A Big Island Independence Day weekend

Turtle Release Ceremony

If you are lucky enough to be on the Big Island for Independence Day, you may find it difficult to choose between all the amazing things to do on the fourth of July.

If you are in the Hilo area, the town is having a huge celebration on the bayfront called the Hilo Bay Blast on Independence Day.  The day’s finale will be a fireworks display provided by the Lehua Jaycee’s at 8 p.m. from Coconut Island. You can start early on Saturday, July 4th  by participating in "A Salute to Our Veterans" Hilo Bay 5K Run/Walk at Liliuokalani Gardens at 7 a.m..  There will be prizes for age groups for runners and walkers and special prizes for Fastest Male and Female, Most Patriotically Dressed, Best Decorated Wheelchair, Largest Group, Youngest/Oldest, and From Farthest Away. A donation of $25 includes a T-shirt, bag, bib, a chance to win one of 128 prizes and have lots of fun. Proceeds go to the building fund to build a commercial kitchen for VFW Post 3830. After the run, a “Hot Rides Expo” will start at 9 a.m. in the parking lots and soccer field makai of Kamehameha Avenue and will feature hundreds of vintage and modified classic cars. Games, cook-offs, and music will be happening along Hilo's bayfront throughout the day. The Hawaii County Band will perform in the Mo’oheau bandstand at 7 p.m right before the fireworks. Lihiwai Street will be closed throughout the day and Bayfront Highway will be closed from 6 to 10 p.m. Parking will be available at the Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium  and a  free shuttle service will take you to and from the bayfront area from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can call 961-8706 for more information.

If you are on the west side of the Big Island and want to see fireworks, there are two choices.  

 

Waikoloa Beach Resort is having a day-long family-friendly celebration with fireworks. The event starts at Queen’s marketplace at 11 a.m. with live entertainment. During the day there will be carnival games, face painting, balloon sculpting, and Zoo Choo train rides.  At 3 p.m. the 24th Annual Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race will take place at the Kings’ Shops, which is a fund raiser for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii. Adoption certificates for the rubber duckie race will be on sale until 3 p.m. on race day and offer a chance to win over $27,000 in prizes. Individual duckie adoptions are $5 each and Quack Packs are $25 each and include four duckie adoption certificates and one event T-shirt (while supplies last). There will be other festivities at the Kings’ Shops which start at 11 a.m. with a sidewalk sale, entertainment, and activities into the evening. At  4:30 p.m. the gates will open to Waikoloa Bowl at Queens' Gardens for the 4th of July Extravaganza. The free event will include live entertainment by Beyond Paradise and Johnny Shots. Bring a beach chair or blanket and enjoy a fun evening of music under the stars. Fireworks begin at 8 p.m.. This is a non-alcohol, non-smoking, and drug free event. 

 

In Kona, the 20^th Annual Kailua-Kona Independence Day Parade will start at 6 p.m. at the Kekuaokalani Gym/Pool Complex.  The parade will proceed along Kuakini Highway to Palani Road, Alii Drive and end near Walua Road, just past Coconut Grove Marketplace. A fireworks show over Kailua Bay will start at 8 p.m.. 

 

Volcano Village will have a fourth of July parade and celebration starting a 9 a.m. at the Volcano Post Office and proceed along Old Volcano Road to Cooper Community Center on Wright Road.  The parade will feature the Hawaii County Band, floats, antique cars, fire engines, bicycles, horses, and animals in costume.  A Silent Auction Benefit will be held at Cooper Center from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m..  There is something for everyone at this event and the proceeds benefit the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Music, games, food booths, a craft fair, and prizes will take place during the day in Volcano Village.  You can call 967-7800 for more information.

 

If you are looking for something more unique, you may find Turtle Independence Day at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel a perfect activity for the day.  Every year on July 4^th, three and four year old turtles raised at the hotel are released into the ocean with big fanfare.  The beach in front of the hotel is gorgeous and everything is a celebration of the turtle.  The event will start at 10:30 a.m. and go until noon.  

 

A different sort of celebration takes place every year at Parker Ranch in Waimea at the Annual 4^th Rodeo and Horse Races from 9 a.m. to noon. Big Island ranchers will participate in races and rodeo events with Parker Ranch cowboys. You will see ribbon mugging, ranch mugging, dally team roping, Po'o Wai U and more. Keiki activities including roping practice and pony rides. There will be lots of food and mementos for sale at the Parker Ranch Store booth. The events will take place at the Parker Ranch Rodeo Arena in Waimea. Tickets are $10 at the gate or available in advance at the Parker Ranch Store in Waimea (at Parker Ranch Square). 


