The first time we went to Hawaii in 2009 for a business trip, we were sorely disappointed by what we found. Having lived in a place like Alaska for many years prior, we had assumed that Hawaii would similarly have a bit of a “last frontier” character, boasting of family owned businesses and rich Hawaiian culture. What we found was quite the opposite. The Waikiki strip was overrun with big-name resorts and high-end stores like Coach,...

I admit, I’ve always had a love affair with pineapple. Growing up I had never had fresh pineapple (that’s what growing up in the Midwest will do to you), but I loved my canned Dole pineapple. I would open a can of crushed pineapple and freeze it in a Tupperware. Then, each morning I would hack away at it with a fork for breakfast. Totally weird—I know. So, I was really excited when we were offered an opportunity to visit the Dole...

We were fortunate enough to be hosted by the Waikiki Aquarium for a family visit last week! The Aquarium is located down Kalakaua Ave, next to a beautiful beach park. There is parking available on that Avenue, or the Aquarium also has limited free parking available for a time limit of 1 hour. You can see the Aquarium in 1 hour, so this is a fantastic option if you’re driving! At the entrance a photographer will take your family photo...

Well, sort of. Sorry for the long stretch of time. I guess that’s why I began blogging when I was still in Hawaii…because I assumed that I would not get around to blogging about the trip very quickly AFTERWARDS. So, our stay in Hawaii was 14 days long. 7 nights of that were spent in a tent, 2 nights in the car, and 5 nights in cheaps hotels/hostels.I would say it was definitely more of a work trip than a pleasure trip. We made...

On Day #9, we woke up at 6am, packed up the tent (7 days of camping!) and flew to the Big Island (the actual island named “Hawaii”). We visted some businesses, and did some sight-seeing. Some of the names in Hawaii make me laugh… And other signs keep me smiling… Cool tree in Hilo The PeePee Falls, I think… ...

On Day #8 we drove the Road to Hana, clearly the best thing you could do in Maui. If you’ve come to Maui and haven’t driven the Road to Hana…you’re a fool! A cool looking chapel somewhere along the road… The road is full of small 1-way bridges built into the mountain side… We stopped at a black-pebble/sand beach with lava tubes, etc. Instead of driving the 3-hour “Road to Hana” back the...