King David Kalakaua was the last king of the Hawaiian Kingdom. His sister, Queen Liliuokalani was the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, overthrown by American sugar planters and American military interests. King Kalakaua built the palace as a symbol to the people of Hawai’i and a message to all the nations of the world…
Category: Hawaii
Flashback Friday: The Majesty and Magic of Mauna Kea on The Big Island of Hawai’i
I suppose I should give a bit of a personal history for the rest of this story to make sense. Here it is in brief – in 2017, I moved my family to Hawai’i. We sold our antique store and little community paper on the Oregon Coast and I came here, found a job, and…
How To Enjoy A Free Dolphin Show on Oahu
A trip to Hawai’i is not a cheap adventure. You are going to be paying for everything and let’s face it – nothing is cheap. Your hotel is expensive, your rental car, your food, your drinks, your sunscreen…and if you live here…well, you already know…every day is expensive. Isn’t anything in Hawai’i cheap? Isn’t anything…
Mini Golf on Oahu – Tropics in Waimalu – Pearl City – Aiea
My wife works during the week and rarely gets to have time by herself at home on the weekends – so I’ve taken to giving her a few hours each weekend in which she can luxuriate in a bath, catch up on her favorite series, or chat with her friends on the phone. It makes…
Ice Skating in Honolulu – An Unexpectedly Cool Thing to Do in Hawaii
We live in the Salt Lake neighborhood of Western Honolulu and there are a couple of unique attractions nearby – Pearl Harbor, the Aloha Stadium, the Battleship Missouri, and the Ice Palace – Honolulu’s only ice skating rink. Not long ago, I took my wife and daughter to the Ice Palace and we skated. We…
Aliamanu in Moaunalua – Salt Lake, Honolulu – America’s Densest Asian Neighborhood
I’ve lived in a couple of neighborhoods and towns on Oahu. Waikiki, Kailua, Lanikai, Punchbowl, Punalu’u, Manoa, and since 2017, the Salt Lake neighborhood. I never thought I would live in Salt Lake – not Salt Lake City, Utah nor Salt Lake – the neighborhood in West Honolulu in which I currently reside. It’s not…
The Honolulu Zoo – Go Early to See the Animals
When I first moved to Hawai’i back in 2001, I lived in Waikiki where I was managing a hostel. It was a good life, but when you live in a hostel, you have to find places where you can get away from the backpackers. For me, it was the Honolulu Zoo. I used to grab…
Slideshow Saturday : Rainbows in Honolulu and on Oahu
One of the best things about living in Hawaii – and in particular living on Oahu is that IT RAINS SOMEWHERE ON THIS ISLAND EVERY DAY and it’s also sunny somewhere on this island every day. When you put those two things together you get an ancient legend about how when it rains – It’s…
Flashback Friday: Staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki in Honolulu on Oahu in Hawai’i
First let’s look at that title. I can’t stress this enough because I hear it all the time. You are never IN an island unless you have crawled into a cave ON an island. Just like you would never say “We stayed ON Waikiki” or “We stayed ON Honolulu” (because you don’t stay ON districts…
The Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu, Hawaii – Get to know Hawai’i Underwater
Right off the bat, let’s get it straight – The Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu is not Fishtanbul or even The Oregon Coast Aquarium – it’s not Monterey or the San Francisco Aquarium. It’s small, it’s a little bit dated, and it’s a great way to pass an hour or two when the weather isn’t great…