Peter: Interpretive Guide, 1 year with Hawaii Forest & TrailEverything we care about, depends on our natural world. Dan: General Manager, 1 year with Hawaii Forest & Trail “Conflict=Change=Resolution”Rob: President, Co-Founder, 23 years with Hawaii Forest & Trail Our challenge is to find a path towards sustained coexistence of cultures and ecosystems – Abridged from Edward O. Wilson Maka: Interpretive Guide, 3 years with Hawaii Forest & Trail “If you like to breathe…. You b

After a marriage and divorce, I am now with a man with whom I plan to spend the rest of my life.  We have discussed marriage over the years, but a tangled web of complications has pushed a wedding out of the picture for us.  However, at Hawaii Forest & Trail I love helping to plan others’ nuptials and special events at our outdoor venues. Today we are doing a wedding photo shoot at Hawaii Forest & Trail’s scenic “Mokulanikila” venue. Sara of Jots of Thoughts coor

My car zoomed across Saddle road, the promise of adventure in the cold morning air. I was headed to Hakalau Wildlife Refuge, where I would meet with ‘the Friends of Hakalau’ for a rare opportunity to explore the refuge. Established in 1985 as a National Wildlife Refuge, Hakalau’s rainforest habitat on the slope of Maunakea, is home to many rare and endangered plants and native honeycreepers. After living on Hawaiʻi Island for 21 years, I was excited for a chance to see an ‘i’iwi for the first ti

Once again this February, I volunteered to help survey the Palila (Loxioides bailleui) on the southwest slopes of Mauna Kea. The surveys were held from February 5th to February 9th, although the last 3 transects on the east side of the mountain were postponed until the following week because of high winds.  This year only the core areas are being surveyed;  every 5 years the surveys include the whole mountain between the elevations of 6000 -10000 feet (Figure 1.), and 2017 was the last year we d

Beach Cleanup perspective with Terry & Alika Tolzmann – —TerryWhile listening to the radio on Friday, March 2, I heard a call for Volunteers to assist in the clean up of West Hawaii Beaches on Saturday, March 3, 2018.Both myself and Warehouse/Van washer Alika Tolzmann arrived at the Old Airport meeting spot at 7:30am the next morning (Alika had been washing vans until 4:00am). The turnout was astounding!  There were hundreds of people milling around, but it was impressively organ

The Kona Coast has much more to offer beyond its rocky appearance. At first glance, you may feel like you’ve landed on the moon and many visitors see little beyond Ali’i Drive and their hotel pools. But for the adventure traveler seeking an authentic experience, the Kona coast has an abundance of tucked away beaches, a breathtaking dormant volcano, and lush rich jungle to explore. Hawaii Forest & Trail offers several “west coast” tours that will take you behind locked gates, into the myste

Fez, MoroccoFez (or Fes) reigns as Morocco’s cultural and culinary epicenter. Its UNESCO-listed medina—the largest pedestrian-only urban area in the world—is a warren of narrow alleyways, medieval architecture, and souks. Browse the stalls and haggle for metalwork lanterns, Berber rugs, and argan oil. Of course, it’s also worth shelling out a few coins to see the exquisite tilework at Madrasa Bou Inania and sample traditional tagine.Book now Tbilisi, Georgia“Featuring a charmin

1 / 25Centralia, PennsylvaniaIn 1962, a mysterious fire ignited from an unknown cause within the underground coal deposits of the town. As long as burning coal is exposed to oxygen, it can continue to blaze for hundreds of years. That is why even today, Centralia, Pennsylvania, is still burning from the inside, ripping the ground to shreds. 2 / 25Pripyat, UkraineThis Ukrainian town is located near the 1986 Chernobyl disaster site. Soaked through with harmful nuclear radiation, Chernobyl was cut

Alabama: Attend the National Shrimp FestivalLet’s just say Bubba from Forrest Gump would definitely approve of this annual Alabama event. Whether you take your shrimp fried, boiled, Cajun-style, or even in a taco, you’ll find it all at the National Shrimp Festival, where some of the nation’s top chefs compete for king (or queen) of the crustaceans. After you’ve had your fill, enjoy live music as you wander through the art fair or stop by the sand sculpture contest on the

Pet peeve: When you don’t listen to your flight attendant’s directionsIt’s easy to forget that being told to stay seated is mainly for your safety. Curb that enthusiasm and listen to orders given by the pilot and flight attendants. “Upon landing, this doesn’t give everyone the right to get up. It’s not safe and just because you see the flight attendants up, it’s not free range for every passenger.”—Rachel Williams, flight attendant for nine years. Here are 14 things you should

