It’s easy to imagine the days of old-time Hawaii at places like Lapakahi State Historical Park, where visitors can see firsthand how the ancestors of these islands once lived, worked and played. The park is a Big Island historical gem tucked away along the rocky, arid coast of Kohala District, roughly a dozen miles north …
Life on a Big Island Macadamia Farm: The pickers start early – just after 7:00am. Morning dew clings to the trees planted in their neat rows and the air is still chilly from the night and the all-consuming jungle darkness. Streaks of sunlight filter through the branches and start to burn off the damp, getting …
In Search Of The Perfect Nut – Life On A Big Island Macadamia Farm Read More »
Before the introduction of Big Island Macadamia Nuts, people had been growing food crops in Hawaii since the time of the first Polynesian settlers, who brought with them seeds and saplings of staples like taro and breadfruit to use in building their new civilization. These “canoe plants” formed the basis of ancient Hawaiian agriculture for …
There simply is no better place on the Big Island of Hawaii to feast on mounds of buttery, world-renown and locally-grown Hawaiian macadamia nuts than at Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company’s spacious showroom located in the hills above the small West Hawaii port town of Kawaihae. It’s a high-ceiling storefront awash in sunlight filtering through its …
Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company – Home of the Big Island’s Famous Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts Read More »
Tree lovers who also happen to be history buffs will find a shady, tree-lined road looping along the shoreline of Hilo’s Waiakea Peninsula that boasts some of the most peculiar (and perhaps most famous) plant life to be found on the island. It is a sleepy seaside drive right off the main highway passing by …
Big Island’s habitual volcanic activity has created some truly unique geological formations, from Papakolea Green Sand Beach in South Point to Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano to the newest addition to the list: “Ahuaila’au”, also known as Fissure 8, which cropped up during the 2018 Lower Puna Eruption and has towered over …
Lava Tree State Park – Black Rock Monuments Formed Around Ancient Tree Trunks Read More »
When the ancient Hawaiian historical site of Pu’ukohola Heiau comes into view for the first time, it looks like a massive fortress of stacked reddish-black lava stones built atop a gently sloping hill. It slightly brings to mind the castles of Europe, with their high walls and stacked ramparts. But it’s not a castle; it’s …
Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site – The Stone Castle By The Sea Read More »
Just a short walk down Hilo’s Bayfront brings Big Island locals and visitors to Waiakea Peninsula and its verdant and immaculately manicured epicenter, Liliuokalani Park and Gardens. The gardens comprise a portion of the 24-acre county park jutting out into Hilo Bay, which seems to have a little something for everyone; placid fishponds where colorful …
Liliuokalani Park and Gardens – Hilo’s Leafy, Seaside Recreation Spot Read More »
Halemaumau Crater Overlook There are few places on planet Earth where casual visitors can come face to face with a real, active volcano. And in Hawaii, the sight of such an immensely destructive force is tempered by the realization that it’s also life-creating: not one part of this idyllic island chain cast smack dab in …
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – A Truly Once-in-a-Lifetime Sight Read More »
Hawaii is a land shaped by volcanoes. This remote island chain in the center of the Pacific Ocean rises out of the sea, pushing toward the sky due to volcanic activity and geological forces occurring here for millions of years. Hawaii volcano lava flows have spewed eruptions over millennia and have formed a lush, rugged …
Myths, Magma, and Magic: All About Hawaii’s Volcanoes Read More »