Random Images (Hawaii)

Following are some more-or-less random images from around Waikiki! First is from a restaurant at the International Market, second is an Art Deco-style bridge from historic Alamoana Park, and third is from the shopping district along busy Kalakaua Avenue. 

Going Off the Beaten Path in Hawaii

For many people, the idea of a vacation in Hawaii evokes images of resort hotels in Waikiki, surfing lessons, and luaus. There is certainly nothing wrong with those things, but if they are not of interest to you — or you already got your fill of them during a previous visit to the islands — then there are plenty of other fun and interesting way you can spend your stay on Oahu, the Hawaiian island on which Honolulu is located.

Just getting out of the resort and urban areas and hitting the road can be a great way to discover and then explore new places but, while it is my preferred method much of the time, it can also be kind of hit or miss. For those with time constraints or less of an adventurous streak, finding a reliable local guide can be a good shortcut to discovering the best of what the islands have to offer outside of the most touristy areas.

Back in 2002, during my first trip to Oahu, that guide ended up being the friend of a friend who was a fan of the classic Hawaii Five-O television series. She knew where all the locations that had been used in the show were located and it was a lot of fun having her point out buildings that appeared in the opening credits and talking about the episodes that had been filmed at picturesque sites like the Diamondhead volcanic crater.

During my last trip to Oahu, in March 2011, my guide was Lopaka Kapanui, proprietor of the Mysteries of Honolulu tour company, which specializes in visits to haunted places and those associated with the royalty, culture, and legends of old Hawaii. The time I spent with Kapanui also emphasized another advantage of having a knowledgeable local guide, namely that they are going to know things about sites that go way beyond the information available in guidebooks and on historical markers.

Suffice it to say, Kapanui recommends that visitors get out of the cities and into the heart of the islands.

“Once you get outside of Waikiki, there are things only a few people know about,” Kapanui says. “You may never look at paradise the same way again.”

The first place Kapanui took me and my wife and friends was the ruins of the summer palace of Kamehameha III (1813-1854), located in the wooded highlands above Honolulu and the only remaining structure associated with the famous monarch. Kamehameha used the isolated home — which was poetically known as Kaniakapupu, “the singing of the land shells” — as a retreat from the pressures of the throne, especially those brought by foreign businessmen and diplomats. It was also used for lavish entertainments.

“Completed in 1845, it was the scene of entertainment of foreign celebrities and the feasting of chiefs and commoners,” reads a plaque at the site, its bronze surface green with damp and age. “The greatest of these occasions was a luau attended by an estimated ten thousand people celebrating Hawaiian restoration day in 1847.”

Kaniakapupu is largely hidden today and would not be likely be found by many visitors, certainly not by those unaware of its existence. Turning off the Pali Highway, a major thoroughfare across the island, Kapanui led us up into the hills along Nuuanu Pali Drive, a winding road completely enclosed in an overhanging canopy of trees. We pulled off to the side of the road, at spot that was not marked in any way, and then followed our guide on foot up a narrow path into a bamboo forest that led further into the hills (shown at the top of this page). 

Coming out into a hilltop clearing, we saw spread before us the ruins of the palace complex, the main feature of which was the crumbling walls of the main hall. Kapanui explained to us that the place was kapu, or very sacred, and asked us to wait while he sang a prayer to the spirits that guarded it. As he uttered the final syllable of the brief ritual, the heavens opened up and rain began to pour down on us and he told us it was OK to go ahead and explore it, which we proceeded to do.

Our next stop took us over the mountains to the eastern end of the island and the town of Kailua, where I was somewhat surprised to have Kapanui pull into the unassuming parking lot of a YMCA. We walked a short distance, however, and there, tucked into a little valley just a few hundred yards from the main thoroughfare of Kailua Road, we were stunned to see the remains of a massive, black stone pyramidal structure!

Ulupo Heiau is a thousand-year-old sacrificial temple said to have been built in one night by the menehunes, a mythical race of little people similar to the fairies and dwarves of European folklore. The remains of this massive structure are still an impressive 30 feet tall and 140 feet wide, pointing to impressive architectural capabilities. While we were there, Kapanui told us some of the stories associated with the place — including one about a reptile woman who preys upon young men and is said to dwell in a nearby sacred grove — and explained the significance of some votive offerings that had been placed on a makeshift altar.