TSA PrecheckFor anyone who flies frequently, the TSA Precheck program is well worth the $85 investment for a five-year membership. TSA Pre-Check is available to low-risk travelers at participating U.S. airports and many international ones. “Passengers no longer have to remove shoes, jackets, and belts or take out laptops to be cleared through security,” says travel expert Tom Spagnola, senior vice president of supplier relations for CheapOair. “Over 97 percent of the time it to

Fort Wayne, IndianaAlthough you may not have heard of this sweet spot in the Midwest, Food & Wine recently designated Fort Wayne one of the nation’s “hipster hotspots” for it’s up and coming food scene, and a new LendingTree study found it to be one of the “Most Popular Cities for Millenial Buyers.” Even with these accolades though, it’s still very much flying under-the-radar, meaning it’s affordable to purchase a home here, and there are a ple

Alabama: $2.27In Alabama, the second cheapest state for buying gas, according to GasBuddy, the average price per gallon is $2.57. However, you can do even better if you gas up at the Sunoco station in Anniston, which is on US-431 near Old Gadsden Highway. If they’ve got gas—and from the reviews on GasBuddy, that’s not always the case—it’s a bargain, currently going for $2.27 per gallon. (Note that gas prices change frequently. You’ll want to consult GasBuddy for pricing u

Be loyal to an airlineIf you fly often, try to fly the same airline as much as possible and join its frequent flyer program. Almost all major airlines offer discounts on checked baggage or waive the fee altogether for their mid- and top-tier frequent flyer program members. Listen up, frequent flyers: You won’t want to miss this handy chart on airline baggage rules. Spring for an upgraded fareAt first, the price that comes along with an upgraded fare may seem unreasonable, until you factor

Austria: Wiener schnitzelWhen made traditionally, this dish is composed of breaded and deep-fried super-thin slices of veal cutlet, usually served topped with a bit of lemon and parsley, and potatoes or rice on the side. You’ll also find this dish in Germany since a great debate is still alive and well on which nation “officially” created it. Find out the surprising birthplace of 19 of your favorite foods and drinks. Argentina: AsadoMake sure to plan a detox after your visit to

With America more divided than ever, where can you turn to meet nice people who treat each other with the respect and civility that we all deserve? As Reader’s Digest found out in its 2018 nationwide search for the Nicest Place in America, lots of places!In a poll, 75 percent of Americans called incivility a “national crisis.” Well, we found nearly 300 places where that’s just not the case—and here are the top 20! Yassin’s Falafel House in Knoxville, TennesseeYassin Terou, a refugee who came to

Dutch Cheese Museum, Alkmaar, NetherlandsThought tulips were the Netherlands’ biggest export? Think again—it’s cheese, more specifically, Edam and Gouda. Learn more at this brilliant Dutch Cheese Museum, which explores the history of the cheeses and how they’re made. It’s tucked inside one of Alkmaar’s oldest buildings, the 16th century Cheese Weigh House in Waagplein Square. Our favorite bit? The bright yellow, cheese-inspired decor and the super-sized model cow, d

Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield, CaliforniaAficionados of these candies that come in 50 flavors and every color of the rainbow flock to the Jelly Belly Factory, halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, where a free, self-guided tour includes a stroll along an elevated, quarter-mile-long platform and provides a bird’s eye view of the bean-making operation. For $47 per person, the Jelly Bean University Tour gets you on the factory floor, where you’ll don a lab coat, a hair net,

1 / 13Myrtles Plantation: St. Francisville, LouisianaJust how many murders and deaths have occurred at Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana is up for debate; some say it’s as many as 10, while others think the only murder was one of the owners who got shot on his own property. However, there is a legend that one of the former slaves on the plantation killed her master’s family and still haunts the grounds, though no one knows for sure.ⓘ 2 / 13Pittock Mansion: Portland, OregonThe Pi

The Rose Hall Great House: JamaicaA tropical wedding might seem like paradise, but it depends on where you go. At Rose Hall in Jamaica, the spirit of a widow, referred to as the White Witch, stalks the grounds. The Rose Hall Great House was built in 1770, and it eventually became the residence of John Rose Palmer. In 1820, Palmer married a woman named Annee who, according to legend, possessed black magic powers and murdered him, two successive husbands, and several lovers. Supposedly, she still