The Grande Dame of Waikiki

She’s the grande dame of Waikiki Beach. The Moana Surfrider Hotel opened its doors as The Moana Hotel in 1901. It boasted old colonial style architecture and Hawaiian elegance to a burgeoning tourist onslaught. Over the years tower additions, restorations and amenity upgrades have enhanced a modern experience, but the colonial charm was preserved. It…

Magnificent Nature

Hilo, Hawaii The rainy side of the Island of Hawaii is green, vibrant, lush and well, to state the obvious, wet. In the coarse of a one-hour RoadTrip from our hotel, we navigated through fern-laden grottos, tree-canopied roads, brilliantly colored botanicals, moss-covered bridges and three powerful waterfalls. Imagine the roar and mist from water plunging 442…

Hula in Hilo

Hilo, Hawaii Revelers celebrate hula dancing annually at the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. The festival is named for King David Kalakaua, known as the “Merrie Monarch,” who ruled the Hawaiian kingdom in the late 1800s. He was an advocate of Hawaiian culture, especially music and dance. Protestant missionaries, who ventured to the Hawaiian islands…