brown desert piece connects to the turquoise waters of the coast. The towering mountains connecta with the fertile ranch lands and rolling hills. The wet side connecta with the dry side. Today I will be able to see the ‘Big Picture’ of the Big Island – from the sky.

I arrive early to Paradise Helicopters thanks to my childlike excitement; this is my first time in a helicopter. Considering I am eternally late to everything, the fact that I have time to kill is unusual, but I use the time to clean my camera and lenses since I am anticipating a lot of photos. It is a hot day, made worse by the fact that I am dressed entirely in black clothing. Paradise Helicopters instructed us to wear dark colors so that the glare would be reduced when shooting pictures out of the helicopter window; a great piece of advice. Soon the rest of the passengers arrive; it will be a full helicopter with 6 of us taking flight for the Hawaii Experience tour. A complete 2+ hour flight of the entire island plus a landing in a secluded valley.

We listen to our safety briefing from our pilot Koji. In addition to learning about the safety instructions, he also briefs us on our route for the day. The good news is we have perfectly clear weather and he feels we will have a good opportunity to see some lava flow from above. Upon hearing this my heart starts beating faster. Seeing actual lava flow on the Big Island is not as easy as one might think based on all of the tourism marketing materials you see about the Big Island. In fact, seeing lava flow is sort of like getting a winning lottery ticket. The only real way of increasing your odds of seeing lava flow is to see it via helicopter. Lava is constantly flowing on and under the island, however it is in remote places where cars or hikers can’t get to.

I am seated on the side of the helicopter in the back with a large ‘floor to ceiling’ well cleaned window. We are packed in tightly, it reminds me of taking the public bus in Nepal minus the live animals. I locate my headphones and the other passengers and myself take turns testing our audio.  I am ready for lift off – Roger!

Hawaii is colorful from above!

Koji ensures us we are all ready and the helicopter blades start up. The sensation of lifting off reminds me I forgot to take my Dramamine in my excitement this morning; I will have to tough it out. We rise up smoothly and soon we are gliding down the coastline. From above I can see the clear waters and coral formations, the perfect little golf courses, and the town of Kona. My camera clicks away in excitement.

Koji flies us between the massive volcanic mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa towards Volcanoes National Park. I have already been to the park twice by car, but this new aerial view was stunning. The great thing about traversing the island prior to taking the helicopter tour is that I know the lay of the land already, I am familiar with the roads and where they lead so it is easy to orient myself even from above.

Lava oozes out of the Earth's crust

We fly over the Halema’uma’u Crater and proceed to fly deeper into the park where roads no longer exist. Soon we see it – the silver flow of molten lava. I have to refocus my eyes on the details below me and when looking closely I can see the red hot outlines of the flowing lava oozing from the earth. We fly over lava tubes, lava explosions, and burning trees caught amidst the flowing lava. Koji circles around the active areas and flames with precision maneuvers ensuring that each side of the helicopter can see equally well. We do S turns, dipping down to get the best pictures possible.

Fresh molten lava flows on the Big Island

After about 25 minutes of hovering over various lava flows, we must move on to circle the rest of the island. We leave the barren ‘other –world’ of Volcanoes Park and fly to the rainy side of the island. Dark lava rock gives way to little bits of green life below us, and eventually we are flying over a carpet of dense, green rainforest surrounding the town of Hilo.

We fly up coast to the undisturbed valleys of Waipio where the oldest part of the island is on display. Deep, lush valleys are cut into the coast line completely secluded from tourism. The only way in to one of these valleys is to hike in or be flown in. Once again Koji flies us back and forth along the coast ensuring everyone has a perfect view and then he turns and starts heading into one of the deep cut valleys. We fly by waterfalls hundreds of feet high and I feel as if I have entered a land that few people have ever seen. We snake between the valley walls and slowly Koji sets the helicopter down next to a river for a short break in this secluded landscape.

Doing a valley fly by

Multiple water falls exist all over the valleys

When I get out of the helicopter my legs rejoice finally able to stretch a little bit as well as settle my stomach on solid ground. I turn to look at my surroundings and gasp. Koji had landed us on a dime; between a river and large boulders with only 5 feet of clearance on either side. In fact the tail of the helicopter actually hangs off the river bank over the roaring river. This is one time where I am happy I have a back seat view since I would have been quite nervous if I had fully seen what an obstacle we were landing in.

Our tiny 'landing pad' in the valley

We have about 20 minutes to explore, stretch, and eat a snack. I walk along a path to a river and pick some fresh guava for a snack. I sit and simply enjoy the view in solitude; a unique and powerful moment to reflect upon my week on the Big Island and it’s pure beauty and many surprises. Soon we gather back up and lift off from the valley floor flying to the northern tip over the birthplace of King Kamehameha. Once again the landscape changes from lush green to brown desert. We have flown to the dry side of the island; cracked and barren land begging for water. We fly back down the coast towards Kona seeing some of the most spectacular hidden beaches and coral formations along the Kohala coast.

The barren, dry Kohala Coast

Koji lands us back down at the airport effortlessly. The landscape puzzle is completed and our 3 hours have disappeared from me as if it was 1. It is the perfect way to put together the pieces of the Big Island; it’s diversity, beauty, anger, and energy. This island is alive!

The Good:
• One of the most unique and longest helicopter tours offered on the island.
• Loved the intricate valley landing in the middle of the tour
• Ensured that everyone could get equally great photos and views no matter what side you were seated on.
• Lots of time to see the lava! And really one of the only ways you will see lava.

The Could Be Better:
• This should come as no surprise, but I took a lot of pictures. I loved the fact that Paradise recommended you to wear dark clothing to take better pictures, however then they had a tan seat belt that they had upholstered with white fur so it would be more comfortable. I have no idea why they chose white fur – as it should have been black. Even though I was dressed in black, the seat belt was glaring in all of my photos!

Also – this was just specific to me, but don’t forget your motion sickness pills if you are prone to that sort of thing.  This is not a smooth airplane flight – there are many twists and turns!

Would I recommend it:
If you have the financial means, then I highly recommend taking a helicopter tour of the Big Island above any other island. It clearly has the most diversity of all of the islands, so to be able to see that from above is really special.  The Hawaii Experience tour was expensive ($445) , but there are many tour options at various price points.   I was very happy with Paradise Helicopters, with the pilot, and the office staff; all were very professional and were focused on safety.

More Information:
Paradise Helicopter Tours – www. paradisecopters.com

Koji and I back on solid ground

To see all photography from the tour – check out my Hawaii From Above photo album

Disclosure:  Paradise Helicopters  hosted my Hawaii Experience tour. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Preparing the horses, a little 'helper' looks on

“The horses are not pets. They are workers. Do not let the horses eat; they have all day to eat. Now they are supposed to be working, they are on my time now.” This is the first thing I hear from the good looking young man dressed in levis, leather chaps with fringe, cowboy boots (with spurs), and a big rain slicker. The only thing missing is a cowboy hat, but this young paniolo opts for a baseball hat; giving this Hawaiian cowboy a modern twist.

I hear this speech from Pa’akaula while I’m perched on top of one of those referred to ‘work horses’. A wave of seriousness comes over me, as my mind switches from ‘I’m a tourist’ mode to ‘I have a job to do’ mode. I’m about to participate in my first cattle herding experience…err…job.

Strangely I’m not in Texas, Wyoming, or Colorado; I’m in Hawaii.

Prepping the work horses

The rain is pouring down, and the wind is whipping around me. The skies are filled with gray low hanging clouds hiding the beautiful pasture views from me. I think about other tourists out on the beach on the sunny side of the Big Island, but I just had to be different. Now I’m on top of a horse named Red, slightly exhilarated and slightly nervous. I can hardly believe that a beginner rider like myself is about to embark on a cattle drive with absolutely no tourist fluff to it.

But this is where I like to be, on the edge; the edge of excitement, nervousness, and newness.

Going to 'work' in the elements

“The horse’s job is to do nothing. Your job is to make it do something. These horses are not trail horses; they will not follow each other. In fact, I don’t want you to follow each other, you need to be comfortable splitting up, “ says Pa’akaula. I continue to listen to the lecture and I can feel my adrenaline rise. Pa’akaula comes over to my horse to tighten some parts of the saddle and he begins to give me my ‘driving’ instructions. He tells me how to get the horse to move forward, backward, turn left and turn right. He tells me how to stop the horse and make it stand still or stop the horse and make it back up. He instructs me to keep my heels down but keep pressure on my toes and to hold the reins as if I’m holding a bottle. I feel like I’m 16 again learning how to drive a car for the first time; it all sort of makes sense, but it’s nerve-wracking.

To top it off, the rain is blowing sideways now. This isn’t the beautiful day I was hoping for when I signed up for this cattle drive. Instead I am cold and getting more and more soaked by the second. However, somehow the horrible weather makes the whole experience seem even that much more authentic. We aren’t out here for fun; we are out here to get a job done.

Pa'akaula getting the horses ready for work

Pa’akaula tells us to walk our horses down the muddy drive until we get to the fence line, then stop and wait. He wants to see if we can successfully instruct our horses to do this simple task. I give Red two quick hard kicks with my heels and he slowly takes a few steps forward. Soon he is walking and as I continue to tap him with my heals occasionally.

At the fence line we all stop successfully. Mission accomplished! We are now given our next set of instructions. Lead our horse to the patch of trees over the hill in the distance. There is a slight pause and then Pa’akaula firmly instructs us to not follow each other. “You all have to take a different route to get to the patch of trees,” he says.

Now this is a bit more challenging, but my mind races with excitement. I pull the reins to the left and kick Red with my right heel in the hope that this will make him turn left. He stands there and doesn’t move. I think to myself, wait a minute, am I supposed to kick with my left or my right foot? My mind is second-guessing myself. Out of futility I decide to try again, this time Red turns and starts walking to the left. Success!

I walk Red towards the patch of trees and watch my cowboy peers do the same, the three of us are all spread out as instructed. I feel free, I feel in control. I never in my life have had real control of a horse; directing it solely by my desire. I’ve done trail rides before, but there was little decision really left to the rider, the horse was in control. However now it is I who is in control. I decide to turn, I don’t take the most efficient route, and I choose to stop – just because I want to. It feels amazing.

We continue to practice this horse control for the next 40 minutes; trying to teach the horse that we are the boss. The rain also continues, harder and harder. I can feel my jeans are already soaked underneath my rain slicker. The rain is dripping off the brim of my hat as well as my nose. I feel real. I feel like a paniolo; a Hawaiian cowboy.

Pa’akaula tells us to scan for cattle, we now need to get an idea of where the cattle are so we can round them up. We walk the horses around the vast fence line scanning for cattle. However, truth be told, I don’t think I am looking for cattle as I am still struggling with becoming the master of Red. Red does the turns I instruct him to, but not quite with the precision I would like and the perfectionist in me wants to get it right.

