Kauai Vacation Blog

Matt Gross from the New York Times wrote a very good article. While it is nearly two years old, he had some very good insight that offer valuable tips today.
Dave
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http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/travel/27Hawaii.html

Hawaii on a Dime

By MATT GROSS
Published: January 27, 2008
THE beauty of the Hawaiian islands is hardly subtle. Jungle-smothered volcanic peaks loom around every highway switchback, verdant plants sprout flowers as brilliant and meaty as hallucinations, and surrounding you always is the Pacific Ocean, by turns coral blue, crystalline green or shimmering golden with the light of the setting sun. Hawaii is easy, Hawaii has nothing to hide. Hawaii is, touristically speaking, pornographic in its single-minded baring of its assets.

Hawaii is also — duh — expensive. According to AAA’s 2007 Annual Vacation Costs Survey, a family of four could expect to spend $650 a day there on food and lodging, making it the least affordable state in the country — and that doesn’t even take into account Hawaii’s gas prices, consistently among the nation’s highest.

But while daunting fuel costs and overpriced villas surprise no one, Hawaii can be ruthlessly surreptitious when it comes to extracting every last dollar from tourists.

Take Kona coffee, the famed beans grown on the Big Island. On the first morning of a weeklong trip that my wife, Jean, and I made in early September, I was eager to taste this local brew, supposedly the only coffee produced in the United States. We were driving around Kailua, on the island’s west side, searching for a nontouristy breakfast place when I spotted Green Flash Coffee, a tiny storefront named for the fabled burst of emerald light that often accompanies sunsets on the Kona coast.

Inside, we scanned the menu of breakfast sandwiches and smoothies until my eyes alighted on the Kona coffee: it was $2.95 for a 12-ounce cup, versus $1.85 for a non-Kona version. Granted, that’s not a huge amount in itself, but a cup or two a day could really add up — a no-no for this frugal traveler. I opted for the cheaper brew.

Over the next few days, as we combed the island for luxurious meals on a less-than-luxurious budget, I noticed that no matter where we ate, prices were two or three or four dollars higher than I was accustomed to. At Ba-Le, a relatively affordable Vietnamese restaurant, a banh mi sandwich that would have been $3 in New York City was $6. At Big Jake’s Island B-B-Q, a pulled-pork sandwich plate was $8.95, perhaps twice what you’d pay in North Carolina.

Again, these weren’t egregious pricing schemes — and both places were, incidentally, fantastic — but they brought home the fact that while Hawaii’s natural wonders may clear your mind of cares, its restaurants, hotels and attractions can, almost without your noticing, clear out your wallet.

Yet Jean and I were determined to sacrifice neither comfort nor our savings. At first, we got lucky — or rather, Lucky: the very first result in a Google search for “affordable Hawaii Kona” was Pomaikai “Lucky” Farm B & B, an eco-resort whose breakfasts featured Kona coffee grown on the premises. (My verdict: good, but not $2.95-per-cup good.)

We’d requested the romantic renovated Coffee Barn room, but because of a booking error wound up in one of the two Greenhouse rooms. It was simple and comfortable, with screens for windows, a big bed, an ensuite bathroom and a lime tree just off the porch. And just $80 a night.

The room may have been basic, but it came with beach towels, snorkeling gear, body boards and a seemingly endless supply of fruit dangling from the trees: papayas, bananas, passion fruit (usually known by their Hawaiian name, lilikoi) and juicy, fragrant strawberry guavas. Lucky Farm even raised red bulbs of awapuhi kuahiwi, whose juice is a traditional hair conditioner — and a much-touted ingredient in costly Paul Mitchell products.

Our base established, Jean and I began to explore the Kona coast. Unlike the northwestern areas of the Big Island, where you find large resorts like the Four Seasons and touristy chains like Outback Steakhouse, the southwestern coastline — from Captain Cook to Naalehu — is far less commercial. Tropical trees crowd the winding highway, briefly vanishing to allow for the lone gas stations or coffee shops that mark a settlement, then swarming up again to envelop you in fecund jungle.

It was about 10 miles south of Captain Cook, not far from Lucky Farm, that we found Puuhonua o Honaunau, a “Place of Refuge” that once functioned as the oceanside home of Hawaii’s royal chiefs and as a safe haven for women, children and noncombatants during times of war, and for lawbreakers hoping to evade a death sentence.

Today, the site (which is operated by the National Park Service) contains a big heiau, or temple, surrounded by carved wooden figures, separated by a hefty rock wall from a plain of black volcanic stone that reaches into the sea. Well-written pamphlets explain the significance of every spot, and admission is $5 a vehicle — but only till 4 p.m., when anyone can visit (until free.

For us, Puuhonua o Honaunau was a refuge from the island’s exorbitant demands. The first afternoon, we wandered the plain and walked down a lava-rock trail, forged in 1871, that led to an abandoned village. (Alas, the sun set before we reached the end.)

The next morning, we were back, for snorkeling at Two-Step Beach next to the park. No sooner had I strapped on my mask and flippers and slipped off the double rock ledge that gives the beach its name than I came face to face — literally — with a 30-inch green sea turtle, swimming lazily next to me.

