Results tagged “Hawaii” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Could Hawaii's idyllic beaches soon be gone forever? According to the Associated Press, "geologists say more than 70 percent of Kauai's beaches are eroding" and Oahu has lost almost a quarter of its shoreline. The devastation is occurring throughout the Hawaiian island chain and is a huge blow to a state whose largest employer is tourism--raking in $11.4 billion annually.  Even worse, if this continues it would mean the destruction of many already endangered and threatened animals' habitats.

So, what's caused this and what's being done to stop it? Chip Fletcher, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii, believes the current erosion was caused by a variety of factors, including a steady historic climb in sea levels that likely dates back to the 19th century, storms, and human actions such as the construction of seawalls, jetties, and the dredging of stream mouths. But experts also warn that a more rapid rise in sea levels caused by global warming will have an effect in the next few decades, causing shorelines in Hawaii and elsewhere to erode much more quickly.

National Geographic Expeditions Marketing Manager Sarah Muenzenmayer shares tips on planning a Hawaii trip that's budget-friendly and full of local color.

As avid travelers in our early 30s, my husband and I like to plan trips that will challenge us--language barriers and exploring foreign cultures are the aspects of travel we find both adventurous and memorable. But with the hubby currently in grad school, we wanted a trip that was slightly easier to plan, not to mention easy on the wallet. Drawn to Hawaii's natural beauty, we decided to skip the resorts and instead to camp along the spectacular coastline. Here are a few tips on how we kept our trip to the Big Island and Kauai challenging, and kept the total cost pretty darn low.

Traveler and Photo District News are currently hosting our annual World in Focus Photo Contest, and this year we're letting readers preview the submissions and vote for their favorites. Each week, we're putting a new batch of images up on our website. Here's today's pic:

This photo, "Before The Dance," was taken by Gina Carnazzo. She writes, "These young dancers were preparing to perform 'Sophisticated Hula' and were using the window as a mirror. I happened to walk past and saw this shot. Sheer serendipity."

Think your own photo brings the world into focus? Submit your entries now for a chance to win a trip to Tanzania, camera gear, and other prizes. But hurry! The extended deadline is September 8.

After reading an article in this weekend's New York Times about Utah's unique Pastrami Burger, National Geographic writer Catherine L. Barker blogged about her own reporting on obscure regional foods a few years ago, when she discovered such local favorites as the Kringle, a round, flaky pastry in Racine, Wisconsin, or Livermush, a North Carolina delicacy that is exactly what it sounds like. It she also learned how passionate people are about their local tastes:

Early in my reporting I realized that people become strangely emotional when they are asked about their favorite foods. It's as if Moon Pie or a conch fritter acts as the proverbial Madeleine, sparking a rush of memories--and a growling stomach. Some of my sources became defensive, some got excited; pretty much all of them were nostalgic. I spoke to one woman in Hawaii about Spam Musubi, a sort of sushi made with Spam, for at least an hour. Did you know that there's a festival dedicated to this canned pork product every year in Waikiki? That's devotion! And a bartender from Nevada was so enthusiastic about Picon Punch, he mailed me everything I needed to mix the potent drink beloved by many of the west's Basque émigrés. Some North Carolina residents waxed poetic in emails they sent me about livermush, a culinary mishmash of pig parts and cornmeal. I thought it sounded pretty revolting, and I spoke with other Southerners who agreed. From California to Connecticut, everyone I talked to had an opinion about their local food, and where to find the best of it.

Catherine is gathering more regional dishes over at NG Blog Central. Go share your favorites with her there. And check out the entire "United Tastes" series from the Times here.

Photo: A Kringle pastry, via NG Blog Central

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

From Chicago I flew to Hawaii, and before popping over to Honolulu to pursue a story that connects Abraham Lincoln to Oahu, I set out to find a little-known grave in Maui, just south of Hana. Buried here is one of the most famous (and infamous, to some) Americans--and yet his final resting place could hardly be more remote.