Our pawns...we must move them wisely

We spot the cattle all grazing in the same general area; there are about 35 of them. However off to the left I see black animals running the opposite direction of the herd and wonder if I should be pointing these ‘runaways’ out. However Pa’akaula reads my mind and quickly points out that those aren’t cattle, they are wild bore.

Pa’akaula motions for us to gather up near the rest of the cattle; it is time to get down to work. The wind is whistling, the sky is dark and the cows look as if they really don’t want to move. He gives us a little advice about how to use the fence line to keep the cattle ‘pinned’ in. He also suggests to be vocal in order to get the cattle to move. Pa’akaula looks at us each slowly and says, “Ok – this is your adventure, good luck!” and walks away on his horse. The perfectionist in me panics and wonders if he is leaving us! The three of us look at each other and swiftly make a game plan as there’s no time to waste in this uncomfortable weather. My fellow tourist herders bolster my confidence. We spread out as we have been doing all morning and go along the perimeter of the herd of cattle. Pa’akaula is watching from a perimeter spot ready to step in and chase any ‘runaways’.

“Ya” I meagerly say, and walk towards the cattle in my area. Meager isn’t going to cut it. “Ya! Ya!” I yell. The cattle take notice and begin to walk in front of me. I smile to myself and think, “I just made cows move. “ I’m amused by the thought and strangely proud.

Red and I use the fenceline to herd the cattle in

The rain continues to pour down on us, but we are moving the cattle, slowly to the pen. I belt out more “Ya! Ya!” vigorously as I go up and down steep, narrow, muddy sections of the pasture. I am amazed that a beginner like myself it tackling this terrain, but there’s no time to dwell on it; I have confidence now in the ability of my sure-footed horse. I hold on as if I’m riding a mountain bike leaning into the hills and back on the downhill. All the while my eyes are on the cattle. I can see us all converging on our end destination. Pa’akaula opens the gate and the cattle instinctively enter.

He closes the gate to the muddy pen signaling that our work is done. The three of us let out a sigh of relief and nod to each other in the rain; signaling a job well done. Today none us of feel like tourists, we feel like paniolos.

The cattle are in the pen! Our work is done!

The Good:

• Beginners can participate in the cattle drive
• The website description was accurate – there was no fluff!
• The instruction by the Ranch was good and even though we were separated in distance, they kept an eye on you.
• Provided rain slickers!

The Could Be Better:

• The weather could have been better! That’s honestly all I could come up with!
• They don’t always run the tour as they need enough people to do it. Check with them to see if they have a cattle herding experience available when you are there.

Would I recommend it:

Absolutely! This was one of my favorite things I did on the Big Island. I had always had a dream to herd cattle for some reason, and this was a great way to get a taste of it in a very unexpected place. There are many places that offer trail rides on the Big Island, but Dahana is the only one who offers the cattle herding experience. I was skeptical at first thinking it might be watered down for tourists – but I honestly felt like I was a part of the real thing. It was a lot of time on the horses, but the time went fast – even in the rain!

Website: Dahana Ranch
P.O. Box 1293 • Kamuela, HI 96743 • toll free: (888) 399-0057 • p (808) 885-0057 • f (808) 885-7833 • dahana@hawaiiantel.net

Disclosure: Dahana Ranch hosted my Cattle Drive experience. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Seeing Times Square for the first time

The last 5 days I’ve been playing tour guide of my favorite city in the US – New York City.  My old home still holds a very special place in my heart, especially for New Years.  My 15 year old niece has traveled with me to NYC for the first time and I’ve been putting all of my effort into showing her the time of her life this week.  She lives in Nebraska and hadn’t yet been to a big metropolis like NYC, so I felt a duty to show her what life in the big, artistic, bustling city of New York was like.

It has been a treat to see her experience NYC  for the first time; with new eyes on things that are familiar to me.  We have rode the subway and walked all over the city to see Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, China Town, Times Square, Chelsea Market, Little Italy, SoHo, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, High Line Park, Rockefellar Christmas Tree, 5th Ave. Shops, MoMA, attended a show, and even took a ride over to Hoboken NJ to see Carlos Bakery.  We have eaten everything in sight, and have nursed our aching feet.  And I even found a little time to take a few pictures of some of my favorite sites in NYC.

For this last post of 2011, you get some of my abstract photos from my week in New York City, for the New Year, with the new eyes of my niece.

Manhattan skyline on a blustery winter day

A golden cupid shoots his arrow in the Met

Architecture of the Gubbenheim

Circling the MoMa

Archways frame Central Park

Headless in the Met

Black and White MoMA

Beauty in Simplicity

Happy New Year!

View all of my New York City Photography

Seattle's waterfront shows us that gloomy can be beautiful

This week I made a very quick trip to Seattle thanks to lady luck;  I won a trip from Travelllll.com.   Even though my time there was short, Seattle managed to seduce me with it’s  food, fresh air, and peaks.  Even though my time was short, I was able to capture a bit of Seattle’s personality through my lens.

Seattle all lit up! The view from the famous Space Needle

Seattle is the home of the farmer's market and it's still a staple there in the heart of downtown.

American Made - Boeing proudly calls Seattle home

Surrounded by the Puget Sound

A walk on the weird side...the Seattle Gum Wall

The Space Needle is adorned for the holidays

It's crab season in Seattle!

Festive Markets line the streets of Seattle

The sunrise over the Boeing planet and Mt. Ranier - two of Seattle's icons

A turtle captured on my Photo Safari

A familiar diesel idle echoed through my ears as the big safari truck pulled up next to me and my little rental car. This truck was my transport to go on safari on the Big Island of Hawaii. However I wasn’t searching for wild game, instead I was searching for good photography.

Photo Safari Hawaii was immediately of interest to me when I started researching my trip to the Big Island. They offer private photo ecotours all over the Hawaiian Islands, creating a custom experience for each client. The Photo Safari guides are experts in their knowledge of the islands as well as photography of the islands. The tour provided an insiders guide to the best places to shoot, as well as fine art photography exercises to enhance your photography.

Even though I have been doing photography for a while now, I always think it’s good to try to improve your skills and get refreshers. I get into bad habits, I get lazy, and I was hoping that this Photo Safari experience would help me brush up on my skills as well as take me to some hidden places on the island. I chose to do the Big Island Light Chaser ½ day tour.

Kohala Coast - chasing the light

Sean picked me up in the early afternoon and we went out to shoot the Kohala Coast and ‘catch’ sunset pictures. Sean clearly loved the Big Island, he came here 10 years prior from the mainland and had never been back! His love was evident also in the amount of knowledge he had about the Big Island. He rattled off stories and facts as I enjoyed the view and asked questions. It was nice to let someone else drive me for once and allow me to look for shots . The whole week I had been juggling the beauty of having complete control of my journey and being able to stop where-ever I saw a great shot, with having to watch the road and figure out where I was going!

Our first stop was the Pu’ukohola Heiau; a sacred rock structure peered out over the Kohala Coast. We stepped out of the truck and I secured my camera and lenses while Sean brought a little laminated notebook full of lessons to help me think about photography in different ways.

Kohala Coast

Sean and I had already talked about my experience as a photographer, but I told him that I wanted to experience the tour as his normal student would experience it. Typically their customers carried SLRs and were beginners or enthusiasts, but he did say that many clients also come with point and shoot cameras and more frequently there are people who simply show up with a mobile phone! He mainly focused on the beginning steps of photography and how we see and process light. It’s a great place to start when it comes to photography, as it’s important to understand the types of light and how our brain processes them.

We wandered along the paths and Sean provided a nice mix of history and photography information. He would ask questions about aspects of light and composition and then show examples from his book. Next he would challenge me to find examples of what we were speaking about and shoot them. We didn’t get into the nitty gritty of aperture and shutter speeds very much, yet I know we could have went there had I wanted to.

We changed a bit of our itinerary based on the weather on the mountain; the heavy cloud cover made us stick to the coast for our sunset shots. We made 3 or 4 more stops after the Pu’ukohola Heiau; a mix of beaches and resorts to practice the various parts of composition. We ended on a secluded little stretch of beach where the sun glistened off the still tide pools; a perfect location for sunset. I thought to myself, I doubt I would have found this place on my own.

There's plenty of inviting beaches along the Kohala Coast

Sean spotted a big sea turtle resting on the rocks so we went over as close as we possibly could to get the shot. He advised me on the lighting conditions and I was able to capture the big creature without disturbing it.

We stayed until the sun went down shooting away experimenting with different settings and angles. My light finally disappeared and therefore my photo paintbrush disappeared with it. I packed up my camera and Sean drove me back to my cottage. On the way back I was able to get some great advice on other places to visit for continued photography practice during my time on the Big Island.

Sunset on the Big Island

The Good:
• They pick you up anywhere on the island in a large, comfortable truck with plenty of room for equipment
• You get a ton of information about the island, the history, and the must see places.
• It did reinforce the basics of photography for me and really did get me to think about contrast and light more before I took the shot instead of just dealing with the situation in post –processing. I thought the exercises were effective at getting you grasp the concepts in a non-technical way.
• Even though my experience focused on basics of composition for beginners with light, contrast, lines, and points, the tour has the ability to be more advanced and cover aspects of more technical manual settings too.
• They have cameras you can use – but you do have to rent them as a separate charge. Same for underwater casings and any other specialized equipment.
• They operate on all of the islands and they offer multiday workshops with focus on underwater photography.

The Could Be Better:
• Since this is a half day tour, there is no real review process of what you shot and discussion of what worked and didn’t work. However that type of portfolio review is included in the longer workshop tours.
• The cost is prohibitive for a solo traveler – $550 for 4 hours. This is an investment in your skills, not just a fluff tour, and the price reflects it. The downside about the prices is that it is a private tour and therefore you can’t really be combined with other people if the truck isn’t full. However, if you are traveling with companions and you organize it as a group – then you can fit up to 5 people in the truck and then the cost is reasonable for such a tour. So the key is to find people to go with you and help reduce the cost!
• The website provides information about the tours, but you will likely really have to contact them personally to get additional info that you need regarding details of the tour and the photo instruction. I didn’t find the website very informative for the price of the tours.  On tours with higher price points, I do believe more information is better than less. In addition, there are not many images or reviews of the tours listed on the site. I personally think that a photography business like this should be showing off the great images that their clients have taken, but, what can I say, I’m picky about websites!

Would I recommend it?

I love this concept, especially for the islands of Hawaii where everywhere you look is begging to be photographed! The key is that it is a private tour – so it can be tailored to your needs, and that’s what you are paying for ultimately.
I would recommend this tour for the person who:
• Really wants to invest in learning about the basics of photography
• Someone who wants to learn how to get off of auto mode and start to learn about the more technical side of shooting
• Has a few companions that want to also learn about photography in order to bring down the cost a bit
• The super serious photographer who wants access to the best locations on the island but doesn’t have time to research them on their own.
• Someone interested specifically in underwater photography as they have a special workshop for underwater shooting

To get more information or to book a tour check out
Photo Safari Hawaii – www.photosafarihawaii.com

Disclosure: Photo Safari Hawaii hosted my ½ day Light Chaser tour. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

Picture perfect for a Sunday drive (Pohaiki Road)

The trees look as if they have plotted a slow attack to take over the road. Vines hang down trying to slyly block my way and hinder my vision. The road isn’t straight nor does it have any defined shoulders or boundaries. The asphalt is laid around each tree trunk making the road look like a frayed ribbon blowing in the wind.

