The Big Island’s Pololu Valley is like Kauai’s Kalalau only without the people

The green nub on the north end of the Big Island—Kohala— that points toward Maui is a million years older than the island’s southern volcanic slopes, whose shores are being widened by fresh… Continue reading

Start your Hawaiian vacation in Portland, OR

Many independent-minded people head to indie bookstores to buy Trailblazers, the best-selling guides by an independent publisher. The result will be a vacation as unique as your fingerprints. It’s worth a trip to… Continue reading

Hawaii’s surefire cure for the Blues

Lahaina State of Mind

Maui’s Lahaina has the perfect beaches, historical sites, and a fun run of shops and restaurants—adding up to one of Hawaii’s best walk-around towns.  Baby Beach (above) has good snorkeling and plenty of… Continue reading

This may be Kauai’s top hike:

Kauai has many hikes that score a perfect 10—and you just can’t get better than sublime. But the Awa’awapuhi Trail may get the top vote among many visitors. It’s freaking breathtaking.  Just the… Continue reading

The real Hawaii? Look no further than Kauai’s Anahola

Thanks to Prince Jonah Kuhio and the Land Act of 1895, Anahola was one of the first places where native Hawaiians could ‘own’ land (999-year leases) that had been taken away in the… Continue reading

“Tweeting” in Hawaii used to take many days

In ancient Hawaii (the first Polynesians arrived from Marquesa around 200 A.D.) the only way to send a message other than by speaking was to etch out a symbol in smooth lava rock.… Continue reading

Kauai’s Mahaulepu: A dreamscape so close, yet so far away

Only a few miles separate Mahaulepu from the Grand Hyatt and the busy resort strip of Poipu Beach on Kauai’s arid south shore. But those miles are on a hellishly potholed dirt road… Continue reading