A taste of the Islands

Several years ago my family visited four of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the big island of Hawaii and spent 21 days visiting the four main islands.Before you go, study about each island and make a list of all things you want to see and rent a car. Driving on each island is a breeze and it is the only way to see the sights. Our absolute favorite was Maui, and Kauai ran a close second. The hulas, luaus and lei-giving were all reflections of the way they celebrate joy, beauty, love and happiness. This is their spirit. The islands had spectacular natural beauty and views, historic sights of interest, great dining and wonderful accommodations.The Hawaiian Islands consist of 122 islands. The music, flowers and scenery were very relaxing and we enjoyed sunrise and sunsets over the ocean each day and enjoyed each island, but each island is very different. What a treat to see the pineapple fields, macadamia nut farms and mango fruit orchards while visiting there.The Polynesian Culture Center on Oahu was a great educational experience and so much fun. We visited the simulated homes of many different cultures of the Pacific area, talked with the natives and enjoyed their music in the most beautiful settings you can imagine. After spending the whole day there, we were treated to a luau and great Hawaiian dancing and music. This experience was number one for the whole trip. Of course you can't miss Honolulu, Diamond Head, the International outdoor market and Pearl Harbor on Oahu and the awesome Waikiki beach. In Honolulu the government building with the statue of King Kamehameha was simply beautiful and was actually the background office building for Jack Lord, in his detective series, "Hawaii Five-O." We visited the grounds of the Morman Tabernacle and since we were not Morman we were unable to go inside for a tour. Being a Methodist just didn't cut it. However, we did go in a side room and viewed a video explaining their faith and were shown photos of the interior of the building. Different areas of the island were famous for the best surfing and snorkeling. When on the beach there was a feeling of freedom and relaxation and surfers were everywhere.The big island of Hawaii was my least favorite, probably because I did not feel it was as beautiful as the others. There were several churches with lovely interiors painted by the local artists and many beautiful orchids growing wild along the side of the road. There were a couple of botanical gardens worth visiting and this was a good way to see the variety of native flowers and other native growth. We visited a rain forest and that was interesting along with a coffee farm near Kona. The well known "Painted Church" along the Kona Coast was beautiful. Close to Kona was the City of Refuge and it was of great interest to all tourists. I was surprised at the number of cattle ranches on the island but the terrain was perfect for the farms. Of course the big island is known for the volcanoes to visit and we did just that. I was not comfortable walking on cracks in the pavement with steam from the volcano coming up around my feet.Then on to Kauai and the Waimea Canyon. The canyon was beautiful and so colorful. We also drove up a dead-end road to the Na Pali Beach where "South Pacific" was filmed as was "King Kong" and "Jurassic Park." This island is now much more inhabited and has several hotels that were not there when we visited.
Last, but certainly not least is Maui. Maui is known for the road to Hana, beautiful waterfalls, the Seven Pools, burial site of Charles Lindberg and the Lao Needle with oriental gardens. There is so much to see on the island but the trip and time to go to Hana is a must "trip." You need plenty of gas, food and drink. It is a long drive but worth it. Lahania is a fishing village on Maui with the world's largest Banyan tree. Many local artists were set up under the tree painting water colors. The limbs were so large and old that they had wooden props under them for support. You can actually walk under the limbs. There were a few little restaurants and shops to visit in the village. Many go to Maui for parasailing, snorkeling or swimming with the dolphins.Now for the food sampled on the islands, I think you will enjoy trying some new dishes which were great. Foods were varied because there are so many different cuisines. Hawaii is such a melting pot of cultures from around the world. The cuisines include influences of Hawaiian, Samoan, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and even Portuguese. If you love pineapple, macadamia nuts, coconut, pork and mango fruit, you are in for a real treat. At any luau one might find a mixture of foods from several cultures and of course Mai Tais and Pina Coladas are the favorite drink of the island.