After my initial shock, I explored the healthy coral reef with Jean, spotting schools of yellow tang and, on a stretch of sandy bottom, “Aloha” spelled out in concrete blocks. Just before we left, I saw a pair of dolphins surface in the near distance; only federal law, which prohibits the feeding and harassing of dolphins, kept me from diving back in to greet them.

One afternoon, we returned to Puuhonua o Honaunau to make use of another budget-friendly feature: free beachside barbecue grills. Equipped with charcoal and utensils from Lucky Farm, and a cooler full of ingredients from local markets, we cooked up a feast of tombo tuna, mahi-mahi and corn on the cob (which we soaked in a tidal pool to dampen the husks).
Along with an octopus-and-cucumber kimchi and a few bottles of pale ale from the Kona Brewing Company, we spent about $20 — perhaps a quarter of what the same meal would cost in an up-island restaurant like Merriman’s in Waimea, where the ponzu-marinated mahi-mahi is $34.95. Plus, we got to watch the sun sink into the Pacific, turning the water cool and silver before plunging us into darkness.

Try as we did to visit all the island’s beaches, parks and inexpensive restaurants, we soon came to understand why it’s called the Big Island: it’s really big (almost the size of Connecticut). With limited time, we saw only the white, yellow and gray sand beaches — not the black or green ones; we lunched on rich kalua pork and poi at Super J’s ($7), but never found the time for loco moco, the Hawaiian comfort dish of hamburger, a fried egg and gravy over rice, at Kenny’s, on the east coast.

Saddest of all, we never made it to Volcanoes National Park. But we did join Arnaud and Stéphanie, a young French couple who’d lucked into the Coffee Barn, on an excursion to Mauna Kea, the 13,796-foot mountain that is Hawaii’s tallest.

After a brief stop at the golden beach at the Four Seasons resort — access to the shoreline is a much-disputed public right — we began our ascent in a 4 x 4 and watched the landscape change, first subtly to the grassy, temperate ranches where local cattle roam, then dramatically to the treeless moonscape of lava fields below Mauna Kea’s peak. Surrounded by the white domes of stellar observatories, we gazed out on a carpet of clouds below us, and once again the sun turned the sky crimson before disappearing, revealing the vast band of the Milky Way encircling us.

So much was left to do on the Big Island, but we had to depart — after all, what’s a Hawaiian vacation without a little island-hopping? Thanks to an explosion of low-cost airlines, it’s easy to bounce around cheaply: Our round-trip tickets to Kauai on Go! cost $118 each, including a discount simply for joining the frequent-flier program. That’s not much for what amounts to a trip in a time machine — from the youngest of the main Hawaiian islands to the oldest.

Where the Big Island is vast and spacious, its lava fields flowing gently to the sea, five-million-year-old Kauai is knotty and lush, with eroded spires of volcanic rock shooting up from dense jungles of palms and pines, bamboo and guava groves. Kauai was the setting for “Jurassic Park,” and in this prehistoric setting, it’s not hard to imagine a couple of raptors sunning themselves at your side on one of the soft, sandy beaches that circle virtually the entire island.

IN spite of its extravagant spectacle, Kauai feels intimate. The towns on its ring road are small, and as that road nears an end on the island’s north side, it shrinks to cute, single-lane bridges over inlets and streams.

It was out there, just past the town of Hanalei and a few miles from the highway’s terminus at the Na Pali Cliffs, that Jean and I were staying, at the Kalalau B & B’s $75-a-night “Jungalow,” which we imagined was hidden away somewhere in the forest.

Not quite. The Jungalow was a small, charming, tin-roofed, bamboo-paneled shack that Mark Pearson, the Long Island-born proprietor, had built in the backyard of his house in a tidy little subdevelopment. As with Lucky Farm, we had access to a panoply of beach gear, plus an outdoor shower, a hot tub, fruit-heavy breakfasts (an extra $10 each) and Mr. Pearson’s 16 years of experience on Kauai.

Just down the street, he told us, was Tunnels, the area’s best snorkeling. He was right — clouds of tiny, blue-silver fish swarmed us the instant we entered the shallows. And down the road, he said, up a rarely explored trail, lay the Blue Room, a monstrous cave filled with swimmable spring water; it was, we discovered, isolated and magical — if a bit too eerie for us to relax.

The north shore beaches were more traditional. On the half-hidden, pine-shaded sands of Kauapea Beach — a k a Secret Beach — we picnicked on grilled fish wraps and ahi salad from Kilauea’s Fish Market ($27.89 with soft drinks and kimchi). On Hanalei Bay, I took a beginner’s surfing lesson with the Titus Kinimaka Hawaiian School of Surfing ($65 for a 90-minute lesson, plus use of the board afterward). And on Kee Beach, at the very end of the highway, we watched the sun set next to the nearly impassable Na Pali Cliffs.

