April 2008 archive
Shocking news out today. Aloha Air, which had recently shuttered its passenger operations, on April 29 closed down its profitable air cargo operations after no buyer would bite (no surprise -- the Airline Pilots Association had threatened to strike). Aloha…
Microsoft is sponsoring this blog which, in turn, underwrote my recent trip to Maui with my son. Thank's, Microsoft and when you see this icon, you are seeing a post on the go. I am on Maui for three…
Another Microsoft Mobile Post, this time from Downtown Kaimuki. When you see the Microsoft icon, you know I'm posted on the go. I'm biased on this one. SuperPho is a hole-in-the-wall eatery located five minutes from my house in…
Kailua is often touted as the ultimate scenic day-trip from Waikiki, a lovely beach town with stunning endless sands, no (well, one) high rises, lots of bike paths, windsurfing, bird sanctuaries -- you get the picture. Too bad that Kailua…
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The Valley Isle has the dubious distinction of the highest gas prices in the country and the first place regularly eclipsing the $4 mark. Kauai is following right there behind them. Gas in Hawaii has always been pricey and its…
Kokua Festival -- perhaps the least-known, best music festival in the country. Best of all, you can take surf breaks between (musical) sets -- the Waikiki Shell was a five minute walk from big surf during the 2008 fest.…
My friend John Heckathorn, editor of Hawaii Magazine, dropped a bombshell culinary scoop in his Sunday Honolulu Star-Bulletin gossip column when he disclosed that Chef Jon Matsubara and Pastry Chef Mark Okumura had left Stage Restaurant. When it opened to…
Amidst a plethora of locally-made (or locally named) beauty products, Pure Hapa is among the standouts. Of course, the brand new pretty package helps quite a bit. Company describes itself as "a skincare line crafted from the purest Hawaiian botanicals…
Here's to hoping that the recent spike in ticket prices to and from Hawaii brought about after two of the major carriers, Aloha and ATA, crashed and burned, is a temporary phenom. SmarterTravel peers into its crystal ball and finds…
I'm back with another Microsoft Mobile post, coming at you from Fort DeRussy in Waikiki. When you see the Microsoft Mobile logo, you know I'm posting on the go. I am actually posting from a coffee shop right next…
First Aloha Airlines goes belly up, leaving travelers in a lurch and decimating the interisland market. Now it looks as if go!, the upstart that shut down Aloha with low, low fares and a nasty fare war, could be circling…
Michael Rooks, the curator of European and American art at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, is a hands-on kind of curator. He gets his gloved hands dirty alongside the museum's installation experts hanging paintings, moving sculptures and choosing colors. In…
Kilauea Volcano has gone from tourist attraction to major hazard. While the shield volcano has been erupting for decades, that eruption recently changed form to create voluminous noxious sulfur gas, explosions and hot plumes of smoke. All this is happening…
Posting from the Nuuanu Gallery at Marks Garage. This post is sponsored by Microsoft. When you see the Microsoft Mobile logo, you know I'm posting on the go. Or something like that. So, back to the subject matter at…
I've blogged about the new bar at the Sheraton Waikiki, Rum Fire. It's a very literal place. You drunk rum. You sit next to fire pits. Got it? Very sleek, very chic. But don't take my word for it. The…
I'm blogging live from Sandy Beach, Oahu, a stunning little crescent usually pummeled by massive shore break (enough to make it dangerous) on the Southeast corner of this island. This post is sponsored Microsoft as part of its Mobile…
Belated food roundup. Honolulu Mag goes to Goran Streng's new smart and nicely priced joint, Tango.. Honolulu Weekly goes to Big Island for review of quasi-mex resto Pau (as in Pow!). On my plate does a Wailuku brekkie roundup of…
What they don't mention in the release, however, is price. It's not what you think you should pay to fly to Hawaii. It's what the market will bear. Methinks that bankruptcies of carriers can mean one of two things. Either…
These five handsome men are the AV Club of Honolulu, an art collective that has been doing interactive performance art events since 2006. And three of them are part of the great staff at the Academy Art Center at Linekona.…
I'd hate to be a travel agent with a large Hawaii client list today. As if the Aloha Airlines shutdown didn't cause enough chaos, the ATA closure comes right on its heels -- and was equally abrupt. Heck, the airline…
Lotsa fallout from the sudden closure of Aloha Airlines. Experts are saying interisland airfares will likely rise. No doubt, considering that roughly 25-30% of the carrying capacity inventory has been ripped off the market. I managed to book a trip…
Here's a taste for the hula fans. This is footage of Halau I Ka Wekiu (Kahiko Kane), Merrie Monarch 2007, a first-place performance. The contest starts later this week. Catch all the footage streaming on KITV .…
A live Microsoft Mobile Post post coming at you. Microsoft is graciously sponsoring Hawaiirama in exchange for some relevant posts (none of which are about software). So I am blogging at you from Kapahulu, sitting on the bench outside…
The Maui News brings good tidings of the spectacular Kula Forest Preserve, a pristine swatch of land in Upcountry Maui on the slopes of Haleakala. The Preserve has been closed after horrific fires destroyed trees and trails and floods ravaged…
