Today’s photo is from the exceptionally talented, Maui photographer, Peter Liu. I’ve been a big fan of Peter’s photography, so I’m thrilled that he’s given us permission to share one of his many stunners.

From Peter’s blog, he wrote that he was on his way home from the store when he noticed this sunset. So he grabbed his camera gear and headed to the beach. Ah, such is the life!

Be sure to check out Peter Liu’s photography blog for more photos that will have you wanting to hope on a plane to Maui ASAP. Mahalo nui loa, Peter, for sharing your beautiful photo with us!

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After a recent stay at the beautiful Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay, I was really impressed by all the special little things they do to take care of their guests. For example, you don’t even need to bring sunscreens or a beach bag because they provide those amenities for you.

The Four Seasons Lanai Resorts do so many little things to make guests feel like they are pampered. As you lounge by the pool or beach, staff deliver chilled towels, fresh slices of pineapple, iced water, and get this – even spritzes of chilled Evian water.

Further evidence of the Four Seasons Lanai’s attention to detail landed in my inbox in the form of this summary of the special things the do to help families traveling with children – from babies to teens.

Whether with infant or toddler, Four Seasons Resorts Lāna‘i offers an idyllic family getaway, without all the baggage – literally.  Leave behind all the cumbersome baby gear and instead opt for luxurious accommodations and complimentary baby amenities at Four Seasons.  Baby trekking will be seamless and stress-free, which will keep the entire family cooing, not just baby.

“Parents will have less to pack, which means lower baggage fees and less hassle,” said Tom Roelens, general manager of Four Seasons Resorts Lāna‘i.  “We have thought of everything parents need when traveling with an infant – from bottle warmers to baby monitors.”

The Resorts provide an array of complimentary amenities to cater to baby’s every need.  Upon arrival, tiny tots receive a keiki welcome gift consisting of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, baby wipes, and diapers – including a swim diaper.  Additional amenities include keiki bathrobe, baby bathtub, Diaper Genie and a potty training seat.  Bottle warmers, disposable bibs and high chairs are offered for mealtime ease.  Cribs, toddler beds – including bed rails, playpens, baby monitors and vaporizers are provided to ensure sweet dreams for both infant and parents.  Additionally, parents may avail themselves to strollers – including jogging strollers, and car seats while exploring the island and Resorts.  Expectant mothers are even treated to pregnancy pillows and can indulge in a prenatal massage at The Spa.  In addition, nanny services are available, allowing parents to have some much needed time alone.

Children aged five to 12 can revel in the Kids For All Seasons program, which offers a full range of complimentary, organized indoor and outdoor activities.  The Surf Shack Teen Center features video game stations, a pool table and lounge area for those aged 13-17.

Families can now stay longer with Four Seasons Resorts Lāna‘i’s Third Night Free and Fourth Night Free packages.  The Lodge at Koele’s Third Night Free package includes one complimentary night to guests who book two consecutive nights at the Resort, with rates starting at $295 per night.  Manele Bay’s Fourth Night Free package includes one complimentary night to guests who book three consecutive nights at the Resort, with rates starting at $345 per night.  Both packages are valid through December 18, 2010.  For more information or to make reservations, please call toll-free (800) 321-4666 or visit on the Internet at http://www.fourseasons.com/lanai.

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In order to protect one of Hawaii’s most historically and culturally significant shorelines and coral reef ecosystems, Hawaii’s Department. of Land and Natural Resources now requires a permit to land kayaks, canoes and other vessels near the Captain Cook Monument, located within the bay park.

What does this new permit process mean for visitors? If you want to paddle over to explore the monument and land your vessel on shore, you’ll have to arrange for a permit well in advance Download Permit or opt for a guided kayak excursion with the two permitted outfitters, Hawaii Pack and Paddle or Adventures in Paradise. Alternatively, you can just stay afloat on your kayak or canoe. Those without permits can still snorkel and kayak within Kealakekua Bay on their own. They just aren’t permitted to land their vessels on the shoreline.

Another option is to book a catamaran snorkel tour with Fair Wind Cruises, which ties up to an eco-friendly permanent mooring in the bay in order to share the history and natural beauty of Kealakekua with their passengers. I have taken the Fair Wind II morning cruise to Kealakekua Bay and very much enjoyed the experience. 