The drive around the Puna region of the Big Island is what Sunday drives are made of; curves, views, and solitude all requiring you to slow down and enjoy each minute ticking away in the day.  And yes, rather than playing golf in Hawaii like most tourists, I’d much rather spend my day driving down the open road!

Puna is located on the eastern side of the Big Island nestled between the rainy town of Hilo and the volatile Volcanoes National Park. The region is full of energy, both above and below ground. Above ground are the creative, funky residents of the region; the region is home to the artists and the hippies. Below ground is the rumbling lava flow; the region is in the path of the lava flows when the Volcano Goddess, Pele, decides to get angry.

The town of Pahoa is worth a visit and a stop for lunch, however my real joy is simply driving down the secluded coastal roads (Highway 137 and Pohaiki Road). The views are phenomenal and I hardly see another person or car. I am able to pull over, walk out on the rocky coast, and sit taking it all in with no one around.

This road trip through Puna is peaceful, spiritual, and something not to miss. You can see why below.

All photos are available for purchase, simply click on the image for more information.

A perfect place to sit and take in the view (Hwy 137)

A memorial along the coast. (Hwy 137)

The trees go in every direction, just like the road (Pohaiki Road)

An approaching storms can't even dampen my day! (Hwy137)

A life guard stand along the coast near a thermal pool (Hwy 137)

A tree sticks out among the lava rock (Hwy 137)

Waves crash into the Puna coast (Hwy 137)

Puna - the perfect road trip...yes, I think so! (Pohaiki Road)

For those of you who are golf lovers, this post was sponsored by Arizonagolf.com, where you can find hundreds of discounted Arizona tee times!

The USS Arizona Memorial

Planes are zooming in, rat-a-tat-tat echoing around me, bombs exploding, smoke everywhere and the footage continues to roll past me in black and white. The Pearl Harbor attack; a day I’ve only read about. As I sit and watch the movie of the attack, which includes old footage and ancient pictures of a horrible day, I turn the tables and wonder what the masses of Japanese tourists are thinking about as they watch this film. I imagine what it would be like for me to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki memorial.  The lights raise and the audio stops, I shake all of the thoughts from my head. The main point of the whole memorial experience is to honor and show respect; it is better to focus on that.

The grounds of the Pearl Harbor Memorial are impeccable; palm trees, glistening water views, and majestic buildings. I pick up my audio tour and walk around surveying the area. I wait for my turn to take the boat ride out to the harbor to see the USS Arizona memorial.

A plaque shows the pictures from the attack

We all silently shuffle out of the theater and onto the boat manned by Navy crewmen. I wonder what it’s like to work in this somber environment day in and day out; however they seem to be simply focused on their duties and clearly aren’t over-thinking things like I am. The sky is blue and the sun is reflecting off of the water as if it is a spotlight lighting our way to the scene of a crime. The US flag is flapping around the back of the boat as we pull up to the stark white memorial building. Everything seems motionless and calm around me; an overwhelming feeling of stillness comes over me as I walk off the boat, up the stairs, and into the memorial perched above the sunken USS Arizona.

Taking the boat to the memorial

The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the ship’s 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives in the surprise attack. The ship sunk so fast that most were not able to escape. Amidst the solemnness of the situation, I am pleased as I walk around the memorial; it’s beautifully architected above the sunken ship with an open-air design allowing visitors to sort of hover above the grave and reflect.

Vistors peer over the sunken USS Arizona

The rusty remains of the USS Arizona near the surface

As I stand here with the sun dancing and glistening on the water, I stick my head out over the railing and peer down; I am emotional. I can see the ship beneath the water surface; it’s rusted and full of aquatic life. It seems I can see, hear, smell, taste and feel the whole day; December 7, 1941. If a monument can evoke the 5 senses then I think it has accomplished its goal.

I walk into the room at the end of the memorial to view the names engraved on the wall and my eyes come to rest upon a surname that matches mine. A distant relative – I have no idea, but I think there must be a connection in some way. I look at everyone else around me, especially the older men and women and wonder what must be going through their minds. I look at the Japanese tourists and wonder what’s going through their minds.

The names of the fallen

Soon I am summoned back onto the boat, my time at the memorial is up and the boat points back to the shore. After we disembark I head directly to the museum; I have a thirst to see more and learn more. The museum puts a human face to the historical day. Everything inside is engrossing. It is filled with news clippings, dramatic photos, maps, artifacts, video interviews with survivors and even President Roosevelt’s speech with his handwritten edits declaring war on December 8, 1941. However, strangely I am drawn to the video interviews with Japanese civilians about what their lives were like during war time. I am transfixed by the stories of different cultures and how people are the same all over the world; reaffirming why I love to travel.

The infamous speech with edits

I stare at the plaque,

“Day of Infamy. December 7, 1941. The roar of aircraft breaks the Sunday morning stillness as Japanese planes sweep across O’ahu. They head toward military airfields and to Pearl Harbor, where sailors prepare to raise the Stars and Stripes. The surprise attack thrusts America into World War II.”

This is the story I hear throughout the afternoon in words, sounds, videos, and papers. It is a somber visit, but one worth taking.

I look at my watch; I’ve been at the park for over 3 hours. I let out a big sigh and decide I’ve seen enough. I’m happy I came here to learn more, see the aftermath, remember the dead, and honor our veterans.

The memorial was beautifully designed

More Information on Pearl Harbor Memorial:
The Memorial is run by the National Park Service and entry to the memorial is free (includes movie and short boat trip to the memorial on the water). Audio Tours are available for a fee and I highly recommend getting one. The audio provides even more information and interviews with survivors; a really moving supplement to the park itself.

Pear Harbor Park Website

The 70th Anniversary of the attack is this week – December 7, 2012 and there are a host of events planned. If you are in the area be sure to check it out -
(http://www.pearlharborevents.com/index.html) The few remaining survivors will also be there. It’s a fleeting opportunity to meet these veterans as time marches on.

Finally the rangers I spoke to told me about a fabulous program for schools that I was excited to share.
If you are a teacher – listen up!!
The Witness To History Video Conference Program provides students and educators, nationally and internationally, with a unique and invaluable distance learning opportunity dedicated to the history of Dec. 7, 1941. Through first hand accounts, artifact examination and expert historical interpretation, the events surrounding the attack on Pearl Harbor come alive for students. Veteran survivors and civilians participate in the video conference. What a unique opportunity that will be fading away as the years go by and we lose our Pearl Harbor veterans. Participation is free. For more information contact witnesstohistory@pacifichistoricparks.org or (808) 954-8744

A rainbow appears while I was visiting a honey farm. The beehives sit as the pot of 'honey gold' at the end of the rainbow!

When moisture and sunshine combine in just the right combination, a rainbow occurs. The perfect combination happens more often in Hawaii than any other state and that’s why the state motto is The Rainbow State!

During my 3 weeks in Oahu and the Big Island I saw more rainbows than I’ve ever seen in my whole life! I’d be driving down the road and one would appear. I’d wake up and look out the window and it would be shining back at me. I was waiting for the sun to set and one would appear behind me. I’d be hiking and slowly two would appear around me forming that perfect double rainbow.

Every time it was physically possible I would try to photograph the rainbow sighting and after 3 weeks I came home with a great collection of rainbow photos!

A barely visable double rainbow on the leeward coast of Oahu

A rainbow joined my hike in Volcanoes National Park Big Island

A rainbow at Pearl Habor

My morning wake up call on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island

A rainbow hangs above Honolulu

A rainbow flows into the lava in Volcanoes National Park

Rainbow at high altitude on Mauna Kea Big Island

A rainbow over the Mauna Kea Visitor Center where I was expeting to see stars, not rainbows!

Click here to Enter the Passports with Purpose Travel Raffle Fundraiser now!

Life battles forth from the Lava

The radio plays old Van Morison tunes as I sing along in the car with my eyes peeled on the Chain of Craters Road wondering what I will encounter next. Even the radio station on the Big Island has the call letters – LAVA – I let out a little chuckle at the silliness of it all.

However the land in Volcanoes National Park, and specifically the Chain of Craters Road, is no laughing matter. It’s the site of destruction; the product of the volcano goddess Pele and her wrath against Mother Nature. Even though I’m pretty sure they are cousins in the earth’s family tree, these women are in battle.  Each one in their corner of the ring,  and they are ready to rumble!

As I drive my rental car down the Chain of Craters Road I too am in an all out battle; not with Pele, but with Mother Nature. Wind and spitting rain are my nemesis for about ¼ mile and then abruptly I pop out into blue skies for a ½ mile, rejoicing quickly as I enter back into the rainy, gray muck; I’ve never experienced anything like it.

The drive starts near the park visitor center and goes through dense rain forest, steam vents, and old tunnels formed from lava tubes. It didn’t take long to pop out of the rain forest into a barren lava land. I immediately pull the car over to observe this jagged land of lava formations closer. As soon as I open up the car door the wind whistles and howls past me like an angry beast. There is nothing to impede the vicious wind except for a few sad looking trees sparsely taking root. I walk around the lava rock carefully as the sharp edges threaten to poke through my soles of my sandals.

Visitors to the park walk on the jagged lava fields

I continue the decline towards the coast on the two-lane road. I stop every time I see something surreal; which is quite often on this road where surreal seems to be the norm. I sort of feel as if I’m landing among the pages of a Dr. Seuss book as I stop to stare in awe of the bright orange plants surrounding dead tree limbs. It is as if the ground is on fire and the flames are dancing around the trees.

The ground is on fire!

I stop at a pit crater and peer over the edge and notice how the lava seems to take on different forms; sometimes smooth (called Pahoehoe), and sometimes jagged (called A’a). At that moment I hear a deep rumble. Shit – is Pele speaking to me? My instinct immediately tells me to run! I hear it again and realize I have nothing to fear, it’s only my stomach announcing that it would like to eat the sandwich I bought prior to entering the park in the town of Volcano. Yes, the town is actually called Volcano; that town sounds like it’s asking for trouble if you ask me.

A pit crater skirts the road

I drive a little further down the road and I see it, the blue Pacific waters stretch out beneath me. I feel small and insignificant in this battleground of Pele and Mother Nature. But my stomach is calling the shots now so I find a perfect little picnic spot to look over the coast while I am perched on a mound of lava.

A great place for a picnic

My stomach satiated, I continue to drive down the hairpin turns and my ears pop. All of a sudden a lone tree catches my eye. It stands tall and proud among the lava that had engulfed it years ago; it is begging me to take its picture saying look at me – I survived…sort of. Yet I have a sinking feeling that Pele will not stand for that arrogance much longer.

