Hawaii '98!

In Spring our fancy turns to thoughts of Paradise, so we fly away once again on our annual migration back to Hawaii! Having recently returned from our 1998 adventure, I thought I'd share a few highlights...as an update to our five previous "Jan's Journeys" articles devoted to the islands (links listed at the end). Those pages contain most of our tips, suggestions and recommendations for happy Hawaiian holidays; on this page I'll add a few updates and let John's photos speak for themselves!
Please join us on our 1998 visits to: Oahu, Kauai and Maui!!

Let's begin on Oahu!!
To begin our Oahu visit for '98, our buddy Vinnie took us on a private, personalized, day-long tour of the island...and oh, what a tour it was (you may remember Vinnie from our limo tour of 1997, as described in the previous Oahu article within "Jan's Journeys"). We began bright and early at the Makiki Nature Center; not far from Waikiki, it offers wonderful nature trails and hikes...some quite extensive. From there we continued to the Tantalus Lookout in Pu'u Ualakaa State Park, with its panoramic views of Honolulu. Spectacular vistas are also free for the taking at Punchbowl Crater, as well as the peacefulness of the memorial. Next stop was Queen Emma's Summer Palace, also known by its Hawaiian name Hanaiakamalama. The house was built in 1848 in Boston and shipped to Hawaii to be reconstructed; it was purchased by Queen Emma's uncle in 1850 and was willed to the Queen in 1857. Emma, King Kamehameha IV and their son Prince Albert Edward (sadly - he died at the age of 4) often retreated to this beautiful spot to escape the bustling life of their royal court in Honolulu. After Queen Emma's death, the property was sold to the Hawaiian monarchial government, which leased it out...in the early 1900s, it was even threatened by plans for a baseball field! Fortunately, the Daughters of Hawaii came to the rescue and have restored the building and furnishings. The Summer Palace is located at 2913 Pali Highway in Honolulu; phone number 1-808-595-6291.

After crossing the Nu'uanu Pali to the other side of the island, we visited the ethereal Byodo-In Buddhist Temple. This serene site is a replica of the 900 year-old Temple at Uji Japan, and it contains a 9'2" representation of Amida, the Buddha of the Western Paradise. Several hundred shimmering Koi (carp) live in the reflecting pool, and they're delighted to have their guests buy food for them! The lovely gardens are a combination of Japanese grace and Hawaiian beauty; there is a meditation house and a tea house; and a 3-ton brass bell, cast in Japan, reverberates with calming tones. The most enjoyable part of our visit was meeting Mr. Harada, who has been a tradition at the Temple for untold years. His legends and explanations of the various elements of the Temple are fascinating, and his personal stories relating his colorful experiences are delightful. If you have the pleasure of meeting him some day, be sure to ask him about "Charlie the Fish"!! The Temple is located at The Valley of the Temples on Kahekili Highway.

Next, Vinnie turned our tour-guiding responsibilities over to Mike at the Kualoa Ranch near Kaaawa. The 4,200 acres of this gorgeous property have been owned by the same family for 150 years. A sampling of the activities available to the public are: horseback riding, fresh water fishing, tennis, and animal exhibits. Their "Activity Club and Secret Island" packages include helicopter tours, scuba diving, snorkeling, dune cycles, gun range, sailing, jet skiing...I think there are even more things to do, but I lost track!! Mike drove us around just a portion of the ranch, and we made a stop at the museum which displays photos from the "old days" as well as from several of the movies which were filmed on the Ranch (including "Jurassic Park" - the 'Welcome to...' sign from the beginning of the movie is still in place for a cute picture; and there's a faint outline visible from one of Godzilla's recent footprints during that movie's location shoot!). You can call 1-800-231-7321 for more information about Kualoa Ranch.

We'd been looking forward to stopping for lunch again at Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp in Kahuku on the North Shore (we became addicted to their shrimp last year!). We weren't disappointed...the scampi is still the best I've tasted, and the "hot & spicy" is even more so - of both adjectives! The one thing that has changed, however, is the fact that the messages scrawled on the truck by loyal and well-satisfied customers have now just about covered the vehicle -- we couldn't even find our happy note from last year, but we had a lot of fun reading all of the new ones!

