Local media is reporting that Barack Obama took his family to Magic Island today for a dip and some sun. This is a pretty nice urban beach, also called Ala Moana Beach Park. Formerly overrun by homeless (the park, not…

The latest issue of Honolulu Magazine is out and its a good one. The editors cover 18 fun outdoor adventures (mainly on Oahu but some Outer Island) including a couple I had never even heard of, such as rock climbing…

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…

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…

Family crashed as the Kahala for a 4-night stay two weeks ago and got lucky enough to snag one of the newly renovated rooms at the classic resort which had been struggling of late, according to many online posters. A…

After a Honolulu Advertiser article trumpeted breakfast at the Diamond Head Market & Grill on Monsarrat (the place does make really killer high-end plate lunch fare), I took the missus and kids down for some pancakes on a recent weekend,…

Alas, it won't be a full-fledged Polynesia-themed Magic Kingdom but Walt Disney unveiled plans for a new resort on Oahu's West Side in the up and coming Ko Olina Resort district. Disney has apparently purchased 21 acres of oceanfront property…

The Outrigger Reef on the Beach has undergone a lot of renovations in the past year. True, it's still a box on the beach and hardly an architectural marvel. But the Outrigger chain has done a nice job of renovating…

The Honolulu Advertiser includes in its Living in Paradise publication a list of four nice beginner hikes on Oahu. I heartily concur with the selection -- three of the four are easy as can be and one of them the…

The Polynesian tattoo thing has been all the rage in the islands for quite a time now. Some California surfers have also adopted the style, with killer triangular patterns and primitive images of sea critters and flowers. Not that you…

Just got a good question in from Dr. S in our comments. I get asked this question a lot. So here's the answer, Dr. S. "We are coming to oahu in oct with 4 kids (7 mos, 3 yr, 6…

I am not sure if this is a really good idea or a horrible idea. Do you really want your child to see you bend that super pricey Big Bertha around a tree? For families with the max zen factor,…

T&L taps Malia Boyd (I know both her and her husband, Stewart Yerton) for its semi-annual Oahu roundup. Malia talks to local promoter Tim Bostock and his wife for a local perspective. They provide some nice tips of places a…

Waikiki on a rainy day with small children can be, well, a total frigging nightmare. Take away the beach, the ocean, the Honolulu Zoo and the park and there simply is not enough there for kids to do. You can…

This modest cataract is perhaps the most touted in the Hawaiian Islands -- or at least the most trafficked. I've seen far too many guidebooks and travel journalists in for their one-week Hawaii flings do the 1.5 mile mosquito-laden roundtrip…

This little park is a hidden gem tucked away from the rest of Kailua on the northern reaches of the vast Kailua Beach. How is it different than Kailua Beach Park and Lanikai? It's a little less crowded, for starters.…

One of the great things about Honolulu is that from virtually any place in the city you are only 15 to 20 minutes away from a relatively pristine, uncrowded hiking trail or spot of breathtaking scenic beauty. Witness Waahila Ridge…

Dr. Beach, Stephen Leatherman, has picked this stretch of lovely pinkish sand as America's Best. Lanikai is a gem but one with a growing list of caveats. First, among all the great Hawaii beaches, Lanikai may have suffered the…

On a recent day out surfing at Chun's on Oahu's North Shore, I looked back at the beach and thought -- holy cow! That's actually a great little beach. You can't really see much of the beach from the road…

A few posts back I asked readers of Hawaiirama to tell me where they liked to go hiking with their keiki. This was one of my first stabs at interactivity, supposedly a strength of blogs. Lo, I got one response…

The Ko'olina Resort area is, like Waikiki, a man-made wonder. So be it. The resort's four swimming lagoons, which are open to the public like all Hawaii beaches, are marvelous. Calm and clear with a fringing reef, sandy bottoms and…

In 1989, Roy Yamaguchi opened his flagship eatery in Hawaii Kai, then a solidly middle-class newish neighborhood in East Honolulu. Roy was from California and so was his restaurant. It had a big display kitchen with flashy flames and pots…

I am standing ankle-deep in turquoise water that's washing over a shoreline reef I'm doing something I have never done before: petting a cucumber. A black sea cucumber, to be exact, held by Mark Heckman, an educator at the Waikiki…

The biggest light display in the islands is thrown up by the elves at Honolulu Hale, seat of the City and County of Honolulu. It's an impressive display including trains sets, a crech, a santa flashing a shaka sign, and,…

We drove out to Wahiawa this Christmas to get our tree because we decided we wanted a Norfolk pine in a pot. Throwing away dead Christmas trees made my wife sad. Also, we had read plenty about imported Christmas trees…

