Earlier this summer, we asked our Facebook fans to share their favorite Hawaii adventures.  Far and away, the number one favorite adventure in Hawaii takes place on the ocean.  At least, for our Facebook fans.  Of all the water related activities mentioned, experiencing Kauai's Napali Coastline ranked right at the top.

Some of my favorite childhood memories include sitting at my grandpa’s feet with my brothers and cousins while the storyteller of our family shared tales of his own childhood. My grandfather’s stories of growing up in the country on the

1. Depart Lihue Airport, Kauai, at 9:20 a.m.
2. Arrive Kahului Airpor, Maui, at 10:03 a.m.
3. Rent car from Dollar Rent-a-Car.
4. Drive to Kapalua in West Maui.
5. Check in at 12:30 p.m. for Upper Mountain Zipline tour with Kapalua Adventures. 

Tomorrow, I head to Maui for the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival. I've been treating myself to a glass of wine the past two evenings to get in shape for the event. Here is what I am looking forward to on my island-hopping, weekend vacation to Maui.... 

We have mahalo gift—our way of saying thank you. We’re giving away FREE five wallpaper images for your desktop or laptop. The turtle image here is one. You can find all five—with instructions on downloading—here.   

I climbed aboard in front of the Outrigger Reef on the Beach at 3:00 p.m. While the captain turned the boat around, “Rabbit” gave us our briefing. Yes, his name was Rabbit. At least, that’s what he said. “In case of a water landing,” Rabbit said, “Put on your life jacket like this, grab two beers and jump overboard.” 

Tomorrow, some 20,000 people are expected to crowd Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki on Oahu between 4:00 and 10:00 p.m. for—of all things—SpamJam. (Officially, Waikiki SpamJam.) Yes, we’re talking about the canned, spiced ham here. 

Happy Earth Day!  Did you know that today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  Here are 10 ways to care for our environment even when you’re on vacation. 

This past Saturday, on Oahu, I decided to devote the day to Hollywood, in particular the TV shows Lost and the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives," hosted by Guy Fieri. I further decided to go mobile with my day--tweeting about it real-time. I used my iPhone to take pictures as I went, and I ran those images through one of two iPhone applications: Polarize and Pano.

Tomorrow, the annual Prince Kuhio Celebration of the Arts commences.  The week-long event uses the example of Prince Kuhio to remind us of the importance of serving our communities and showcases many of the arts and cultural practices of our host community, including hula, canoe racing, salt making, music and, of course, food. 

In Hawaii, we take our endangered humpback whales seriously. February is known as Humpback Whale Awareness Month and the last Saturdays of January, February and March are officially known as Whale Count Days for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Hundreds of volunteers across the state brave potentially strong trade winds, pelting rain and searing sun to count humpback whales and record their behavior for four hours, starting at 8:00 a.m. We cancel in case of a tsunami, however, as was the case on Saturday, February 27, 2010, but we dutifully re-schedule, which is how I ended up on Crater Hill this past Saturday.

After a mile-long hike and trek along a stretch of coastline on Kauai’s north shore, I am sitting under a heliotrope tree on the beach writing this. I can’t help but pull out my camera with the super-telephoto lens and snap a few pictures of the adult Laysan albatrosses skimming the ocean’s surf, but I didn’t pack my camera to take pictures of birds, as cute as they are. 

This ball of fluff otherwise known as a Laysan Albatross chick is 7 to 10 days old here. A full two-thirds of this albatross species uses the string of Hawaiian Islands stretching from Hawaii in the southeast to Midway in the northwest as its nesting grounds. For another few days one of its parents (both mom and dad are required to see this little guy--or girl--fledge come Julyish) will sit on it until it can thermoregulate on its own. 

This past weekend, Kualoa Ranch hosted the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, an off-road, half-marathon--Outrigger Hotels & Resorts was the official hotel sponsor. For those not up for 12 miles, a 10K (6.2 miles) and 5K (3.1 miles) option was offered. More than 1,000 people participated. Check out the video.