If you want to extend the fun into Sunday, you can take the family to the 2^nd Annual Sumerfest at the Shops at MaunaLani.  On Sunday, July 5th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the shops will host a 100 foot waterslide, games, and activities such as mini Kendama, carnival game booths, and Go Fish for kids. There will be free Billabong flash tattoos, free popcorn, and cotton candy, a balloon artist, a photo booth and more. You can visit specialty food booths such as Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Under the Bodhi Tree Restaurant, Sweet Eatz Gelato Truck, Kona Ice Truck and Cupcakes N Things. There will be music with DJ Ed Geer and fun games with great prizes from the Shops at Mauna Lani!  The event is free to the public. 

Even with so many events to choose from, our favorite activity is to go to the beach and enjoy the sun and surf. Happy Independence Day!!

Booming Hawaii Island - the off season that never came

It has been a strange Spring on the Big Island. Usually by this time of year it is very warm, the tourists are gone, and the residents that live full time on the island have the beaches and roads to themselves. This year the weather has been unusually cool, far cooler than it was this winter, and the tourists never left.  The island is the most crowded we have seen at this time of year.  The Mauna Kea Hotel is having a job fair this weekend, which is very surprising for this time of year.

In addition, new home construction seems to be booming on the island. On a drive to Kona yesterday, there was bumper to bumper traffic both directions with about half of the traffic construction trucks and  construction workers. Everywhere we look we see huge new projects being started. We are also seeing a lot  of older, presumably retired couples who appear to be setting up new households on the island. They are in Targets and K-Mart shopping for household supplies instead of souvenirs.

Our best guess is that what we are seeing is the result of lower oil prices which makes a Hawaii vacation more affordable than it has been in years by reducing gasoline expenses and air fares. We may also be seeing the first wave of the 77 million boomers starting to retire this year.

It is an interesting and exciting time ahead for Hawaii Island.

Surging Tourism on Hawaii Island

Hawaii Island tourists on a cruise

Merrie Monarch is over in Hilo and the spring break season has come to an end.  This time of year on Hawaii Island the beaches are mostly empty and the tourists and part-time residents are thinning out;  but not this year.  This year there has been no end to the crowds, traffic, and beaches packed with tourists.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) forecasted a record-setting year of visitor arrivals across Hawaii for 2015. They attribute the increase to more flights to the islands from the US mainland.  Hawaiian Airlines reported that they transported more than 887,000 people to Hawaii in March, a 7% increase from March of last year. HTA reports that visitors to Hawaii are up 8% from the West Coast and 9.8% from the East Coast. 

Usually our condo complex is empty by mid-April. This year it is as crowed as it was at Christmas time.  Every condo has a visiting family, the traffic is the heaviest we have ever seen, and the nearby stores and restaurants are packed.  Though we hear many visitors speaking German, Italian and eastern European languages, most of the visitors are from North America speaking English.  Surprisingly, the large number of Japanese tourists we see this time of year are not here.  Every evening we sit on the crowded beach and watch families, primarily from the US, throwing balls, snorkeling, running, playing in the sand, and enjoying the beach with seemingly endless energy. 

Having a huge surge of visitors is a boon to Hawaii Island.  The island has limited job opportunities and an improvement in the tourist industry on the island would not only provide more jobs but hopefully increase pay for the mostly minimum wage service workers.  On the other hand, the hotels, restaurants, and tour companies are not staffed for the current demand.   We are seeing overwhelmed workers having a difficult time keeping their cool with endless lines of impatient people wanting to get on with their vacations.

If visitors to Hawaii Island have a great time, they will likely return.  Hawaii Island is less densely populated per square mile than Oahu, Maui, and Kauai with average home prices 50% lower.  Returning visitors could ultimately increase island real estate prices which have taken a big dive since 2008 and improve the island economy.  

Balmy arctic winter in Hawaii

Snow covered Mauna Kea

It has been a chilly winter on Hawaii Island this year.  It may be hard to believe that 61 degrees F is incredibly cold to us, but compared to our normal morning lows of 74 degrees, waking up in a room 13 degrees colder is quite a surprise.  On Oahu, temperatures in the 50’s were the coldest recorded in 122 years and far below the comfort level for those of us used to endless warm days.  Kauai and Maui have also broken temperature records in the 50’s this winter.

