You’ll be sure to find some fantastic Independence Day celebrations across Hawaii. Here’s what’s happening for July 4th, 2009.
MAUI
July 4th Fireworks in Lahaina – Starting at 5pm, Lahaina town will begin celebrating with a free concert followed by a waterfront fireworks display at 8pm. You’ll be able to see the fireworks free of charge from [...]
Have you made your July 4th plans, yet? How about heading to Oahu for some sun, fun, and amazing fireworks? You’ll find excellent fireworks displays and celebrations all over the island. Here’s how you can celebrate Independence Day with a real bang.
July 3rd – Fireworks Display at Aloha Tower Marketplace
This fireworks event is a [...]
Last week I shared my top free things to do on Maui, I continue the series with my top pick of free (or almost free) activities and sights on Oahu. As I’m writing my recommendations for the top things you should do and see on each island, I try to focus on the aspects [...]
I’ve been to Oahu in all seasons and have witnessed what a dramatic difference Oahu’s North Shore is in Winter versus Summer. Winter months bring big waves to Oahu and turn the North Shore into a surfer’s dream. In summer months, the water is much more calm. Just see for yourself. We took the following photos of the beach at Turtle Bay Resort. Though the vantage points are different, I promise that these photos are of the same beach.
Winter Waves
We snapped this photo in February 2009 from the shoreline.
(For even bigger waves just a few miles down the road and on the same day, take a look at my post on the Banzai Pipeline.)
Summer Calm
We snapped this photo in June 2007 from the lanai at our room.
* Starting August 23, you can get an outstanding room and car packaged deal at the Sheraton Kauai for a rate of $179 per night. The Sheraton Kauai is situated on Kauai’s sunny Poipu beach which is a great area to stay in Kauai to avoid rain. I found this deal through TravelZoo and Expedia. For comparison, Travelocity’s lowest rate was $199 without the rental car. This deal is good for stays August 23 through December 26, 2009.
* The Mighty Mo battleship will be moving to dry dock for up to three months in September. The historic battleship will undergo some maintenance and repair work per the Star Bulletin.
From writing this blog and being on twitter, I have met some great folks who live in the Aloha State. I’ve recently connected with Brian Rubadue who is a real estate expert and resident on Kauai. You can find him and his wife, Alicia, at their Web site, Kauai Real Estate Professionals.
We all know that dining in Kauai can be expensive. So, I recently asked Brian if he would be interested in providing us with a list of his favorite budget-friendly places to dine on Kauai. Lucky for us, he said yes. Here’s his list of places that you can easily dine for under $10 per person:
Pho Kauai Lunch & Dinner
4303 Rice Street Suite B1
Lihue
808-245-9858
”Vietnamese food, good prices, good size portions”
La Bamba Mexican Restaurant Lunch & Dinner
3-2600 Kaumualii Hwy Ste C1 (in the Kukui Grove Mall)
Lihue
808-245-5972
”My personal favorite is the Chicken Enchilada Plate.”
Costco Lunch & Dinner
4300 Nuhou St
Lihue
808-241-4000
”Well, it just doesn’t get any cheaper! Pizza, Chicken bakes, Chicken Caesar Salads and Hot Dogs. Not all local food, but decent eats at low prices! Prices start at $1.50 for a big kosher hot dog or polish sausage with a 20 oz soda. Alicia and I love Costco! We can both eat lunch for less than $5.00 total.” (Note that you don’t have to have be a Costco member to access the Costco restaurant.)
KCL BBQ Restaurants Lunch & Dinner
4971 C Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa
808-823-8168
”Wide variety of local food, good sized portions.” Menu link
Oki Diner Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
4491 Rice Street
Lihue
808-245-5899
”Check out the daily breakfast special. eggs, pancakes, rice, and spam, bacon, or sausage.”
Mahalo to Brian and Alicia for their local insight on where to dine in Kauai on the cheap!
For more ideas of where to eat on your Kauai vacation, see my post of finding the best Kauai restaurants.
Headed to the Hawaiian Islands this July? Check out this July 2009 list of events and explore Hawaii’s rich culture.
MAUI
Makawao Paniolo Parade (July 4 at 9 a.m.) – 44th annual parade showcasing Maui’s best Paniolo, themed “Na Paniolo Maoli No,” which translates to “The Original Cowboys!” Makawao Town, Upcountry Maui. For more information, call (808) 572-9565.
Keiki Hula Festival (July 26 – 27) – A free event, this festival showcases Maui’s keiki in the spirit of song and dance at this 10th annual hula festival, complemented with Hawaiian artisans and crafters. Lahaina Cannery Mall. Call (808) 661-5304 or visit www.lahainacannery.com.
8th Annual Korean Festival(July 11) – Experience Korean culture from the past and the present. See live Korean dance performances, taekwondo (Korean martial arts) demonstrations, and cultural exhibits of Korean artifacts and memorabilia. Taste savory, mouth-watering samplings of Korean cuisine, including favorites such as kalbi (BBQ shortribs), bibim gooksoo (spicy mixed noodles), and kim chi fried rice. Listen to the sound of sogochum (Korean drum dance) and live singers performing traditional and popular Korean songs. Come and experience Korea! Kapi‘olani Park & Bandstand. For more information, please visit www.hkccweb.org.