Rafting tours to Kealakekua Bay are also offered. Some of your options are Sea Hawaii Rafting, Captain Zodiac, and Sea Quest.

Kealakekua is where the first extensive contact between Hawaiians and Westerners occurred, with the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1779, and it’s also one of the most treasured marine life conservation districts in Hawaii, where sea turtles, spinner dolphins, coral and colorful Hawaiian fish can be observed. For more information, visit Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park and see my post, Planning to Explore Kealakekua Bay.

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Okie dokie, let’s look at today’s deals and news that includes a Maui vacation sweepstakes, hotel deals, and more.

* If you’d like to fly to Hawaii in style, Hawaiian Airlines is offering some fairly reasonable first class fares. For example, you can fly Portland to Maui round-trip from $910 plus taxes and fees.First class fares for the routes of San Jose to Honolulu and Oakland to Honolulu are both on sale for $1018 round-trip plus taxes and fees. For this first class sale, you’ll need to book before March 31, 2010 and travel between April 13 and June 10, 2010.

* The Iolani Palace in Honolulu posted a record year in 2009 with over 80,000 visitors. With the increase in demand, the palace has added a sixth day to their schedule. They’ll now be open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

* Kauai Beach Resort has a number of good packages to help you save on your Kauai vacation. I’m kind of drawn to their “Snooze–N-Crooze” package that starts at $119 per night and includes a compact rental car. Bargain, eh?

* The closest thing you’ll find to an all-inclusive resort in Hawaii is at the Kona Village Resort on the Big Island. They’re offering a special deal of $398 on bungalows that normally go for $630 per night. Considering it includes your meals, some activities, and two luaus per week, it’s a pretty good deal. You must book it before March 26, 2010. See this link for more information.

* Pleasant Holidays has a special offer if you can fly from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Their deal is kids fly free this summer. See more about this offer here.

*  Were you in awe of Apolo Ohno’s Olympic skating skills? How would you like to win a luxury trip for two to Maui with Apolo Ohno himself? Alaska Airlines is offering this very cool Maui vacation sweepstakes.

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I’d like to highlight three useful articles that offer good advice for planning your visit to Haleakala.

- Since Haleakala is called the house of the sun, I think it’s appropriate to plan your visit around either sunrise or sunset. Which is better? I tend to lean towards sunrise, but you may prefer sunset. To help you decide, see my article, Haleakala Sunrise versus Sunset.

- You’ll also need advice for getting to and enjoying Haleakala, especially if you are planning a sunrise visit. So, read my tips for visiting Haleakala at sunrise so you’ll be fully prepared for what to expect.

- Since there aren’t any restaurants inside Haleakala National Park, you might be interested in a good restaurant recommendation. We never miss an opportunity to go to Kula Lodge Restaurant for breakfast after visiting Haleakala. It’s conveniently located just a few miles outside the park. See my article on Kula Lodge Restaurant.

If you’d like a preview of what you’ll see on Haleakala, take a gander at this slideshow that includes our photos from multiple trips to Haleakala for sunrise.

You might notice that each sunrise is different. So, if you’ve been before, I think it’s still worth visiting Haleakala again and again.

Have you been to Haleakala? What was your experience? Would you recommend it to your friends and family? Please comment.

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No matter where you travel, shopping at a local farmers market is one of the quickest ways to get to know more about a culture. Not only will you learn more about the area you’re visiting, you’ll also have the opportunity to support the local economy by purchasing some tasty fruits, vegetables, and baked goods. You’ll also find floral bouquets and crafts.

So, when you visit Hawaii, I encourage you to visit a farmers market. To help you find a farmers market on Hawaii, I recommend that you visit this Web page that’s operated by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. From there, you can navigate to the lists of farmers markets on each island.

I’ll add a few notes that the Web page doesn’t highlight or mention:

• On Oahu, the KCC farmers’ market is a very popular and well stocked farmers market that’s also fairly convenient to Waikiki.
• Lanai has a farmers’ market every Saturday morning in Lanai City. The specific location varies, but it’s usually somewhere in or around Dole Park.
• In Honolulu’s Chinatown, there’s a open market that operates most days.
• Though not a farmers’ market, you’ll definitely hand made crafts and snacks at the popular Aloha Stadium Swap Meet.
• If you get a chance to go to the Hawaiian Homestead Farmers’ Market that’s held on Saturday mornings in Waimea on the Big Island, look for fruitsicles. See my post on discovering coconut fruitsicles.