A few days later, a friend of mine and I went on our own to visit what may very well be one of the most beautiful places on Oahu, the Byodo-In Buddhist temple, located at the back of the Valley of the Temples memorial park. Completed in 1968, it is a half-sized replica of a 10th century temple in Japan and is located in a lush valley, enclosed by the cliffs of the Ko’olau Mountains and surrounded by gardens and koi ponds. Features of the temple include the central Phoenix Hall, the focus of which is the immense, nine-foot tall golden Amida Buddha, the largest such statue outside of Japan; a bell house containing a five-foot-tall, three-ton bronze bell, which visitors can strike for good luck; and a meditation pavilion that visitors can use for private prayer and reflection. We spent a relaxing afternoon at the site, feeding the resident fish and birds, meditating in the sanctuary, and even participating in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony (a first for me and an unexpected treat!).

Other sites we visited during our stay on Oahu include Pu’u O Mahuka Heiau, a ruined mountaintop temple on the North Shore, and an ancient fertility site that royal women used for birthing, both as part of a nighttime tour with Mysteries of Honolulu; the idyllic Waimea Valley, which we stopped at during a drive along the North Shore; and Bellows Beach Park, a gorgeous shoreline located on a military base that is frequently much less crowded than other public beaches.

Those are just a handful of the many off-the-beaten path sites on Oahu, not to mention the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Maui, or any of the others. If you go, they and many others will be there for you to explore yourself.

The Big Island

A good way to get off the beaten path on the “Big Island” of Hawaii is to hit the notorious Saddle Road, Hawaii Route 200, the mountain highway that runs between the looming peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. This isolated road connects the western and eastern ends of the island, running from the intersection with Highway 190 north of Kona to Hilo, and is a dramatic alternative to the coast roads the predominate on the island.

For years, Saddle Road was one of the most dangerous roads in the state, with many sharp curves, poorly-paved stretches, and crossings over one-lane bridges, and many rental car companies flat-out refused to let people take their vehicles onto it. Major renovations on the road began in 2009 and, by 2010, one of the worst segments had been bypassed and replaced and overall it had been upgraded to the point where it was a good as any other rural highway. Rental car companies still discourage customers from driving on it but there is now no legitimate basis for this and to some extent this is just a matter of them needing to update their maps and literature.

From its western end, Saddle Road passes first through parts of the sprawling Parker Ranch and then past the Pohakuloa Training Area — which includes an artillery and bombing range — and Bradshaw Army Airfield, ultimately ascending to about 6,500 feet above sea level. Then, about midway along its length, it intersects with two smaller, rougher roads.

The first, Mauna Kea Summit Road, goes north up the mountain for which it is named to 9,300 feet and the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, a support center for the Mauna Kea Observatory, located another 4,500 feet up at the summit. Sightseers can drive most vehicles up to the first site, which includes a visitor center, but four-wheel-drive vehicles are needed to continue to the mountaintop, and some people opt to simply hitch a ride the rest of the way.

The other road, the unmarked Mauna Loa Observatory Road, goes south and winds its way through immense blackened lava fields and up the slopes of its namesake mountain. It is rough but paved for about the first quarter of its 17 miles and then very rough and hazardous after that, making it accessible only to people with four-wheel-drive vehicles and sufficient nerve.

I opted to visit the atmospheric observatory on Mauna Loa and, having no similar desire, my wife and friends dropped me off at the southbound road to make the rest of the way up on my own. After about three miles I was able to hitch a ride with a Navy technician from Maryland who, along with his wife, was heading up to check his instruments at the observatory, something he did just once a year and which I was fortunate to have coincide with my own visit. Once there, I met with site administrator John Barnes, who gave me a tour of the facility and talked to me about its mission. Then, the couple from Maryland graciously gave me a ride back to the western end of the island and dropped me off, back on the beaten track, at a spot where my own wife and friends could pick me up.

If You Go

When To Go: Anytime! April through May and September through October are considered optimum but are commensurately more crowded and expensive.

Where To Stay: On Oahu, anywhere but Honolulu and Waikiki if you want to get off the beaten path. Located at the eastern end of the island, the town of Kailua allows easy access to many great sites throughout Oahu and has many amenities and places to stay, including timeshares and vacation-rentals-by-owner.