When you live in Hawai'i, you don't forget December 7, the anniversary of the attack of Pearl Harbor 68 years ago. It's a day of remembrance. Today is another such day. The 25th anniversary of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. It only runs when the surf reaches heights of 20 feet at Waimea on O'ahu during the annual one-month holding period. In its 25-year history, the event has only run seven times. Today makes eight. 

Meet "KP4." Here, he squawks at his mother. At six days of age, he's a cutie. But he hasn't quite figured out exactly where on mom's body that yummy-liquid-stuff dispenses. I spent three hours with the pair yesterday, and he poked mom in the belly, neck, back and tail the entire time. A few nudges he got right and milky liquid streamed down his throat--and elsewhere. 

The best way to view lava up close and personal would be to see where it entered the sea.  Yet I'd always heard the ride by boat was too long from the Kona side, so no enterprising sailors ever offered an official tour. Then, I heard about Lava Ocean Adventures.  With them, this past Friday, I experienced lava in a way I had always desired.

And now, a video that visually says what I tried to put into words in my last post: There is alway something happening at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. 

Early November is not known for being a busy time in Hawai'i. It's like the pause between the in-breath and out-breath. That time right before the holidays when craft fairs, parties and concerts vie for spots on my calendar and when vacationers enjoy some time off from their hectic lives. And yet, for me, early November is one of the most exciting times in Hawai'i and that just might be the best-kept Hawaiian vacation secret around. 

The 39th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival officially kicked off last night with a lantern parade on Ali'i Drive in downtown Kailua-Kona. For the next 9 days, the event will celebrate all things coffee with samplings, farm tours, dinners, a cupping competition, a coffee picking contest, art exhibit, fun run, parades and more.  In anticipation, last week, I toured a couple Kona coffee farms on Big Island. 

On October 21, 2009, the first official whale sighting was reported off West Maui. (Those 45-foot, 45-ton behemoths sure like Maui.) So, I thought I'd share this footage of a whale filmed by NOAA. It's beautiful, especially because the slack key composition you hear playing was inspired by this footage. 

For the past few days, we’ve experienced winter-like weather for our islands: partly sunny, partly cloudy, chance of rain. The trades come and go. I see squalls wafting across the ocean, but they never seem to make it ashore with nothing more than a few spatters of rain. The air is heavy with moisture, making it perfect weather for rainbows. 

Every Saturday morning locals and visitors alike gather at the foot of Diamond Head to sip fresh brewed Hawaii coffee, peruse the rows of local produce and sample a delectable variety of freshly made foods that range from grilled burgers made with 100% grass fed beef from North Shore Cattle Company to Licious Dishes’ vegan raw offerings sourced from local farmers. The Farmer’s Market at KCC happens every Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Kapiolani Community College. 

Pope Benedict XVI canonized Jozef De Veuster yesterday, Rosary Sunday, October 11, 2009. In Hawai'i, we know him as Father Damien.  He arrived in Hawai’i on March 19, 1864 as Brother Damien. Two months later, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace ordained him a priest. In 1873, Father Damien asked to be assigned to a peninsula on the north shore of Moloka’i, known as Kalaupapa, where he could minister to the 816 Hawaiians who had been exiled there, because they suffered from Hansen’s Disease.

For centuries Hawaiians traveled to a healing heiau (sacred site) in Lawai valley. Then, in the late 1800s, Asian immigrants arrived to work on sugar plantations and erected Taoist and Shinto temples. In 1904, a series of eighty-eight small Shingnon shrines--miniature temples with figures of wood and stone--were crafted and set along a path to replicate a traditional temple pilgrimage route of more than 1,000 miles in Shikoku, Japan, that was established more than 1,000 years ago. 

Shave ice as we know it is believed to have been invented in Yokohana, Japan, in 1869. (Yes, 1869.) By the 1920s, shave ice was a fixture in stores throughout Japana. It only made sense, then, that as Japanese moved to Hawai'i and opened stores, they sold shave ice, as well. The frozen concoction isn't isolated to Japan and Hawaii, as many of you may know. It's found around the world. What makes Hawai'i's particularly nice, we think, is its super-fine, fluffy texture and tasty tropical flavors. 