When we weren’t at the water’s edge, we were hanging around the town of Hanalei, a short stretch of restaurants and shops that was as low-key and high-quality as you could hope to find on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean. We drank $4 smoothies made with taro, the ubiquitous purple tuber, and while Jean browsed the bikinis at Hanalei Surf Company, in the town’s well-preserved former school, I chatted with the young employees about what to do that evening.

“Today’s Thursday?” said the kid behind the counter. “Oh, it’s fish taco night at Hanalei Gourmet,” the cozy local restaurant at the other end of the school.

Good enough for us — and they were the best we’d ever had, easily worth $10.95 for two big ones with rice and beans.

On our final day, Jean and I loaded up on bottled water, drove to Kee Beach and set off on the Kalalau Trail, an 11-mile trek along the Na Pali Cliffs, a wilderness that effectively cuts off the island’s north shore from its west side. We weren’t doing the full hike, just two miles out, to a beach with thunderous waves, then two miles inland, to Hanakapiai Falls.

All along the way, we noticed a familiar, enticing smell. Lying at our feet, some squashed, some freshly fallen from the trees above, were guavas, dozens of them, yellow and the size of Ping-Pong balls. As we marched along the coast and deeper into the jungle, we plucked them from the earth, rinsing them in streams and chomping the ripe, sweet, juicy fruit. Elsewhere, we knew, suckers were paying good money for these treats we had for free.

Finally, we reached the waterfall, a cascade of fresh water that tumbled at least 1,000 feet off a cliff above and into a wide, chilly pool at the base. Other hikers were swimming and lunching, and yet it still felt like a moment out of time, a lost corner of paradise.

I put down my backpack, put on my trunks and eased myself into the water. Then I swam over to where the falls hit the surface and stared up at the little droplets that showered from the rocks above. Somewhere beyond them was a sky bluer than the ocean, and in that sky hovered a dot of a helicopter, ferrying visitors around the island on tours that cost hundreds of dollars.

It made no sense to me: Why come all this way for Hawaii’s natural beauty, only to spend extra to distance yourself from it?

For almost a week, Jean and I had stayed close to the ground — and, despite our indulgence, well within our budget — and achieved an up-close-and-personal relationship with the islands. Besides, we’d get to see them from the air the next day — we had window seats on our flight home.

Total: $956.84 (with car rental, $1,210.93).
TWO ISLANDS, MANY PLEASURES

WHERE TO STAY

Pomaikai “Lucky” Farm B & B, 83-5465 Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook, Hawaii; (800) 325-6427; www.luckyfarm.com.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

Hawaii, the Big Island:

Ba-Le Kona Restaurant, Kona Coast Shopping Center, 74-5588 Palani Road, Kailua Kona; (808) 327-1212.

Big Jake’s Island B-B-Q, 83-5308-B Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook; (866) 470-2426; www.bigjakesislandbbqandcatering.com.

Kona Seafood, 83-5308-A Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook; (808) 328-9777.

Sandy’s Drive-In, 79-7432 Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook; (808) 322-2161.

South Kona Fruit Stand, 84-4770 Mamalahoa Highway, Captain Cook; (808) 328-8547.

Super J’s, 83-5409 Mamalahoa Highway, Honaunau; (808) 328-9566.

Kauai:

Hamura Saimin, 2956 Kress Street, Lihue, (808) 245-3271, sells what many consider the island’s best saimin, noodle soup with pork, wontons, chopped scallions and more (from $4.25).

Hanalei Gourmet, 5-5161 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei; (808) 826-2524; www.hanaleigourmet.com.

Hanalei Taro and Juice Company, 5-5070 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei; (808) 826-1059; www.myspace.com/htjc.

Kilauea Fish Market, 4270 Kilauea Lighthouse Road, Kilauea; (808) 828-6244.

Tahiti Nui, 5-5134 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei, (808) 826-6277, www.thenui.com, serves great pizza (from $16.50) and features live Hawaiian music nightly.

WHAT TO DO

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Highway 160 and Hale o Keawe Road, Honaunau, Hawaii; (808)328-2326; www.nps.gov/puho.

Aloha Theatre, 79-7384 Mamalahoa Highway, Kainaliu, Hawaii, (808) 322-2323, www.alohatheatre.com, shows art-house films on an irregular schedule in a grand cinema built in 1932; admission $7.

On Mauna Kea on the Big Island, the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, (808) 961-2180, www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis, runs a free nightly stargazing program and, on Saturdays and Sundays, escorted summit tours (bring your own 4 x 4).

At the Titus Kinimaka Hawaiian School of Surfing in Hanalei, Kauai, (808) 652-1116 and www.hawaiianschoolofsurfing.com, beginner’s lessons are $65.

E-mail: frugaltraveler@nytimes.com

Labels: Budget Kauai, kauai condo, Kauai condos, Kauai vacation rentals, New York Times Kauai

Just a quick update on some Kauai condo sale activities…Aloha!
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Sales of condominiums on Kauai picked up in August, while single-family home sales slipped.

The trend was similar for median prices, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service.

The median price of a single-family home on Kauai last month was $471,000, down 11 percent from $530,000 in August 2008.

That was based on 23 sales, down 15 percent from 27 sales during the same month last year.