The far-flung burial spot receives only a trickle of visitors, and seasonal flooding and mud slides can make the site totally inaccessible. Fortunately only a light rain was falling the morning I went there, and the drive along the Hana Highway was one of the most exhilarating I've ever taken. Never before have I seen such diverse landscape on a single road, from lush, dense forests one moment to dry and rocky terrain the next. The (barely) two-lane highway curves so sharply that I often felt as if I were driving through the twisting exit ramp of an endless underground parking garage. Countless myna birds casually hopped between the double yellow dividing lines, seemingly oblivious to the constant stream of cars rushing past. (The occasional clump of smashed feathers in the middle of the road however were proof that some had been a bit too cavalier.)

A woman dips her toes in the sand of Hanalei Bay, the top beach on Dr. Beach's annual list.

With Memorial Day behind us (I do believe the smell of barbecue is still lingering in my nostrils) it's officially the start of beach season in the U.S., and the perfect time to check out the annual list of top ten beaches tallied by Dr. Beach (aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research).

Dr. Beach judges the beaches using 50 criteria, including water and sand quality, safety, facility availability and environmental management. And ranking number one this year was Hawaii's Hanalei Bay, on the island of Kauai. The two-mile crescent of white-sand beach is lined with palm trees and waterfalls, and has stayed off big developers, much to the relief of tourists and locals alike. Located on the island's North Shore, it's secluded, surrounded by 4,000-foot peaks, and the bay allows for safe swimming during the summer months. I visited the beach while in Kauai two summers ago, and have to agree with Dr. Beach that it's truly idyllic.

Not that you have to travel as far as Hawaii to find a great patch of sand. This list is well rounded, featuring beaches on both the east and west coasts, including two on Long Island (where I'm from, so I can attest to their charms).

You can check out the full list after the jump, and see a slideshow of each beach at National Geographic News. Want more beach tips? Be sure to check out NG's Green Guide Summer planner for great ideas on a smart and eco-savvy summer.

Aloha, city-lovers! Today's city is sunny Honolulu, and it comes to us courtesy of Malia Yoshioka.

Want to see your hometown on IT? Copy and paste our list of fill-in-the-blank questions into an e-mail, fill in your answers, and send your responses to IntelligentTravel@ngs.org. And if you're still waiting for us to feature yours, fear not! We're attempting to post them as fast as we can (include photos and links!).

Honolulu is My City

The first place I take a visitor from out of town is to the Pali Lookout.

When I crave the best Greek food on the island I always grab a bottle of wine (BYOB!) and head to The Olive Tree Cafe.

To escape on the weekends I head to the north shore via the windward side--such a beautiful drive!

If I want to the world's best shrimp scampi, I go to Giovanni's Original White Shrimp Truck in Kahuku.

For complete quiet, I can hide away at a meditation/yoga retreat in Manoa.

If you come to my city, get your picture taken with the beach boys down in Waikiki.

If you have to order one thing off the menu from Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas it has to be the Chilean sea bass--to die for!

Late last night, President-elect Barack Obama officially arrived in Washington. He and his family are staying at the Hay-Adams Hotel for the time being before moving into the White House, in order to get the first daughters settled and started in school. Several papers have reported that the Obamas are anticipating their transition to Washington with a mix of excitement and nerves, so we at Traveler decided to do our best to help them get settled in D.C.

The Obama family spent a portion of their Christmas vacation in Hawaii, and, as the Washington Post reported this weekend, much of Obama's character is influenced by his Hawaiian upbringing. So Associate Editor Amy Alipio dug up the best ways to find a little aloha in Washington. From grabbing a plate lunch at Makakoa Enterprises to taking a hula class at the Joy of Motion dance studio, we've got a list of eateries, events, and opportunities that will help them make them feel at home.

For more tips on making the most of Washington D.C., be sure to check out our travel guide to the District's best offerings for the inauguration. 

Photo: Timothy Schenck/Istockphoto.com