Mother Nature's tree hangs on amidst Pele's Lava

Back in the car I drive further down towards the coast where the lava rock has an almost chocolaty color. It glistens in the sun as if it was a giant pan of chocolate brownies baking in a pan. Maybe this is Pele’s peace offering to Mother Nature. A girl can never resist chocolate!

One giant pan of brownies!

I open up the windows and let the sea breeze enter the car. The air is thick and smells of the ocean. The LAVA rock station is now playing old Jefferson Airplane; life is good. I think to myself they should have a song called Lava is a Battlefield; that would be fitting for this place. Lost in my thoughts, I abruptly hit it – the end of the road. Really, this is where the road ends; not because of the coastline, but because of Pele and her lava. In 1988 lava flow engulfed the road and flowed right into the ocean and ultimately grew the Big Island bit by bit. It’s as if Pele provides sacrificial land to Mother Nature. You can still see the road in spots, which provides an eerie feeling of destruction. I walk onto the mound of lava which goes on for as far as my eyes can see and notice the last sign standing.  The Road Closed sign stands defiantly among the lava depicting the battle of man-made verses nature. It appears to be a standoff.

Pele's lava creeps into Mother natures territory

The road closed sign survived the lava flows - a miracle!

I walk around on the lava formation a bit longer thinking about what it would have been like to be here in 1988 to witness Pele’s spectacle. Then as if Mother Nature can read my mind, she makes her presence known. She provides me a colorful rainbow above Pele’s wrath.

The battle continues on the Big Island.

My drives ends at the rainbow - seriously could this be any more perfect?

Click here to Enter the Passports with Purpose Travel Raffle Fundraiser now!

The canopy of the rainforest barely let's in sun

Akaka Falls State Park on the Big Island of Hawaii was the next stop on my Big Island Adventure.  The Hamakua Coast and Hilo were living up to it’s reputation of the rainiest places on earth!   It had been pouring rain all day with no end to the moody, gray clouds – so I decided to go out anyway.  Moody clouds make moody photography.  In addition, I was able to find the one thing on the island that loved all of this rain – the rain forest.

Akaka Falls State Park on the Hamakua Coast is a rain forest with densely packed foliage providing the backdrop for the famous Akaka Falls.  A 442 foot waterfall awaits you as you casually walk through the rain forest on a short .4 mile paved trail.  As you peak out of the rain forest foliage, you will feast your eyes on the falls.  However when I hiked through the forest to the falls, I was greeted by low, white clouds and fog.  I set in for a patient stand off with Mother Nature.  I waited for about 30 minutes for the low clouds to dissapate enough to take some photos of the falls.  There was no need to be in a rush, I wasn’t going to melt and I had plenty to look at and explore in the surrounding rain forest!

How to get there:
Akaka Falls State Park is just a short 20 minute drive north of Hilo, which takes you through the Big Island’s old sugar-cane fields. The road (Route 220) ends at the parking lot for Akaka Falls State Park. Here you will find a paved parking lot and bathrooms.

The mighty waterfall finally showed it's face

Low clouds hover around the valley

Bamboo lined the paved trail

New Life

A Banyon Tree takes over the forest

A colorful plant provides some excitement to my foggy surroundings

Akaka Waterfall

Traveling solo...

I pulled up outside of the airport and saw the flashing lights glaring, almost glowing, in the dark rainy night. I slowed down and pulled over hearing the gravel crunch under my tires. I flashed my lights twice as a signal that I had arrived. The van immediately took off and I followed dutifully.

But who was I following out of the Hilo airport? I honestly didn’t know. I had simply followed the instructions on the text message.

I strove to keep up with the black van through the town of Hilo. But soon we had passed through Hilo; this was a bit confusing since I thought I was following these strangers to Hilo. But I continued.

The van turned off the main highway and I did the same. We climbed up a windy hill and through a small neighborhood from what I could tell. The hot humid air became cooler as we climbed. The road became a tangled mess of hairpin turns, curves and one-lane bridges. I never saw another car besides the black van I kept my eyes on.

It was at this moment that I felt overwhelmed and the thought occurred to me, what am I doing following these people I don’t know? Is this safe? I was being led deeper and deeper into the countryside in the darkness and even if I did make it there, was free lodging worth this? Should I stop and turn around? Text them and tell them no thanks?

I shook the thought out of my head as I reminded myself. These are Angie’s friends – they must be legit. Actually, I thought, Angie doesn’t know them either, they are her fiancé’s friends – but they must be safe…right?

I followed my instincts. They haven’t let me down yet as a solo traveler.

The van turned again, but this time onto a gravel road soaked with water and puddle landmines. The grass became taller and the tire ruts deeper, but I continued to follow these ‘friends’.

I finally saw a house up on the hill that was softly aglow and thought – this MUST be it…right? We pulled up the dirt driveway and the van pulled around the side and parked. I followed. Finally – I would meet these new ‘friends’ who agreed to put me up for a few days as a favor to Angie’s fiancé.

I got out of the car and two men came to get my luggage with big grins on their faces. They introduced themselves as Brandon and Olivier and gave me a big welcoming bear hug.

Everything was going to be just fine.

This is how I kicked off my Big Island Adventure!  I had 8 days of exploring and adventure on this diverse island and this was quite a welcome!

The Hilo house wasn't too shabby!

The view was beautiful when the sun came out!

As a solo, eternal traveler, I have to find unique ways to keep a very low budget but this may have been my strangest money saving technique yet. I was staying in a house in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii with a group of male construction workers. Yes, you read that right.

I didn’t know any of these men, but they were working with my good friend Angie’s fiancé, Scott. Scott had offered the house up to me as a free place to stay while I was touring around the Big Island. He said it was really big and comfortable; and there was also some mention of the fact that the guys would like the company! One thing I quickly learned in Hawaii, you take free lodging when you have it offered. So I said yes.

The house was full of 5 men when I arrived. They all introduced themselves and showed me to my palatial room/wing. Olivier had kindly given up his room during my stay and they had cleaned it all up and had fresh towels sitting out and an internet connection all ready for me. We quickly did introductions and they then promptly put on their boots, told me to help myself to anything in the kitchen and left for work at 8PM to work through the night.

This is how my 4 days at the Hilo house went. I would wake up in the morning to the smell of bacon, come out of my room, and they would have just gotten home and were cooking up a breakfast feast. If you don’t believe me, just check out these bacon wrapped bananas, a dish passed down from Olivier’s grandmother.  And yes – if I’m at your house in the coming year – I will make these for you!

Olivier's Bacon Wrapped Bananas

After breakfast, the guys would go to bed and I would take my rental car and tour around the island all day climbing up mountains and finding secluded coastal drives and waterfalls. Then around 5PM I would get a text from them telling me what was for dinner and asking me what time I would be ‘home’. I’d pull in with beer or sweets and they would be grilling hamburgers, baking salmon, or cooking a pot-roast! We’d eat together and then they would leave for work again.

Rick and Olivier cooking up a feast!

As a female solo traveler, you have to trust your instincts. I seldom let my guard down when traveling and I skip a lot of opportunities because I don’t really know the people offering to do things for me. However, normally I can always rely on friend’s recommendations and I certainly wouldn’t have followed strangers to a place if I didn’t have someone vouching for them. And as most things, the strangest experiences tend to be the best experiences.

My time at the Hilo house was so special. I didn’t feel like a traveler, I felt like ‘part of the family’. I told them next time they planned a project somewhere exotic they needed to put ‘house-mom’ in the budget and I would fit the bill! I was sad to leave them all after 4 days, but I had to move on to other parts of the island. However, I made friendships that will last and I came away with a really great breakfast recipe!

Have you ever had to follow your solo travel instincts before?  Were your instincts correct?

Disclosure:  My Big Island travels were assisted by the Big Island Visitor Bureau.  They provided a portion of my rental car to get around the island in search of adventure!

Wai’anae's water front - rocky but colorful!

The first thing you need to know about islands is that there is a windward and leeward coast. The windward coast is pretty self explanatory, but the leeward coast is basically the downwind coast and therefore generally the more calm side of the island. For Oahu, when you mention the leeward coast you normally have visions of Honolulu and Waikiki. However the leeward coast is much more than the big city. If you simply drive north up the coast soon you will be out of the city and into the wild, rocky coast of Oahu which has barely been touched by tourism.

Ron and I drove to the ‘wild side’, the less traveled leeward coast one afternoon in search of heiaus (old, sacred temples), but unfortunately were turned away due to rain and due to a previous sacred event. However we didn’t let that stop us from exploring this remote feeling coast.

We started at Yokohama Bay where Highway 93 ends. This was harsh shore and the home of some of the oldest lava in Oahu. But it made for fascinating exploring. Little crabs and other creatures were found in the small rock tide pools.

Little tidepools form among the rocky shore in Yokohama Bay

Yokohama Bay where the road ends and the coast becomes wild!

Waves crash onto the harsh leeward coast

Next we drove to Kaneana Cave just along the side of the road and were dwarfed by its foreboding size. The cave is huge – a hundred feet high and four hundred and fifty feet deep. It is dark and wet so you’ll need a flashlight and appropriate shoes if you decide to enter it. We didn’t go too far inside, but instead kept moving down the coast enjoying the sunny weather.

Ron stands at the entrance to Kaneana Cave

Fossilized rocks are found on the leeward coast

It was now time to fill our empty stomachs in the little town of Wai’anae. This town is not really touristed at all, yet it has a famous heiau and a lovely little beach. But the best thing about this town is the Mexican restaurant, Tacos & More, where we had my most memorable food this whole trip. Tacos & More was run by a couple from Mexico City and even though the interior was filled with trite holiday and Mexican décor, the food was as authentic as it gets. I had a finger licking good pickled pork taco. The pork was slightly vinegary and tender. It was served with red onions and cilantro. Simple and delicious. I would drive to Wai’anae simply to eat these tacos again!

After lunch we stopped at Kaneilio Point which is home to the three terraced Kuilioloa Heiau. However, were unable to go up on it’s terraces to get the proper view because there was a local Hawaiian ceremony going on at the heiau. It was a unique treat to watch the heiau being used in modern times for a sacred celebration. Men dressed in ceremonial outfits rhythmically pounded big drums, and the end of the ceremony was marked with a man blowing a conch shell as if it were a trumpet.

A sacred ceremony held on the Kuilioloa Heiau under cloudy skies

A woman walks under a palm tree after the ceremony

After a short stop on electric beach (the beach across from the electric plant) to watch the sunset we headed down into the more crowded city of Honolulu. Our quiet seclusion had disappeared and the modern city awaited us.

Shiny Honolulu

Diamond Head crater watches over the leeward coast

Be sure to also check out my photo essay about my drive on the North Shore of Oahu - home of big waves and great road side stands!

Sweet, golden Hawaiian pineapple must be part of a luau!