What To Eat: Be sure to have one meal at a traditional luau! Zippy’s is a family-style restaurant chain similar to Denny’s that specializes in Hawaiian cuisine. Bento boxes at takeout places and convenience stores can be a fun option for lunch and typically include little cakes of rice and spam wrapped with seaweed, macaroni salad, and bean sprouts. Poké is the Hawaiian answer to sushi and many varieties can be found in shops and grocery stores everywhere. And casual shrimp eateries are a feature of the North Shore of Oahu.

Climate: Tropical. June through August can be hot and muggy and November through March is the rainy season.

Language: As a U.S. state, English is official language, but key Hawaiian words it does not hurt to know are aloha for “hello” and mahalo for “thank you.” 

Going Off the Beaten Path: Having a car is probably the easiest way to get off the beaten path on Oahu and make the most of the time you have there, although for the more adventurous public buses are available. Mysteries of Honolulu, a tour company that specializes in sites associated with the culture and legends of Hawaii, has many day and nighttime options available. 

Yes, We Have No Lamb Today (Kumo Asian Bistro)

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — I just had lunch at an elegant little place at the intersection of Manchester Boulevard and Beulah Road called Kumo Asian Bistro. The service was good, quick, and polite, and my waitress had the improbable but delightful name Mango; my food was hot and delicious; and even the restrooms had upscale little touches like basin sinks. So, it bears mentioning that I was disappointed not at what I found, only at what I didn't find, and that I have nothing but good things to say about Kumo.

What I did not find was the little Chinese place that I ate lunch at off-and-on for 18 years. It was not elegant and, if it had a name at all, did not have one that was particularly interesting or relevant. You ordered your food at a counter and then either picked it up or had it brought to your formica table. The bathroom was always kind of grungy, and you often had to compete with the kitchen crew to even get into it. The waitstaff was perpetually exhausted and always bordering on surly.

After a point, however, the waitstaff, particularly the woman the front counter, recognized me every time I came in — even if it hadn't been for a long time — and even made a point of chatting with me. They even started automatically giving me chopsticks and stopped giving me grief over asking for extra napkins. And, perhaps more relevant than any of that, they served one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten: Kung Pao Lamb. I have never found this delicacy anywhere else and, for the last several years I ate at the place, never ordered anything else, because I knew I would just be disappointed. Even their Mongolian Lamb could not compare to the mass of greasy lamb slices, broccoli, and bamboo shoots in Kung Pao sauce, which I would further enhance with chili-infused oil from a little container on the table. Hot tea and cold water were available in two huge urns and you could have as much of either as you wanted for the price of getting up and serving yourself.

The clientele was special, too, and I was cognizant of being one among a number of distinct regulars. One of my favorites was a guy who looked exactly like Dick Cheney, except that he had a long ponytail and was typically attired in a tropical shirt and straw hat; it could actually have been Dick Cheney in a rudimentary costume, and I always liked to imagine it was his non-evil twin. The other co-diner I remember was a horrible looking little Asian guy, about four feet tall and with a face like a toad; I think he even might have had one leg shorter than the other. But he was always surrounded by three or four hot Asian chicks and smiling from ear-to-ear (as befits a hideous guy lucky enough to be accompanied by a bevy of hotties). I always imagined he was their pimp and a colorful player in the seedy Franconia underworld but actually think that they worked at the post office down the street.

Sadly, I found none of that today. But, you can't eat nostalgia, and if you find yourself between the Springfield Mall and Kingstowne Plaza you probably won't do better than Kumo. But you won't find Kung Pao Lamb there.

Colonial Beach Blues Festival 2013

For the last two years I have regretted not being able to make it out to the Colonial Beach Blues Festival and was excited to be able to attend in its third great year! This terrific event takes place on the banks of the Potomac River in historic Colonial Beach, about an hour south of Washington, D.C., at the High Tides bar and restaurant and the Black Pearl Tiki Bar(205 Taylor Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443; (804) 224-8433), and was held this year Friday-Sunday, June 21-23. And it was not just a great time, it was a great cause, as all proceeds from the event went to benefit the Organization for Autism Research.