Have you visited a farmers’ market in Hawaii? Where did you go? What did you buy?

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Today’s Aloha Friday Photo comes from my sister Michelle who lives in Newland, North Carolina. Michelle took this photo while she and her husband, David, were visiting the Big Island in January. This photo shows the shoreline near the Mauna Lani Hotel on the Kohala Coast. It’s one of her favorites from the trip, though she has “bunches” more.  Hopefully she’ll share some of those, too.  Mahalo to Michelle for sharing this beautiful shot!

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Pololu Lookout on Hawaii's Big Island

* We so love finding coupons to help us save on our Hawaii vacations, don’t we? With the money we save, we can afford to bring home more macadamia nuts and Kona coffee. Bank of Hawaii has just launched a new coupon site full of money saving coupons on dining, entertainment, groceries and more. (Hat tip to my friends at TheRightBlue)

* How about a spa bargain? Per my friends at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, beginning March 15th, Mandara Spa is offering a 50-minute aromatherapy massage or cleansing facial for $99 each. Call (808) 945-7721 to book.

* Aqua Resorts is giving away 3-night stays at any Aqua resort in Hawaii. When you book with the promo code “SWP” you’ll automatically be entered to win one of the nine weekly drawings for a 3-night stay, plus you’ll receive an instant 15% off their rates. Read all the details here. Aqua Resorts are located on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Molokai.

* Sheraton Keauhou Bay on the Big Island has announced they’ll be spiffing up their rooms with new carpet, 37-inch flat screen televisions, and new paint. They anticipate having the renovations complete in two-thirds of their rooms by the end of the summer.

* Hilton Hawaiian Village just announced that they’re opening up their kids club, Camp Penguin, to all Waikiki visitors.

* The most recent (January 2010) stats for Hawaii hotel rates are out. Hawaii is still a great bargain with a statewide average hotel rate of $176 per night. Occupancy averaged 66.5%. So, when you go to Hawaii, you’ll be paying less and getting a little more elbow room. Here are the average rates paid per room per night by island. (Source)

• Oahu $149
• Maui $228
• Kauai $193
• Big Island $187

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I’ll organize the waterfalls by island. We’ll start in the South on the Big Island and work our way North to Kauai.

Akaka Falls on Hawaii’s Big Island

This 442-foot waterfall is well worth the short walk it takes on the paved path. I never miss an opportunity to see it when I’m on the Big Island. For directions, advice and a video of Akaka Falls, see my article Tips for Visiting Akaka Falls. While you’re there, also check out Kahuna Falls (photo) that’s on the same loop trail as Akaka Falls.

Rainbow Falls on Hawaii’s Big Island

At Rainbow Falls, water tumbles down over an arch-shaped rock above a cave. This waterfall is located in the town of Hilo on the Big Island’s east side. This waterfall is easily accessed for everyone as there are no stairs or long walk to see this attraction. For directions, advice, and a video of Rainbow Falls, see my article The Big Island’s Rainbow Falls in Hilo.

Oheo Gulch on Maui

The Oheo Gulch is a series of cascading waterfalls and pools. You might hear Oheo Gulch called the seven sacred pools, but that’s not it’s real name and there’s actually nothing sacred about it. You’ll find the Oheo Gulch just beyond Hana off the famous road to Hana in the Kipahulu area of Haleakala National Park. Just before the park entrance, you’ll drive over one of the many one-lane bridges, but this one hovers over the Oheo Gulch. You can snap a photo from the bridge, but I do recommend that you visit the Kipahulu area of Haleakala National Park, if you have the time. See my article, Visiting the Kipahulu Area of Haleakala National Park.

Other Road to Hana Waterfalls on Maui

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that you’ll see around a dozen or more waterfalls along the road to Hana. This area might offer the most concentrated number of waterfalls that you’ll find in all of Hawaii, and possibly, the world. Some of the waterfalls you’ll see just off the road, others take a short hike to view. If you are really into waterfalls, you might want to plan to spend a night in Hana so that you’ll have more time to find the many waterfalls off the road to Hana.