Condo sales more than doubled in August to 15 units sold, up from seven in August of last year.

The median price of a Kauai condo last month was $300,000, virtually unchanged from $299,000 in August 2008.

The year-to-date statistics, however, show sales were down by 26 percent in both categories.

The median price for a single-family home on Kauai during the first eight months of the year was $470,000, down 27 percent from the same period last year. The median price for a condo on the Garden Isle was $330,000, down 42 percent from $567,000 during the first eight months of the year.

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/09/07/daily8.html

A somewhat out of date review from Conde Nast Traveler Picks…yet it gives a lot of good info on Kauai. Several of the dining establishments are now out of business and are ever changing. Hestara has been around since 1974 with a total of 3 owners now and its hard for us to keep up with it. Conde Nast is an excellent resource as well as the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook.

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Think “remote tropical island” and an image that looks remarkably like Kauai immediately comes to mind, even if you’ve never been there before. The Garden Isle embodies all the traits you’d expect of a Polynesian paradise. Around its edges are sandy beaches, secluded coves, and cathedral-like sea cliffs. The interior has rural landscapes ringing a mountainous rain forest. Throughout, you’ll find casual, friendly, down-to-earth people and a mystical energy that’s just as captivating as Kauai’s natural beauty.

Attractions & Activities
Kauai’s spectacular scenery, refined and softened over the six million years of its volcano-birthed existence, is the big draw. The small, round island is nearly encircled by a mostly two-lane road, allowing a good overview of its diverse landscapes and special sights over several days of leisurely driving.

Na Pali Coast State Park, a wilderness area on the northwest shore, tops the must-see list. It’s mostly accessible only by water—with the exception of the primitive campsites and remote beaches that are reached via a rough hike along the 11-mile Kalalau Trail, which starts at the end of Highway 560 (hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/kauai.html). Otherwise, the dramatically fluted cliffs and sea caves are best viewed from the water. Three-and-a-half- to seven-hour boat trips depart daily from Port Allen and Kikiaola Harbor, on the west side, and most combine sightseeing with open-ocean snorkeling stops, sunset cocktail cruises, of seasonal whale watching. The locals who captain for Holoholo Charters deliver a competent interpretive narration ( three-hour trip, $95 per person), while Kayak Kauai gives thrill seekers who opt to paddle this wild coastline a daylong safe escort—and a ride back to their up-current departure point (808-826-9844; kayak-kauai.com; all-day tour, $185 per person).

You can peek into Na Pali’s valleys from numerous road, and trailside vantage points in Kokee State Park, which encompasses the delightfully cool and forested watershed lands that sit like a damp crown atop Kauai. This is the domain of Waialeale, a volcanic peak drenched with some 45 feet of rainfall each year, and the boggy expanse of Alakai Swamp; still, sunny days are frequent. Stop by the rustic Kokee Natural History Museum, just inside the park entrance on Highway 550, for interpretive materials, maps, and tips for hiking the nearly two dozen trails within Kokee (808-335-9975; kokee.org).

Like Na Pali Coast, the adjacent Waimea Canyon State Park is an extravagant landscape sculpted by the unrelenting forces of wind and water. The mighty Waimea River gouged a deep, narrow gorge in the red clay soil, exposing sheer walls in red, orange, gray, and green hues that deepen and shift in the changing light. Numerous waterfalls and frequent misty rainbows add to the surreal beauty.

Time has also worked its magic along Kauai’s shoreline, building up long ribbons of sand that hug the bays and rim the reefs, occasionally piling up as dunes or hardening into craggy, eroded cliffs. Beaches are abundant, varied, uncrowded, and free. One of the best—and busiest—is Poipu Beach Park, near Koloa town, with sheltered waters ideal for snorkeling and swimming and close proximity to resorts in the south. Lydgate Beach Park, about three miles north of Lihue, is the east side’s coastal gem, with campsites, pavilions, grassy lawns, protected swimming holes, and the stellar kid-designed, community-built Kamalani Playground.

Kauai’s wide-open spaces are a haven for birds, including endangered nene geese, nesting Laysan albatrosses, and various seabirds. All are welcome on the expansive, dog-proof grounds of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, at the end of Kilauea Road. Human visitors can admire native coastal plants, a historic lighthouse, and postcard-perfect scenery when they tire of gawking at the birds. Farther west, at the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, acres of cultivated wetland taro span a broad valley framed by imposing mountains. The refuge is a sanctuary for endangered waterbirds and is one of Kauai’s most photographed landscapes, with a scenic overlook on Highway 56, at Princeville, offering the best views.

Just down the hill and over a one-lane historic bridge, waterfall-streaked mountains cradle crescent-shaped Hanalei Bay. Parks dot its two-mile-long sandy beach, one of the most desirable in all Hawaii, and the bay is a top surf spot, with a half-dozen choice breaks that really go off when the winter waves get big.

