*This story was originally published on Dec. 21, 2017. Much like Thanksgiving, Hawaiʻi does Christmas with its own twist. Sunshine and tropical weather lets the Aloha State’s residents don board shorts and bikinis for their post-Christmas morning surf, while uncles dressing up as Santa are throwing up shakas with the keiki on their lap. Here are […]
*These recipes were originally published on Dec. 16, 2019. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, want to know why? Because it gives you a great excuse to try one of these holiday drink recipes—yes, they’re a little boozy—two of which are provided by mixologist and blogger Shanna Schad. The Coconut Coffee Coquito recipe
*This article was originally published on Dec. 13, 2018, and updated in December 2025. There’s nothing better than picking out your own Christmas tree, and at Helemano Farms in Wahiawā, Oʻahu’s only Christmas tree farm, it’s easy. “We have the full service here,” says Carol, a longtime worker at Helemano Farms. “We greet our
*This story was originally published on Nov. 8, 2023, and was updated in November 2025. While traveling in the winter anywhere else in the world may subject visitors to colder weather, snow and darker days, Hawaiʻi sees tropical weather and perfectly sunny weather even in December and January. Sure, it may rain a bit
*This story was originally published on Dec. 11, 2019, and updated on Sept. 1, 2025. It’s pretty hard to have a proper road trip in Hawaiʻi. Driving from Oʻahu’s central city of Honolulu to the North Shore, for example, takes less than an hour (without traffic). This is not the case on Hawaiʻi Island, which
*This story was originally published on Aug. 5, 2021. From her shaded treehouse bakery, Auntie Julia watches the cars roll by. Her establishment is quaint, a small green treehouse perched along Kahekili Highway, located in the hard-to-reach town of Kahakuloa, but her product—succulent loaves of homemade banana bread—is famous. When people ask where the
*This story was originally published on Aug. 24, 2020. Born Aug. 24, 1890, Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku became one of Hawaiʻi’s most celebrated citizens during his lifetime. From winning gold medals for the U.S. Olympic swim team to serving as sheriff of Honolulu, the ever-suave Kahanamoku ended up becoming the Islands’ ambassador
This story was originally published on Dec. 15, 2018 and updated on Aug. 6, 2025. Oʻahu’s iconic North Shore is dotted with vibrant beach towns, each with their own historic sites and unique personalities. From famous surf breaks and picturesque beaches to top-notch food trucks and hole-in-the-wall bakeries, these local neighborhoods are all worth
This story was originally published on Oct. 2, 2018. I glance at my hastily scribbled directions and drive back down the road I came from. I was told there’s a manapua man in Pearl City, Oʻahu, but without a proper address, all I can surmise is that he’s on the corner of Moanalua Road
This story was originally published on July 13, 2021. In Hawaiʻi, people talk a lot about who has got the best local grinds—slang for food. It is a contentious subject because, in the Islands, we love our food! And while it may surprise Mainland visitors, 7-Eleven holds a very special place in the hearts—and tummies—of kamaʻāina
This story was originally published on Jan. 22, 2019. Scattered throughout Honolulu and Waikiki are numerous statues of Hawaiian royalty, such as King Kamehameha the Great, Queen Liliʻuokalani and Prince Jonah Kūhiō. These sculptures, all crafted by master artists, capture the likenesses and regality of their subjects perfectly, so if you’re at all interested
This story was originally published on Aug. 16, 2021. While many of us know Hawaiʻi’s natural wonders by the names they’ve been given in modern times, it is much less likely to hear them go by their original names, the ones bestowed upon them by the Native Hawaiians. And those names are so much