Manoa Falls on Oahu

To see the 100-foot Manoa Falls, you must hike 0.8 miles along a path through a lush green jungle. Visiting Manoa Falls can be as much about the journey as it is to see the waterfall itself. You’ll know for sure that you’re not in Waikiki when you visit the Manoa Valley and walk this trail. For advice and directions to Manoa Falls, see my article, Manoa Falls Trail, an Oahu Green Gem.

Wailua Falls on Kauai

Wailua Falls are probably the most iconic waterfalls in Hawaii. I think the photo speaks for itself, doesn’t it? These twin falls are easy to find and see when you visit Kauai’s east side. For directions, see my post, Kauai’s Wailua Falls. This waterfall is easily accessible for everyone.

Opeakaa Falls on Kauai

I like to describe Opeakaa Waterfalls as dainty because the water fans horizontally as it cascades down the lava rock wall. The brief diversion up Kuamoo Road (Highway 580) on Kauai’s east side is well worth the trip to see this waterfall along with the nearby views of Wailua River Valley. The views of Opeakaa Waterfalls is easy to access for everyone.

Waialeale Crater Waterfalls on Kauai

If you’d like to see lots of pencil thin waterfalls concentrated in one area, you’ll love taking a Kauai helicopter tour that takes you into Waialeale Crater, one of the wettest places on earth. It’s definitely a sight that will capture your attention.

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As I close this article, I’d like to add a disclaimer. Hawaii’s waterfalls are fed by rain, so if you happen to visit Hawaii after a dry spell, you may not get to see the waterfalls when they’re fully turned on, so to speak. See my post, Hawaii in Contrasts Rain and Waterfalls, to see how much difference the amount of rain makes to Hawaii’s waterfalls.

With this list of great Hawaii waterfalls, I’m only listing a sampling of the many beautiful waterfalls in the Aloha State. What other waterfalls would you add to this list? Which Hawaii waterfalls are your favorites?

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How do you describe watching a crater billow with smoke and glow from a lava lake that’s hundreds of feet below the surface? Somehow the words amazing and incredible just don’t do enough to adequately describe this sight.

As you are making your vacation plans for the Big Island of Hawaii, I hope you’ll find time to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where you’ll discover this active crater called Halemaumau at the summit of Kilauea Volcano. If possible, aim to see it when the sun is down or at dawn or dusk so that you’ll be able to see the red glow from the lava lake. A great vantage point to view Halemaumau is from the Jaggar Museum within the national park off of Crater Rim Drive.

So, what’s creating the constant cloud of smoke and the red glow from Halemaumau crater? The crater has an opening in the floor that’s about 400 feet in diameter. This opening is essentially a vent that allows the volcanic pressure and gases to escape. The opening was created by an explosion in March 2008 and since then a consistent plume of smoke and ash have been flowing from the crater floor. The smoke is actually a mixture of volcanic gasses, ash, and steam.

The blood-orange glow that you’ll likely see at dusk, dark, and dawn is the glow of a lava lake that’s some 400 or 500 feet below the crater floor. The intensity of the glow varies almost minute by minute. Sometimes, it’s strong enough for the webcam at the Jaggar Museum to pick up the glow. I noticed that what you see in person is much stronger/better than what you see on the webcam.

It’s very fitting that Halemaumau has been active as this crater is called the home of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire. For over 100 years Halemaumau has boiled with lava both above and below the surface.

What to know when you go:

• Since Halemaumau is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you must pay a $10 fee for park entry. This fee allows you entry in to the park for 7 days. See my tips for visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There is plenty to see and do inside the park besides Halemaumau.
• Volcanic fumes can be hazardous. I have noticed that them make me have a temporary dry cough. Park officials are constantly monitoring air quality based on the direction of the winds. Heed all warnings. Visitors with heart or breathing problems and infants, young children, and pregnant women are especially at risk and should avoid being in areas where fumes persist.
• Ideal times to see Halemaumau’s eruptive activity is around dusk and dawn where you have an opportunity to see both the red glow from the lava lake as well as the plume.
• See a collection of our photos from visiting Halemaumau.

Have you seen Halemaumau’s recent activity? How would you describe it.

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To join the community go to: http://www.facebook.com/govisithawaii and click on the button that says, “Become A Fan” and watch for another announcement this week. Mahalo!

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A View from Oahu's Pali Lookout

* Check out this months blog carnival of Aloha which has a preservation theme.