Sleeping Giant. Like any name or word in Hawai’i, this mountain which rests behind the town of Kapa’a has many stories, the most common about a giant named Nunui who helped a community build a temple, hauling rocks from the west side of the island. In return for his efforts, the villagers served up a feast fit for a giant, including this giant’s favorite food—bananas. 

This isn’t Julie’s first visit to Kaua’i. But it is her first sans children. So, what do we do? She’s toured the island by helicopter, snorkeled Ni’ihau and tried surfing. She’s laid on the beach in Hanalei, watched humpback whales frolic and albatrosses fly at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. It’s time to layer new Hawai’i experiences. 

At 6:45 this morning, after I fed the laying hens (abandoned chicks my husband rescued from the wild a few years ago) in their coop and as I walked the dog, I noted the muted sun rising behind a bank of clouds in the eastern sky. I remember thinking how far north in the sky the sun sits these days, as I reached into the newspaper box at the end of my driveway. It was still early—for me, at least—and I hadn’t cleared the fog in my mind with my morning cup of tea yet, so I wasn’t quite prepared for the bold headline stretching across the breadth of the newspaper’s front page. “Statehood!” the one word headline exclaimed. 

All stories should start at the beginning. This story about Hawai'i's road to statehood, then, really starts with Kawaiaha'o Church--or, at least, what it represents.  In 1820, Christian missionaries arrived from America. On July 21, 1842, the "Great Stone Church" was dedicated, making it the first permanent Western house of worship in Hawai'i. Building it was no small task.  

Wedge-tailed shearwaters are migratory. Just like the Pacific Golden Plover who arrived in my yard today from the Arctic—it will stay until April or May. Just like the Laysan albatross. Just like Lee Sass.  You know Lee Sass. He served as my mentor at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, answering my myriad of questions about the seabirds--and, let me tell you, I can ask an annoying amount of questions. I recounted an incident on this blog last December about a mysterious bird perched on a rock on Moku’ae’ae Island, just north of Kilauea Point. Without looking, Lee predicted the seabird in question was a Great Frigatebird. Even with binoculars, the bird was difficult to identify. A crowd gathered. We debated. Lee stuck with his original guess; the rest of us decided the perched bird was a brown booby. Lee wasn’t convinced.  

Across the street from 'Iolani Palace sits Ali'iolani Hale. Built in 1874 by King Kamehameha V, the building was originally intended to house the royal palace and serve as the seat of government. Due to escalating costs--even then building costs could get out of control--the palace portion was skipped--giving the subsequent king--Kalakaua--something to build.  The story about this property that I find most interesting relates to the statue in front. 

On August 21, 2009, the state of Hawai’i will celebrate 50 years since President Eisenhower signed a proclamation officially declaring the archipelago the 50th state.  The road to statehood has to start with ‘Iolani Palace for one very simple reason in that the palace is the easiest place to pick up the “Walking Tour of 50 Years” brochure.  But the bigger and more formal reason your walking tour of Hawai’i’s road to statehood should start here is that ‘Iolani Palace marks the symbolic seat of power where the Hawaiian monarchy lived—even before the existing building was built in 1882. It is also the site where the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown a mere 11 years after the building was erected in the unique “American Florentine” style.

Today, I drove to Lihu’e. It’s a 30-mile, round-trip journey that takes me past Kealia Beach—boogie boarders popped in and out of view as the waves rolled ashore. Through downtown Kapa’a—diners lined up outside Mermaid’s Café, famous for their ahi nori wraps. My progress slowed a bit as traffic funneled across the Wailua River bridge. That’s when I pulled out my phone and started texting.  Yes, I drive and text. But, possibly, not for much longer.

Last Friday marked the grand opening of phase II of Ke Ala Hele Makala’e—the path that hugs the coastline. Now, people can walk, run, or ride their bikes some four miles between Lihi Boat Ramp in central Kapa’a and Ahihi Point in Kealia. Another two-and-a-half miles already meanders through Lydgate Park. Phase III will connect these two and, eventually, that path will run north to Anahola and all the way south to Nawiliwili. 

Since these chicks pipped some four-and-a-half months ago, they witnessed double-overhead swells pounding the shore below their bluff, they survived heavy rains that bred mosquitoes and an avian pox that twisted the bills of their breathren, and they celebrated Valentine's Day, my birthday, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and, now, the longest day of the year. But, as you can see, these two chicks are readying for their coming out party. 