I heard it over and over, “You must go to a luau; the quintessential Hawaiian experience.” However there’s nothing about me that likes quintessential, in fact if everyone else is going to see something, then most likely I won’t just because I’m stubborn. I’m doubt my stubbornness is one of my best traits, but it has got me this far, and I’m too stubborn to change myself. I yearn to make my own path in life, and that even means skipping the ‘must-see’ or ‘must-do’ activities when I travel.

Luckily my Oahu hosts, Ron and Mark, know me; they know that I wouldn’t want to do what typical tourists are doing. So instead of sending me off to a cheesy luau at a resort, they held their very own modern day luau at their house for me! I couldn’t have orchestrated a better solution myself – authenticity – that’s what I’m after. Plus, I’m not one to pass up a party held in my honor!

What is a Luau?

When I think of Luau I think of the Brandy Bunch; Don Ho, Mr. and Mrs. Brady, and a cursed tiki statue. I can’t help it, I’m a child of the 70’s.  A luau is simply a celebration or gathering to commemorate an event. This is typically done with one’s ohana or ‘family’. Ohana in Hawaii doesn’t necessarily mean blood relatives; it can be your close-knit group of friends including relatives. Ohana is a concept that is seen throughout the world in many cultures, but I love the fact that there is a specific Hawaiian term for it.

Mark and Ron wanted to commemorate my visit with their ohana by throwing a modern luau. Typically a modern day luau includes food, lei greetings, story telling, food, and of course, the hula. Oh, and I did I mention there is food at a luau? Mark and Ron had some version of all of these components at their luau thanks to a little imagination.

Ron and Mark's ohana

Ron's flower arrangement

Lei Greetings:

I had been accumulating a few leis during my stay in Oahu and the day of our modern luau was no different. Guests came with fragrant leis for me which served as my natural perfume for the night! Ron also gathered flowers from his yard and made a colorful tropical arrangement for the party. One think I love about tropical paradise, there’s no need to go to a flower shop when you can gather it all from your yard! The place looked great – we were ready to party!

Story Telling

We didn’t sit around and tell stories of hunting pigs, but we did tell a lot of travel stories. The guests were a great mix of transplants and locals. They were all avid travelers so we had a great time talking about our favorite places in the world. We even did what real travel nerds do, we passed around our passports to see the stamps.

Dancing

Our modern luau didn’t have hula dancing, I think we would have all needed several more beers for that to happen. However we did all dance around the bon fire in delight!

Now, on to the glorious food…

Food

They told everyone to bring a traditional dish so that I could get a taste for the authentic Hawaiian food. Mark started cooking the night before the party. We were having a small modern luau, so we didn’t need a whole kalua pig roasting in an underground oven, so we opted for the smaller, modern version of kalua pig in a crock pot slow cooking for 24 hours.

Slow roasted kaulua pig

Mark was meticulous at making sure I knew all of the food and really had a chance to try the authentic dishes – so of course I had to try poi. I had been hearing about poi for a while, and it never seemed to be accompanied with a happy face. I had gotten the impression that poi was a local food that only the ancient Hawaiians liked. Poi is made from taro and therefore has a purple color to it. Taro is simply a root vegetable so the poi basically looked like purple starchy baby food to me. But of course I tried it with the kalua pig and I actually liked it. The bland starchy poi tamed the very salty kalua pig perfectly!

Sweet poi and sour poi

Also on the menu was the famous spam sushi, Spam Musubi. Yes – it’s not myth, Hawaiians love their Spam. So much so that they grill it, put it on top of sushi rice, and wrap it in seaweed for a ‘treat’.

Spam musubi...a tasty 'treat'

My new favorite food, poke (pronounced poke-kay), was also on the luau menu. It’s made with skinned, deboned, and carefully filleted raw fish, and takes a variety of dressings and condiments. My favorite are the spicy ones. Poke means “slice” in Hawaiian; it looks like deconstructed sushi rolls without the rice and tastes heavenly!

On the other hand, one of the traditional foods I wasn’t too excited about was Lau Lau. It comes with different meats, but it is generally butterfish or pork with fat wrapped in taro leaves and steamed. We had butterfish lau lau and it was my least favorite item mainly because the fish was so fishy tasting and the taro when steamed tastes similar to spinach. Next time I will try the pork or chicken and see if I feel differently about it.

Butterfish lau lau wrapped in taro leaves

The other items were chicken long rice made from cellophane noodles, simmered in chicken broth and served hot with pieces of chicken. Lomilomi salmon made from raw salmon mixed with diced tomatoes, onions and seasoned with seasalt. And of course we had fresh, sweet, golden Hawaiian pineapple.

Our drinks mainly consisted of the local Kona brewed beer and we even gathered a few coconuts that had fallen from trees and pried open with a hammer and nails!

Beer brewed in Kona on the Big Island

For dessert we had a favorite Hawaii donut that has nothing to do with Hawaii – malasada. They are also referred to as Portuguese donuts and you don’t want to miss out on these!

Cinnamon covered malasadas - best served warm!

Finally, we had the traditional dessert of haupia, a coconut cornstarch pudding. However my friend Yen gave the haupia a really modern twist – she made haupia jello shots! A party isn’t a party until there are jello shots! Her concoction of haupia and coconut rum was a hit for everyone.

Me testing out the haupia jello shots...lots of testing was needed!

Our modern day luau might not have had all of the ancient pomp and circumstance as a ‘commercial’ tourist luau, but for me this was what I was looking for. A real glimpse into the local lives and foods of Hawaii.

Have you ever attended a luau? What was your favorite food?

Hiking your way to spectacular views

I’m a mountain person more than a beach person. I like to spend a little time at the beach, but lying there or participating in water sports hold my attention for only so long. My preferred beach time is about 1 ½ hours and then I’m done and long for a change of scenery.

So what in the world does a non-beach person do in Hawaii?

We hike.

Hawaii is synonymous with sand, waves, lifeguards, and underwater delights but don’t overlook the thousands of great hiking opportunities on the islands! While I was in Oahu I visited the beach occasionally, but I made sure that I found the trails too. Luckily I had a few friends on Oahu who also liked to hike and took me to some of their favorite and easy spots to get some spectacular views and a little bit of exercise.

Old Pali Road Trail:

This used to be the old highway used to get from leeward to windward side of the island. It was literally built on the side of a mountain barely hanging on – it was an adventure to traverse to the other side of the mountain no doubt. It’s now been replaced with a proper 4 lane highway complete with a tunnel, but parts of the old highway is still there to hike on. To get there you have to go through tourists. They are there for the lookout and the spectacular view – but you can go much deeper than that! From the lookout, go down to the right and go past the ‘closed’ sign away from the tourists at the lookout snapping photos. Take the old Pali Highway through dense jungle perched along the side of this lush mountain, you will be walking along old parts of the highway as you descend. Ron also picked fresh guava off the trees and we snacked on them on the way down! We hiked about 45 minutes down and then slowly turned around and came back up. You can hike all the way through to the end though.

The view from Pali Lookout

Remnants of the Old Pali Highway

Trees guarding the trail

Difficulty: Easy (until you turn around and come back up!)
How to get there: You can start at the top or bottom. We started at the Pali Lookout (the top)
More information:  www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2005/04/24/old-pali-road/
www.oahumom.com/2011/06/hiking-old-pali-road.html

Kaiwa Ridge Trail (Lanakai Pill Box Hike)

On the windward side of the island above the town of Lanakai are perched old army bunkers (pillboxes) on the ridge. They provide a spectacular view of the ocean and Lanakai below. This is a ridge trail so there are no trees or shade here – but you do get a strong wind keeping you cool. The hike took Yen and me about 1 ½ hours, but you could do it much quicker if you didn’t take as many pictures as I do. I also enjoyed a nice rest at the pill boxes and simply sat there and took in the view. Yen actually spent her birthday camping in the pillbox recently in order to watch the sun rise – a beautiful and brave idea! The best part is after you are done with the hike, you can go take a dip on that beautiful beach you peered down on from the top!

Not a bad view to stay focused on while climbing the trail!

Hiking to bunkers in the distance

Pillbox view...color doordianted with the ocean!

Difficulty: Intermediate – it’s steep in the beginning – but the steep section is short. You need to be sure-footed as you are on the ridge and you are scrambling around rocks, but I saw families with young kids doing it – so don’t be too intimidated!
How to get there: You will see the trail head directly across from the Mid-Pacific Country Club. There should also be a small sign further up this “street” indicating the Pillbox Hike.
More information: www.best-of-oahu.com/lanikai-pillbox-hike.html
www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGP040-030

Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail

The lighthouse trail is an easy but rewarding hike taking you to a view like no other on the island. You hike upwards toward the only working lighthouse on Oahu, but you will end up above it at the end. You aren’t allowed to get to the lighthouse as I certainly tried but was stopped by a big menacing fence! The trail is simple and paved the whole way but it does have a constant upward slope – good for the quads! There are no trees along this paved trail, so if it were sunny it would be a scorcher. However I went when it was moody, rainy, cloudy, and windy. The skies were perfect for photography and captured the massiveness of the island.

The sole lighthouse on Oahu

Paved trail from the parking lot...this is as steep as it gets!

A blustery day makes for nice photos!

Blocked access - The lighthouse will have to wait for another day.

Difficulty:  Easy to sort of intermediate (only for the climb…but it’s completely simple!)
How to get there: The park and trailhead are located off of the Kalanianaole Highway (Hwy. 72) at the southeasternmost point of Oahu.
More Information: www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/oahu/index.cfm?hike_id=23
www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/hiking_and_camping/makapuu_lighthouse.htm

Kawainui Marsh Trail and Ulupo Heiau

Ron and I worked off our haupia (coconut) jello shots from the night before by doing this easy hike along the marsh. The Kawainui Marsh Trail, which is paved and runs through the marsh, is perfect for riding bikes as well as walking or jogging. It is about three miles long, paved, meandering through marshland with unobstructed views of the Ko’olau mountains. When we reached the end of the trail, we kept going up the hill and for a short walk on the highway to get to the Ulupo Heiau (sacred place). The massive stone platform of the heiau measures 140 by 180 feet. It was believed to be an agricultural heiau and offerings and ceremonies there were for improving harvests. Since this was a sacred place – I also decided this was the perfect place to leave my many leis I had received on the island. So hopefully I added a little bit of good karma to the taro crop planted below the heiau!

Beginning of the marsh trail

A perfectly groomed trail and landscape!

