Compass American Guides: Hawai

Created by local writers and photographers, Compass American Guides are the ultimate insider's guides, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture and character of America's most spectacular destinations. Covering everything there is to see and do as well as choice lodging and dining, these gorgeous full-color guides are perfect for new and longtime residents as well as vacationers who want a deep understanding of the region they're visiting. ? Outstanding color photography, plus a wealth of archival images ? Written and photographed by Hawai'i residents ? The best of the resorts, restaurants, golf courses, camping, museums, and festivals ? Hawai'i's most beutiful beaches ? Glossary of Hawaiian terms and basic vocabulary ? Spectacular paintings and archival illustrations ? Essays on surfing, leis, Hawaiian Music, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and more ? Literary excerpts from Captain Cook, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London

INTRODUCTION

Hawai`i overflows with natural beauty. Piercing up through the surface of the Pacific from the ocean floor, the Hawaiian Islands are ringed by turquoise and purple waters. On the land lie jagged volcanic cliffs slashed by lush green valleys and deep gorges, snowfields and deserts, green palms and red lehua blossoms, black lava and the heavy scent of tropical flowers.

There is also another kind of natural beauty in Hawai`i. It is her people -- everyone is a part of a minority, and we live in extraordinary rapprochement. The islands have absorbed wave after wave of immigrants, each bringing bits and pieces from homelands to create a mixture of taste, sound, and blended ancestry that is unique to these islands.

It is this real and living culture, coupled with ethnic diversity, that places the Hawaiian Islands apart. It explains the rise of tourism and the large numbers of visitors (52 percent) who return again and again.

Yet the natural beauty remains. Few realize that tourist destination areas are a fraction of the Hawaiian landscape and that the major portion of the islands is wilderness or rural. On Maui, for example, 75 percent of the land is protected in one type or another of wilderness preserve. Mountainous interiors on each island are largely pristine. Hikers may choose from an abundance of trails in unblemished backcountry.

Hawai`i is crowded with polarities and bizarre extremes -- the world's highest mountain measured from the seabed, Mauna Kea; the wettest spot on earth, atop Wai`ale`ale; the most active volcano on earth, Kilauea; the largest dormant volcano, Haleakala; the highest sea cliffs, on Moloka`i; and rainfall that may vary by hundreds of inches within a radius of just a few miles. Many thousands of flora and fauna species emerged in these isolated islands and some 90 percent are found no other place on earth. The po'ouli is a bird so rare it was not seen until 1975, living in the cloud-shrouded forests of Maui. Some of nature's weirdest mutant changes and diversification of a species from a single ancestor live only here.

Hawai`i's tropical climate is benign due to cooling northeast trade winds throughout the year. The year-round average ocean temperature is nearly constant, fluctuating between 75 and 82 degrees F. The caressing air of coastal areas is nearly the same; between 66 and 88 degrees F year-round. Rainbows glistening in sunshine follow brief daylight showers. Hawai`i gave birth to surfing, sport of Pacific kings, and the warm ocean draws windsurfers and bodysurfers, snorkelers, divers, and game-fishing fans.

On the six major islands of Hawai`i, leeward (western and southern) shores are sunny and dry, with soft sand beaches and limpid aquamarine seas, hovering over 400,000 acres of coral reefs. The windward (eastern and northern) coasts are lined with sharp cliffs, waterfalls, lush rainforests, and heavy crashing surf. In the cool and misty highlands are green undulating meadowlands, ranches, and farms.

The Big Island of Hawai`i is the home of Pele, the volcano goddess, and here volcanoes erupt and snow whitens the mountain peaks. On this island that encapsulates every type of climate on earth are orchards growing macadamia nuts and coffee, and farms that cultivate velvety orchids. Astronomers study the heavens, paniolo (cowboys) ride herd on cattle, and sport fishing fans tag leaping marlin. Kaua`i is the island of the most spectacular lush scenery, with a verdant collar, jagged cliffs of the Na Pali Coast, and a Grand Canyon-like gorge (Waimea Canyon). Lana`i, once the Pineapple Island, is newly engaged in tourism, with two luxury hotel-resorts. Maui takes second place in visitor destination development. This island with the vast crater of Haleakala, its twisting drive to Hana, and glitzy mega-resorts, is top rated for whale-watching and upland farming. Rural Moloka`i, with the largest percentage of native Hawaiians living on a major island, has just one luxury hotel.

The most populous island is O`ahu, the capital island, site of government and Waikiki Beach, where one-half of the visitor accommodations in the state are located and nightlife is lively and hip. On this island you can eat many of the world's cuisines at family restaurants or indulge in gourmet continental wining and dining. O`ahu is the surfing island of famed international competitions. Traffic in Honolulu and windward suburbs is staggering, yet a mile away lies a quiet rural countryside.

Writers have always been captivated by Hawai'i's unique cultural and ethnic mix. The vivid descriptions and sensitive, sometimes bumptious tales spun by Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson, as well as Mark Twain's accounts of his rovings, testify to the seductive witcheries of this chain of Pacific islands.

Newer testaments to Hawai'i's magic have come from James Michener and James Jones, and from that storyteller of men in war, Richard Tregaskis, all attesting to the continuing allure of modern Hawai'i.

Each island has a separate chapter in this book, beginning with its history and geography. The chapters lead readers to what stood or happened at ordinary places, to sites where Hawaiian gods accomplished fearsome deeds, and to sites where famous writers worked and stayed. In referring to their perceptions and observations, I hope the readers' experiences are enhanced. Each island's special qualities, its art and activities, are described. Practical information, including lodging, restaurants, outdoor activities, and much more, can be found at the back of the book.

This guide is intended for modern pathfinders who I hope will sense the voluptuous island magic that courses through Hawaiian culture and myth, its blend of oriental and occidental energy, and fascinating history. It is for those readers and travelers who, like the writers, would go beyond a balmy beach to discover the legend, fabric, and environment that bestow Hawai'i's magic.