Tucked into the Garden Isle’s sunny southeast coast, from Huleia River to Mount Haupu, Kipu Ranch is flush with picturesque pastures, valleys and tropical forests. No wonder it keeps turning up on the silver screen. Rolling along a trail lined with towering Captain Cook Pines, I’m gripping the steering wheel of a sturdy, four-seat all-terrain vehicle, […]
Rob Pacheco wipes up the coffee he spilled in the cab of his massive Toyota Tundra but keeps driving. He swears he’s not in a rush. Pacheco, the owner of Big Island adventure tour business Hawaii Forest & Trail, is simply really excited to get to the upper elevations of Hualalai, the 8,271-foot westside volcano
Ryan Wooton has a big family: his parents, Bob and Louisa; his wife, Sarah; his brother, Troy; and 80 goats, each of which has a name (Oprah, Precious and Charlotte, to mention a few). The Wootons own and operate Kauai Kunana Dairy, the only dairy on the island. They all pitch in to make goat
It’s about five minutes past 9 a.m. and I think I’m late. I imagine a shirtless and tanned tour guide from Outfitters Kauai waiting impatiently for me at Nawiliwili Harbor, the starting point of my day of stand-up paddle boarding along Huleia River. Darting toward the harbor, which is nestled against Lihue on the island’s
Shirley Temple vacationed at the Moana. So did a host of other celebrities, including Amelia Earhart, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, George Burns and Lucille Ball. On the Historical Tour, offered two times a week, you can learn about their stays and view 200 artifacts on display throughout the hotel, including old photos, postcards, room keys,
Exhale. Inhale. OK, now, relax. I’m feeling a little flustered because I’m hearing my own breathing—and little else—through my snuba-diving regulator. That, and I sound like Darth Vader. Stifling an impulse to hum a few bars of The Imperial March—the dark lord’s background music in the Star Wars films—I shift my focus to my instructor,
The tiny, eight-seat plane I’m in is shaking as we fly over Molokai’s windswept north shore, but I can’t stop grinning. From my seat, I’m gazing down on miles and miles of dirt trails prime for mountain biking. With a population of just over 7,000 and a single traffic light on the whole island, Molokai
Three generations ago, a unique Kauai attraction became a must-see for visitors. Today, the Fern Grotto cruise is a classic, an understated gem of an activity amid all the modern-day hoopla over ziplines, paragliding and whale-watching. For visitors interested in a smattering of cultural and natural history, hula and old-time Hawaiian music, a few chuckles
As Hawaii Shark Encounters’ speedboat took off, the spray of the Pacific Ocean hit our faces. My stomach seemed to rise in my throat. I was terrified. To calm myself down, I took deep breaths, reminding myself that getting up close and personal with sharks was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I lived, I could brag to