Highway 560, a narrow, winding, national historic scenic roadway, continues another four slow miles beyond Hanalei, passing a string of lovely beaches and crossing numerous one-lane bridges. The nickname Garden Isle seems especially appropriate at Limahuli Garden, where craggy mountains are the backdrop for an excellent collection of native plants and ancient stone terraces still cultivated in taro. The road ends at the idyllic snorkeling lagoon—and sometimes overcrowded white sands—of Kee Beach. From here, the mountains march straight into the sea, marking the start of the Na Pali Coast and the Kalalau Trail. It’s heavily traveled along the first two-mile segment that leads to Hanakapiai, an enchanting tropical valley with a broad beach and waters too treacherous for swimming.

The island’s ethereal light is a magnet for artists, with the greatest concentration of studios tucked into the picturesque old structures that line Hanapepe’s dusty main street, Hanapepe Road. They can be viewed on a self-guided walking tour (kauai.net/hanapepe/tour.html). The restored historic buildings in downtown Kapaa house a number of interesting small shops, most notably Davison Arts, where you’ll find handcrafted furniture and distinctive creations by local artists (4-1322 Kuhio Hwy.; 808-821-8022), and Kela’s Glass Gallery, which has a visually stunning assortment of colorful glassware (4-1354 Kuhio Hwy.; 808-822-4527).

On the north shore, in Kilauea, Kong Lung Company occupies the stone building that was the town’s original plantation store, but its lovely housewares are decidedly more upscale than the general merchandise of old (2490 Keneke St.; 808-828-1822). In Hanalei, Evolve Love, in the Ching Young Village Shopping Center, carries jewelry, painted-silk clothing, woodcarvings, and pottery made by talented islanders (808-826-4755). The gift shop at the Kauai Museum, in Lihue, is a good place to buy authentic Niihau shell jewelry, feather leis, and other traditional crafts at fair prices (4428 Rice St.; 808-246-2470).

Lodging
Many of Kauai’s lodging options are either B&Bs or condos; happily, two of its top hotels rank on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List of the world’s very best places to stay. The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, with some 600 rooms, is the island’s largest and most popular hotel. It has no beach, but it does have ocean views and an acclaimed Anara spa. Up on the north shore, the Princeville Resort is arguably Kauai’s most luxurious, with an opulent decor that strives to match the breathtaking scenery.

Dining
Kauai makes no pretense of culinary sophistication and has long had a dearth of exceptional dining experiences, despite its many expensive restaurants. It’s wise to steer clear of the resorts, where the gap between price and quality tends to be especially wide and disappointing. One notable exception is Dondero’s, a lovely Italian restaurant in the Grand Hyatt Kauai that edges out all comers with exquisite food and faultless service rarely encountered in Hawaii (808-742-1234; entrées, $25–$40). Another southside star is the Beach House Restaurant, which has the island’s dreamiest ocean-front setting and a chef skilled at pairing bold Asian flavors with island fish and produce. Reservations are recommended (5022 Lawai Rd., Koloa; 808-742-1424; entrées, $19–$32).

In Lihue, follow the locals to the Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant, where the austere dining room is invariably packed with customers who appreciate the winning formula of good food and good value (4252A Rice St.; 808-245-8868; entrées, $5–$9). Home-style cooking isn’t mere rhetoric at nearby E. B.’s Eats: The meatloaf, roast chicken, pastries, and other comfort food rival anything from Mom’s kitchen (3-3142 Kuhio Hwy.; 808-632-0328; entrées, $5–$9).

The Blossoming Lotus reigns supreme in Kapaa, serving creative, satisfying food with a conscience. All the curries, stews, soups, and other eclectic entrées are devoid of animal products, and the eco-friendly practices of this worker-owned collective distinguish it as Hawaii’s only green-certified eatery (4504 Kukui St.; 808-822-7678; entrées, $15–$18). Just down the road, carnivores savor the slow-smoked meats touted as truly authentic barbecue at Scotty’s Beachside BBQ, a casual upstairs restaurant with an ocean view (4-1546 Kuhio Hwy.; 808-823-8480; entrées, $7–$24).

The pickings are slim on the north shore, but Hanalei Mixed Plate, in Hanalei’s Ching Young Village Shopping Center, serves up hearty portions of local favorites pleasing to both the pocketbook and the palate—teriyaki chicken, fried noodles, kalua pig with cabbage (808-826-7888; entrées, $8–$10).

Kauai has a lot more going on than one of the most beautiful vacation spots in the world…there’s some government activity that you might find interesting. Below is an article by the Associated Press found on NPR.org’s website.

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HONOLULU July 31, 2009, 03:19 am ET
The latest U.S. missile defense test, conducted Thursday evening in Hawaii waters, was deemed a success as tensions continue with North Korea over that country’s missile program.

A short-range ballistic missile was fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai and then was shot down by a three-stage interceptor missile from a destroyer, the USS Hopper.

The test, conducted by the Navy and the Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency, marked the 23rd firing by ships equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile defense system. With the latest test, there have been 19 successes, including the shooting down of a dead U.S. spy satellite last year.

On July 4, North Korea violated U.N. Security Council resolutions by sending seven ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast. There had been speculation North Korea would launch a missile toward Hawaii — about 4,500 miles away — to coincide with the Independence Day holiday in the U.S.