I flew to Maui today to attend three days of meetings as part of the 4th Annual Hawaiian Monk Seal & Cetacean Stranding Response Network. At the far northern end of Ka'anapali Beach, we discovered divers launching themselves off the 35-foot rock face at sunset. See that dark speck above the rocks? That's a diver in full arch mode. 

Time. It tends to slip away all too quickly.  What with the invention of fax machines, the creation of FedEx and now the Internet, text messaging, Twitter and Facebook, we like to think our generation somehow cranked the handle of time too tightly and is now watching it unravel at an unprecedented rate. And, yet, how do we explain the aphorism “time flies,” perhaps first known in Latin as the expression tempus fugit? Was the Roman poet Virgil a poor manager of his own time? Or was he making a statement for all the people of his day, and, thereby, making the passage of time a human experience rather than a 21^st century one? 

Ten days after mom left, a team from NOAA tagged our girl. Because the scientists put two tags on her–in case one falls off–her official name is A00/A01. We, however, named her Kaikoa. 

It was overcast and drizzling when I arrived at sunrise. The Hawaiian monk seal mom and pup had hauled out before Lloyd and I showed up. We removed the signs and ropes and walked the long walk to the north end of the beach, where the seals once snuggled alongside a fence we had erected for their protection. They had long since ditched those digs, favoring spots further south along the beach. But we didn’t find them at the north end, either.

Lloyd looked at me. “Do you want to go around the point?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” I answered. 

The wind barely stirred on this day at sunrise, as a rooster strutted and crowed in the bushes at the edge of the beach. I’ve noticed a couple things in the past few days. One, pup is turning grey, especially on her belly. And, two, pup is not happy with mom. 

There are days I’d like to bury my head in the sand: When the phone rings too much. When the computer acts wonky. When my to-do list grows instead of shortens. 

To answer a few questions, we are still betting pup is a female. She won’t be tagged for another couple weeks (after mom weans her) and until then–when scientists get up close and personal with her–we won’t know for sure. At this point, with binoculars and telephoto zoom lenses, we can see her four teats. Like humans, though, males sport teats, too. The real determinant is whether there is a “penile groove.” (I know. I know. But I didn’t name it that.) It’s hard to detect even with binoculars. 

Thirty-five years ago, Chuck and Lili Boerner left Honolulu for remote Kipahulu on East Maui to start a family-run, organic farm at a time when most farmers were selling their land to corporations and moving to town. “It’s actually staggering for us to even comprehend. I hardly remember doing it. You just do it because you love it,” said Lili

When I visit Maui, one of the first places I go is Maui Tacos. Thankfully, my plane touched down today just before lunchtime. After lunch, I traveled down South Kihei Road to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary’s education center. And on to Papawai Scenic Lookout.

So, I am headed back to Maui this weekend, departing tomorrow.  Yes, I have a rental car all reserved.  Let’s hope it’s available when I arrive.

Enjoy this video that we recently posted on OutriggerHawaii.com.  If you watch it all the way through, the last few comments will make you ponder a few things.  At least, they did for me.

So, I went on a whale-watching boat tour the other night and all I got was this picture.  At least, the horizon is somewhat straight.  Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not that we didn’t see whales.  Whales surrounded us on all sides. “Nine o’clock,” someone yelled from one side of the boat as someone on the other side yelled, “Two-thirty.”  We used a clock to spot whales, using the boat’s prow as 12:00.  At one time, we had groups of whales at nine o’clock, two-thirty and six o’clock.  I didn’t know where to look or which side of the boat to run to.

A Hui Ho!

Albatross simply fly too fast for my camera to focus.  So, I get a lot of these kinds of pictures.

We may not get weekends off, but we albatross counters do get Christmas Day off.The serious birders, however, participated in the Audubon Society’s 109^th annual Christmas Bird Count today.  I opted to go snorkeling.

After 11 days, I feel the same way.Caroline Kennedy is running for senator?Hmm.A reporter threw a shoe at President Bush?Really?The University of Hawaii football team was trounced by Notre Dame.Toobad.It’s snowing in Chicago?So.