Our last two stops had sacred meaning in Hawaiian history. The Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau (temple) is filled with an aura of reverence, and the view towards the sea from those ancient terraces gives one the same feeling that must have been experienced by the Hawaiians who prayed to the Spirits here so long ago. The Kukaniloko Birthing Stones State Monument dates back to as many as 800 years ago, when the Chiefs and Chiefesses came here for the births of their children. Those born in this honored spot were assured of high-ranking status. These were very special locales with which to end our truly special day of touring; thanks, Vinnie! If you'd like to arrange your own tour with "Cousin Vinnie", you may contact him at vinardo@lava.net...and tell him Aloha for Jan and John!!

The rest of our Oahu week was spent enjoying many of our favorite destinations and activities in and around Waikiki and Honolulu. Just a few highlights, presented in photos, were: Hanauma Bay (very easy to get to and from via "The Bus", the island-wide public transportation); the new Convention Center downtown; yet another hike up Diamond Head (yes, John drug me up there again -- and the view was worth it, again!!); a close-up view of the Diamond Head lighthouse (after seeing it from atop the crater summit, we walked to it through a lovely neighborhood).

I have one last Oahu destination to share before continuing on to Kauai and Maui....a place we hadn't visited in several years and were delighted to rediscover: Waimea Valley Adventure Park in Haleiwa. Formerly called Waimea Falls, the new name reflects the addition of "adventures" such as ATVs, mountain bikes, kayaking, and horseback rides. All of the old favorites were still there as well: guided walking and tram tours, cliff diving demonstrations at the waterfalls (quite impressive), hula and Hawaiian music performances, Hawaiian craft displays. There was obviously more than enough to keep us busy and entertained! We took one of the Park's busses with pick-up and return to Waikiki at very reasonable rates. You may reach the Waimea Valley Adventure Park at 1-808-638-8511 for further information. And with that....we bid farewell to Oahu for 1998!!

a sunset cruise along Waikiki as we say goodbye to Oahu

Return to Oahu; continue on with Kauai; or proceed to Maui...1998

Now - on to Kauai!

For our tenth visit to Kauai we had the pleasure of being joined by two good friends whom we hadn't seen in quite some time. What more perfect place could there be for a reunion than the breathtaking Garden Isle...and our guests fell in love with it just as totally on this, their first visit, as we did in 1988 (if you're doing the math, we've only made 10 visits in 11 years due to the obstacle of Hurricane Iniki a few years back!). Following are a few highlights from 1998's terrific return to Paradise...and aloha, Elaine and Pat!!

At the beginning of the week we took a day-long excursion by land, air and water...it sounded like an excellent overview of the island for our friends, and it promised to divulge secret spots for us 'old timers'. The "Best of Kauai" tour, and our intrepid guide Tyrone, delivered all of that -- and more!! We began by seeing the sights around Princeville (which is the pick-up point for the tour). Even though fabulous Princeville is our home on Kauai, Tyrone was indeed able to point out little-known and undiscovered areas to us. We proceeded on to the Kilauea Lighthouse, which was undergoing some "spiffing up" since the inside of the lighthouse was to be opened to the public for the first time the following weekend. Among the many birds in this wildlife refuge we saw two Shearwaters snuggled together as they performed their courting dance...and there was a whale visible in the distance (a bit late for the Humpback season; but we saw another on Oahu the week before, so the procrastinators were still hanging around the islands)! After lunch we took the one of the Smith family's boats up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto. The most exciting part of the river trip was the fact that our boat broke down, and our guide dropped the standard tourist chatter and turned into a stand-up comic as we waited for another barge to rescue us!! We hadn't returned to the Fern Grotto since our first visit to Kauai [it's a popular wedding site; our guide had some quite humorous comments regarding that subject!]. The area is a lovely rain forest, but unfortunately the ferns are suffering the effects of some natural and man-made detriments. After stops at Kilohana Plantation and Wailua Falls (famous from the initial scene in the old TV standard "Fantasy Island), and many charming stories and tales from Tyrone, we took the "air" portion of our tour via Ohana Helicopters. The 'copter flight was 15 minutes long, intended to be an introduction to the island (particularly for those who aren't too sure about climbing aboard one of the "choppers"!). Obviously, the longer tours offered by Ohana and the other companies on the island are much more extensive...several of them are covered in our two previous Kauai-related articles in "Jan's Journeys". But this was an excellent quick overview which fit in perfectly with the rest of the excursion. Our pilot was the famous "barefoot Gardner" (yes, truly barefoot), and he guided the helicopter as if it were an extension of his own body (or bare feet!)...he was among the best pilots we've flown with during our several helicopter tours on Kauai and the other islands. As we flew out of Waialeale (the extinct and sacred volcano which formed the island...and the focal point of the short flight), a rainbow appeared as an exquisite climax to our day! If you'd like to experience the "Best of Kauai" with the always-engaging Tyrone, you may contact North Shore Taxi and Tours at 1-808-826-6189.

