About Jamie A
In addition to writing and taking photos during her trips, Jamie loves to find hidden gems, cheap eats, and kitschy Americana attractions. She hails from Oil City, Pennsylvania, went to college in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, studied abroad in Norwich, England, and moved to Boston in May of 2007. She also enjoys writing poetry and lyric essays, reading lots of books, being a foodie, listening to girl group tunes from the 1960s, crafting, and dinner parties with her friends.
Blog posts written by Jamie A
April 7th, 2008 by jamie a
Nightlife in Hawaii Photo uploaded by
The best way to experience a new place and culture is to listen to the amazing stories of the locals. In Hawaii, residents are extremely passionate about their homes, praising the land, the sea, and everything in between that makes them love living there. I stumbled upon a trove of wonderful accounts of the islands on GoHawaii.com called .
Instead of simply text, the website features videos of everything from swimming with manta rays in Kona and surfing with the Waikiki Beach Boys to walking on one of the world’s most active volcanoes and the history of Pearl Harbor. The videos are narrated by friendly and engaging storytellers that’ll make you want to drop everything and head straight to Hawaii.
I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I did! Let us know if you’ve got a story of your own to tell, and if you do, be sure and submit it to their site.
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
March 26th, 2008 by jamie a
Maui’s Waves Photo uploaded by
If you’re not a seasoned surfer or a certified beach bum, it can be difficult to determine when it’s safe to head out into the waves.
Good thing there’s the Hawaii Lifeguard Association to help you out! They’re created , watches, and anything else to be cautious of before you head out to the beach. From wind, waves, and those pesky jellyfish, they’ve got the spectrum covered. Since you should also always swim with a lifeguard present, they also provide this for your safety.
Here’s to your family’s fun and safety!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
March 12th, 2008 by jamie a
Maui Sunset Photo uploaded by
Sunsets always seem to be more beautiful in person than they are in the photos we get developed after the event. However, Budget Travel has a great article that’s bound to produce better results to make your friends and family feel like they were there too!
Entitled the article offers tips for making your photos of memorable sunsets as great as they were in person. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or an amateur photographer, the article outlines everything from resolution settings to elements of a great composition.
Do you have any photography tips for traveling to Hawaii? We’d love to hear where you think visitors should go to obtain the best sunset photographs. Leave us a comment!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
February 8th, 2008 by jamie a
Support your local brewery by heading over to the to see their new additions!
Fellow bloggers over at the published an article about the company, letting us know that they’ve added two 100-barrel tanks and new equipment to the facility. There’s a great demand for their brews and they’re prepared to give the public what they want.
The interesting fact about the equipment is that they purchased it from the now closed Maui Land & Pineapple cannery, which used to can local pineapple. They take great pride in their 100% Hawaiian brews and hope you’ll come and give them a try!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
February 1st, 2008 by jamie a
Guitar on the Beach Photo uploaded by
The , Hawaiian guitarist, teaming up with Hoku Zuttermeister, guitarist and falsetto singer, and guitarist Barry Kimokeo. The three will present a show of traditional Hawaiian favorites mixed with new blends of exciting tunes on February 2nd at 7:30 pm.
They aim to bridge the past, present, and future of Hawaiian music and love to share this goal with their audiences. The show will be held at the McCoy Studio Theatre, with tickets available .
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
January 28th, 2008 by jamie a
The Four Seasons Resort in Maui Photo uploaded by
recently published the a listing of the ‘best places to stay in the world, selected by the readers of Conde Nest Traveler.’
in Maui scored a 99.4 and was named best for activities, best for design, and best for location. It was the top-scoring property in the United States, providing a contemporary Hawaiian design with a new art collection added in 2007, plus the culinary delights of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant.
This is the resort’s third appearance on the Gold List, as it was also featured on the 2005 and 2006 listings.
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
January 25th, 2008 by jamie a
A Nene, Hawaii’s State Bird Photo uploaded by
If you’re a birdwatcher, Maui is an excellent place to give your binoculars and curiosity a workout! From the mountains to golf courses, Hawaiian birds can be spotted just about everywhere.
You’ll most likely stumble upon an , soaring above the beach. Whether it be a Laysan, Black-Footed, or Short-Tailed, they’ll be gliding effortlessly through the air with their whistle-like voice.
If you’re traveling to Kilauea Point, you may be lucky enough to see a , diving into the water to catch fish and squid. These birds are hard to spot, so it might be best to bring binoculars. There’s also the Masked , the Red-Footed Booby, and the Brown Booby which also plunge into the water to catch their lunch.
You’ll see birds uncommon to tropical climates like the and , who had the same idea as you by jetting off to the islands for the winter months!
While in the country, try and spot a , the state bird of Hawaii. This medium-sized goose likes to hang around golf courses, grasslands, and lowlands. Its caw is much like the Canada Goose or the ‘moo’ of a cow, surprisingly, so you’ll probably hear one before you see it.
Finally, there’s the , a tiny bright scarlet bird with a salmon-colored curled beak. Its feathers were commonly used in featherwork and it was also sung about in many ancient chants, making the bird a legend of the islands.
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
January 21st, 2008 by jamie a
Chocolate Covered Strawberries Photo uploaded by
Looking to impress your very special someone this Valentine’s Day? Why not attempt making them a box of chocolates this year?
At , you can take an where you’ll learn about the chemistry of chocolate, how to prepare a classic ganache, and how to make hand-dipped and decorated Valentine’s Day truffles. You’ll also learn the art of the chocolate-dipped strawberry.
Each student will take home a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates at the end of the class and a light lunch will be served.
The class takes place on Saturday, February 9 from 10 am to 3 pm. The class is limited to 12 participants, so to reserve your spot, be sure and purchase it early!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
January 14th, 2008 by jamie a
Flower photo uploaded by
One of the things that makes Hawaii so distinctive compared to the rest of the United States is its strikingly colorful plant life. Especially when trekking off to the islands from a gray winter back home, be sure to savor the lush foliage that surrounds you in Hawaii.
One of Hawaii’s most beloved flowers is the , the state flower of the islands. In colors of white, yellow, orange, or red and endless combinations, you don’t have to search very much to find these blossoms. Hawaiians love to use these flowers as a part of their local landscapes.
There’s also plentiful amounts of , out of which Hawaii has created an industry. In endless arrays of color combinations, many Hawaiians collect orchids and possess many rare varieties.
If you’ve never seen a , Hawaii also cultivates these beauties for creating stunning landscapes. With vibrant red, pink, white, purple, and yellows, ginger plants are another Hawaiian treasure. For example Shell Ginger is called ‘Awapuhi-’luheluhe,’ which means “dropping ginger,” and describes how the plant blooms and then spills downward.
And last, but not least, are the flowering vines of the islands. There’s the variety, which encompass many unusual blossoms and provide fruit juice. There are also many varieties of the , , and the glory bush, which all cover the trees and the land with beautiful color and texture.
Be sure and bring your camera for all your jaunts out to see the flora and fauna of Hawaii, as I’m sure you’ll find inspiration in all the colors and varieties of plant life.
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
January 10th, 2008 by jamie a
Maui Sunset
Photo uploaded by
The Honolulu Advertiser recently announced that in a survey completed by .
Maui was named the fourth domestic destination by 507 surveyed travel agents, only after Las Vegas and Orlando, while the third spot was awarded to Honolulu and the ninth to Kaua’i.
Join the trend and pick up a or a and rate the islands for yourself. If you’ve got ideas about your own top 10 travel destinations, we’d love to hear your list in a comment!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
