Open your heart to Hawaii’s homeless animals

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When my husband and I went on our honeymoon in 1996, one of the stops we made on Kauai was to the Kauai Humane Society. It was in an old rickety building by Salt Pond Park but it had character and sadly was full of sweet furry faces. We have a dog, Aisha, that we were missing terribly and needed our “fur fix” while we were away from her. We took pictures of many of the dogs in there from excited adult dogs to pooped sleeping pups and they’re some of the best memories from our honeymoon. Of course we always remember the reluctant ones. The ones who were obviously abused and afraid of people…afraid to trust. We made a modest contribution of $25 on our way out since we couldn’t afford much being newlyweds but for our donation we got a keychain and magnet…both of which are in use to this day. We decided then that we would always visit a humane society no matter what island we ended up on.

Since then, we have visited every humane society on every island and have taken pictures and video of a lot of animals. People sometimes ask me why I take pictures of the animals in there because some look so sad and it seems depressing. For me, it’s a way to remember them and remember the hope I had for all of them as I walked from cage to cage. Each dog had a reaction whether it was an excited wag of the tail and feverishly licking your fingers to cowering in the corner and not sure if they wanted to approach you or not. Many would look at the picture of this sweetie and think of how sad she looks. I remember it was right after I said “whose a good girl? Are you a good baby?” and she thumped her tail on the ground and put her ears back for me to scratch behind them as if saying “yes lady…I AM a good girl…and I just want a home.” It breaks my heart because I can’t scoop them all up in my arms and take them to some big farm where they can all run free without the threat of their time running out. A place where they know they are loved even if they don’t have all of the attention. I’d give anything to be able to do that.

There are a lot of Pit bulls, Rotties and oddly enough Airedales in the islands. What always cracks me up is how you’ll get a little dog in and they’ll guess and say it’s a “chihuahua mix.” Many of these dogs look NOTHING like chihuahuas no matter how cross bred they were! *laughing* Hawaii’s pit bulls have some of the most aloha spirit of any dogs I’ve seen there. Take for instance this sweetie, her name is Darlin’. Darlin’ wanted nothing more than attention, to give kisses and scratches behind the ear. Any time I’d try to walk away she’d howl in protest until I came back to give her the love she so desperately wanted. I’d like to think Darlin’ is now getting regular belly rubs and smooches from the owner smart enough to adopt this bundle of fur. We now set aside a few hundred dollars specifically to donate to the humane societies each year to give back for all of the joy their temporary residents have given us over the years.

If you think you need to live in Hawaii to adopt one of these beautiful babies, you don’t. All you need is a love for animals, an adoption fee and a carrier to get them home in and you’ve got the perfect Hawaii souvenir that keeps giving aloha everyday. People do it all the time. Even celebs such as Mike Myers and Lisa Marie Presley have adopted animals from the Humane Societies on vacation. (Lisa Marie actually has Myspace pages for her 2 cats, Splotch and Finious!)

If you’d like to check out the local humane societies, see the links below:

Maui Humane Society

Hawaii Island Humane Society

Kauai Humane Society

Oahu Humane Society

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden

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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!

Polipoli Springs Park on Maui to reopen Saturday

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Locals and visitors will be able to enjoy the serenity that is Polipoli Springs Park on Maui Saturday. Polipoli Park, in the Kula Forest Reserve, suffered a devastating loss between January 23 and February 5, 2007 when over 2.300 acres burned. This beautiful park is a real surprise on tropical Maui as it is primarily redwood trees and gives a very California vibe. It’s very secluded and there are a lot of trails to take you through the beautiful forest. You can look out over parts of Maui and find yourself in or above the clouds. If you’ve never been there, you should definitely put it on your to do list. I don’t know how different it looks now that many of the redwoods have fallen but it’s a truly special place that I’m sure will mean just as much to you as it does to us.

Click here for maps to the Polipoli Springs area.

Lava Tree State Monument

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Lava Tree State Monument preserves the site where a lava flow burned through an ohia forest in 1790. The lava that flowed quickly from Kilauea Volcano’s east rift zone surrounded the trees and cooled forming molds of the burned tree trunks inside. There’s a 0.7 loop trail that will take you through the formations in the forest. There are 17 acres of preserved forest here. If you go on the hike, the ground is uneven so wear decent shoes and/or watch your step. To get there: Go south on Highway 130 out of Pahoa. Then turn east on Highway 132. The Park is 2 1/2 miles down this highway on the left. This place is unbelieveably green and should definitely be put on your stop when in the Puna district just to get an appreciation of both destruction and rebirth. There are restrooms and picnic facilities available. (Geocachers: Yes there’s a cache here the last I checked) Lots of interesting information available there about the forming of the lava molds as well as their ongoing battle with the coqui frog. This little frog is not native to Hawaii and has become a real nuisance. Visitors from the midwest may liken them to crickets…until there’s an army of them. Then good luck trying to sleep!