Our second all-day expedition during our Kauai week was a boat trip aboard HoloHolo. In December 1997 Kevin and Marcie Millett began tours on their new 61 foot biofuel-powered catamaran, which was built on by Kauai by Kevin and his crew. I'll let Kevin describe the tour in his own words (assisted by John's photos from our tour, beginning with our daybreak gathering at Nawiliwili Harbor):
"Our tour is absolutely unique. It begins out of Nawiliwili harbor and heads north then west past Kapa'a, the Kilauea Lighthouse, and enters Hanalei Bay. There, we serve breakfast of fresh island fruit, pumpkin bread, danishes, coffee, and hot tea. From there we head on down to see the magnificent Na Pali coast in more comfort than any raft or small catamaran could ever dream of. After our captains, all of which have thousands of hours of experience driving up and down the Na Pali, have filled you with local fact and lore, they will then take you on the most exclusive part of this journey. Heading further west still, passing Polihale, you will come to the forbidden island of Niihau, the last remaining Hawaiian enclave. With the exception of a couple of specialty dive boats, no one else can take you to this beautiful place. Here you will snorkel with abundant marine life, much of which is almost never seen on Kauai. When you've had enough of the water, it's time for a buffet lunch complete with soda, tea, wine, or beer. On the way back you'll get to see the south shore all the way from Kekaha to Poipu. Then you will round Makauena Point up past Mahalapu Beach, passing Kipu Kai, and finally back to Nawiliwili. This is all possible because of our highly efficient, and very fast, vegetable-oil-powered catamaran (no diesel stink or pollution). If you love the sun and air, wander up forward and stretch out on our huge trampolines and watch the sea passing under you. If you need a break from the elements, come inside our airy cabin, large enough to contain as many as 65 passengers, and hang out around the full-size bar which still offers a complete view of the world around you."
Well, that was enough to intrigue us...especially the snorkeling and lunch stop at Ni'ihau, which no other touring boats reach. Unfortunately, due to water conditions we weren't able to make the Na Pali portion of the trip the day we went out...we've seen that glorious coastline many times but are always eager to feast on the incredible scenery again; and our friends had never seen it, so we really wanted to share it with them (next time, you guys!). The rest of the tour was fantastic, though, with a captain and crew who were totally devoted to taking care of their passengers' every need. The channel between Kauai and Ni'ihau was rather rough, there were some pretty amazing swells that day; but as our friend Pat wrote, "we knew we were in very capable hands, and the boat herself seemed to emit a feeling of confidence". We just learned that Kevin and crew have built a second boat - a sailing cat named Leila, described by Kevin as "a real speedster under sail", which will begin operating out of Port Allen for trips up the Na Pali coast and for sunset sails. You can contact Kevin and Marcie at 800-848-6130 or 808-335-0815 (local) and visit their website at http://www.holoholocharters.com/ for information on touring aboard either boat.

