Hilo Hattie Went Bankupt!

Hawaii retail giant Hilo Hattie filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy this month, but the news isn't all bad [Here's Why].

Results of the 2008 Ironman Triathlon

Congratulations to Craig Alexander of Australia who crossed the finish line in first place at the 2008 Ironman Hawaii Triathlon on Saturday, October 11, 2008. Craig finished the event in second place in 2007. Congratulations also to Chrissie Wellington of the United Kingdom for finishing first in the women's divsion. Chrissy was able to defend her 2007 world championship title by finishing more than ten minutes ahead of her fellow competitors in spite of experiencing a flat tire during the cycling portion of the race.

Top 10 Male and Female Results

Photo of Swimmers at the Start Line.

Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu Adds Saturday Tours

The Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu's lush and beautiful Manoa Valley is now offering guided tours on Saturday mornings, in addition to the previously available Monday through Friday tours. The 1.5 hour tours begin at 10:00 a.m. and space can be reserved by calling 808-988-0461 at least twenty-four hours in advance. The Lyon Arboretum is a 193-acre botanical garden and research center owned and operated by the University of Hawaii. The arboretum was reopened on June 14, 2008 following a badly needed, two year, $3.1 million improvement and repair project.

Introduction to the Lyon Arboretum

Photos of the Lyon Arboretum.

Photos of the 2007 Ironman Triathlon

The 32nd annual Hawaii Ironman Triathlon will take place October 11, 2008 in Kona on the West Coast of Hawaii Island. The Hawaii Triathlon is the world championship event for the 2008 International Ironman Triathlon Series and it includes a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bicycle ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run. Will 2007 world champions Chris MacCormack of Australia and Christine Wellington of the United Kingdom be able to defend their titles? I can't wait to find out! (pictured above is double amputee Scott Rigsby finishing the 2007 Ironman Triathlon on two prosthetic legs)

Photos of the 2007 Ironman Triathlon

Past Ironman World Champions by Year

2008 Ironman Triathlon - Official Web Site

Beautiful Bronze Statue of Princess Kaiulani

This lovely statue of Princess Victoria Kaiulani Cleghorn feeding her beloved peacocks is located in a small triangle park at the corner of Kuhio and Kanekapolei Avenues in Waikiki. It was dedicated on October 16, 1999, the 124th anniversary of Princess Kaiulani's birth.

Picture of the Waikiki Princess Kaiulani Statue

More About Hawaiian Crown Princess Kaiulani.

Hawaii Travel Web Site To Be Split Into 3 Sites

We are in the process of splitting the Hawaii Travel Newsletter Web site into three separate sites: Hawaii for Visitors will feature articles, photos, news, and information about traveling in Hawaii, Hawaiian Music History will feature bios and photos of Hawaii's top singers and musicians plus information about Hawaiian music events, awards, and venues. After all of the information has been moved off the newsletter site, the Hawaii Travel Newsletter Web site will be an archive site for online copies of the monthly email newsletters we plan to send in November of 2008.

Molokai Ranch Abruptly Shut Down Everything

There have never been many hotels or other visitor accommodations on the "most Hawaiian" island of Molokai and now there are even fewer. Molokai Properties, more commonly known as Molokai Ranch, abruptly shut down all of its Molokai operations as of April 1, 2008, including the 22-room Lodge at Molokai Ranch, the 40-tentalow Kaupoa Beach Village Tent Cabin Resort, the Kaluakoi Golf Course, the Maunaloa Town Cinemas movie theater, the Maunaloa Gas Station, and all of the Molokai Ranch cattle farming operations. Some Molokai residents believe the shut-down is a strategic move to force Hawaii officials to let them build a 500 acre luxury residential development at Molokai's Laau Point. For more information see the Honolulu Star Bulletin articles.

Molokai Ranch Quit Molokai Island (March 2008)

Battle for Survival on Molokai (January 2007)

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