native guide hawaii

[the past few days have been a whirlwind so please forgive my very tardy saturday weekend travel post]

when most of us think of taking a tour around the islands, those big buses packed with tourists are probably the first thing that comes to mind. if the thought of hitting the highlights with 100-plus strangers makes you cringe, the next time you are big island bound remember to click over to native guide hawaii which offers small eco-tours exploring the volcano, coast and everything in between.

warren costa, the hilo-born proprietor, shares the inside scoop on his island the way only someone who has been both a former park ranger and schoolteacher can. (he also has a background in archeology & naturalism, natch). tours are described as an educational journey giving you the 411 on island history and local legends with a dash of science and native habitat identification thrown in.

daylong tours start at $300 for up to two people (extra fee per additional person; six people max) and include transportation, lunch, walking sticks & daypacks. custom, off the beaten path adventures can also be organized (contact warren for more details).

take a peek at the faq before you book.

a walk back in time

visits to the cemetery are a ritual in hawaii yet only the most curious ever venture beyond the gravesides of their ancestors to say hello to the neighbors. if you count yourself in the camp that considers old cemeteries to be a romantic glimpse into the past, next weekend brings a chance to take a cemetery walking tour with nanette napoleon, hawaii's very own history detective.

go beyond the ghost stories and get the 411 on the symbolism behind the centuries old tombstones and discover more about the inhabitants (a veritable who's who of hawaii history) who have made the cemeteries of the mission houses and kawaiaha'o church their final resting place.

• when: sat, jul 19th - 9a to 11a
• where: mission houses museum
• tix: $20 ($10 museum members)
• fyi: ring 808.531.0481 x 707 to reserve your spot

pau hana clicks

it's finally tour de france season (allez, allez!) so very little blog reading is happening in my world, but here are a few interesting, if last minute, tidbits:

• lunch time grinds discovers a mom & pop india market tucked away in honolulu (samosas, spices & saris!).

• one of my favorite stories in recent memory is nadine kam's piece about the stylish ladies of the bon ton social club. {via fashion tribe}

• sytycd catchup! the versatile dance moves of local boy mark kanemura ranged from week four's foxtrot and jazz hands to week five's salsa and broadway routine.

have a happy weekend!

easy green living

hopefully, after a week of eco goodness you have become inspired to make every day earth day. the concept of going green can seem overwhelming if you are a newbie so now seems to be the perfect time to introduce you to renee loux, a maui-based organic chef who has started a little eco empire of her own.

you may have seen renee on her fine living series it's easy being green and her new book easy green living is your go to reference for all the questions that will pop up along your journey to a greener lifestyle. get the skinny on everything from gmo to herbal alternatives and the reasons why green products are better for you and the environment.

other sources to check out include fast food nation (one read will ween you off the value menu forever) and the very inspiring big ideas for a small planet on the sundance channel (no cable? no worries, you can download on itunes or order the season 1 dvd).

block printing 101

tree of life

frustrated artistes take note: renowned big island illustrator/artist caren loebel-fried will be holding a workshop to help you become a block printing whiz. the class will cover all the steps required to turn the doodles in your mind into printed paper goods and textiles of your own design.

space is limited so hele over to volcano garden arts for registration details.

• when: sat, feb 9th - 10:30a to 3:30p
• where: volcano garden arts
• cost: $80