The Colonial Beach Blues Festival was organized by my close friends Dominick and Charlene Salemi, proprietors of hip book and memorabilia store Populuxe Fredericksburg, and I was glad to have finally been able to avail myself of their generous offer to come check out their big event of the year. They had some fantastic acts lined up for this year, and fans of the Blues or even just live music in general were not disappointed. There were also numerous vendors selling everything from food to hip clothing and jewelry.

MC for the festival was everyone's favorite Jay Jenc of Jumpin' Jupiter (who rumor has it once killed a man, possibly in Memphis or Kansas City, in true Blues fashion!). He is shown here with festival organizer Charlene Salemi.

Friday's lineup featured three great acts, the Andy Poxon Band, Moonshine Society, and Anthony "Swamp Dog" Clark (shown in that order, below). All of them had a lot of energy and their own unique styles and put on a great show for the crowd.

Saturday was even bigger and a full seven bands took the stage for the hundreds of Blues fans that started showing up and claiming tables from well before the first group came on sometime after noon. The lineup kicked off with the entertaining Big Money Band and continued with Retro Deluxe, Clarence "The Blues Man" Turner, Jumpin' Jupiter, the Night Kings (with their fans from the Karb Kings can club in the foreground), Cathy Ponton King, and former heavy metal shredder Bobby Messano, who was accompanied by special guest Deanna Bogart on saxophone. People in the audience also enjoyed illusions by magician Vick (shown below in Steampunk/Goth top hat while chatting with festival organizer Dominick Salemi).

Sunday stayed strong with five great music combos, including Blues Flash (not shown), Piedmont Blues Plus accompanied by Fiddlin' "Big Al" Chidester (who drove 2,500 from Moscow, Idaho, to play at the Colonial Beach Blues Festival), Scott Ramminger & his CrawStickers (accompanied by Andy Poxon), Michael Tash & Bad Influence, and the ever-popular Nighthawks, which brought a crowd of their own fans.

Sponsors for this year's great event included NSWC Federal Credit Union, Community Bank of Tri-County, Tides Inn & Tides Inn Market, Karb Kings Va Car Club, High Tides on the Potomac, Populuxe, Brutarian Music & Magazine, and the Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Nearly a thousand people turned out during the course of the three-day event and it would be fair to say that fun was had by all. Shown here in order are one of the Nighthawk's cutest fans; their self-proclaimed oldest fans; a couple of chicks who came down for the Blues festival; a couple more chicks who came down for it; Toby and Paul, two of the tireless volunteers who helped out throughout the weekend; and people dancing on the sand to one of the bands on Friday night.

For more information about the Colonial Beach Blues Festival and how you can attend or participate in it in 2014, contact the Colonial Beach Blues Society via phone at (804) 214-0312 or (804) 214-0883, or via email at cbbluessociety@gmail.com.

Top Cruise Tips

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA — Giving people tips on how they can get the most out of their cruise experiences is something I have long enjoyed doing and received positive feedback on. Here are three that came to mind when boarding Celebrity Eclipse at the Port Everglades Cruise Terminal and doing our initial exploration of this beautiful ship.

Come in the Night Before As unreliable and subject to delays as air travel can be, flying into the location from which your cruise is leaving on the day it departs can be stressful and problematic — and, in the worst cases, might even lead to your missing your sailing. You can avoid these problems simply by coming in the night before and staying at one of the hotels closest to the cruise terminal. And, if you happen to have any friends in the area, this can be a great chance to meet them for dinner or a drink, which you otherwise would not be able to do!

Board Early as Possible Try to board your vessel as early on the day of departure as you can. If there are only a few hundred other people with you when you come on board, instead of a few thousand, lines will be shorter when you are conducting business at the guest relations or shore excursion desks, you are going to rub fewer elbows when exploring the ship, and it will be that much easier to get your first meal at the buffet and find a good table at which to eat it. And coming in the night before, as suggest above, can help make it easier to board as early as you are able.

Brings Lots of $1 Bills Have lots of $1 bills handy for tips! Even before you board your ship you are going to be checking luggage at airports, having it hauled on and off of shuttles, and turning it in with the porters at cruise terminals and are going to want to have small bills handy. Then, once you are on board the ship, even though purchases are charged to your cruise cards you will still find it useful to have $1 bills at hand when ordering room service. And if any of your ports of call are in developing countries $1 bills are handy for small purchases, bribes for the guardians of local attractions, and the like.

