Greetings from Kauai, the Garden Isle of Hawaii.

The fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands, it is often called the Garden Isle because it is lush and green.  It’s lush and green because it rains a lot here, and there are spots on the island that claim to have the most rainfall of anywhere on Earth.  Whether that’s a fact, or an urban legend, seems up for debate, but there’s no debating that this island is not what most people expect of Hawaii.

This was a view of the ocean on my walk this morning.  I was walking along a path to the city of Kapa’a, the second largest on the island.

In addition to the surf crashing against the volcanic rocks on the beach, my morning walk was peppered with the sounds of roosters crowing and chickens clucking.  The area is home to thousands of wild roosters and hens, and they roam freely around yards, walkways, and even along the edge of the beach.  I

It’s unusual to be walking alongside the ocean and hear roosters crowing.  It’s even more startling to have on cross your path on the beach!

Photo credit: personal collection

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Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaii Islands, and is the fourth largest of the islands, and is about a 100 miles from Oahu.

Often referred to as the “Garden Isle,” Kauai is one of the wettest spot in the world, with an annual rainfall of 460 inches. 

I’m most familiar with the town of Lihue, on the southeast coast of Kauai.   Most visitors, however, may be more familiar with Waimea, once the capital of the island, and the first place in Hawaii visited by Captain James Cook. 

While there’s still beaches and sand, the lushness of Kauai lends itself to lots of other outdoor activities.

To learn more about Kauai, and all the other Hawaiian Islands, head over to The Hawaii Traveler, and read what Jody has to say about one of the top vacation spots in the United States.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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When it’s raining in my corner of the world, sometimes it makes me feel happier (and warmer) when I think about a tropical location — like sunset time on the beach in Hawaii.

Photo credit: Personal collection

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Honolulu’s Bishop Museum offers the natural and cultural history of Hawaii’s indigenous people.   Founded in 1889 by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last heir to Kamehameha I, you’ll find artifacts and exhibits representative of all the Pacific Islands.

A couple of my favorite highlights are the Science on a Sphere exhibit and the Science Adventure Center.

• Science on a Sphere is a 68 inch, 200 pound fiberglass sphere suspended from the ceiling.  It serves as a sort of 3-D movie, displaying full color, satellite and animated images.  You can watch a hurricane forming, a dust storm, violent solar storms, or any number of phenomenon occurring on our planet or in space.
• The Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center is focused on helping visitors understand the environment of the islands.  You’ll find exhibits and research on such diverse topics as volcanology, oceanography, ecology and biodiversity.  The Hawaiian Origins Tunnel was fun, but nothing tops the walk-through volcano!  And for another view of the volcano, climb up to the tree house and get a birds-eye view of it erupting.

The Bishop Museum is also home to Hawaii’s Sports Hall of Fame, honoring athletic excellence of islanders.

The museum is located at 1525 Bernice Street in Honolulu, and is open daily (except for Christmas) 9 am – 5 pm.  Admission if $15.95 for adults, $12.95 for seniors (65 and older) and youth (ages 4-12), children under 4 are free.  Special rates for local residents and military personnel, and their guests.  On-site parking is available.

I’d recommend allowing around two hours for a visit.

Photo credit:  flickr

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A new museum has opened at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the Pacific Aviation Museum. The museum opened on December 7th, the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 1941, moored off the shores of Ford Island (located in the middle of Pearl Harbor) were some of the largest ships in the US Pacific Fleet.  The first attack by the Japanese began at 7:55 am, with the second attack ending two hours later.  The loss was immense:  2,403 people (military and civilians), 18 ships, 188 aircraft destroyed and another 159 damaged.  World War II had now begun for the U.S. on a “date that will live in infamy.”

The museum takes you back to 1941, starting with a visit to Hangar 37.  There, you’ll watch a film of the attack, interspersed with original film and photos from 1941.  Visitors will get a sense of the dawning of a tranquil and peaceful day on this beautiful island, and watch as events unfold, bringing the drama to life on a very human level.  Following the film, you enter an exhibit area with a variety of vintage aircraft on display.  Feast your eyes on a Mitsubishi Zero, a Navy Wildcat fighter, and an Aeronca 65 TC.  Aviations buffs will be enthralled.