We have been bundling up in jackets for our chilly morning walks.  Visitors wearing shorts and tank tops give us funny looks as they walk by.  Mornings are the only time of day they are not overheated.   

 

View from Mauna Kea of the ocean below

Last year we had our warmest winter in Hawaii; most days the temperatures did not get below 81 degrees at night and it was over 100 degrees on our porch during the day in January.  This year is completely different with temperatures barely climbing to the mid-80’s during the heat of the day.

The cooler weather hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm for sitting on the beach to enjoy the ocean spray.  The whales have already arrived in Hawaii for the winter and we have seen them breaching.  It is unique to sit on the beach under palm trees and look up at snow covered Mauna Kea Volcano towering over us.   Where else in the world can you do that? 

Why Christmas is so special to us in Hawaii

The first Christmas I celebrated in Hawaii was in the 1960's when I was in grade school.  I remember vividly how wonderful it was to be warm, feel the sun on my skin, be outside without a coat, and swim in the ocean. I do not remember any gifts that year.  My Christmas gift was being in Hawaii.

When we came to Hawaii for Christmas vacation as adults, we enjoyed the decorations and all the fun events planned for the season by the hotels.  We made an effort to decorate a tree and string lights in our hotel room.  But our big Christmas gift was being in Hawaii where we spent the days in the sun and met people from all over the world enjoying the season.

We have always loved the Christmas season and the commercialization of the holiday has not lessened our joy of celebrating the birth of Christ.  Living in Hawaii, Christmas is more about fun and celebration and less about stuff.  We still enjoy the colorful decorations around town and Christmas tree displays at the hotels.   And seeing the happy, expectant faces of Christmas visitors arriving to the island brings back wonderful memories of our vacations. 

How a Clock Changed Hawaii

Harrison's H4 in National
Maritime Museum Greenwich

We sometimes wonder why it took ships from the west so long to find the Hawaiian Islands. European ships had reached China in 1517, hundreds of years before Captain Cook found the remote islands in 1778. Some of the mystery was solved for us when we recently learned about how John Harrison’s clock assisted Captain Cook.

Longitude is an entertaining  movie about John Harrison who invented the marine chronometer in the late 1700’s. At the time latitude (the distance of a ship north and south of the equator) could be determined from the sun or stars using a sexton, however, there was no method to determine the ship’s longitude (the east – west location) in the ocean.  Ships navigated by following the coastline, which worked when exploring Africa and Asia, but was not helpful when crossing the Atlantic to the Americas or crossing the Pacific Ocean.

So many ships were lost at sea or destroyed by crashing into reefs, that in 1714, the British Parliament offered a huge prize to anyone who could find a method to accurately determine a ship’s longitude.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England was the reference longitude of zero degrees, called the Prime Meridian. The sun moves west from the Prime Meridian at a rate of 15 degrees each hour. If the time in Greenwich is known at exactly noon on a ship at sea (measured using a sextant to determine the exact moment that the sun reaches its highest point in the sky) the number of degrees of longitude the sun has crossed from the Prime Meridian to the ship can be calculated and the navigator can determine the ship’s longitude.  The problem is easily solved by having a clock on board the ship with Greenwich Time, however, in the 1700’s no clock existed that could keep accurate time over a long period or deal with temperature changes and a ship’s movement.

John Harrison was a carpenter and clock maker.  Before starting on the longitude challenge, he had already made several inventions that improved clocks including the "gridiron pendulum", which kept clocks from losing or gaining time due to temperature changes  and the "grasshopper" escapement which was a device for the step-by-step release of a clock's driving power which required no oiling. 

Harrison started working on a marine clock in 1730 in hopes of winning the prize.  “Longitude”, based on the book, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel, tells the fascinating story of John Harrison and his son who spent decades working on perfecting a marine chronometer and proving it at sea.  Harrison’s first creation, called H1, was a monstrosity weighing almost 100 pounds.  In 1759 he finished his fourth version, called H4, which was a complete redesign and the size of a large pocket watch.  Harrison was eventually awarded the prize by the British Parliament in 1773 and recognized for having solved the Longitude problem.

In 1772, when Captain Cook sailed from England on his second voyage he had aboard a replica of Harrison’s H4 chronometer made by Larcum Kendall called the K1. Cook was able to navigate the Pacific Ocean using the K1 and discovered new islands including New Caledonia.  Cook was a superstar on his return to England in 1775 receiving honors, appointments and a promotion.  The K1 clock was exceptionally accurate during the entire voyage and Cook referred to the watch as  “...our faithful guide through all the vicissitudes of climates”.