Don't Eat at Specialty Restaurants on Formal Nights Most cruise ships nowadays have a variety of specialty theme restaurants that guests can opt to eat at for a surcharge (and there are four on board Eclipse, Blu, Murano, Qsine, and the Tuscan Grille). Many people are inclined to make reservations and eat at these once or twice during the cruise and often decide to do so on the formal nights because they most feel like a special occasion. Meals in the main dining room tend to be the nicest and most high-end on the formal nights, however, so you won't want to miss them! Enjoy a meal in the one of the specialty restaurants on the night the chef is recommending the pork chop in the main dining room, not the night they are serving lobster.

Lecturing on Celebrity Eclipse

Have somewhat feverishly been getting ready for my upcoming trans-Atlantic cruise on Celebrity Eclipse, for which I have been booked as the on-board lecturer! This is my first transoceanic cruise and I am looking forward to it a lot. In that I have to give one itinerary-oriented lecture per sea day, however, I will also be giving more presentations on this cruise than on any previous one, which means I have been getting a full 10 talks pulled together.



Ghosthunting Florida
Join paranormal researcher Michael Varhola, author of multiple books in the popular America’s Haunted Road Trip series of travel guides, as he explores ghostly sites throughout Miami, the Keys, and other sites in southern Florida.

Exploring the Bermuda Triangle
Join maritime historian Michael Varhola on a journey into one of the most mysterious places on earth and the site of innumerable disappearances and wrecks over the past 500 years.

Blockade Running During the Civil War
Join Civil War expert Michael Varhola as he discusses the daring blockade runners — like Rhett Butler in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind — who braved the Federal Navy to smuggle goods into and spies out of the besieged Confederacy using ports in the Bahamas as their bases of operations.

In Search of Atlantis
Join historian Michael Varhola as he looks at the roots of the Atlantis legend and travels from the Bahamas to the rugged Azores and beyond in search of the lost city.

The History of St. Maarten
Join historian Michael Varhola on an odyssey through the 3,500-year history of the island of St. Maarten, from its first inhabitants through the era of colonization.

Ancient Transatlantic
Maritime historian Michael Varhola looks at evidence and legends of ancient and medieval people who may have crossed the Atlantic Ocean centuries before Columbus.

Exploring Roman Britain
Historian Michael Varhola explores the fascinating history of the Roman occupation of England, including its conquest by Julius Caesar, the founding of Southampton as a Roman town, and its influence on the legend of King Arthur.



D-Day 1066
Join author Michael Varhola as he examines the 11th century Norman conquest of England through medieval folklore, literature, and art. Special attention is paid to the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry, a medieval masterpiece commemorating the invasion.



The Battle of Cherbourg
Join Civil War author Michael Varhola as he discusses how one of the most fascinating naval battles of the U.S. Civil War, the duel between the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama, was fought out off the coast of France.

D-Day 1944
Come with D-Day author Michael Varhola as he explores the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II and the role of Southampton in the preparations.

La Quinta Inn & Suites Katy

KATY, TEXAS -- Business of various sorts brings me to the Houston area four or five times a year anymore, and a lot of the time I end up staying at one of the downtown hotels near the convention center or Rice University. It recently struck me, however, that a lot of the things I have to do are at the northwest end of the megalopolis, near where I come into the area on I-10, and that it thus did not make a lot of sense for me to be driving so far in for familiar a place to stay and then back out again for my meetings.

I was therefore pleased to discover that the closest hotel to where I needed to be during my last trip to the Houston area was the La Quinta Inn & Suites Katy. I have generally been pleased with La Quintas and tend to stay at them a little more often than at other chains, so I figured this one would likely be a good bet and went ahead and made a reservation at it.

Suffice it to say, I ended up being pleased with my decision. The hotel is right on the access to I-10, so it is easy to get in and out of, it is very close to numerous great restaurants and other businesses, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The hotel also offers a number of nice, money-saving amenities, including free Internet access, free parking, complimentary snacks in the evening, and free breakfast in the morning. Plus, a high-end coffee maker that uses K-cups in my room!

So, next time I am doing something in Katy or passing through Houston en route to somewhere else I know where I will be staying and can gladly recommend this hotel to my readers as well.