After the tour of Hangar 37, visitors get further immersion into the day’s experience by visiting a recreation of the aftermath of the Japanese attack.  Red Cross vehicles are staged on a debris-covered field, smoking planes are visible, and the senses go on alert as you can only imagine the horror of having lived through the real experience.

Leaving the battlefield and coming back to reality, the tour moves you to Hangar 79.  Here you will see marks from the bombing that still exist:  bullet holes in doors of the hangar and shrapnel marks in the concrete walls of the hangar, as you listen to first hand accounts of the attack told by actual survivors.

Getting tickets to visit the museum requires a few steps, but it is well worth the effort.  You can get tickets through an approved travel desk at area hotels, or through the USS Bowfin ticket office.  The Bowfin is located next to the USS Arizona Memorial, and is open daily 8 am-4 pm.  To get to the museum, you board the Ford Island Trolley in front of the Bowfin.  Allow at least two hours for the tour and viewing.

Location:  Pearl Harbor, Hangar 37, Ford Island, 319 Lexington Blvd. (Honolulu)

Hours:  9 am-5 pm daily.  Closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years Day.

Admission:  $14 adults, $7 children, $7 aviator’s guided tour

NOTE:  The museum is on an active military base and security procedures are in effect.  No bags are allowed on the trolley.

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Another day, another wonder, and this one will also stir the debate about whether wonders should be man made or natural.  Regardless of your position on that issue, there is no doubt as to the beauty of the underwater world of the Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.

The national monument encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and provides for protection and preservation of the marine area.  It is the largest single area dedicated to conservation, and the largest protected marine area in the world.  To get a sense of just how big we are talking about, it is larger than 46 of our 50 states. 

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands include ten islands and atolls, and stretch over nearly 1,400 miles.  The undersea forests and mountain ranges of this area comprise a coral reef habitat that exceeds 4,500 square miles, and is the largest, most untouched coral reef system in the U.S. 

Living in this undersea bliss, are over 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which are found nowhere else on earth.  The area is the primary home for the surviving Hawaiian Monk Seals (critically endangered with about 1,400 still living), and is the breeding ground for the threatened Hawaiian Islands Green Sea Turtle.

This is an amazing world, which most of us will only be able to see and learn about through photos.

Photo credit:  flickr

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There are a variety of ways to get familiar with a travel destination.

Some people enjoy a city tour, allowing them to get a quick layout of the city, making notes of places they wish to explore in more detail.  Some people do all their research online, printing out maps and suggestion lists.  Some people download audio tours and wander the city with their iPods. 

I enjoy wandering around a city, sometimes purposefully, sometimes aimlessly, stopping if and when I want. 

I came across a couple of unique approaches to learning about a city recently.

In Seattle, the Clock Walk takes you on a walking tour of Seattle, going from one public clock location to another (there are 27 stops in all).  The information is available online, you can proceed at your own pace (approximately 90 minutes), and it’s free.  (Via The Seattle Traveler)

The Great Ohana Hunt is a scavenger hunt that takes you around various places around Waikiki.  Teams scramble around the city, collecting clues and answering questions, while learning about the city.  Cost:  $15-22, depending on group size.  (Via The Lobby)

If you know an interesting way to explore your city, leave the info in the comments.

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If you’ll be in Hawaii during Halloween-time, the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts are offering Spooky Tales, an “evening of Hawaiian ghost stories and other hair-raising tales.”

Presented by master storytellers, these tales draw on the islands’ multi-cultural heritage.  Some of the legends and stories have been handed down through several generations.

You can join an evening of Spooky Tales at the following locations:

October 27th at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on the Big Island.
October 30th at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach on Oahu.
October 31st at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach on Oahu.

Story time, on all days and at all locations, runs from 6:30 ““ 8 pm., and is suitable for the entire family.  There is no charge.

If you can’t get to the islands, but are interested in the stories of Hawaiian mythology, you can read the Spooky Tales books.

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