John Harrison died in 1776, the same year Cook left for his third voyage to explore the Pacific.  On that voyage, in January 1778, Cook found the Hawaiian Islands where he met his demise.  When the ships returned to England, their report made the Hawaiian Islands and its longitude in the middle of the Pacific Ocean known to the rest of the world.

Having an accurate pocket watch, invented by Harrison, on board may have been partially or even completely responsible for Cook finding Hawaii.  It certainly allowed all the other Captains to navigate to the islands after learning the location. 

It makes us wonder what small inventions are in the works today that may alter our world in ways we may not be able to grasp.

More on Hawaii Sunlight and Health

The biggest attractions of living in Hawaii for us are the bright sunlight and warmth which uplift our spirits and take away our aches and pains. Since Hawaii is south of the Tropic of Cancer and the southernmost location in the US, it gets more direct sunlight and electromagnetic radiation than anywhere in the United States. Exposure to sunlight, both the visible and ultraviolet components, has been found to improve health, happiness, and lower the chances of getting many diseases.

After spending time in Hawaii’s sun, aches and joint pains begin to subside.  Every winter, we talk to visitors and part time residents from cold latitudes blissfully bathing in the sunlight excitedly showing us the movement in their previously immobile joints and pointing to places that use to hurt.

Regular exposure to sunlight has been shown to reduce the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.  A study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that women with the highest levels of sunlight exposure were 21% less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those with the least exposure.  This research agrees with other studies that have linked subjects’ location and their risk of rheumatoid arthritis as well as other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and multiple sclerosis.  More exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight based on a location’s latitude, altitude and cloud cover is associated with a reduced risk of developing autoimmune diseases.

Just last year, Dr. Han van der Rhee published a review of research on the preventive effects of sunlight on cancer.  His findings were that chronic, not occasional, sun exposure is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  

The eye is very sensitive to the blue color, which is more prevalent in the morning and a delight on walks along the turquoise bays in Hawaii.  Blue light, a component of sunlight, causes the brain to wake up, increases alertness, and boosts concentration.  Researchers at the University of Greenwich showed that blue light made people happier, more alert, and more productive.The blue spectrum declines the most in the winter compared to other components of visible light, but in Hawaii we do not lose the blue spectrum of light in the winter.

Recent research at Harvard Medical School has shown that consistent exposure to ultraviolet light raises levels of beta-endorphin, a natural opiate, in mice.  Previous studies have found that the administration of an opioid blocker produced withdrawal-like symptoms in frequent tanners.  sunlight may be one of the reasons that residents in Hawaii rank as the happiest in the country. 

Every time we are outside under the Hawaiian sun we feel rejuvenated. Now we know why.

Sci-Fi Convention in Paradise

Hawaiicon brought science fiction lovers to the Kohala Coast on Hawaii Island this past weekend.   Unlike conventions we have attended in the past with long lines, unhelpful volunteers, and stuffy conference centers; HawaiiCon was in a spectacular location at the Hapuna Beach Hotel with everyone we saw laughing and talking excitedly.  Adding to the fun was that many attendees dressed as science fiction characters, super heroes, anime characters, and more.  Nearby were stunning views of the ocean with plenty of places to sit and enjoy the ocean breeze.  

HawaiiCon at the Hapuna Beach Hotel

The convention was organized by local residents, GB Hajim a movie writer, director and producer,  Jacqueline Seaquist , Artistic Director and Program Coordinator of the Performing Arts Learning Center at Hilo High School, David Steiner, owner of Hawaii White Mountain LLC coffee company, and Jessica Hall,  a broker with Hawaii Life Real Estate.  They created “the world’s first sci-fi, science, and fantasy tropical vacation convention”.

Busy Front Desk at HawaiiCon

The convention founders partially funded the event by having a very successful Kickstarter campaign last year.   They received almost double the amount of money they requested from 199 science fiction fans from around the world.

Cosplay at HawaiiCon

The three day event featured panels of scientists, sci-fi writers, actors, and artists , workshops, autograph sessions, costume contests, and evening galas.   Visiting actors from Star Trek, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactic, Babylon 5, Game of Thrones, costume designers, graphic novelists, cartoonists, astronomers, writers and producers gave workshops, sat on panel, signed autographs, and tweeted about the fun and sun on Hawaii Island.  The conference combined astronomers from Hawaii Island’s international telescopes into the program with comics, cosplay, and gaming.