Japanese artist Yoshihiro Suda’s exhibition (July 11 – October 25) - Suda is internationally known for his installations of delicate carved and painted wooden plant life. Suda’s sculptures of indigenous Japanese plants and flowers are meticulously created with surprising realism and in true-to-life scale that, at times, borders on the miniscule. This will be Suda’s first solo exhibition in the United States. Contemporary Museum. Call (808) 526-0232 or visit www.tcmhi.org.
32nd Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival (July 18) – Each year on the third Saturday in July, dancers from all of the islands converge at Moanalua Gardens. The Prince Lot Hula Festival is the largest non-competitive hula event in Hawai‘i. It honors Prince Lot Kapuaiwa who reprised the once banned hula in the district of Moanalua and features various hālau from O‘ahu dancing both hula kahiko (ancient hula) and hula ‘auana (modern hula) on one of the few remaining pa hula (hula mounds) in Hawai‘i. Call (808) 839-5334 or visit www.mgf-hawaii.org.
Hale‘iwa Arts Festival (July 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., July 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) – This is the 12th Annual Summer ArtFest that features approximately 140 juried visual artists with original works and limited editions. The ArtFest will also include performance arts, storytelling, cultural history tours, arts demonstrations and displays, and a host of hands-on children’s activities. Hale‘iwa Beach Park. For more information, visit www.haleiwaartsfestival.org.
38th Annual Ukulele Festival (July 19) - Many of the finest ukulele players in the world converge at the Kapiolani Bandstand in Waikīkī to share their musical talent during a free concert. Hawai‘i’s top entertainers, national celebrities, and a ‘ukulele orchestra of more than 800 children will perform from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Call (808) 732-3739 or visit www.roysakuma.net.
“Moonlight Mele” concert series (July 30) – Two crowd-pleasing musicians will take on the Great Lawn at Bishop Museum for this month’s Moonlight Mele – Darren Benitez and Hoku Zuttermeister. Darren is known for his falsetto Hawaiian music as well as his upbeat cachi-cachi hits. He will be followed by Hoku Zuttermeister, who won six Na Hōkū Hanohano Awards last year for his solo CD ‘Aina Kupuna. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Museum Members and 6:00 p.m. for General Admission. Advance tickets are $15 General; $10 for Bank of Hawai‘i Customers/Employees, Bishop Museum Members, and Military; keiki 3 and under are free. General tickets purchased the day of the event are $20. For more information, call (808) 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.
Hawai‘i Volcanoes Cultural Festival (July 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) – Held in the special setting of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, this popular annual festival helps preserve and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and traditional arts. Featuring Hawaiian music, hula, crafts sales and demonstrations by local artists and practitioners. Free. For more information, call (808) 985-6153 or visit www.fhvnp.org.
Big Island Hawaiian Music Festival (July 18 – 19 from noon to 6 p.m. on both days) – The Festival honors the Hawaiian musical heritage by promoting and perpetuating authentic Hawaiian musical traditions. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, visitors from around the world experience world class musicians in slack key, falsetto, ‘ukulele and more. Master musicians share their love and their craft through a series of talk story sessions, feeling like an old fashioned jam session. The festival features more than 12 hours of unforgettable performances. Hilo High School Auditorium. Call (808) 935-9085 or visit www.ehcc.orgfor more information.
‘Ohana Saturday at Kaua‘i Museum (July 4) – Admission is free for the whole family with special presentations. Call (808) 245-6931 for more information.
Kaua‘i Music Festival (July 29 – August 1) – The Kaua‘i Music Festival is a four day celebration of the art of songwriting. At the festival, attendees learn songwriting from some of the best songwriters and Grammy-winning producers. Music of the participants will be heard in small group seminars and in the songwriting competition. Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort. Call (808) 634-6237 or visit www.kauaimusicfestival.com.
Let’s take a peek at another Aloha Friday edition of Hawaii vacation news.
* Guess which U.S. city is the most romantic according to TripAdvisor members? I’ll give you a clue. It starts with “Hono” and ends in “lulu.” Wow! You’re right, it is Honolulu. How’d you guess so quickly? I agree that Honolulu is very romantic, in fact, Hawaii is a very romantic destination in general. (Note that the photo above is of the Waikiki area of Honolulu at night.)
* Check out FareCompare’s new “Cheap Deals to Hawaii” page, where you can see the best available round-trip airfare deals to Hawaii, for any month you like – from any airport. Rick Seaney, FareCompare’s CEO, says, “We gathered all the great deals to this favorite destination-which includes all the best-loved islands – by popular demand!” Spend a few minutes playing with this fare search tool and I’m sure you’ll want to bookmark it and/or sign up for their free real-time email alerts. I like how you can customize the results from your city so you’re not sifting through a sea of other originating destinations. Another feature I like is that you can check fares to all Hawaii’s major airports at a glance on the same page.
* Did you hear about the luau held on the White House lawn last night? Did your invitation get lost in the mail, too? Well, just in case you’d like to recreate the luau at home, you can find the recipes from Hawaii’s award-winning Alan Wong here. The menu sounds very onolicious.
We continue our series of Hawaii In Contrasts with a visit to a couple of very different Hawaii’s beaches. First, let’s look at a deserted beach on Lana’i, Polihua Beach. We had this two-mile long beach all to ourselves after taking a four-wheel drive adventure on Lanai.
Now compare that quiet beach to Oahu’s people watching mecca, Waikiki Beach.
I agree that Honolulu is very romantic, in fact, 
Friday, June 26, 2009
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