One other update from our '98 Kauai journey: marvelous Limahuli Garden on the North Shore has changed the walking paths since last year, and there are even more absorbing things to see than before...including an archeological site with remnants of ancient Hawaiian homes. You may call the National Tropical Botanic Garden headquarters at 1-808-332-7324 or visit the Limahuli Garden page on the NTBG website at http://www.ntbg.org/limahuli.html (and enjoy the rest of that very attractive website while you're there).

So that covers most of the "new stuff" from our 1998 return to Kauai. We were thrilled to be able to share it with our friends Elaine and Pat...and we're pleased to be able to share it with our cyber-guests, as well!

one of Tyrone's "secret overlooks" on the North Shore

Return to Oahu or Kauai; continue on with Maui...1998

Our 1998 vacation comes to an end on Maui!

One of the new attractions on Maui was being built during our visit last year...the Maui Ocean Center at Ma'alaea Harbor. Because the Hawaiian Islands are among the most isolated places on earth (more than 2,000 miles from any continent or major island group), the coral reefs and undersea world here provide a most unique environment. The MOC explores this experience through several exhibits: The Living Reef and its adjacent Surge Pool, a Touch Pool, Sting Ray Cove, Turtle Lagoon, Whale Discovery Center, The Open Ocean, and Underwater Journeys. The displays and interactive demonstrations make this more than "just an aquarium", and we thoroughly enjoyed our explorations. Their phone number is 1-808-270-7000, and their website may be found at http://www.coralworld.com/moc/.

When we went to Lahaina this year, we again met an old friend...and this year we snapped her photo so we could introduce her to everyone: meet Hula the pig, who lives at one of the shops on Front Street and has been a familiar (and popular) resident for quite some time!! While I'm on the subject of Lahaina, I must reiterate how much we enjoy Pacific'O, the award-winning restaurant on the beach at the far end of Front Street. I don't know how it's possible, but the menu, preparation and presentation of the food, and the service were all even better than ever...and it's been an extraordinary experience each time we've dined there! We learned during this latest fabulous evening that the restaurant now has a website, at http://www.maui.net/~pacifico/; but you really must be there in person to enjoy the resplendent sunsets which will accompany your dinner!!

More updates and additions to our two previous Maui-related articles in "Jan's Journeys": Tedeschi Winery has added an airy and roomy new tasting room since our wine-stop last year. Those who have been to the old tasting room (pictured) will remember it as a quaintly picturesque little building, with the key word being "little"...it was barely enough to wield a corkscrew!! After many years, we returned to the Iao Needle (parking congestion and fog had kept us away). It is actually a beautiful spot, but I felt a distinct sense of unease there...perhaps due to reverberations from the extremely violent and bloody battle which was fought there so long ago. Another location we re-visited after a few years' absence was the Kula Botanical Garden in upcountry Maui. The various gardens on the meandering pathways were lush and colorful, and the live-in kitties were just as friendly as we remembered! A side trip in Makena took us past a graceful old church (dating from 1832) that we'd missed on our previous wanderings.

I must share a few of John's photos from our '98 "Road to Hana" jaunt! Even though there was a drought earlier in the year, the rains had returned and the waterfalls seemed more expansive than in the past...and the landscape seemed somehow more vibrant. Here are the images -- enjoy!

One final tidbit: we were again lucky to find Haleakala (the crater of the dormant volcano which stretches over 10,000' above the island) to be unbelievable clear. This isn't always the case, so we always capture the memory when it's available.

Return to Oahu or Kauai or Maui...1998

So there it is...our Hawaii '98 update to "Jan's Journeys". We hope you found it helpful and entertaining.  If you haven't visited our other Hawaii-related articles, you'll find them at the following links:
Hawaii '99
An Oahu Odyssey
Kauai by Land, Sea and Air
Maui: Up-Close and Personal
Captivating Kauai
Marvelous Maui

Now you can do more paradise dreaming with a photo reverie of Maui and Kauai...Hawaii 2000!!

Aloha Oe!!

Return to beginning of Oahu, Kauai or Maui...1998

Copyright © 1998 - 2008: Jan Hight
All photos are the property of Jan & John Hight and may not be copied or used in any way without our written permission.

Published -- June 8, 1998
Last Revision -- Sunday, 13-Aug-2006 03:39:04 GMT