Now as you’ve looked at the resulting molds in the pictures you’ve seen in this post, the same thing may have crossed your mind that crossed my mind when I saw them. Would it be wrong to admit that we stopped at this park specifically to get dirty pictures? Yes, I was 31 years old and it’s highly immature for a gal that age to be posing suggestively next to these pieces of history but come on…LOOK AT THEM! I heard collective giggles with every person who went up to them but no one else had the 12 year old mentality to pose the way we did with them. What can I say, it’s mandatory to grow older but not to grow up. Guilty as charged!

Will Pele determine the future re-development of Kalapana?

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Volcano goddess Pele is at it again this past weekend, amping up activity at the new eruption site. According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s 7/28 volcano status report,

“The 7/21 eruption has resumed its earlier vigor and is feeding flows advancing to the northeast and southeast. Fissure segment B has been active at several different locations and has been alternating in style between 2 m dome fountains, spattering, and quiet effusion. The focus of activity seems to have moved slightly eastward on the fissure segment overnight and a new flow is advancing slowly to the southeast. Fissure segment D was dominant in activity and fed a 100 m wide channel that was moving lava toward a 200 m wide `a`a flow front. The flow has advanced more than 1 km to the northeast across predominantly Kupaianaha (1986-1992) lava flows. Vent areas are hazardous and conditions can change rapidly.” An update posted 7/29 said, “Fissure segment D was again dominant in activity and fed a 100 m wide channel directed north then northeast. The flow front has advanced another 1 km to the northeast across predominantly Kupaianaha and Pu`u `O`o (1983-1986) lava flows. At about 1 am, the flow reached a moderate-sized kipuka that started burning.” (A kipuka is a small patch of forest)

If you look at the map of the current activity you can see both the July 21st and 25th flows are heading southeast. If it continues its current path and makes it to the ocean, it would likely affect Royal Gardens subdivision which is no stranger to the power of the fickle volcano. March 2, 1983, lava destroyed its first house in Royal Gardens and has revisited and skirted the subdivision many times. Access to the subdivision is covered by lava and is only for the hearty hikers or some use dirt bikes. There is no water or utilities that are hooked up in this area. Some property owners who are trying to get rid of their lava covered pieces of paradise may have trouble selling if people are keeping track of Pele’s recent moves. $9,000 for over an acre in paradise sounds too good to be true and in this case, it may be given the frequent visits by the glowing ooze over the years. Others may be willing to roll the dice.

Rub elbows with Hawaii’s gourmet chefs!

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Whether you are looking to have one of Hawaii’s finest chefs cook for you in a private dinner or take a class taught by your favorite chef, you can make your culinary dreams come true with Gourmet Cooking Hawaii. Famous local chefs like Sam Choy, Alan Wong, Bev Gannon, Peter Merriman, Michael Imada, Chai Chaowasaree, Elmer Guzman and George Mavrothalassitis are available for your public or private event.

They have culinary events that you can participate in for prices varying from $130 to $185 per person. (Prices subject to change) For that price you can expect a 3-hour experience with one of Hawaii’s celebrity chefs, expert wine tips from a sommelier, signed picture of celebrity chef, Certificate of Completion and gourmet gift bag! Obviously private events are more expensive and you can contact them for a quote and chef availability.

If you have the means, I highly suggest this experience but I’m biased because I know one of the chefs. This is a very unique and fun opportunity and just think of the points you’d score with the spouse for surprising them with this one of a kind encounter while in Hawaii!

New lava flows at Kilauea Volcano

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It’s not unusual to hear of Kilauea Volcano lava flows because it’s been erupting continuously since January 1983. However, when a lava flow opens up in a new area, then it makes the news. Over the weekend, a fissure opened up just east of Pu’u O’o vent. While this fissure is only producing spatterings a few feet in the air in comparison to the fountains in the beginning of the eruption in the 80’s a few hundred feet in the air, it’s still an exciting thing to hear about. Pele, the volcano goddess, is always keeping the people of the Big Island on their toes.

This picture was taken in 2001 outside of park grounds when the lava was flowing closer to Royal Gardens.

I don’t encourage you to take shots or adventures in lava hunting outside of park grounds as it is not regularly patrolled and if you get into trouble you’ve only got yourself to save your bacon. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park goes to great lengths to safely get you close to the action. Before going to the park, you might want to read up on Viewing Lava Safely. This pdf is a great resource and should be printed off if you plan on making a trip to see the volcano in person.

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