Pros: This property is 10-minutes away from Waikiki and set on its own beach which is rarely crowded and very calm. This is the closest you'll come to a true resort on Oahu's South Shore. The service is, in general,…

After years in the making, the Pacific Aviation Museum opens its doors in two weeks. The museum will be chock full of goodies for history and World War II bufffs. If you like the National Air and Space Museum in…

Pros: The Hilton sits on a stretch of rather nice beach, one of the widest in Waikiki. While its rarely empty, this beach tends to feel less crowded than the other primary Waikiki beaches. There is a great swimming channel…

Anyone who’s been stuck at home on a rainy day with an antsy toddler knows what a wonderful, climate-controlled, family-friendly oasis Kahala Mall is. In lieu of the shopping center’s usual Toddler Time activities, there’s a whole slate of children’s…

I've written about Bellows Beach in past posts. It's one of our favorite in all the islands and is seriously underappreciated by the travel press. Which is actually fine -- more beach for those willing to make the drive.…

Here's the latests in our series of beach lists from John Clark, the noted Hawaii beach expert and all around beach nut, will be feeding us his extremely informed take on best beaches around the Aloha State. At any…

Here's the latests in our series of beach lists from John Clark, the noted Hawaii beach expert and all around beach nut, will be feeding us his extremely informed take on best beaches around the Aloha State. At any rate,…

Pros: Like most Hyatt properties, this hotel is extremely clean and well maintained. Service is strong. Rooms comfortable. The pool deck is a great place to hang out and watch the waves but avoid the hoi polloi on Kuhio Beach.…

Credit to Hapa Hale for spotting a killer deal at Turtle Bay, $199 per night. Not sure what this exactly buys you in terms of views, but most of the rooms at the resort have an ocean view of…

So I know that far too many of you (estimated crowd: 15,000) are thinking about heading down to Waikiki to check out the open-air season premiere of teevee phenom "Lost" at 7 pm tonite at Kuhio Beach (map). Well, I'm…

I went to the North Shore on Saturday, ostensibly to spend a quiet night in the country with the family unit. It was anything but. The trip started out well enough, with a leisurely lunch at Haleiwa Joes, where the…

Here's the second in this series.. John Clark, the noted Hawaii beach expert and all around beach nut, will be feeding us his extremely informed take on best beaches around the Aloha State. We're breaking them down into all different…

It's almost September and that means time for the annual Aloha Festivals. The biggest cultural festival in Hawaii spanning all the major islands puts on 300-plus events from small-town Hana to big city Honolulu. It started 60 year ago,…

We spent a long afternoon on Bellows Beach in Waimanalo this weekend. It reminded me that this stunning beach is perhaps the most beautiful in the islands. The backdrop is the purple-green Koolau Mountains and the stark cliffs of…

T&L contributing editor Tom Austin puts out an entertaining (albeit somewhat hyperventilated) impression of life on the North Shore of Oahu. Me, I've never met any "Hawaiian hillbillies with welding shops in their garages". But his point about how this…

This kids clothing boutique on the North Shore of Oahu has hip Hawaii-themed togs for toddlers and infants, mostly made or designed by local artisans. Gotta love this little outfit for the aspiring hula dancer in your house. They…

I was cheered to hear that Lyon Arboretum had reopened for tours. I was married there at Inspiration Point. Carved out of the steep hillsides at the back of verdant Manoa Valley, Lyon is supremely peaceful and a plant…

Hiking with junior can be tricky in the islands. Many trails are extremely exposed to the elements or unstable and in dangerously steep terrain. This trail is almost made for kids. It starts in the back of Maunawili Valley,…

* Keahiwai plays the "Ke Kani O Ke Kai Keahiwai" (Sounds of the Ocean) summer family concert series at Waikiki Aquarium. See Hawaiian monk seals, chow down at food booths and groove to fine tunes. Proceeds benefit a new…

Bananas are not just bananas. The varieties have very different sizes and textures. Williams are massive and creamy (you get them in mainland supermarkets). Cavendish is likewise tasty, big and creamy. In Hawaii, we eat and grow a lot…

"And the hula, while not as polished as you might see at the Merrie Monarch in Hilo, is fabulous and from the heart."

For the World War II buffs and aviation geeks, here’s a fabulous Zero. A rare Mitsubishi/Nakajima A6M2-21 Zero warplane will make its final landing at the Pacific Aviation Museum later this year. The museum, which is slated to open…

My son loves the beach but his red hair and incredibly fair skin means he fries even if we put sunscreen on him. Most beaches on the Eastern side of Oahu are pretty much sizling by 8:30 am. In…