Hawaii geocaches

Filed Under Geocaching in Hawaii | Leave a Comment

Get out there and get caching people! Hawaii has the best scenery in the world, perfect for caching and exploring. Here’s some caches for you to check out!

Prickly’s Brother!

Motorcycle Hill

Live Healthy, Hawaii

Where’s George

For those uninitiated in the geocaching world, it’s not just in Hawaii, it’s in your neighborhood too! You’d be surprised how many caches you pass in a day! Click here to learn more.

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

Filed Under Hawaii Activities | 6 Comments

I plan people’s Hawaii itineraries for a living and it amazes me how many people do not want to go to a botanical garden. I’m sure there are people who live there who haven’t been to one either. Most people think going to a botanical garden is boring or has the stigma of being “snooty.” Of the 7 million visitors that go to the islands every year, very few have ever step foot in a formal garden setting. People who visit come from very different climates and should be willing to be exposed to the beautiful and unique flora of Hawaii and it certainly has a lot to offer!

I admit, when my old boss told me I had to go to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden while on the Big Island, I smiled politely and thought “I’m not going there.” But as we were heading into Hilo from Akaka Falls, we decided to go for it and am I glad we did! Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (HTBG) is tucked away on what the guidebooks call the “four mile scenic drive” or old Mamalahoa Highway 8 1/2 miles north of Hilo on Onomea Bay. This garden really is unique and beautiful because it was hand cleared and built with love. Dan J. Lutkenhouse and his wife Pauline discovered the 17 acre patch of land in 1977 while on vacation. They bought it, sold their business in San Francisco and moved to the Big Island to hand cultivate and clear this beautiful site, established it as a non-profit so that the land would never be developed. He hand picked the sites for all of the beautiful flowers, fruit trees and stumbled upon the amazing waterfall pictured above.

They do tell you in the beginning that the very steep ramp that goes down into the valley to the trails may not be for everyone depending on their physical fitness. That being said, the hubby and I aren’t of the supermodel physique and made it down and more importantly back up just fine. They have little benches along the way so you can rest if you’d like and honestly the benches are in relaxing little nooks that invite you to sit and just take it all in. But for us, the treasures inside were worth the trip up and down the 500 foot or so ramp. If you think you may need golf cart assistance up and down the ramp, you can pay $5. The photo ops there are so bountiful you could get a new, beautiful view from every step. From things like fruit trees with monstrous hanging jackfruit that look like spiked beehives to these tiny little dwarf pineapples, you realize just how much the islands offer for food. If you’re from the mainland, you’ll see fruits you definitely won’t see in your “big box” grocery stores. You can seek out Asian markets and you may be able to come across some fruits like rambutans, durian, jackfruit and more.

Click below to read more!

Visit the Carnival of Aloha!

Filed Under Hawaii Resources | Leave a Comment

Make sure you stop by Homespun Honolulu’s blog for their Carnival of Aloha! Hawaii bloggers unite to take you on a journey via their various blog entries. True Aloha is a contributor along with many other great Hawaii blogs so stop on by!

Green Tip of the Day

Filed Under Going Green | Leave a Comment

Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy, and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions. If you don’t know the correct tire pressure for your vehicle, you can find it listed on the door to the glove compartment or on the driver’s-side door pillar.

Saving our environment is everyone’s responsibility. What will your legacy be?

« go back