We are excited about events like HawaiiCon because they draw people to Hawaii Island who may never otherwise visit.  Once here, they get to experience the uniqueness and beauty of Hawaii Island and all that it has to offer.

We look are already looking forward to the next HawaiiCon science fiction convention from September 10 to 13, 2015.

Forest bathing “Shinrin-Yoku” on Hawaii Island

Forest bathing in Volcano, Hawaii

We love our daily walks through fruit and palm trees and along the coast.  We recently read about Shinrin-Yoku or “forest bathing”, which may explain the rejuvenating effects we get from our walks. When we stroll along tree lined paths, the sights, smells, and sounds drains away our stress and improves our mood.

In 1982, the Forest Agency of Japan started the Shrinrin-Yoku program to encourage people to get into nature to improve their health.  Dr. Yoshifumi Miyazaki of Chiba University found that after walks in the forest people had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol as compared to those after the same walk in a laboratory.  Research showed lower blood pressure and pulse rate in addition to lower levels of cortisol.  Additional studies showed that spending time in a forest reduced psychological stress, depression, and hostility while improving sleep and increasing vigor and liveliness.

Though many of the hikes on Hawaii Island have no trees, there are some great forest trails that we know about if you want to try “forest bathing”.  Below is a list of our favorite forest walks around the island:

Volcano- Within Volcanoes National Park we love the cool, refreshing, forest walk from Kilauea Iki Crater parking lot to Thurston Lava tube parking lot.  Outside the national park gate, the Kipuka Puaulu Bird Park is a loop trail through an old growth forest of koa and ohia trees.  The trailhead is at the end of Mauna Loa Road (off Highway 11) in Volcano.

 

Canopy of trees in Lava Tree State Park

Puna – Lava Tree State Monument, on Highway 132, has a canopy of trees along pathways through the stunning park.

Hilo -  Liliuokalani Gardens on Hilo Bay has trees with grassy expanses along pathways with gorgeous views every direction.  The  sidewalk along Banyan Drive has a canopy of  trees above.  Hilo’s Zoo, on Stainback Drive,  is away from the crowds with tree lined paths and colorful flowers. 

Honomu - Akaka Falls State Park has a nature walk with trees and waterfalls, perfect for a forest walk. 

Trails through the forest in the Bond Estate, North Kohala

North Kohala – Near Hawi, the 54 acre Bond Estate on Iole Road has hiking trails through lush forests, perfect for meditative walks. 

Paths in Waimea Nature Park

Waimea - Ulu La`au, which means “garden of trees” is a 10 acre park in central Waimea (Kamuela), a place to bathe in the forest.

Puako Petroglyph Trail under Kiawe trees

South Kohala - The path within the Puako Petroglyph Reserve (accessible from Holoholokai Beach Park) meanders through a forest of Kiawe (Mesquite) trees.  

Kailua-Kona - The Walua Trail is a wonderful place to escape from Kona’s traffic and walk among the trees and foliage. The trailhead for Walua begins at Lako Street (off Highway 11) just below the Kona Vista Subdivision.

Let us know your favorite place for “Forest Bathing” on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Sun Halo in Hawaii

Overcast Kohala Coast

We have been having usual weather on the southern Kohala coast of Hawaii Island.  The normal desert climate has been overcast with high humidity.  Usually the rain clouds are blocked by the massive Mauna Kea Volcano and the trade winds keep the humidity low and the evening temperatures cool. Remnants of tropical storm Fausto, that made it to Hawaii from Baja California, are being blamed for the hot, humid, rainy weather in Hawaii early this week. 

This past Sunday we were surprised to see a rainbow halo around the sun.  A circular rainbow, or halo, is an optical phenomenon that forms around the sun when the sunlight is refracted in ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.

Sun Halo on Kohala Coast

The light cast off by the rainbow halo made the landscape seem surreal and dreamlike.  Since we consider rainbows a sign of good things to come, we consider this giant circular rainbow an especially good sign.

Sun halos have historically predicted rainy weather and the island has been getting a lot, particularly on the east side. On Monday (July 14), while we were dazzled by the sun halo, Hilo had a record rainfall of 4.34 inches which broke their old record set in 1991 of 1.89 inches that day.

A new low pressure system southeast of the island is moving towards Hilo and bringing more showers.  We will be on the lookout for more rainbows.

