Its now been 28 years since Mt. Kilauea started erupting on the Big Island of Hawaii. Its east rift zone started erupting January 3rd 1983, and is still active today. Its presence is still strong having devastating two homes just last year in Kalapana Gardens. In 1990, Mt. Kilauea did its worst damage by destroying 104 homes in the same area.

Since January 1983, Kilauea has produced powerful and beautiful eruptions.

Within a week of the initial eruption, there were 200 ft spurts coming out of the cracks of the east rift zone. Hawaii consists of mostly shield volcanoes, which are named after their shield shaped craters, and fluid flows. Although not as explosive as volcanoes like Mt. St Helen’s, their slow moving lava flows are just as destructive. Kilauea’s first lava fountain was known as the Pu’u'O’o vent, erupting every 3-4weeks for 3 years, and destroying 16 homes in the Royal Gardens Subdivision. In 1986 a new vent was formed called Kupaianaha. The quiet effusion made lava ponds and caused lava tubes to flow lava all the way to the ocean. In 1990 Mt. Kilauea did its worst damaged when it buried the town of Kalapana. The destructive lava flows destroyed churches, homes and stores in the ancient Hawaiian village.

Kalapana, once known for it’s magnificent black sand beaches and treasured historical sites, has now been consumed by Kilauea, though some residents still live in the area, some without electricity or running water. Some of the residents believe they were spared by Pele, the Goddess of Fire, others believe it was sheer luck. Even just last year two more homes were destroyed in the area. Scientists do not know when Kilauea will stop erupting but most believe activity will never cease during our existence. That makes Big Island one of the most unique places in the world. It’s land mass is literally still growing, and has one of the longest lasting active volcanoes on record.

Hardened Lava Field with No Trespassing sign near Kalapana

January 2011 marks the 2nd annual “Volcano Awareness Month” on the Big Island. Hiking, group discussions, teacher workshops, and various other programs will be conducted all month to better understand and respect volcanoes. Come participate and see one of Hawaii’s most amazing attractions. Join Discover Hawaii Tours and witness the awe inspiring magic of Kilauea. See the evening lava flow at the Kalapana viewing area, where lava meets the ocean. It is an absolute must see when visiting Hawaii.

Read more: January 3rd 2011 Marked the 28th Anniversary of Mt. Kilauea Current Eruption

Have you ever wondered what beautiful tropical island is considered the most beautiful and tropical of them all? Well, according to the over 25,000 readers of The Conde Nast Traveler who recently cast ballots, Maui wins the distinction for the 16^th consecutive year. On top of that, it was also named the best pacific island for the 20^th year in a row.

Road to Hana Eco Adventure Deluxe

If you have ever been to Maui it’s easy to see why readers have continually ranked the “Magic Isle” as the world’s best island. The scenic natural beauty and absolutely perfect climate are truly unmatched. Living next-door on the number nine ranked island of Oahu, I am grateful to have had an opportunity to see Maui for myself. The Road To Hana Eco Adventure tour I took a few months ago with Discover Hawaii Tours was all I need to agree with the readers of the The Conde Nast Traveler on this one. Each stop we made was more amazing than the next. From the white sands of Ho’okipa Beach Park to the cascading waters of the Wailua falls, it’s easy to see why Maui has topped this list for sixteen years straight. It was a good choice going with Discover Hawaii Tours since it turns out they offer tours of the entire island. Many of the other tour providers I researched only went half-way and I can’t imagine having not had a chance to see some of the last few stops.

After reading the article I am going to have to make some time to take advantage of Hawaii’s other top ranked attractions. The Big Island of Hawaii came in as the number eight ranked island in the world, followed by the Pineapple Island of Lanai at fourteen. Honolulu was ranked as the number six city in the world on the same survey. The readers of The Conde Nast Traveler continued to praise Hawaii by ranking Hawaiian Airlines the number three airline in North America. Having flown with Hawaiian on that Maui tour I mentioned, I can agree that their service is top notch.

It seems the moral to this story suggests that if you are lucky enough to find yourself in Hawaii take advantage of the many world class locations and see as much as you can.

Read more: 2010 Conde Nast Traveler Readers Poll Continues High Ranks For Hawaii

Over 5,000 fans packed Queen’s Beach, many as early as 10am, for the chance to watch the exclusive sneak peak of the pilot episode of “Hawaii 5-0”, a full week before it airs nationally on CBS. Preceded by the networks mass marketing campaign over the recent weeks of billboard images of the stars and a social media blitz, the night in Waikiki brought with it the show’s screen test. It is safe to say that it passed with flying colors.