It’s time to talk about the trash.More specifically, the plastic.
Just about every albatross nest site here on Midway has bits of plastic in it.Albatross use whatever is within reaching distance of their nest to build the home for their egg.In the ironwood forests, I see nests built up with tiny pine cones.In the fields with verbesina, I see nests built up with sticks of the invasive weed.Near the beach, it’s sand.On the side of the runway, it’s tiny bits of gravel.Almost all albatrosses use some amount of plastic to build their nests.

As I stepped out of the shower, I heard a rap at the door and quickly slipped into some clothes. When I opened the door, the threshold stood empty. There was no one there. As I stared at empty space, I heard the sound again. Knock. Knock. Knock. It was an albatross outside my window.

One week down; one week to go.

Today, we biked to the Empire Café and received good news.  (Of course, the fact that it wasn’t raining at the time and the winds had backed off to 20 knots was already good news.)

Still rainy.  Still windy.  Still a whole lotta birds to count.

For some reason, I have taken to the black-footed albatross.  So much so that my crewmate Lindsey knows to let me mark the nest sites that fall on the line between us.

The plane may be child size.  Cellular service may be non-existent.  Internet speed may be the equivalent of dial-up.  But you’ve got to hand it to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge:  The showers are hot, hot, hot. It helps soothe the sore muscles.

Our prop plane touched down at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge under cover of darkness just a couple minutes before 6:00 a.m. local time, nearly 5 hours after we departed Honolulu International Airport.Laysan albatross lined the runway, like spectators at a parade.  It was as if they were awaiting our arrival.

 It was another Friday afternoon at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge when a man asked what kind of bird was perched on Moku’ae’ae Island.
I lifted my binoculars and spied the profile of a seabird with a dark-colored body. My fellow volunteer Lee asked, “What color is it?” “Dark,” I said

Watch a video of Greenwell Coffee Farms on the Big Island.

Nuka’au was born on Laysan Island in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands in 1981 and was brought to the Waikiki Aquarium as a two-year-old.  He’s a big boy.  Or, rather, a big, old man.  He is now nearly 28 years old, and he measures almost 8 feet in length and weighs between 380 and 420 pounds.

This is a white-tailed tropicbird chick. 

When I arrived at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge today, this speckled, little guy (girl?) was sitting on a launch box thinking about what it did wrong the first time it left its nest.  It didn’t quite make it out to sea, but someone found it, thankfully, and gave it a second shot at fledging by placing it here, atop the perfect launch pad overlooking the sea. 

Scientists say some 10,000 humpback whales visit Hawaii each year.  In winter, it’s not unusual to glance at the ocean and see whales frolicking–breaching, spyhopping, pec slapping and lobtailing. Hawaii also has its share of various dolphins–spinner, bottlenose spotted–which are not uncommon to our waters.  What is uncommon in the waters off Hawaii, however, are orcas, also known as killer whales.

 This is what a juvenile Red-footed Booby looks like when it’s about to land on your head.

I wish I could say my morning reminded me of this tranquil pond on Big Island.  Unfortunately, my day started with what felt like a boulder hurled in the middle of a too small bathtub.  It felt like the wind whirled a waterspout directly over my head—and my head only.  Blessedly, with a little help, my day ended with me sitting beside the Kalakaua Summer Cottage in Keauahou and with me feeling just as clear as the house’s reflection in the water.

 The walk to the historic lighthouse at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge takes me about three minutes from the parking lot.  I call out hello to Dolly the Park Ranger at the fee booth (a mere $5 per person or free with a National Parks pass) as I go by. I note the burrows on the hillside where the wedge-tail shearwater chicks are starting to hatch at the back of three-foot tunnels.  I skirt a cliff that freefalls down to a cove where Hawaiian monk seals sometimes bask on smooth volcanic rock, and I follow the sidewalk on a narrow strip of land to the northernmost point in the main Hawaiian Islands.  As I top a slight hill, a panoramic view of the blue Pacific Ocean and a coastline of serpentine cliffs opens before me, just as if someone drew back a pair of heavy theater curtains.