Shark at Kona Pier

 Swim Lane off Kailua Pier in Kona

We have been swimming from the Kona pier for over a decade and never seen a shark. We have seen sharks while snorkeling in Maui and encountered them in the Caribbean, but never in Kona.   So we  were surprised to see a shark in shallow water directly under the swim lane while snorkeling toward the King Buoy with friends last week.

Shark under swim lane near Kailua Pier in Kona

In our other shark encounters, the sharks were in deep water if stationary or they were moving and gone quickly.  Swimming above a stationary shark in shallow water was different and very unnerving.

Bait ball next to Kailua Pier in Kona

We continued on our snorkel and followed our friends to an immense bait ball nearby.  A bait ball is a tightly packed formation of fish.  It is often spherical shaped, but in this case it was a massive, long rectangle of fish.  Some sources say these formations last only a few minutes, but the frequent bait balls near the pier in Kona remain intact a long time.  Some claim that bait balls are a defensive maneuver of small fish.   Perhaps the nearby shark had just finished a huge meal.

Bill ("dolphin-man") swimming through the bait ball

We swam further out to see if we could get to a pod of dolphins swimming near a half dozen tour boats in the bay. The dolphins had left by the time we got there.  

Dolphin tour Boats in Kailua Bay across from Royal Kona Resort

But we made it to the 1500 meter swim buoy.

Buoy marking swim route in Kailua Bay, Kona

We were hoping the shark would be gone by the time we swam back and after a  quick look around there was no sign of the  shark.  Relieved, we slowed down and rested a bit by treading water.  Our friends were distracted with something under us, so we put back on our masks to check it out.  

Shark underfoot in Kona

Directly below our feet was the shark lying on the sand.   “SWIM!”  We all made it back to the pier very quickly.  Though many of the swimmers were talking about the shark on the pier, most were not worried and jumped right in.

Our friends were convinced the shark was just sleeping or sick.  Whatever brought the shark to our swimming lane, we can no longer say that we have never seen a shark in Kailua Bay.

Iodine and the Ocean in Hawaii

We have always been drawn to the ocean and mesmerized by the crashing waves.  Living in Hawaii, we look forward to our daily walks along the Kohala Coast; after the walk, we sit close to the crashing waves and feel invigorated and revitalized as the salty mist covers our bodies and fills our lungs.  Our recent research into iodine has given us new insight into our addiction to ocean surf.  The ocean’s mist contains iodine, which affects the body’s metabolism (which the thyroid gland located in your neck controls). A shortage of iodine causes cold feet, hair loss, constipation, depression, dry skin, fatigue, poor memory, throat pain, muscle weakness, cysts, and worse in adults. In babies and children, iodine deficiency is catastrophic to the brain’s development.

In his book Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, Dr. David Brownstein, claims up to 40% of Americans have thyroid disease from lack of iodine, which every cell, muscle, and organ in the body depends upon.  A minimum amount of iodine was added to table salt to prevent goiter (the swelling of the thyroid) and mental retardation in babies.  However, iodine deficiencies in the US population has been increasing dramatically with low-salt diets and the use of bromine (in flour and soft drinks) and fluorine (in toothpaste and drinking water) which both block iodine absorption in the body.

In 1829, a French physician Jean Lugol discovered that a solution of potassium iodide and iodine treated infections and numerous other ailments.  Different tissues and glands in the body require iodide or iodine or both, for example, the thyroid needs iodide (which was the form added to salt to prevent goiter) whereas the breast and prostate glands require iodine.  "Lugol's Solution" was a major breakthrough in the medical world and widely prescribed by physicians before being replaced by prescription drugs.  The use of iodine to treat breast cancer dates back to 1896.  It has been known for 5 decades that low iodine levels result in cysts and ultimately cancer in the breasts, ovaries, uterus, and prostate where iodine is concentrated.  Iodine is also required by the gastrointestinal tract, salivary glands, bones, and body fluids.  Without sufficient iodide, the thyroid won’t stimulate the mitochondria to produce energy (ATP) and muscle soreness, fatigue, and brain fog takes over.

Our discovery about iodine explains why we feel so wonderful after our daily pilgrimage to the Kohala Coast.   The ocean is unique in that it has both iodine and iodide in the mist, both of which are needed by the body and are absorbed by the skin. There are lots of ideal places under coconut trees further from the surf,  but our favorite place is out on a point where the waves crash around us. Though we are getting iodine and iodide from the ocean, seafood, and even local grass-fed beef, we have found new levels of energy and concentration since starting supplements of J.CROW'S® Lugol's Solution of Iodine 2%.