The sacred heiau full of lei offerings

Difficulty:  Easy!
How to get there: Ulupo Heiau is a mile south of Kailua Rd, behind the YMCA. Coming up the Pali Hwy from Honolulu, take Uluoa St, the first left after passing the Hwy 72 junction. Turn right on Manu Aloha St and right again onto Manu O’o St.
More information:  www.aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/kawainui-marsh-and-ulupo-heiau/
www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/ulupo.cfm

Chinatown Hawaii

One of my favorite places to visit in any city is the ethnic areas.  For some reason when I visit them I feel more at home – I can’t really explain it.   They make me want to take photos.   So when I went to Oahu, Chinatown was high on my list to visit.  I was expecting to see a really large Chinatown since the Asian culture is so strong and represented in Hawaii, but I was surprised to find out that it only covered a relatively small area.  Maybe that’s because the Asian culture isn’t really restricted to one part of the city as it is in many cities – it’s pervasive throughout the island.  I saw Pho shops in Kailua and Asian fruit sold at stands on the North Shore.  So you don’t have to go to Chinatown to find the Asian influence and good markets full of Asian goods, you can find them anywhere on Oahu.

However Chinatown is worth a stop – especially if you are craving sesame balls like I was!  They even had coconut sesame balls which I found to be a nice island twist on the traditional red bean sesame balls!   The area is quiet and not necessarily crowded, so it’s easy to get around and browse the indoor markets.  However – be warned – you first have to pass through quite a large homeless population to get to Chinatown.  Once you pass the homeless people, take a stroll through the indoor markets and then stop have lunch at one of the food courts.  They are filled with Singaporean, Vietnamese, Philippino, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese food.  Then buy a few tropical fruits for dessert – don’t be afraid to ask the vendor what it is and try something new!

Colorful parot fish fill the China Town stalls

The slightly ornate building of Chinatown

Long beans perfect for green papaya salad

Dragons climb the columns of the buildings in Honolulu

Like any good Chinatown - it's not just about food...there's always bargain shopping!

Honolulu's Chinatown is rather organized and spiffy compared to most I've bene in!

One thing every Chinatown has is color!

Even leis can be Asian

Enter into the Past at Iolani Palace in Oahu

The grand koa wood staircase was shining with a new coat of oil as the focal point of the room; it’s beautiful curves lead the eye gently from the second floor down to the first floor. Men and women dressed in ornate gowns and neck-restricting tuxedos floated around the staircase receiving each other with a proper handshake or curtsy. The party was just beginning as horses pulled up to the ultra modern palace depositing people of stature out of their buggies. The year was 1882 in the island nation of Hawaii.

Even though I like to live in the present, I couldn’t help but imagine the past as I was led through the Iolani Palace in Oahu. The docent painted a perfect picture of arriving at a ball in the mid 1880’s – the sites, sounds, and even the dinner entries that would be served.

The grand ball room in the Palace where you could dance the night away (picture by Iolani Palace)

When I arrived in Hawaii the week prior I realized how little I knew about our 50th state which seemed to be but a few specs in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. After all, the Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated, inhabited pieces of land in the world. There is a whole history and culture here that goes beyond the beaches and tourism you normally associate with Hawaii. I was eager to learn more about it and a great place to start was Iolani Palace.

King Kalākaua opened the palace doors in 1882 and it is known as the only royal residence in America (a fun trivia fact!). It was filled with the best that the royal family had to offer, luxuries like flush toilets and electricity; however I was mesmerized by the ornate woodwork framing each door, the art hung on the walls, and the large china vases decorating the rooms. However it’s the staircase that captures you; shining in a golden cherry brown, begging you to slowly walk down it as you lazily drag your hand down the smooth railing lingering for a moment in order to make a grand entrance.

The koa wood staircase begging me to climb it! (Photo courtesy of Iolani Palace)

Staircase view from the 2nd floor (photo courtesy of Iolani Palace

Protecting History

Yet due to the age of the residence and the need to preserve every inch of this beautiful space and furnishings, you are warned, reminded, and closely watched as you walk through the palace to ensure you touch nothing and go nowhere off the tour path. The tour starts by being given a pair of shoe ‘condoms’ to slip on over your sandals in order to protect the floors inside. No cameras are allowed inside due to the effects of flash photography, and you are lectured on touching nothing. The no camera policy was torture to me as every way I turned my mind was composing the perfect picture in my head; I wanted to capture every detail, color, and curve. I was even restricted from taking a pen inside to take notes with, but they happily provided me an old fashioned pencil. The protection of this palace is very serious business and once inside you can understand why.

The well preserved dining room (photo courtesy of Iolani Palace

The porch provides a grand view

History of an Island Nation

The docent tour leads you backwards through history of what it would be like to attend a royal ball at the palace. From the grandeur of arrival, to the calorie laden dinner menu, to dancing all night in the ball room; the King and Queen knew how to throw a party.
However it wasn’t all about parties in the palace, upon King Kalākaua’s death, the palace became the official residence of his sister, Queen Liliuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii. She was overthrown by foreign (American) plantation businessmen and put under house arrest inside the palace in 1893. You see the quarters in which she lived for years as the palace beneath her turned into a heavily trafficked government office building and royal items were stolen or auctioned off.

The 1882 view of the Palace

The Palace in 2012...just as beautiful!

Visiting Hawaii?

I found this tour to be not only an architectural delight, but also a way to get more in touch with the history of Hawaii and the islands beyond the beaches and high-rise hotels. I would recommend it to any visitor of Oahu.
I could go on and on about what I learned about all of the cultural which has been lost over time, but I will leave that to more informed historical accounts. I suggest that before you take a trip to Hawaii, even if it is for pure relaxation and pleasure, you take a little time to educate yourself about the history of this island nation prior to American occupation.

The intricate architecture details of the palace

Here are some great resources I found:

Book: Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani (prior to her being put under house arrest) – It covers the history of Hawaii prior to the overthrow and the overthrow itself. It also covers life in Iolani Palace and the island culture.

Movie: Princess Kaiulani – (2009) – The story of a Hawaiian princess’ attempts to maintain the independence of the island against the threat of American colonization.
View the movie trailer 
Many scenes were filmed in the Iolani Palace – you actually get to see people using that grand staircase! This isn’t necessarily historically accurate, but it is a light and fun way to gain a little knowledge before hopping on the plane.

Talk to Locals: They are more than happy to tell you about the history and preservation of the Polynesian culture in Hawaii!

Iolani Palace Tour Information:
Guided Docent Led Tours – Adults: $20 / Children (5-12) $6. This tour is available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
Audie Tours – Adults: $13 / Children (5-12) $6. This tour is available from Monday through Saturday 11:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Be sure to check the times and costs on the website which will have up to date information and details.
Get all of the details including great historical information, information on the restoration, and learn about upcoming events on the Iolani Palace website
www.iolanipalace.org

Disclosure: Iolani Palace hosted my docent led tour . However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

The rocky but secluded North Shore of Oahu

Oahu has surprised me on many levels so far.  With access to a car, you can really go explore every corner and find yourself on a turquoise secluded beach easily.   That’s exactly what I did on the North Shore.  Ron and I drove to the North shore to do the Shark Cage Experience early in the morning and decided to make a whole road trip out of it.  My North Shore day turned out to be one of my favorite days so far!

After floating with the sharks near the town of Hale’iwa, we grabbed a big breakfast and then took off for the the end of the road…literally.   We drove towards Ka’ena Point until we could go no further.  The road used to go around the Northwest corner of Oahu, but due to poor road conditions and erosion it is no longer a functioning road.  So we drove until the road turned to dirt, and then pulled over and parked near a little beach.

There was NO ONE at the beach.  I was in Hawaii…on a beach…a beautiful white sand beach…..turquoise waters….waves lapping up on shore…and not a single soul around me.  It seemed impossible that this could be Hawaii.  I promptly laid out a big blanket, put my bag down, kicked off my flip flops and laid down to take a nap.  Now this is my definition of paradise.

After a quick power nap, we were up and heading back to Hale’iwa for a ‘must-eat’…shave ice.  No, that’s not a typo, it’s called shave ice – not shaved ice.  (If anyone knows why – please let me know!)  I had heard about this cool treat and now it was my chance to dig in.  My verdict…it was like a snow cone, but the ice was much more fine. My mango, passion fruit, and strawberry shave ice hit the spot and we were on our way again.

Next we came face to face with quintessential Hawaii – Waimea Bay – home of the biggest waves around.  I was quite excited to see these monster waves and the surfers who ride them, however luck was not on our side – the surf was flat.  Just another reason to come back one day.

The North shore drive is dotted with tantalizing treats.  Food trucks like Giovanni’s is famous for it’s shrimp.  As we pulled up there were lines and lines of people waiting for their styrofoam plate of shrimp flooded in garlic.  And so I sauntered up to the counter and ordered my very own plate of garlic shrimp.  After using an entire container of napkins, I was finished with my garlicky, bathed in butter  shrimp and realized that I would be wreaking of garlic for days…but it was worth it!

On the healthier side the North shore is also dotted with fresh fruit and vegetable stands.  We filed our back seat with plenty of Hawaiian grown produce and kept moving along the North Shore.  After all of this food it was time for another nap.  Beaches line the North shore so it was only a matter of minutes until we found another little beach to spread out the blanket and take another power nap.  Yes – that’s right…two beach naps in one day; this very well may have been the best day ever!

Finally – it was time for dessert at Ted’s Bakery where we had yummy haupia (coconut gel) pie.

Yes – all we did was eat and sleep all day.  It’s a rough life on the North Shore.

We finally turned the corner towards the mountainous Windward Coast and pointed the car full of food towards Kailua.

Quite possibly the perfect day.

Sunrise from the Shark Encounters boat

The end of the road - Ka'ena Point

Brunch...a little Shave Ice for a snack in Hale'iwa

Catching waves...

Fruit stands temping us along the North Shore highway

Giovanni's famous garlic shrimp...vampires would hate it!

A tree holds on along the Windward Coast

We still have room in the car for a few more delicacies! Fresh avocados!

The mountains of the windward coast tell us we are about home.

The campus of 'Iolani School in Honolulu

“What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done?”
“So….(big pause) you don’t live anywhere?”
“What’s the grossest thing you’ve eaten?”
“What are some good volunteer programs?”
“What made you decide to quit your job?”
“Do you file/pay taxes?”
“Do you ever worry about your safety?”
“What’s your favorite country?”

For the last two days I’ve been questioned. The questions have come from some surprising characters – surfers, fishermen, librarians, teachers, Superman, Mini Mouse, and even Jesus! Instead of hitting the Hawaii beaches and hiking trails for the past two days, I’ve been hitting the books instead; at school.

I have been a guest of the ‘Iolani School, a private college prep school in Honolulu. No, I haven’t decided to start teaching again, instead I was asked to come speak to the students and faculty about my travels, photography, and online businesses. My speaking engagements spread out over two days, but one of those days happened to be Halloween – hence Jesus, fisherman, Superman, and Mini Mouse! It was definitely my best-dressed audience ever.

I love speaking at schools; influencing students when they are young and open to possibilities is the best time to plant seeds. I consider how my life might have been different if I had been exposed to travel younger or the possibilities of other careers rather than the normal career path. I wonder if I would have went a different direction outside of the ‘safe’ Accounting path in college. I wonder if I would have looked into study abroad programs or considered taking a gap year? One will never know, and I certainly don’t regret any of my decisions, but I do think that life is full of little moments which influence you and change your path; especially when you are young. The path is easy to change when you are young. But when you are entrenched in mid-life responsibilities, it becomes infinitely harder.