Hawaii 5-0, Then and Now

Among those in attendance included former stars of the original series, relatives of its creator, and droves of fans who remember the original fondly. Surviving cast members of the original were also in attendance and included Al Harrington, who played Ben Kokua in more than 60 episodes during the initial run. Just before the screening, Harrington read a statement from the original “Danno”, James McArthur, who was unable to attend the premiere but wanted to extend his excitement for the remake of the classic. McArthur even hinted that he would be making a cameo during the season.
Fans of the series will notice a difference from new to old, as the new series is filled with action and comedy, where the previous was straight forward and void of the writing style used for the new generation. Coincidentally, the show’s premier will air 42 years to the day that the original aired.
Don’t miss the television premiere of “Hawaii 5-0” beginning September 20 at 9:00pm.

Read more: It’s Not Your Mamma’s Hawaii 5-0 – World Premiere Last Night on Waikiki Beach

We are very excited to announce that we have recently opened our new online gift shop through Discover Hawaii Tours making your gifts and souvenirs from Hawaii accessible online, and avoiding over packed suitcases and the possibility of the airlines mishandling your bags and potentially causing harm to your vacation souvenirs. This represents the first time in the state of Hawaii that visitors will be able to purchase their tours and souvenirs on one easy to use site. Great gifts conveniently ship directly to your home and enable visitors to bring back those unique Hawaiian gifts, and save the hassle of fitting valuables into already full bags for the flight home. Items in our gift shop range from exotic scented bath and body products to chocolate covered macadamia nuts. We even have special sections dedicated to Christmas items, gender specific items, gift baskets and home furnishings. The concept of purchasing gifts and souvenirs online is especially relevant in today’s climate of excessive airline fees for overweight luggage or extra bags checked.

Read more: Discover Hawaii Gifts and Souvenirs Online

Hawaii is most known for its beautiful weather, perfect beaches, big wave surfing, and its all around beauty. One often overlooked element of Hawaii and its culture is the diverse cuisine and unique delicacies. Many different foods are grown, produced, and prepared throughout the islands, and are all important to the customs and way of life here in Hawaii.

Locally grown crops have played an important part in Hawaii’s growth and economy for decades. Fields of pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coffee are seen on many of our North Shore and Circle Island Tours, and our Big Island Volcano Tour.

A closer look at local food production:

Pineapple – It is unknown when the pineapple was introduced into Hawaiian culture; however, large scale planting of the fruit began around 1850. James Dole established a plantation near Wahiawa on Oahu around 1900 and production escalated and eventually spread to other islands. Today, the remaining pineapple producers in Hawaii are Dole and Maui Land and Pineapple Company.

North Shore Pineapple Field

Coffee – First introduced to the islands through King Kamehameha’s Spanish Advisor in 1813, coffee remains a very big part of Hawaii’s exports. Unique soil and weather patterns combine to make Kona Coffee some of the most sought after coffee in the world. Hawaii is the sole U.S. provider of coffee in the world and most of the coffee comes from a 20 mile stretch of over 700 small coffee farms along the Kona coast of the Big Island on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa, though there are small quantities produced on the islands of Kauai and Maui.

Taro – No other form of food may represent Hawaii more than the taro plant. Though it is grown in many tropical climates worldwide it is most widely used in Hawaii and early Hawaiians were known to consume large quantities of taro that had been ground into a paste known as Poi. When raw, the plant is inedible and considered toxic, but when cooked or steeped in water, the root is harmless after it has been cooked.

Coffee Tree in Kona

Macadamia Nuts – Introduced to Hawaii from Australia in 1882, the macadamia nut tree was originally raised because of its beauty. A very versatile nut in cooking, there are over 700 farms and 8 processing plants, mostly on Hawaii’s Big Island, that is responsible for 90% of the world’s supply. Used in many foods including candies, breads, coffee, spreads, and cooking oil, macadamia nuts contain a high level of good fats and have been found to reduce cholesterol.

Sugarcane – Though it is not as big in Hawaiian agriculture as it once was, sugar continues to grow in Hawaii. As early as 1802, people on the island of Lanai were using stone rollers to crush the sweet juice from the sugarcane in 1834, the first sugar plantation went up on Kauai after King Kamehameha granted the use of 980 acres to Ladd & Company for growing and harvesting. The booming industry once employed 1 in 12 people and brought in about $150 million each year, but has since seen its prevalence fall as Hawaii has since concentrated its economic ventures elsewhere.

Read more: Hawaiian Agriculture