A triple delight: cooling trade winds, crystal clear blue sky, and lush rainforest. The pristine Waimea Valley welcomed us with real aloha spirit. Where mountains meet the sea on Oʻahu’s North Shore lies Waimea—often called the Valley of the Priests. In Hawaiian, Waimea means “reddish water,” a reference to the rust-colored stream that flows through the…
I discovered that life in a fishbowl is pretty darn amazing—especially when that bowl is the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii. My snorkeling resumé is modest: maybe a half-dozen dips in the Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas, all launched from a boat offshore. But snorkeling Hanauma Bay from the beach? That’s a…
The number one tourist destination in Hawaii isn’t a beach, a luau, or an active volcano. It’s Pearl Harbor—a U.S. military base and national memorial that honors the seamen, airmen, soldiers, and civilians who lost their lives in one of the most devastating attacks in modern warfare. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the…
(Mellow Wanderer) The Big Kahuna of beaches scores for the second year in a row. Once again, Hawaii comes out on top. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park on Oahu is #1, the best in America, according to Dr. Beach, who is Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University. Dr. Beach issues his…
**UPDATE: WE HAVE A BEST BEACH IN AMERICA WINNER ** (Mellow Wanderer) Memorial Day kicks off the unofficial start of summer with long beach walks, sculpting sand castles, catching waves and slumbering under an umbrella with a steamy summer novel. For the best places to get sand between your toes, just page Dr. Beach. Dr. Stephen…
