First planting of Cacao beans in 1850
Chocolate from Hawaii began with the introduction of cacao beans to Hawaii happened in 1850, when German physician William Hillebrand brought the first plant to Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu.   The first commercial crop of cacao beans was planted in Hilo in the early 1890’s.  World War I brought […]

Planning a Hawaiian vacation? Make sure to include a helicopter flight to your list of things to do. Only from the air will you be able to thoroughly see and experience such things as fiery volcanoes, plunging waterfalls, sheer sea cliffs, spouting whales, and lush rainforests. And you’ll do it in less than 60 minutes.

The Annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count
And, once again, they are looking for volunteers to help with this year’s count.  This effort has been an on-going project since 2002 and helps in determining the overall health of the humpback whale population in the Pacific.  The annual sanctuary ocean count has shown […]

Nani Moon Mead, LLC, is the only producer of tropical honey wines in the state of Hawaii and can be found in Kapa’a, Kauai. Made with locally produced honey and locally grown fruits and without the use of any sulfites or other artificial chemicals, they currently produce five different varieties of honey wine.

Visit one…two…or all of them?
One of the biggest mistake many first-time visitors to the Aloha State make is to try and take in too much of the island experience with too little time.  While on paper, it might seem like you could spend a week and island-hop until you’ve taken in the six major islands, […]

Koloa Plantation Days
If you’re headed to Kauai, you’re in luck, especially if you’re into rodeo activities.  Koloa Plantation Days is a mix of culture, plantation history, sports, recreation, live entertainment, food and fun for the entire family.
Kick off is Friday, July 22nd, with the Plantation Days Rodeo – preliminary roping & American west barrel racing […]

Annual Humpback Whale Count
It is estimated that protection of these endangered animals has allowed the number of wintering humpbacks in Hawaiian waters to increase from an estimated 1000 back in 1978 to an estimated to 10-12,000 currently.  That’s about 50-60% of the estimated total North Pacific Humpback count of 20,000.
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National […]

It seems that there have been more shark sightings recently than is normal.   On Sunday, April 29, a 10-12 foot Tiger-shark sighting  a couple hundred yards off shore caused the closing of Ala Moana Beach until Monday morning.  Yes, Ala Moana!  Keep in mind, “a couple of hundred yards” would put the shark “outside” of […]