Best Hawaii Island Guides on the Kindle

       

Two new Kindle books,Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation West Side: A Guide for Visiting Kona and Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii and Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation East Side: A Guide for Visiting Hilo, Volcano, Kau, and Puna on the Big Island of Hawaii have been published on Amazon.

We think these new Hawaii Island guides are the best ever, although we might be a little biased since we wrote them.  The content is from the travel guide: Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation: A Guide for Visiting the Big Island of Hawaii; which was divided into two volumes to focus on each side of the island.

The Kindle versions of the travel guide have been enhanced from the paperback.  Since there is no cost for printing pages there are many more photographs of each location and since there is no cost for ink the photographs are all in color.

The Kindles have the benefit of being downloaded when you need them, like when your cruise ship arrives or during a drive around the island.  The Kindle travel guides describe the sites near the cruise ship ports and many side trips on island drives.  Links to websites for more information are included in the guide, another benefit of the Kindle format.  A Resource section with shopping, activities, and events is also in each Kindle book. 

Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation East Side Kindle covers Hilo, Puna, Volcano, Kau, the Hamakua Coast and Mauna Kea summit.  Maps, driving directions, photographs, and descriptions allow you to plan a trip in advance and use it as a resource during a trip.   Hilo is described in a driving guide and downtown walking tour that takes you to unique businesses, colorful parks, tropical gardens, waterfalls, museums, and historic sites.  Volcanoes National Park and nearby sites are described in detail to allow you to decide how much of the park you have time to see.   A driving guide through the remote coastline of Puna and unique sites in the largest and least populated district of Kau are included.  Sites along the Hamakua Coast are described as well as directions to the international telescopes on Mauna Kea.  If you are considering a visit to East Hawaii Island for a day or longer, this Kindle will guide you to all the amazing places to see.

Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation West Side Kindle covers North and South Kona, North and South Kohala and Waimea.  It has driving tours of Kailua-Kona, Kona Coffee Plantations, and the historic bays in South Kona.  It covers the many sites along the Akoni Pule Highway in North Kohala and Waimea town.  Maps, driving directions, photographs, and descriptions help you find hidden beaches and historic sites in Kona and Kohala.  Beaches and delightful spots hidden along the South Kohala coastline, dotted with luxury resorts, and North Kona are included.  A detailed walking tour of Kailua-Kona showcases the history and beauty of the town.  

We hope these new Kindle travel guides help visitors and residents investigate all the amazing places on the Island. Check them out on Amazon’s  “Look Inside” or borrow them for free through Amazon’s lending library. 

Merrie Monarch 2014

Merrie Monarch week in Hilo, Hawaii started on Easter Sunday with the Ho'olaule'a (music festival) held in Hilo's Civic Auditorium.  Presentations of dance and music were made by local hula haluas, Hawaii Community College, and local Charter schools.  The Ho'olaule'a is always a delight and we look forward to seeing the kupuna and keiki dance accompanied by great musicians every year.  This year hundreds of visitors from Japan filled the auditorium and participated with the local halaus.  Here are Videos of the Ho'olaule'a presentations on April 20. 

Easter Hula in Hilo Hawaii

Free music performances and hula demonstrations are held daily during the week at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and the Hawaii Naniloa Volcanoes Resort.  A Hawaiian Crafts fair takes place from Wednesday through Saturday in the Civic Auditorium.   ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center has events during the week, as well as the Prince Kuhio Plaza Mall which is hosting hula and music performances in their center court every afternoon.  This year a lei competition is taking place with the winners displayed at the Wailoa Arts and Cultural Center.

The Ho’ike on Wednesday night is free for those willing to stand in line to get seats in the Edith Kanaka'ole stadium.  The Ho’ike has local halaus performing, with two groups from Japan, and a dance company from New Zealand.  

 

Edith Kanaka'ole stadium in Hilo

If you don’t have tickets for the main events, the Miss Aloha Hula competition, Thursday night, and the two group hula competitions, Friday and Saturday night, you can still watch live on K5 TV or over the internet.

On Saturday morning, a royal parade winds through downtown Hilo at 10:30 AM.  The last event of the week is Saturday evening, the group ‘Auana Hula.

Here is a Merrie Monarch performance and TV schedule.

The Ideal Time to Visit Hawaii Island

Empty Beach on Hawaii Island during off-season

We have never been able to convince people that the best time to visit Hawaii Island is during off-season. They prefer to come between January to March to escape the cold weather on the mainland.  They come to soak up some sun and thaw out and end up frustrated with the crowds and high prices.

