Today, we have something to be incredibly grateful for – This week we reached 1,000 5-Star Reviews on TripAdvisor! We see this milestone of one thousand 5-Star Reviews as symbolic of many things. First, it has inspired us to share a day of gratitude and reflection on the 36 years of our family business. We… Read more »
Majestic and Beautiful – This is the Time the Whales Return to Maui
The first whales of 2021 have been spotted! Mid-September is unusually early to be seeing North Pacific Humpback Whales in Hawai’i. In previous years our earliest whale sightings were usually late October to early November. This year the first whales were sighted on September 15th. We have learned that this is not the earliest date… Read more »
Ali’i Series Pt 2 – Queen Ka’ahumanu – Favorite Wife, Co-Ruler, and Changed the Course of Hawaiian History
In 1768, one of the most influential and important women in modern Hawaiian history was born. This woman came to be known as Queen Ka’ahumanu. A free spirit and a forward thinker, she was born in a tiny cave set into the side of Pu’u Kauiki. This 380′ tall cinder cone hill forms the backdrop… Read more »
Aunty Nona – Giving Us the Gift of the Essence of Aloha
Today, we continue our Kūpuna Series, bringing you stories of the elders who convey the heart and soul of Hawai’i. As I begin writing this, I am reflecting on the many unique opportunities I have had during my 30-plus years of studying Hawaiiana*, to be in the presence of the remarkable Kūpuna. One of my… Read more »
How Hawaii’s Anthurium Became Its Most Popular Bouquet Flower!
Anthurium flowers never fail to mystify people. From this day since they were first introduced people ask if they are real. These stunning flowers were brought to Hawai’i from London in 1889 by Samuel Damon. Their cultivation and propagation went well until the 1970s when a fungal disease first appeared. This pest spread so… Read more »
Great Women of Hawaii’s Past and Their Stories Brought to Life – Part 1
Women hold up half the sky. This proverb by Mao Zedong and Hawaii’s Creation Chant fuels us to write our next series. The creation chant for the Hawaiian Islands says that the very first human created was a woman known as Lailai. She is also associated with the goddess Pele, sometimes referred to as the… Read more »
The Rich, Colorful, and Vibrant Face of Lāhainā Today – Pt 2
If you have been to Maui, you have been to Lāhainā. Lāhainā has been rich, colorful, and vibrant since it was called Lele in ancient times. The town was chosen as the royal capital in 1820 by King Kamehameha the Great. It remained the capital until 1845. People came from all the islands to do… Read more »
King Kamehameha the Great – The Unification of the Hawaiian Islands
If you have ever visited Hawai’i, you have heard of the legendary King, Kamehameha the Great. He was the one person who was capable of achieving the impossible – uniting the Hawaiian Islands under one rule and one kingdom by 1810. Kamehameha’s vision was much like that of the United States, to form one nation… Read more »
Kama’aina – The Children of the Land. The Hawai’i Kūpuna Series, Part 2
Today, we continue our Kupuna Blog Series. These are the people that are the heart and soul of Hawai’i. They share what truly makes Hawai’i the special place it is. Although you may never know or meet any Kupuna, chances are you have crossed their paths. The person helping you at a store, giving you… Read more »
Bike Maui – See the Beauty, Feel the Tradewinds, AND Smell the Flowers
For the lucky few, cruising around Maui on a bicycle is a rare treat. On most days, it’s about as close as you can get to bicycling heaven! If you have access to a road bike with good tires, you can travel the same places all the other visitors do. Except, you are up close… Read more »