* Hawaii’s Prince Resorts have some good family deals with a 2 for 1 promotion and a kids eat free promotion. See these promotion details here.

* I was disappointed to hear that the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources have fallen on such hard times that they have begun charging nonresidents a $3 fee to park at the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout. In my opinion, that’s a bit of a high fee considering that most folks only spend about 10 – 30 minutes here, there are no restroom facilities and the parking lot is notorious for car break ins. If you are a Hawaii resident, you are exempt from the fee. The Honolulu Advertiser has an article on this new fee with over 200 very lively comments. What do you think of the new $3 parking fee?

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Laura and Marco’s photos relate to their experience touring a Kona coffee farm where they roasted their own coffee under their own private coffee label at Ueshima Coffee Company.  The photo on the left shows their very own custom coffee label.

Laura and Marco say that their visit to Ueshima Coffee Company was one of their fondest Hawaii vacation memories from two years ago. Here’s more of how they described their experience:

You know, COFFEE  is a signature “attraction” on that island. We were told that it’s  mainly grown in the Kona area, just a few minutes away from the coastline , over Keauhou Bay .

100% Kona coffee is a very expensive treat, but surely worth it! Up in  the hills, around  the village Holualoa above Kailua, we encountered many “small coffee farms” and stopped by Ueshima Coffee Company to “ROAST OUR OWN PRIVATE LABEL” !

WOW ! A very kind “hostess ”  took us on  a tour of  the whole property and afterwards explained us how to roast coffee beans… as they used to do it in the gone-by days. (See photo of Laura roasting coffee.)  During the roasting process, as the temperature is rising, we experienced how the coffee flavor starts getting stronger and the color of the beans considerably darkens. After only ten minutes, we had to start the cooling process. A fun thing about it :  our “ineffable”  host stated that, for a good Kona coffee, Laura would have had  to “dance  the hula “ while cooling the beans… which she did with much fun!

OUR OWN COFFEE ended up SOOO  DELICIOUS   and  both of us were now officially certified   “ROASTMASTER FOR THE DAY” !

We could bring home (in ITALY) a whiff and a taste of Hawaii, to share with family and friends! What a fun experience we had! Tasting that  coffee was… simply magic … for such a long time after our trip!

A big mahalo to Laura and Marco for sharing their photos and coffee story of aloha! They are headed back to Hawaii in August. They’ll be visiting Oahu, Kauai and Maui. Let’s hope they’ll have new adventures and vacation stories like this one to share after their visit.

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* Maui’s Kapalua Villas resort condominiums are on sale with Outrigger Resorts, the new property management company. You can book a 1-bedroom fairway-view villa for $199 plus a $25 resort fee per night. With this rate, you’ll also receive $150 resort credit. This deal is valid for travel dates through December 21, 2010. For more information on this deal, click here. Kapalua is a Maui fabulous resort that we absolutely love.

* The 2010 Hawaii Entertainment Book is on sale for 50% off plus free shipping through March 14th. The sale price is $17. Click this link to read more and order your book. As we have previously discussed, the Hawaii Entertainment Book can quickly pay for itself if you are going to Oahu. To review that discussion, see this post, Hawaii Entertainment Coupon Books – Worth the price?

* US residents, don’t forget to enter the One Million HawaiianMiles Sweepstakes. Speaking of Hawaiian Airlines, you can sign up for a 10% off e-certificate that you can apply towards flights booked by March 14, 2010 for travel dates valid through December 15, 2010. .

* My blog pals at The Right Blue described their experience with Hawaii’s major tsunami warning over the weekend. It’s a captivating read.

* Lately, I’ve enjoyed reading a blog for the National Parks of the Pacific Islands that covers all kinds of interesting history and facts about the national parks of Hawaii as well as other Pacific islands. Check it out here.

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Maui’s weather is wonderfully warm year-round and if you’re headed there, then you’ll want to know how the weather is looking.  Here are some resources to help you out.

Long-Range Weather Forecasting

There’s a saying that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.  To a large extent that’s true for the weather.  Weather.com maintains a history of Maui’s average temperature and rainfall levels by month.  Those averages are a great indicator of future weather.  For example, you can see that January is the coolest and rainiest month while June is one of the warmer and drier months.