Two other Navy ships participated in Thursday’s test, dubbed “Stellar Avenger.”

According to a Missile Defense Agency statement, the Hopper fired and guided an SM-3 Block IA missile that intercepted the target missile about 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the USS O’Kane simulated an engagement and the USS Lake Erie detected and tracked the target, the agency said.

The statement said the Hopper’s weapons system guided its missile to a “direct body to body hit, approximately two minutes after leaving the ship.”

The Lake Erie used an advanced version of the Aegis system in a simulation to evaluate how it would function with a SM-3 Block IB missile. Next year, the ship is to use the system to fire a new SM-3 Block IB, which features an improved propulsion system, signal processor and warhead seeker.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111403617

posted by Sealodge from Hestara @ 4:06 PM 0 Comments

Kauai condo prices rise, sales stay flat, Pacific Business News

Great news shown in today’s Pacific Business News article for Kauai condo owners. Median prices are up by 21%. See full article below.
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009, 9:50am HAST
Kauai condo prices rise, sales stay flat, Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

The median price of a condominium on Kauai rose last month on flat sales, while single-family home sales and prices dipped.

While the number of condominium sales stayed flat at 15 in July, compared to the same month in 2008, the median price rose to $525,000, up 21 percent from $435,000 last year, according to Hawaii Information Service.

The number of single-family home sales on Kauai dipped to 27, down from 31 in July 2008. The median price of a single-family home was $450,000, down 22 percent from $575,000 last year.

Year-to-date, sales of single-family homes numbered 130, down 27 percent from 179 in 2008. The median price of a single-family home for the first seven months of the year was $470,000, down 28 percent from $650,000 during the same period in 2008.

Sales of condos from January to July fell 34 percent to 85 units, down from 129 units during the same period in 2008. The year-to-date median price for a Kauai condo was $360,000, down 37 percent from $570,000 during the same period last year.

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2009/08/03/daily35.html?surround=lfn

While driving into work today I was listening to KQED’s Freshair hearing my good friend’s brother being interviewed on travel tips. Scott McCartney is very in tune with the industry and figures that this summer will be much less expensive than last year…Hestara and our Kauai northshore bookings at Sealodge were strong in 2008, but we agree that this year will be stronger than last…
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If you have the dough, this summer is the time to go.

Vacationers have suffered several years of summer frustrations, from disruptive airline delays and hassles to last year’s staggering oil-induced price rises. But this year, the “stay-cation” may be passé because the outlook for summer travel is smoother and cheaper than in recent years. The weak economy has led to significant price cuts at hotels, airlines, resorts and cruises. And the grounding of airplanes has eased congestion and led to easier trips, with planes running on time more often and lines at airports reduced.

WSJ’s Scott McCartney gives some Power Travel tips on how to avoid trouble on your next vacation.
“Last summer was not particularly good because gas prices were high. So there’s probably a pretty good amount of pent-up leisure demand,” said Bobby Bowers, senior vice president at Smith Travel Research, a firm that tracks the hotel market. “We’re hoping that those people who do have jobs and income hit the road this year.”

The American Automobile Association forecast a 1.5% increase in the number of Americans traveling over the Memorial Day weekend because of lower fuel prices and plentiful travel bargains. It’s the first year since 2005 that AAA forecast travel growth for Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer season.

Experts say summer vacationers are focusing more on domestic destinations, with international bookings dropping more sharply. Flu outbreaks and household penny-pinching have led more Americans to travel closer to home. Travelocity.com said it is seeing an increased share of its bookings this summer in Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, Chicago and Las Vegas, and sharp declines in the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada.

“People seem to be gravitating toward domestic destinations,” said Genevieve Shaw Brown, who tracks travel data and trends for Travelocity, a unit of Sabre Holdings Corp. “This summer, with smaller budgets, people are staying closer to home.”

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David Gothard
The Air Transport Association says there will be 7% fewer airline passengers this summer than last year. But because airlines have cut their capacity by a larger percentage than that, planes that do fly will actually be fuller than last summer, despite the weak economy. Through May 13, the number of commercial airline flights in the U.S. was down 14.1% from last year, according to FlightStats.com, a flight-tracking service. The on-time rate improved to 78.1% from 72.8%. Only 8.2% of all flights were 45 minutes late or more, compared with 10.2% last year.

To fill seats, airlines are cutting prices drastically, and shoppers are being picky about what they pay. Travelocity says international airfares that customers have booked are down about 14% from last year; customers are paying 17% less for domestic tickets.

The cheapest Atlanta-London round-trip ticket available for June travel dates had fallen to $750 last week, from $1,300 in December, according to Farecast.com, which records historical ticket prices. According to FareCompare.com, another price-tracking service, the lowest price offered between New York and San Diego currently is $200 round-trip, compared with $275 last year.

Craig Jenks, president of Airline/Aircraft Projects consulting firm, says U.S.-Europe airline capacity this summer will be down 8.4% from last year. Many airlines that have multiple trips per day between cities have reduced flight frequencies. British Airways PLC has gone to six flights a day between New York Kennedy and London Heathrow, for example, down from eight a day last fall.

