Maui culture
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 19th, 2008 by susan j
Maui sunset photo uploaded by
This weekend, March 21-23, 2008, the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui hosts the 16th annual . This year’s theme is “Ka Mana Leo,” which means power of the voice. The theme ties into the festival’s hands-on approach to Hawaiian arts and culture, which features lectures from elders, performances by students, and renowned Hawaiian storytellers. .
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 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 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 7th, 2008 by jamie a
Ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro
Photo uploaded by
is one of the world’s top ukulele musicians. He believes that the ukulele is an “…untapped source of music with unlimited potential.” He plays everything from jazz to rock and blues on the 4-stringed instrument.
To catch his local performance, head over to the on Thursday, January 12th at 7:30 pm when Jake plays with the . This performance will include Jake’s favorites as well as new collaborations with the Pops, which should surely provide something for everyone!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
January 3rd, 2008 by jamie a
On Thursday, January 10th at 7:30 pm, will be making a stop at the Castle Theater on their Hawaiian tour.
The New Jersey based blues guitarist will be opening the shows. After the opening, Commander Cody will bring his fantastic group onstage to showcase their “American-roots” style music. Commander Cody (George Frayne) will be on piano, as always, with his bandmates on drums, vocals, bass, and pedal steel guitar. The band’s been around since being conceived in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1968, but made their true mark in San Francisco in 1969.
You may remember their runaway hit of 1972, “Hot Rod Lincoln,” which they’ll hopefully play for the crowd. For tickets, here’s a link to the for the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
December 6th, 2007 by susan j
Sunset in Lahaina
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Though Maui is known for its sunny climate and gorgeous beaches, there is more to the island than sun and surfing. In fact, (pronounced lah-HIGH-nah) was once the capital of Hawai’i and still maintains much of its rich culture and history. Here’s a quick overview of Lahaina’s fascinating history.
Lahaina, which means “cruel sun,” . By the mid nineteenth century, Lahaina had as many as 1,500 sailors in port. Perhaps most famous of those sailors was Herman Melville, who chronicled the period in the novel, Moby Dick.
The whaling town served as the center of government for nearly fifty year until the mid-1800s, when the capital was relocated to its present location in on the island of (pronounced oh-AH-hoo). In 1893, American settlers overthrew Hawai’i’s constitutional monarchy. became the 50th state admitted to the United States in 1959.
Lahaina features attractions including , the , and the . For more on Lahaina, check out this . Happy travels!
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
November 13th, 2007 by susan j
Michael Kollwitz performs at Friday’s Art Night event
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Every Friday between 7 and 10 pm, Lahaina’s art galleries open their doors along Front Street and host “Art Night” This weekly tradition dates back to 1989 and features gallery shows, demonstrations, strolling musicians, refreshments, chats with the artists, and more. .
Planning a trip to
Maui?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
Go Maui Card.