Seven to Ten Days Out

Hawaii’s local television stations have quite a bit of weather information online.  You can even watch a video of the seven-day forecast. For example, here’s the link for Hawaii News Now 7-day weather forecast for Kahalui.

Maui News, the island’s newspaper has a weather forecast section that allows you to focus on the weather for specific areas of the island.

Weather.com offers ten-day weather forecasts.  Here’s the link for Maui’s 10-day forecast.

Weather Forecast When You are On Your Maui Vacation

The National Weather Service offers a toll-free telephone number to hear more detailed and shorter term weather forecasts. That toll-free number is (866) 944-5025.  In addition to the general weather forecast, this automated phone service offers a wealth of information including:

• Sunrise, sunset and tide times.
• Haleakala summit forecast, which would be particularly useful if you plan to go to see Haleakala sunrise or sunset.
• Coastal water weather predictions including wind strength and wave heights.  This information would be useful if you plan to do any sailing, sea kayaking, or snorkeling.

What Maui weather forecasts do you use?

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In that app list, there’s some very useful free apps like:

• Hawaii News Now – for local news, weather and sports.
• Hawaii – What Chefs Eat – for restaurant recommendations.
• Surf Report – for beach and weather conditions.

Though not free, I’m impressed by this Hawaii Envi app that is designed to help you sightsee Oahu via TheBus system. The cost of that app is $1.99, which is a bargain versus renting and fueling a rental car.

I’m downloading a couple of $0.99 apps that look to be interesting — the Hawaiian Word of the Day and the iVacation Hawaii apps.

One iPhone app that’s not in that list that we routinely use in Hawaii is the free Yelp app to help us find restaurants when we’re in Hawaii as well as our other travels.

Do you have a useful travel-related iPhone application that you recommend? Please share them in the comments.

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Email subscribers – click here to access the ad.

Hmm…could this mean that if we go to Hawaii for surfing and hiking, we could become Olympic medalists?

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Did you know that on the Big Island of Hawaii. you can  walk underground where lava flowed hundreds of years ago? You can do just that at Thurston Lava Tube inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, just off Crater Rim Drive. To say that it’s an amazing sight and experience is an understatement.

Thurston Lava Tube is one of the most popular natural attractions within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. From about mid-morning until late afternoon, bus loads of tourists are visiting the lava tube. Sometimes it’s even a challenge to find a parking spot. You can beat the crowds by visiting early in the morning and what a difference it makes.

Andy and I have visited Thurston Lava Tube several times throughout the day. We’ve discovered if you go to Thurston Lava Tube early in the morning, you’ll practically have the entire area to yourself. Aim to get here before about 9:30am. The rainforest area around the lava tube is so peaceful early in the morning.

The loop trail to and through the lava tube is paved and well lit. Plan on about 20 minutes to walk the trial. The path has a couple of inclines, but nothing too strenuous. Unfortunately, the trail isn’t wheelchair accessible.

If you are a bit more adventurous and curious about lava tubes, you can explore an optional section of the lava tube. It is not lit, so you will definitely need a flash light.

Of course the lava tube is the big attraction here, but I hope you also get a chance to notice the wonderful rainforest surroundings. You can’t help but gawk at the giant Hawaiian hapuu ferns. Also take a few moments to watch for a beautiful red bird, the ‘apapane, as it gathers nectar from the Lehua blossom of the Ohia trees.

Please enjoy this brief slideshow of photos from Thurston Lava Tube.

If you are planning on going Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, be sure and read my tips for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

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The  Hawaii Tourism Authority issued the following statement following the tsunami.:

“At approximately 1:40 p.m., the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled the tsunami warning in Hawaii.  There was no reported damage to the state as a result of the tsunami generated by the earthquake off the coast of Chile.  Hotels and other visitor-related facilities are open and operating normally.

Most flights to and from Hawaii are on schedule, however, there may be some delays and travelers should check with their airline before going to the airport.

For more information, call 1-800-gohawaii or visit www.scd.hawaii.gov.”

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I wouldn’t mind trying this nutty concoction, but I’m quite fond of the milk chocolate, toffee covered macadamia nuts.

So, what do you think of this flavor combination? Would you like to give it a try? Would you purchase Macadamia Nuts with SPAM for souvenirs?

Mahalo to Dave for the photo submission! Do you have a photo that you’d like to share for our Aloha Friday Photo series? Please let me know.

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