My teacher host, Mr. Brasher (Mark – who is a friend of mine!), suggested that I dress as I do when I’m traveling; he felt the kids would feel it was more authentic. Ok – no problem, I can forgo showering and wear sandals if I must!

I did 4 different presentations at ‘Iolani school – each vastly different and each equally fun. First I spoke to high school age Young Entrepreneurs about my online businesses and the industry behind search engine optimization, and social media marketing. I’m pretty sure they were a bit surprised to find out that all of that time they spend on Facebook could actually be used for running a business one day. Hopefully I made them think about marketing and Google Search results in a different way.

Presenting for the Entreprenuriel Students

Next up – 7th Grade Geography and culture. This is one of my favorite things to talk to kids about! I focused on the Mongol Rally and the charity work, plus what it’s like to live in Vietnam. Showing them food, transportation, and home life from countries that are vastly different than America can be mind blowing to kids! The biggest oohs and ahhs are always the motorbike refrigerator picture and the man eating a scorpion picture; guaranteed excitement for 7th graders. We do quizzes about food, country locations, and I even hand out money from around the world. The excitement of telling a kid they just won $5000 Vietnamese Dong is pretty fun…until they figure out it’s worth about 30 cents…AND they have to go to Vietnam to use it!

I then switched to Photography students, a subject that I rarely get to talk about. I carried in all of my gear and showed them everything I use. We talked about travel photography, tips for making your travel pictures more effective, composition, and how to determine what to shoot. Hopefully I gave the teacher a few good ideas for homework assignments in the future!

Me in front of the beautifu 'Iolanil landscaping...notice all of the leis!

Finally I graduated to talking to the teachers about doing meaningful summer travel and Meet Plan Go! I remind them of how lucky they are when it comes to travel. They are one of the only professions that get extended time off regularly, and get paid during that time including benefits; these are two of the biggest hurdles to career break and sabbatical travel for most people and professions! They already eliminated two hurdles…now they just need to get out and go! Volunteering, charity work, budget travel were hot topics for the teachers and I was able to provide them with some resources where they could get more information and hopefully provided them a little inspiration to start to take advantage of their summers off.

It was a full two days of presentations, but I loved every minute of being on campus. I love seeing kids who have the whole world ahead of them with so many possibilities. I love the fact that they are fearless and haven’t yet inherited all of the conservative adult ways that infiltrate us as each year passes.

I was showered with leis and applause in each class and hopefully got a few people thinking different about travel.

Now…it’s time to go work on my tan…Hawaii is calling!

Oh – and here’s the answers to those questions!

Checking out the lockers...

“What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done?” – Mongol Rally
“So….(big pause) you don’t live anywhere?” – Yes, that’s right, I live out of the suitcase for the last 5 years.
“What’s the grossest thing you’ve eaten?” – It’s a toss up between lamb brain & rat
“What are some good volunteer programs?” – GeoVisions.com Conversation Corps, or GoOverseas.com to provide a list of volunteer opportunities by country/city
“What made you decide to quit your job?”  I realized that I even though I was good at what I did, I didn’t really like it.
“Do you file/pay taxes?”  Yes – of course!!
“Do you ever worry about your safety?” – No.  You simply have to be smart about your travels.  And know that you are never really alone unless you want to be.
“What’s your favorite country?”  Impossible to choose a favorite – but Mongolia, Nepal, Vietnam, Jordan are some of my favorites!

A water color sunrise over the shark cage!

Da dum, Da dum, Da dum….

I hate scary movies; I’ve been a terror wimp my whole life. I have never even watched Jaws. The movie poster alone sent me into tears running for my mother and making me think twice about jumping into the lake – let alone an ocean. It was good that I grew up in the land locked Midwest as I was pretty sure that sharks couldn’t get to me there in Illinois River; however, I didn’t completely rule it out.

So when I spontaneously clicked on the ‘contact’ button on the Hawaii Shark Encounters Website – I have no idea what came over me.

Yes...I actually wanted to do this. Photo by Hawaii Shark Encounters

I’ve changed a lot since I was a kid – I used to be terrified of adventures, now I crave them. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m having a midlife crisis….I mean how else could you explain my participation in the Mongol Rally this summer? But for whatever reason, seeing sharks up close and personal in the Pacific Ocean suddenly seemed exciting to me instead of terrifying. It’s kind of like when all of a sudden I started liking olives…I’m not really sure why, but it just happened. Sharks, olives…not quite the same, but suddenly I’m craving them both.

Hawaii Shark Encounters runs tours off the North Shore of Oahu; home of the big waves. The website provides a lot of information on the tour and sharks in general. Their big warning about the tour is not about the sharks, but about seasickness. Apparently it’s a small boat about 3 miles away from shore, which equals a pretty rocky experience. I decided I would pack my Dramamine just in case.

My friend Ron and I got up, made a big pot of coffee and took off for the North Shore at 5AM. Yes, that wasn’t a typo. The tour started at 6:30AM, apparently the water is a bit calmer then. As I got closer to the harbor, my nerves started to kick in a bit, but strangely I felt rather calm. Since I had been involved in so many ‘questionable’ activities around the world, I felt like to do this activity in America was probably the safest place I could ever do it! We are a country of ‘watch out’, ‘be careful’, ‘danger’, ‘sign this waiver’…so I felt pretty relaxed.

We arrived on time and easily found the boat. There were 9 other people signed up to meet sharks up close and Ron decided he would simply come along for the ride and be my photographer. I was excited for the familiar company! We popped some Dramamine and the boat took off.

There were two guides on the boat who lectured us on safety instructions while we drove the 3 miles out to the floating cage. The morning was gorgeous and the sun was just starting to rise. My coffee had kicked in and I was feeling alive as the warm Hawaiian sun hit my body. Calm, cool, collected. The guide said that only 5 of us could be in the cage at the same time so we would need to go in two groups. “Who wants to go first?” he asked.

Photo from Hawaii Shark Encounters

Without hesitation I raised my hand and said, “I’ll go.” Ron turned around and looked at me somewhat surprised; I’m pretty sure he was more worried for my safety than I was! My feeling is that I might as well be bold and first, else I just get nervous waiting around.

There it was – off in the distance, a red flag attached to a silver floating cage. Rocking gently on glistening blue water. It looked safe enough…

We were lectured again on safety of how to get in and out of the cage. I had the feeling that the only danger I was really in was slipping on the boat itself somehow. I slowly descended down the ladder into the surprisingly warm water, steadied myself on the rungs of the cage and put on my mask. I took one last look at Ron as he snapped pictures and I dipped my head underneath the water.

I'm going in!

Alone with the sharks!

There they were, staring back at me. Galapagos and Sandbar sharks calmly swam around the cage circling around the boat and us; there were about 12 of them and 5 of us. The biggest ones seemed to be way over 6 feet. I was surprised at how big they were when they swam underneath the cage. They weren’t frenzied or menacing, but instead they seemed to simply be going about their business. They were sleek, and moved about fluidly. It was sort of like seeing the Abominable Snowman after Hermey the elf pulls out his menacing teeth and he’s simply a white fuzzy snowman.

My disposable camera shot....

Rays of sunlight providing a shark spotlight

The hardest part about the cage experience was the fact that it moved around constantly in the waves, I felt like I was being jostled around like a pin ball. It was challenging to hold on, try to take photos, dodge a few jelly fish, AND make sure that my foot didn’t inadvertently float outside of the bars and end up as shark breakfast. Since we were 3 miles from shore the waves and subsequent cage movement was pretty substantial. Even though the cage floated, it didn’t move as fluidly as the boat does on water so after a while even in my Dramamine state I started to feel a bit queasy. I stayed in the cage for about 20 minutes and then got out to let other people in and give my stomach a break. Ron greeted and eagerly waited for my underwater report of shark sightings. I survived! But first, I had the pleasure of a warm fresh-water shower.

Awwww...not a bad way to start off a morning!

The good:
Overall the experience was quite fun and very safe. It was really beautiful to simply see the sharks swim so close by. It was exhilarating but not terrifying…perfect! Plus – I loved the warm ‘shower’ at the end – it was a great touch! Finally, if you didn’t have a camera with you, you could buy a disposable one on the boat.

The could-be-better:
The website talked extensively how the tour would include an opportunity to really learn about sharks; the website states “A very important part of our tour is shark education”. During the boat ride to the cage we were supposed to get a ‘talk’ on shark biology, behavior, and learn about the importance of them in the Hawaiian culture. Unfortunately this didn’t happen at all. The only things the guides really briefed us on were the safety instructions.

Would I recommend it?
Yes. However I would like to get the shark education promised on the website. I’m sure that if we had asked, the guides would have provided it. But in the excitement of the moment, I honestly forgot about it.

To get more information or to book a tour check out
Hawaii Shark Encounters – www.hawaiisharkencounters.com
Learn more about the cage

Disclosure: Hawaii Shark Encounters hosted my shark cage experience . However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

It's easy to get distracted in Hawaii!

Serendipity is when someone finds something that they weren’t expecting to find. This is normally associated with a good outcome – something pleasant and unexpected. However I had the pleasure and misfortune of experiencing travel serendipity twice on the same day – the day I arrived in Hawaii.

I’m on the move again; albeit for a short time (3 weeks). Quite honestly I had to get out and explore again. As much as I absolutely love seeing friends and family in the US and evangelizing about Meet Plan Go and extended travel, I can’t find my inspiration or happiness there. I yearn to be moving and exploring; I sometimes feel like this is a curse, but you can’t really change the fiber of your being, so instead I try to work with it.

Ron and I celebrating my birthday at work in 2004

Surprisingly I’ve never been to Hawaii before, yet I have passed over it many times at 30,000 feet. Recently while in London I met up with an old friend from my corporate past as he was traveling this summer. He was my old assistant who worked for me in my past corporate life. And I can safely say he was my favorite assistant I ever worked with; and I’m not just saying that because he’s also a fellow Aquarius and former pastry chef. He brought life and levity to my daily corporate existence and most importantly he put up with my type A insanity while also baking me strawberry cakes.

Ron lives in Hawaii now with his partner Mark. He has invited me numerous times to Hawaii, and finally I bit. I really needed a break from the US…yes, yes, yes…I know that Hawaii is the US – stop hyperventilating; honestly, it doesn’t really feel like it. It’s this weird laid-back island with seemingly more Asian influence than American influence. Plus – he offered the icing on the cake – “You can stay with us at our house and we have an extra car to use.” I know that you don’t pass up staying with a local, free lodging, and transportation in Hawaii! So I escaped to the turquoise water and welcoming smiles of Ron and Mark.

