Hawaii's Backyard Archives

Hawaii’s Backyard: A couple offers tours of The Lili House Farm, their 20-acre ranch on the Big Isle

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Kainoa Iranon and his wife, Danielle, will be the first to say having a big family brings big blessings. Counting everyone in their ohana, the number adds up to more than 100, which means their home in rural Volcano on Hawaii island is always bustling with activity.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Events mark 200th anniversary of the missionaries’ arrival in Hawaii

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Bishop, Gulick, Judd, Thurston, Wilcox, Baldwin, Lyman and Rice are just a few of the names given to streets, schools, museums, hospitals, shopping centers, hiking trails and other familiar places statewide to honor 19th-century missionaries and their descendants who played key roles in shaping the history and lifestyle of Hawaii.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Big Island bed-and-breakfast recalls the history of Hale ‘Ohu

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 10:05:00 +0000

From Egypt, Thailand and Latvia to Cuba, China and Greece — Nicole Naughten and her identical twin sister, Gabrielle, have visited 34 countries together in addition to living together most of their lives and working for the same organization in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they were born and raised.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Animals help reduce stress at Maui Goat Yoga

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Zorro, Baby Face and Sweet Pea have no idea how to do downward-facing dog, but they’re among the stars of a yoga class that draws participants from all over Maui four days a week.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Art Maui exhibit showcases creative courage of local artists

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 10:05:00 +0000

‘Creativity takes courage.”

Hawaii’s Backyard: Big Isle rappelling tour comes packed with thrills, beauty

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 10:05:00 +0000

First, you’ll rappel 125 feet to a scenic spot beside a waterfall in the Umauma River.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Kauai festival celebrates magical sound of steel guitar

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 16 Feb 2020 10:05:00 +0000

The steel guitar, one of the most distinctive voices in Hawaiian music, might not exist were it not for serendipity and the sharp eye of an 11-year-old boy.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Royal artifacts at Iolani Palace help illustrate a rich Hawaiian history

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 10:05:00 +0000

As the official residence of King Kalakaua and his sister, Queen Lili‘uokalani, Hawaii’s last reigning monarchs, Iolani Palace holds an important place in the annals of Hawaiian history. Kalakaua directed the three-year construction of the stately building, which he hoped would solidify Hawaii’s status as a modern nation. It was completed in November 1882 with the latest technology of the time, including telephones, electric lights and indoor plumbing.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Annual event on Maui features whale watches, hands-on activities

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Dayna Garland will never forget the song.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Zip through Maui history on electric bikes

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Pedal if you want, let the bike do the work if you don’t or get help from the motor when you need it. Whatever you decide, you’ll have a great time cruising through the past on Kimo’s Historic Lahaina Electric Bike Tour.

Hawaii’s Backyard: A retirement project evolves into sprawling garden for all to enjoy on Kauai

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 10:05:00 +0000

The landscaping plan Joyce Doty and her late husband, Ed, had devised was simple: Add color to the front yard of their new retirement home in Kilauea, Kauai, with a variety of plants.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Host of talks, hikes mark Volcano Awareness Month

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 05 Jan 2020 10:05:00 +0000

Change had been afoot atop Kilauea Volcano for several weeks in spring 2018.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Big Island photo exhibit chronicles voyage to Mokumanamana

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Fifty-six photos tell the story of a 1,218-mile voyage that took four years to plan and some 1,200 people to implement.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Maui creamery a dream come true

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Rebecca Woodburn-Rist got her first goat, Curry, in 2011 as a reward for finding a neighbor’s lost dog.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Waikiki Trolley’s new route highlights popular eateries

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 10:05:00 +0000

The Waikiki Trolley’s Honolulu Dining Express (Yellow Line), launched in August in partnership with International Market Place, makes it easy for foodies to savor a memorable taste of Hawaii. The company’s first new route in more than six years, it starts and ends in Waikiki at the marketplace, where 11 dining options offer everything from steak and sushi to burgers and burritos. Seven stops in neighboring Kapahulu are a short walk from several popular eateries.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Mele Kalikimaka Marketplace will get you in the holiday spirit

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Never mind all the hustle and bustle; Christmas is Amy Hammond’s favorite time of the year. When she was growing up in Columbus, Ohio, her family’s festivities began as soon as Thanksgiving was over.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Enjoy golf course views, without carrying clubs

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 10:05:00 +0000

From mauka to makai, golf courses occupy some of Hawaii’s most scenic real estate. Not into the game? Not a problem. Here’s how you can enjoy the views without picking up a club.

Hawaii’s Backyard: WWII bunker in Kailua features tunnel tours, rummage sale

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Every six weeks or so, Gary Weller unlocks the door to Battery 405, a World War II coastal defense facility hidden in the hills overlooking Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and whisks visitors more than 70 years back in time.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Cultural hike on Molokai teaches Hawaiian history

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 10:05:00 +0000

The call came in June 2013. Greg Solatorio had worked a late shift at his restaurant job and when he got home after midnight, he found his wife was still awake.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Kula Harvest Festival on Maui offers homegrown fun

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 10 Nov 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Gina Teliho calls Kula “a special slice of Hawaiian heaven” and counts herself lucky to live in that verdant Upcountry Maui district about a third of the way up Haleakala Volcano’s western slopes.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Pa‘i Foundation’s I Le‘a Ka Hula celebrates the culture and tradition of hula

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 10:05:00 +0000

When she began her formal hula training with Halau Hula o Maiki at the age of 12, Vicky Holt Takamine remembers studying as hard for those classes as she did for academic subjects.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Waimea Valley hosts Makahiki Festival in conjunction with Heiva Tu‘aro I Vaihi