High Season in Hawaii is December 15^th to April 15^th when it is the most crowded and the most expensive.  There is a second mini-high season during the summer, from June 15^th to August 30^th, when families visit with their children during summer break.

There are two off-season periods on Hawaii Island.  The first is from April 15^th to June 15^th and the second is September 1^st to December 15^th.  During these times, the beaches are empty and the weather is fantastic.

 

Empty hotel pool during off-season on Hawaii Island

Most of the off-season months are during summer, which is from May to October in Hawaii.  During the summer the ocean warms up to about 80 degrees and is usually calmer, better for snorkeling.  It is less rainy on most parts of the island and the temperature on average is a comfortable 85 degrees.  There are more hours of sunlight in the summer for sightseeing, swimming, and lying on the beach. The roads have less traffic, the prices are lower, and there are more places to stay. 

Summer is our favorite time in Hawaii. We take long walks in the evening and then jump into the warm ocean to cool off and float around.  On occasion we have rented a room next to one of the many great beaches on the island to take advantage of low summer rates.  There are empty tables at the restaurants, empty hotel pools, and the beaches are deserted during our morning walks.  In the evening, Hawaiian songs draw us to the bar where we are alone, enjoying the music as the sun sets.  Paradise.

Read more about the amazing things to see and do in: Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation: A Guide for Visiting the Big Island of Hawaii.

Why we wrote “Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation” Guide

A couple of years ago we started on a travel book for Hawaii Island: Your Ideal Hawaii Vacation.  We wanted to tell visitors about the island’s rich history and guide them to the all amazing places we have visited.  We were frustrated that most island guides leave out large areas of the island and they dedicate much of the content to paid activities and out-of-date ratings for hotel rooms  and restaurants.  Hawaii Island deserves a travel guide similar to the ones we used when touring countries in Europe.  They had detailed descriptions of places with stories of the people and events that made the sites important and meaningful.

We set out to write an island guide that covered all the places we love that are easily accessible by a regular car.  We ruled out many sites that other guides include that direct visitors to hike through overgrown jungles, walk multiple miles to remote beaches with no cell service, and jump off ocean cliffs or into river lava tubes.  We started with the places we knew about around the island and found many more that we did not know about.  We visited each site to provide an accurate description, verify our car could make it, get detailed driving directions, and take photographs.  While researching the people and events that shaped the history of the island, we found multiple versions of many of the events, so we used original sources where ever possible.  We drew maps and created guided driving and walking tours.  Halfway through the project, we realized there were at least twice as many places than we originally planned that absolutely had to be included in the guide.

We read the diaries of Lucy Thurston, who lived in Kailua-Kona in 1820, and William Ellis, who walked  around the island in 1823.  We read the reports of investigators assessing the infrastructure and historic sites on the island after Hawaii became a territory in the early 1900’s.   We read Frank Godfrey’s 1899 tour guide of Hilo, “the Queen’s City”  and Yasuo Goto’s history of Kona’s Coffee.   Reading about the Kings, Queens, Chiefs, and Chiefesses of Hawaii Island and about the early explorers, missionaries, ranchers, and plantations owners gave us a new dimension to the places on the island.  We drove to the lava fields where historic battles were fought that shaped the history of Hawaii.  We looked for the old heiaus (temples) where Ellis mentioned that he saw them on his walk in 1823.  (How could we have missed the massive stone heiau towering above Punaluu Black Sand Beach; we have visited that beach at least 50 times and never noticed.)  We went to the Buddhist temple visited by the Dalai Lama; we investigated the ghosts reported in MacKenzie Park; we marveled at the old Kapoho lava flow’s abrupt stop just a few inches from the Cape Kumukahi lighthouse; and we found the church with paintings of Saint Damien.  We identified the sacred rocks: Maui’s Canoe in Wailuku River, Mookuna rock under Rainbow Falls, Pohaku o Pele (Pele’s Rock) at the bottom of Akaka Falls, and Kamehameha’s Rock on the way to Pololu Valley.   The more we looked, the more we realized how much there is to know about this extraordinary island.

Our hope is that Your Ideal Hawaii Island Vacation helps visitors enjoy all the island has to offer and that the stories and legends give a deeper appreciation of Hawaii’s history and people. 

Check out the contents in “Look Inside”.   If you read some or all of it,  let us know what you think.