Yet because business travel in particular has been so depressed, airlines still have had to slash prices. Lower fuel costs this summer give airlines more room to lower ticket prices and still make money.

“It is likely there will be an element of win-win for airlines and consumers. Airlines can profitably offer lower fares this summer,” Mr. Jenks said.

A few carriers are even trying out new routes this summer. UAL Corp.’s United Airlines has added a new flight connecting Washington, D.C., with Geneva. AMR Corp.’s American Airlines has added a Dallas-Madrid flight, and Delta Air Lines Inc. has begun flying between Pittsburgh and Paris (a joint venture with Air France) and between New York and Valencia, Spain.

New routes often are excellent opportunities to score very cheap tickets or redeem frequent-flier miles as airlines build traffic. And it’s worth checking business-class fares. Shunned now by corporate travelers, lie-flat bed seats are plentiful and a lot cheaper if you can book in advance. The International Air Transport Association reported Monday that the number of “premium cabin” passengers was down more than 19% world-wide in the first three months of this year.

Upgrades are easier to score these days with frequent-flier miles because airlines aren’t selling the seats. And some business-class fare sales are eye-poppingly lower. Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., for example, is offering round-trip between New York and Vienna between June 28 and Sept. 4 for $1,574 (not including taxes and fees), compared to a regular price of $7,568. That’s still several hundred dollars more than a coach ticket, but a smart upgrade for those who can afford it and will appreciate better sleep and more space on a flight across the Atlantic.

Overall, this year may be a very good time to go to Europe. The dollar has regained some strength against the Euro and the British pound, and crowds will likely be a bit smaller because of reduced intra-European travel and fewer inbound travelers from Asia, Russia and other places hit hard economically. “This has to be a relatively good summer to go to Europe,” Mr. Jenks said.

Hotels are also a bargain. In the first quarter this year, room rates were down 7.7% in the U.S. and 9.6% in Europe, according to Smith Travel Research, and the pain for hoteliers has continued. In the week ending May 9, U.S. hotel occupancy fell 14% from last year, with only 53.6% of rooms filled. The average daily room rate dropped 9.8% over the same period of 2008 to $97.58, according to Smith Travel.

Luxury hotels have been hit hardest and have seen the sharpest price reductions, with room rates 13.2% lower than last year in the latest weekly survey. To stem further price reductions, some hotels are trying specials like buy two nights, get a third night free, or specials on show tickets, theme-park admission, breakfast and other free add-ons.

At the Hyatt Regency Aruba, for example, you can stay four nights but pay for only three, and the hotel throws in free breakfast for two adults and two children under 12 and a one-room guaranteed upgrade.

Pre-paying for hotel rooms, like buying nonrefundable airline tickets, can yield huge savings. The luxury Le Meridien Hotel in the heart of Budapest, Hungary, is offering rooms in August at only €76 ($102) a night, but the prepaid price is nonrefundable. Cancellable reservations start at €99 — still a bargain for a winner of AAA’s top quality Five Diamond award.

Mr. Bowers of Smith Travel says summer travelers this year are probably better off waiting to book — hotels aren’t likely to fill up at most locations, and they typically drop prices even more trying to sell empty rooms. The best way to get a bargain is to call the hotel directly and ask for a better price than advertised online. Shoot for 10% off the lowest Internet rate.

“The power is with the consumer,” Mr. Bowers said.

Write to Scott McCartney at middleseat@wsj.com

So we have many opinions of the words greatest beaches and often Hawaii is mentioned as well as Florida, Costa Rica, etc…But how often is it accurate and told so by a valued source? I think Jaymes Song from the Associated Press who references “Dr. Beach”, is right on the money when it comes to Hanalei Bay being the nations’s No. 1 beach…I’d like to add, it’s one of the worlds best beach!…

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‘Dr. Beach’ picks Hanalei Bay nation’s No. 1 beach
Buzz Up