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 10:05:00 +0000

From stones, wood, coral, lava and other natural materials, people throughout Polynesia created games that tested their skill, strength and wit and provided them with hours of enjoyment. In Hawaii, this spirit of friendly competition was most evident during Makahiki (see sidebar), an annual period of rest and recreation.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Traditional Tattoo Festival makes its mark on Big Island

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 10:05:00 +0000

The dream came to Joel Tan in the summer of 1994, shortly after his mother died. In it, he was instructed to wear on his skin all the values she had taught him — what he regarded as her true legacy.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Get set for the 18th annual Hawaii Rock and Mineral Show

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Markus Faigle was born in Stuttgart, Germany, best known as the headquarters for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. What captivated him as a young boy, though, were not those sleek luxury machines but rather rocks and minerals that he found hidden beneath bushes and leaves; mixed with roots and weeds; and buried in dirt, sand, gravel or mud.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Taste of Hilo supports Big Isle culinary arts program

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 10:05:00 +0000

They’re the kind of feel-good stories that bring a smile to your face.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Kauai’s Makauwahi Cave Reserve offers glimpse back in time

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 22 Sep 2019 10:05:00 +0000

From thick, black mud came treasures fishhooks; stone tools; snail shells; fish, bird and animal bones; petrified leaves, seeds and insects; and wooden gourd stoppers, tattoo needles and parts of canoes and paddles that revealed what life was like on Kauai as far back as 400,000 years ago.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Big Island’s HawaiiCon celebrates sci-fi, fantasy art

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 10:05:00 +0000

HawaiiCon is science, sci-fi, anime, film, television, gaming, cosplay, pop culture, comic books and fantasy art all rolled into one fun, family-friendly event. Now in its sixth year on Hawaii island, it draws some 2,000 enthusiasts for four days of events, activities and tours that lead to lively discussions and exciting discoveries about art, nature, science, technology and sustainable living.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Art exhibition celebrates endemic species of Maui

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Its one thing to enjoy nature; its another to study and understand it. That was a lesson Allison Borell quickly learned when she moved to Maui in 2002 and landed a job leading environmental hikes.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Big Island festival spotlights local agriculture

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Jeri Monizs office has the sky for a ceiling and a view that encompasses the Kohala Mountain, Waipio Valley, the blue Pacific Ocean, verdant pastureland and, on a clear day, Haleakala Volcano on Maui.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Kauai farm tour focuses on locally grown foods

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Katherine Smithers and her husband, Roel Faber, a professional chef, have savored cherry blossom soup in Japan; raw salted herring with onions and pickles in the Netherlands; and nacatamales (corncakes filled with pork, potatoes and vegetables and steamed in plantain leaves) in Nicaragua.

Hawaii’s Backyard: Have fun while learning about saving trees during Hilo’s ‘Ohi‘a Love Fest

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Corie Yanger grew up on Oahu, admiring Hawaiian plants such as plumeria, ginger and orchids. Little did she know that they, along with more than 90% of the plant species in the islands seen below the 3,000-foot elevation, were introduced.

Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival on Hawaii island celebrates the cocktail

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Hawaiis allure is due in part to the mai tai, a rum-based cocktail that actually traces its beginnings to California Today, there are as many versions of it as there are bars and restaurants that serve it hundreds worldwide.

Maui studio focuses on art of glass blowing

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Amid a welding shop, paint store, auto parts store and 24-hour laundromat in an industrial area of Lahaina is a fine-art oasis spotlighting the ancient art of glass blowing. Moana Glass gallery is filled with beautiful glass sinks, vessels, lighting and ocean-inspired sculptures, most designed by Ryan Staub, the companys owner and lead artist.

Artists rally for inaugural Experience Volcano Festival on Hawaii island

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 10:05:00 +0000

It was like a bomb had fallen!

Kona museum pieces together history of Hawaiian quilting

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 10:05:00 +0000

One of Karen Barrys favorite exhibits in the Kona Hawaiian Quilt Museum is a 90-by-90-inch quilt that was never finished.

Get a rare peek of the Bishop Museum during a behind-the-scenes tour

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Bishop Museum displays only a small percentage of the 25 million-plus biological specimens and cultural and historical treasures from throughout the Pacific in its care. Limited exhibition space is one of the reasons. During the Behind the Scenes Tour, however, small groups can see precious artifacts that are not otherwise accessible to the public because of their age, size, rarity and/or fragile condition.

Lanai celebrates a rich past during its annual pineapple festival

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 10:05:00 +0000

A generation has passed since Lanai was covered in gold the gold of pineapple ripening in fields stretching as far as the eye could see. For nearly 70 years, life on the 141-square-mile island revolved around the fruit that has become synonymous with Hawaii, and the Lanai Pineapple Festival, held each year on the Saturday closest to the Fourth of July, recalls that.

Ambassadors of Environment program promotes care for environment

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 23 Jun 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Kara Johanssen has always been in step with nature. She was raised in Temperance, Mich., a rural area 20 miles south of Detroit.

Unique experiences await guests at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Besides being fun, the best getaways inspire, educate and motivate you to try new things, and can help broaden your perspectives about people and places. The beachfront Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa recently enhanced its vacation experience with these offerings.

Kapu‘uola Hula Festival celebrates culture at Pu‘uokapolei

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 10:05:00 +0000

Most people dont notice Puuokapolei, the small cinder cone at the top of Kapolei Regional Park, but in ancient times it was the most sacred and important place in the ahupuaa (land division) of Honouliuli on Oahus west side.