Mark and Ron's Green House

I arrived at the baggage claim to Hawaiian leis and hugs from Ron. I was a bit stunned, as I wasn’t expecting to see him at baggage claim. Nowhere in America, or most other countries, do they allow non-passengers into baggage claim. Hawaii is different apparently. We waited for my bag picked, I pointed to it, Ron picked it up and away we went chatting away and out the door into the hot Hawaiian climate.

Ron is an avid reader of Ottsworld and knows me quite well from my life prior to Ottsworld so when I arrived in his home he pointed out that he had plenty of Diet Coke and peanut butter for my 2 week stay. This was the best welcome ever! We quickly put down my bag and took the car out exploring around Kailua where Ron and Mark live.
Soon we were winding around volcanic cliffs and peering out on the glistening ocean. I was once again reminded of how amazing it is to travel with a local in tow as Ron took me to little secret spots, tucked away behind million dollar homes to photograph the sunset; locations which don’t exist in guidebooks. As we were walking down one of the public access pathways to another picture perfect view serendipity intervened. Coming up the path was a familiar face – the only other person I knew in all of Hawaii – Yen, our Meet Plan Go Honolulu host.

We all stared at each other in amazement. I had planned on seeing her later in the week, but I had never planned to serendipitously run into her on a remote part of Oahu. Ok universe…I’m listening now…

We chatted excitedly we made plans to see each other the next day for some hiking and afterward Ron and I continued our secret, local, sunset tour. We arrived back at the house to make meet Mark and go to dinner, but before we left I wanted to quick freshen up as I was sweaty and had been on the go since I arrived at the airport!

That’s when serendipity #2 hit me. I went to my suitcase to unlock it and get my toiletries and I was greeted by a lime green lock. Wait a minute…that’s not my lock.

My first reaction to the imposter green lock was that TSA had inspected my bag and put the wrong lock back on – damn TSA! Immediately my mind was racing on how I could cut it off and tweet my dissatisfaction with them. Then slowly the fog started to lift; I looked at the bag and realized that I had made the stupidest traveler mistake ever. I had picked up the wrong bag and taken it with me!

Luggage tags - they are important!

My heart sank in embarrassment as I searched for the United Baggage number to call with my tail between my legs trying to rectify the situation. The bag was exactly the same as mine – but in my excitement around seeing Ron in the baggage claim I completely got out of my normal routine and didn’t check for tags. As I listened to the phone ring I realized they probably didn’t care about this excuse. I also realized that they had been trying to call me during the day but I hadn’t picked up because it said it was a blocked number and I was too busy touring around!

Mark and Ron demonstrated their hospitality and aloha spirit by driving me and someone elses luggage all the way back to the airport on the other side of the island. I thought to myself – how can I call myself a professional traveler; I made the biggest rookie mistake ever. I guess it goes to show you that even ‘professionals’ have a bad day…see the Cubs Franchise if you don’t believe me.

It was an eventful welcome to Oahu full of unexpected experiences. I can hardly wait to see what the next 3 weeks brings!

Ron and I overlooking Diamond Head and Honolulu

I’ve filled up the rest of my time here with some great travel experiences which I will bring you over the next weeks. And I will be testing out the theory of if Hawaii can be a solo, and not super expensive travel destination or not. Staying with locals is a good start to the experiment! Stay tuned for Shark cage diving (doing this today!!), photo safaris, star gazing, lots of hiking, manta ray snorkeling, and hopefully even some cattle herding. I have a lot planned for Hawaii – so stay tuned!

Have you ever made a stupid rookie travel mistake – please tell me about it to make me feel better!

Nice polka-dots....

This picture pretty much screams “PORTLAND!” to me.  An eclectic mix of laid back and free spirit.  Yet I doubt that this dog picked out the pretty pink polka-dots on it’s own!  The even funnier thing was that the owner of the dog was a big muscle guy – it was quite a site that I couldn’t pass up.

I was in Portland attending the World Domination Summit surrounded by unconventional people, so this dog fit in nicely to the theme of the weekend for me.

So – use this as a reminder to find your inner pink polka-dots this weekend!  Do something surprising, unconventional, and fun!

The Columbia River Gorge in Washington

Not only do you find beautiful views like this in the the Columbia River Gorge in Washington state, you can also find wine.  During our wine tasting one afternoon we wandered around the winery to take in the views.  I’m spending my last few weeks in the US slowly making my way up the West Coast while stopping in and meeting our West Coast Meet Plan Go! Hosts.  Oregon and Washington have been a breath of fresh air!

Angel of Central Park

This week I arrived back in New York City for a short time to work on Meet Plan Go! planning as well as get my visa paperwork ready for the Mongol Rally.  It’s always nice to get back to my old home.  This photo is of my favorite spot in Central Park – Bethesda Fountain.  This was one of the first places I ever started practicing my photography so it has some special memories to me.  For this day the sun placement was just right as it peeped through her arms to make her even more angelic.

View the Best of my New York City Photography

Buried in the Snow

I was supposed to be in Milan right now, but thanks to what the reporters call ‘Snowpocalypse’, the blizzard has left me standing still. Blocked from getting on a plane, and getting out of the US.

Last night there was nothing still, 45 mph wind gusts and 2 feet of snow blew brutally through New York City as I worked away into the wee hours of the night trying to get everything done, packed, and ready to fly away on my trip.

They closed all of the airports at 10PM, yet I remained in denial; I continued to pack.

In the middle of the storm Mother Nature showed just how nasty she can be…lightening lit up the skies followed by thunderous bangs…yes, in the middle of the blizzard. I ran to the window shocked at this strange phenomenon.

When I went to bed at 3AM it was snowing harder than ever, I could only see the high rise building across the street, but nothing beyond that but a white canvas.

I woke up to non-stop news coverage of the blockages and destruction the storm caused.  Airports were all closed, railroads weren’t running, and when I looked out the window there wasn’t a car or taxi to be seen – an oddity in New York City.  I listened to the news, searched the internet for information about flights and my hope started to fade.

Plow Drivers had a very, very long day...

I went outside into the blizard aftermath to survey the damage and was astonished at how different it looked on the ground verses 9 floors up.  The ground view wasn’t pretty.  Snow bumps that represented cars, abandoned cars in busy streets, unplowed streets and sidewalks, and a nasty wind that felt like needles on any exposed flesh.  I knew I would have to hope for a miracle to actually make it to the airport as well as actually get on a plane in time to catch my connections and meet my friend in MIlan.  But I didn’t give up yet.

I tracked down my airline’s representative on Twitter and was able to get some information (thank you social media!).  Yet the Twitter rep could only say that my flight was not canceled and all of the systems had it leaving on time at 5:30PM, never mind that the airport was scheduled to be closed until 6:30PM.

I continued to finish my packing while watching all of the news about how transit along the Eastern Seaboard had come to a grinding halt.  The outlook didn’t look good.

I finally worked my way through a maze of recorded choices at the Scandanavian Airlines customer service number and spoke to a real live person…a true miracle.  As soon as I told her I was in New York , she got my name and immediately said she’d rebook me on Wednesday.  It was time to call it…I knew that my options were to get stranded at Newark airport – or stay in NYC and get delayed for 2 days.

I told the live rep…yes – rebook me; it hurt to say those words.

So, my Italy trip is now cut short by 2 days, but what can you do?  When Mother Nature is in a bad mood, you can’t really do anything about it…except go out and take some pictures.

At least one 'person' was happy to see the snow in Central Park

These snow bumps are cars...and they aren't going anywhere fast

Even the subways were filled with snow

Snow covered empty streets

Sledding down the middle of 66th Street

No deliveries in New York City ....oh noooooo!

Lincoln center covered in snow

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Central Park - New York City's best snow playground

Curvature

This is one Chilly Bean!  While in Chicago I braved the cold windy weather (yes, it is called the windy city and they aren’t lying!) to go see Millennium park and the ‘Bean’ sculpture.  However, that’s not it’s real name…it’s the nickname those crazy Chicagoans gave to it.  It’s birth name is The Cloud Gate and it is quite unique.  Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high and weighing 110 tons.  But forget the stats…what does this mean to you?

It means that it’s really fun to photograph.

Chilly Bean

Not only does it allow for some amazing landscape photography, but it is a great photography project to work on for an hour or so.  You can slowly circle the bean to capture the warping and bending light all around it. The surface is perfectly polished, however on the day I was there, it had remnants of ice and snow on the mirrored surface creating an even more surreal cloud-like feel.

Ice cold bean

I walked around the scultpure trying to capture it from all angles and perspectives; literally bending buildings while playing with the mirrored reflections.  I’d have to periodically try to warm my hands in my pockets and get the  feeling back into my fingers; it was a cold day for photography!

Bending Buildings

Black Bean

The reflections weren’t just with the skyline.  When you walked under the ‘belly’ of the bean, it was as if you had stepped into a mirrored fun house.  The reflections were to infinity and provided a crazy mind bending overload.  The 12-foot underbelly is called the “omphalos” or navel and multiplies reflections in a vortex.

Under the Bean

Millenium park is not only about the bean sculpture, it also has an amazing outdoor theater and other public art displays.  I can only imagine what a magnet the park is in the summer and warmer months.  You can easily reach the park via public transportation as it’s conveniently located near the loop and next to other famous Chicago attractions such as the Art Institute of Chicago.

I didn’t only come to Chicago to photograph the bean, I made a stop in Chicago to see a good travel friend of mine, Lisa Lubin of LLWorldTour.com .  We actually met through the Amateur Traveler podcast and we always joke around about how our lives are so similar.  Lisa is a long time world traveler and has a wealth of information on extended travel, working on the road, and career breaks.  In addition, she blogs about Chicago.  So if you are planning a trip to Chicago – be sure to stop by her site and get her Chicago picks…and let me tell you – her food picks are killer.

Thanks to Lisa for letting me surf her comfy futon (she was the person who turned me on to couch surfing after all!)  And a huge thanks for letting me borrow her winter coat, hat and gloves – else this photography outing wouldn’t have been possible and I probably would have lost some fingers to frostbite!

View all photography from Millenium Park

Floating Through Fall

The weather forecast in Minnesota this weekend is for snow.  I thought I would give Fall one last hurrah.  This photo was taken on my recent hot air balloon ride near Minneapolis.  The balloon ride was a  present for my birthday last February – but I’m happy I waited till these spectacular fall colors to grace my lens in October!

It was my first hot air balloon ride and it was spectacular, right up until our ‘crash landing’ (the captain called it an ‘engergy disapation landing’…tomato…tomaaato).  We never went very high up which I preferred from a photography standpoint, but when we did come down we were caught in some strange wind sheer, crashed through some tree tops and hit the ground hard and dragging us and our basket full of 5 people along for a ways.  I walked away with some bloody bruised knees and a bit freaked out!  At least I protected my camera!

Here’s the rest of my photos from the spectacular ride slightly hovering above the fields of corn and amber waves of grain!

View Fall in Minnesota Photography

To see more travel photography – check out the career break Photo Friday at Briefcase to Backpack!