View From Here - Hawaii Travel Blog

Monks at Starbucks and New Year's Resolutions

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Tue 1/11/2011

For many, time seems to operate differently in Hawaii.  What they mean is that time moves more slowly here in these islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean—far removed from the goings on of the epicenter of American financial life in New York City, political life in Washington D.C. and the entertainment nexus of Los Angeles.  They mean that things take longer in Hawaii.  That people don’t race through their days.  That people don’t watch the clock.  That it’s perfectly acceptable—the practice, daresay—to arrive five to 10 minutes late for dinner, a get-together, at a friend’s house.

Where Are Hawaii's Breadfruit Trees?

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Tue 1/4/2011

Last month, my friends Charlie and Susan, along with their daughter Andy, decided to experiment with breadfruit.  They bought ulu at a local farmers market--Kapaa, I believe--and made muffins and breadfruit salad.  The gracious people that they are, they shared the quite tasty results of their efforts with me, stirring me to ask, between bites, why aren't more people growing breadfruit trees in their yards in Hawaii?

2010 Year in Pictures

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Fri 12/31/2010

In 2010, I traveled around the main Hawaiian Islands, exploring Oahu, Maui, Big Island and, of course, the island on which I live--Kauai.  I always pack one of my various cameras when I travel, either my handy iPhone, portable Canon G9 or my SLR, a Canon 20D with a variety of lenses, including a fun and funky Lensbaby, walk-around 17-85mm, and a super-telephoto Tokina 75-400mm.  I take way more pictures than I ever post on this blog.  Here, in a review of 2010 in pictures, are many of those images that, for one reason or another, were never published.  Enjoy.

Christmas Bird Count 2010

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Thu 12/23/2010

I wasn't looking forward to today.  We've experienced some pretty hard rains that past few days, causing flash flooding, power outages, rock slides and road closures.  I wasn't too keen on counting birds in the rain.  But it wasn't raining this morning.  It was glorious.  (A tad muddy, though.)  A couple visiting from Whidbey Island in Washington joined us, modeling a creative way to volunteer on vacation.  Here is a slide show from today's bird count at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, one of thousands taking place throughout the country during this time as part of the National Audobon Society's 111th annual Christmas Bird Count.

Hot Lava Rock Massage Bliss

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Mon 12/20/2010

I’ve heard the strokes of lomilomi described as long, gliding and deep. I’ve felt lomilomi practitioners use their hands, forearms, elbows and, even, feet. I’ve been told lomilomi may involve chanting, music, prayer and herbs, sticks and rocks. There’s no easy definition, no one description, because lomilomi practitioners from each family or district or island followed their own, unique practice. What I’ve gleaned is lomilomi is a holistic healing art. In essence, it’s not just about the massage.

Laysan Albatross Adapt for Survival

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Thu 12/9/2010

I wasn’t always a birder. In fact, I don’t consider myself one now. I don’t keep a life list, other than in my head, and you won’t find “birdwatching” or “birding” under my list of hobbies on my Facebook page. But yesterday, I found myself traipsing along the coastline of Kauai’s North Shore looking for Laysan albatross nest sites, as a growing north swell echoed its way for Hawaii and a confused sky alternately produced a menacing scowl and a cheerful smile.

Ten Years of Light by Linda Ching

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Mon 11/29/2010

From 1998 to 2007, Linda Ching was commissioned to photograph a series of feature stories for a magazine, and she turned her camera to exploring mo’olelo, the stories of Old Hawaii. For the past year, she has worked at compiling her favorite images from that decade and marrying those images with her own words—what the stories mean to her. The result is a new book, called Ao: Ten Years of Light.

Happy Thanksgiving from Hawaii

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Wed 11/24/2010

In Loving Memory of Andy Irons

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Wed 11/17/2010

The signs started going up November 3rd, the day after Kauai-born, world-champion surfer Andy Irons was reported dead. Just 32, Andy had recently won the Billabong Pro Tahiti, and was awaiting the birth of his first child—a son, already named Axel.  The news reverberated throughout the island of Kauai in shock waves—from the local coffee shop, gas station and post office to text messages, emails and phone calls. And, of course, at the beach—Pinetrees, in particular, where a group of surfers gathered, slack-jawed and shuffling their feet.

A River of Lava on Big Island

Kim Steutermann Rogers  on Fri 11/12/2010

In doing some research on ghost stories and Pele in Hawaii (they go hand in hand, many say), I ran across this October 28, 2010 video of a river of lava flowing to the sea on Big Island. It could be said the video is better than seeing it live, because you won't get this close to the lava yourself--trained scientists took this video--and not that you'd want to, quite frankly.