Bill Baggs Cape …
By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer Jaymes Song, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 22, 7:22 am ET
HANALEI, Hawaii – If life is a beach, Hanalei Bay must be heaven.
This remote, two-mile crescent-shaped beach on Kauai where the emerald mountains meet the sparkling sea was selected No. 1 on “Dr. Beach” Stephen P. Leatherman’s 2009 list of top 10 beaches, which was released Friday.
Hanalei beat out other shores stretching from San Diego to Cape Cod.
“The sheer beauty of Hanalei Bay is breathtaking,” said Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. “It’s really an idyllic setting.”
Hanalei features postcard views from every angle and is untouched by the feverish development that has transformed the coastlines of other islands. It’s cherished by both locals and tourists as the perfect spot to swim, surf, snorkel or simply escape and unwind.
“It’s just gorgeous,” said Annie Meredith, who regularly surfs in the bay. “You’ve got green mountains, white sand, blue ocean — that’s kind of hard to beat.”
The runner-up on Leatherman’s list was Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Fla., followed by Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y., on Long Island; Coronado Beach in San Diego; Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii; Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y., on Long Island; Cape Hatteras in Outer Banks, N.C.; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Fla.; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Mass.; and Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, S.C.
Leatherman based his selections on 50 criteria, including water quality and temperature, cleanliness, weather, sand, safety and facilities. And Hanalei is his personal favorite “getaway beach” in Hawaii.
“If I want to get away from it all and forget about the rest of the world, Hanalei is about the best place to go, as far as I know,” he said.
Hanalei is located on Kauai’s North Shore around the corner from the Napali Coast, the most stunning corner of the state. One side offers lush valleys, dramatic waterfalls and sculpted mountains with peaks that rise 4,000 feet. On the other is the Pacific, where dolphins and sea turtles can be seen.
The big attraction here is that it’s not a big attraction. Unlike in the high-rise jungle of Waikiki, where thousands of glowing-pale tourists sprawl across the sand like eggs in a carton, there’s plenty of breathing room in secluded Hanalei.
Newlyweds Dirk and Courtney McNealy, of Gainesville, Fla., noticed that there were only about 50 people along the entire two miles of beach on a recent weekday.
“Back in Florida, it seems there’s 50 people in a 10-foot stretch,” Courtney McNealy said.
The McNealys chose the so-called Garden Island for their honeymoon because they wanted a peaceful retreat.
“The water is nice. The sand is nice,” Courtney McNealy said. “It’s really beautiful.”
Duane Kutsch, of Richland, Wash., said he enjoyed the slower pace and the space.
“It doesn’t seem so big and commercial like Oahu,” he said. “Oahu to me feels like Chicago, a huge city on the edge of the water. This still has a hometown feel to it.”
The flight to Kauai from Honolulu takes less than a half hour. The 30-mile drive from Lihue Airport to Hanalei, however, takes nearly an hour along two-lane Kuhio Highway. The roadway eventually runs down the mountainside and crosses a one-lane bridge before entering the tiny town of Hanalei.
Egos, shoes and watches should be checked at the bridge. No one’s in a hurry in this ultra-mellow community.
The village is a throwback to old Hawaii. There are sprawling plots of taro, which is used to produce poi, a staple in the Hawaiian diet. Neighborhood kids sell fresh leis on the corner. Gift shops, art galleries, surf stores and casual restaurants line the main drag.
“Most of us who live in the city are used to the hustle and bustle. This is anything but that,” Leatherman said. “It’s about as laid-back as you can get.”
In the winter, swells and rip currents pick up in the bay and lifeguards are kept busy. Hanalei and surrounding areas have several top surf breaks. This is where three-time surfing world champion Andy Irons lives and honed his skills.
Even when the surf is up, parts of the bay are protected by an outer reef, so people can still swim safely. However, visitors should be aware of conditions and posted signs and check with lifeguards.
“Because of the beauty, it’s deceiving,” said Mark McKamey, who has been a lifeguard in the area for 17 years. “It’s paradise so it gives them a false sense of security.”
In the summer, the waters flatten out. Locals can be seen throw-net fishing, catching opelu and akule, a Native Hawaiian tradition.
“There’s a good vibe overall,” said McKamey.
There are three parks within the bay: Black Pot, Hanalei Pavilion and Waioli. Several surfing schools offer two-hour sessions for $50-$60 and rent gear.
Nestled between two rivers, Hanalei is the largest bay on the island of Kauai.
Leatherman said one of his favorite views of the bay is from The St. Regis Princeville Resort, located on the bluff. The 252-room hotel reopens in October after nearly a year of renovations.
Hanalei first gained fame when the hit musical “South Pacific” was filmed here five decades ago, and it hasn’t changed much. The sailors sang “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame” at the bay, while neighboring Lumahai Beach is where Mitzi Gaynor made famous “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”
More recently, the North Shore served as the backdrop in films from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to “Tropic Thunder,” which starred part-time local resident Ben Stiller, one of many celebrities who vacation or live here.
Ranked No. 2 in 2008, Hanalei will now be retired from the Dr. Beach’s list. Its selection returns the top spot to Hawaii, which has won 12 times since Leatherman started the list in 1991. Florida beaches have been named tops six times, including last year with Caladesi Island. North Carolina won once. California placed No. 4 this year with Coronado Beach but has never claimed the top spot.
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On the Net:
Dr. Beach’s Top 10: http://www.drbeach.org

You can find more on Kauai and where to stay here, www.hestara.com

We’ve gone to Sealodge every year for the past 8 years. We always visit the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (the lighthouse) because we love seeing the baby shearwaters emerging from their nests in the ground (in October). In 2008, for the first time, we saw dead fish on the lawn at the lighthouse. When I asked the docent why they were there, she told me that the frigatebirds had been stealing fish from the red-footed boobies. The boobies find their food in the ocean and the frigatebirds (also called pirates) take it away from them as they bring it back to their nests in the refuge. In the struggle, some of the fish had dropped to the ground and both birds were too shy to retrieve it from such a public place. There are so many things going on in the refuge that we never see; it was wonderful to get a glimpse of something a little extraordinary.
Bird lover