High up in the hills of Volcano Village, which is already relatively high up in the hills of Mauna Loa, one of Hawaii Island’s major volcanoes, sits Volcano Winery. Growing grapes in the brisk air and high-altitude climate of Volcano, this boutique winery was started in 1983 by a retired Oahu veterinarian, Lynn “Doc” McKinney. […]
The first time I ever tried Shaka Tea, a line of iced teas brewed with mamaki, a Hawaiian plant endemic to the Islands, was back in 2016. I was in the Oahu home of owners Bella Hughes and Harrison Rice, a young couple with two very young kids who had, two years earlier, taken out a
There are many things Hawaii is known for: pineapples, sandy beaches, Duke Kahanamoku and surfing, to name a few. Oh, and cowboys. You heard us correctly. Cowboys, or paniolo in Hawaiian. Few realize that long before cowboys made their way across the Wild West, paniolo were wrangling wild cattle—known for their often-deadly combination of aggression
I make a scoop with my hand and pull out sticky, slippery white beans from a ridged, yellow pod. It’s a cloudy Friday afternoon in Kapaʻa in East Kauaʻi. I’m in a small clearing in a cacao orchard on Lydgate Farms. Every month, Will Lydgate, the owner and namesake of Lydgate Farms, hosts cacao-harvesting volunteer
My son was only a couple of months old when he embarked on his first hike—snug in an Ergo and napping the entire 2-mile trek to the top of the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail along the southeastern coastline of Oahu. It’s an easy hike I’ve done my entire life growing up here, and one I did
It feels like I’m descending into another world. One step onto the steep 500-foot-long boardwalk at the entrance of Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden and I am transported back in time. Leaving the modern world behind, I follow the walkway to the bottom of the valley. There’s a canopy of trees above me, and I’m enveloped
In need of some puppy love on vacation but couldn’t pack your own dog? The humane societies of Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island offer “field trip” opportunities for their adoptable canines, where you can take a shelter dog out just for the day. (Oahu’s Hawaiian Humane Society doesn’t offer this program.) Visitors and residents alike
Southwest Airlines continues to make moves in the Hawaii airspace, as Hawaii Island mayor Harry Kim announced last Friday that the airline would be commencing four daily flights from HNL (Oahu, Honolulu) to ITO (Hawaii Island, Hilo) in the fall. Adding more fuel to the fire, Southwest Airlines plans to have direct flights to Hilo from the mainland
Don’t think Honokaa falls into the category of one of the Big Island’s many sleepy country communities. In fact, Honokaa’s got a lot going on, and you can spend hours on its main drag, Mamane Street. Whether you love to thrift—and who doesn’t—or just want to grab a filling vegan lunch, Honokaa’s here for you.
After three full days of competition, the 2019 Merrie Monarch Festival is officially over. Twenty-four hula halau (hula schools) competed in auana (modern) and kahiko (traditional) styles of hula, and schools were split into wahine (women) and kane (men) divisions. A panel of judges reviewed each performance and assigned points to each halau using the Merrie Monarch judging sheet before announcing who
Every year, the Merrie Monarch Festival awards one exceptional wahine (female) hula dancer the title of Miss Aloha Hula, something many hula practioners work their entire lives to obtain. This year, Taizha Keakealani Hughes-Kaluhiokalani won this prestigious award, which is given out after a fierce day of competition where 13 dancers vied for the title. Hughes-Kaluhiokalani comes from Kalihi-based hula halau (hula school) Halau Hiiakainamakalehua and
It’s that time of year again, when humble Hilo town lights up and the Merrie Monarch Festival commences. For a full week, hoolaulea (celebrations), parades, performances, art fairs and hula competitions take over Hilo. However, with so much to do and see, creating an itinerary is a must, so check out our event guide below
