The last time I posted on Fifty Authors from Fifty
States, I wrote about New Jersey. And though New Jersey is where I live, you’ll
find my heart on the Island of Hawaii (often called the Big Island, and not to
be confused with the entire State of Hawaii).
There are so many reasons to love the Island of
Hawaii. Where do I begin?
Probably the most obvious place to begin is with the
weather, particularly along the west side of the island, much of which makes up
the Kohala Coast. The temperature fluctuation all year long is within a very
narrow range. It gets a bit hotter in the summer, but for the most part every
day is in the eighties. Overnight it gets into the seventies. When the trade
winds are blowing, it’s nothing short of heavenly. You don’t notice the heat
and your body is comfortably cool even as the temperatures rise. On those days
when the trade winds don’t blow, it can get a bit uncomfortable, but just wait
it out—the winds will return.
The next thing people think about when Hawaii comes
to mind is the lush vegetation. The east side of the Big Island is covered in
rainforest. And the waterfalls you see online and on television and in
magazines? They’re all real and you can visit them. The flowers are
heartbreakingly beautiful, and there are different varieties in bloom all year
long. My favorites are the birds of paradise, but I also love the
bougainvillea, hibiscus, plumeria, tuberose, and ginger. The west side of the
Big Island is dry and sunny and not as lush as the east side. There are other
islands in the State of Hawaii which offer luxuriant green everywhere (think
Kauai), but the Big Island has a more varied climate system.
And those beaches. There are no words. There are
coarse sand beaches. There are soft, almost powdery, sand beaches. There are
black sand and green sand beaches. And by law, all beaches in the State of Hawaii
are public up to the vegetation line.
One of the most fascinating things about the Island
of Hawaii is that it’s made up of extinct, dormant, and active volcanoes. From
the northernmost part of the island, you’ll find Kohala (extinct), Mauna Kea
(dormant), Mauna Loa (active), Hualalai (active), and Kilauea (active, flowing
since 1983). And here’s something even more interesting: about 22 miles
southeast of the Island of Hawaii is an undersea volcano, called Loihi. If
Loihi continues to erupt at its current level, it will break the surface of the
Pacific Ocean between 10,000 and 100,000 years from now, becoming a brand new
Hawaiian island.
In addition to all these things that set the Island
of Hawaii apart from almost everywhere else on earth (with the possible
exception of the other Hawaiian islands), there is the food.
Hawaii has a cuisine all its own, and it ranges from
humble poi (from the root of the taro plant) to loco moco (a mouthwatering concoction
of rice, covered with two hamburger patties chock full of chopped onions,
covered with brown gravy, topped with a fried egg), to fresh fruits including
coconut, papaya, guava, lychee, pineapple, every imaginable citrus, rambutan,
dragon fruit, and the list goes on. And then there are the fish, which are as
fun to pronounce as they are delicious. There’s opakapaka, ahi, he’e, ono,
opah, mahi mahi, kumu, and opihi, to name a few. My favorite way to eat fish in
Hawaii is raw—take some cubed ahi tuna, add some soy sauce, sesame oil,
scallions, chopped or sliced onion, a little bit of Japanese mayonnaise, some
sriracha sauce, and a little bit of masago (an orange roe) for topping. Called
poke (and pronounced “poh-kay”), it’s Hawaii in a bowl.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFzTAD1sYpot7D4EbsjsO_yXIOhrcpfHxmSCfb5BA5ScVVF3zifyl8tcLPixOWIr2yBr4CmYtZngg-3KKJ23CA2uOaCC4MsS83CHQlbG-V-0V4pwMJ1Sp88EFm7GVID_NuDmB7OT-g7g/s200/3-5+Vickery+Creek+Covered++Pedestrian+Bridge.jpg)
I'll give away an ecopy of The House on Candlewick Lane. Comment here for your chance at it. Leave a link so I can contact you if you win!
I wish I had more time and space to devote to
telling you more of what I love about Hawaii, but I’ll leave that for another
time. If you’ve never visited the Islands of Aloha, I hope you get a chance
someday. My guess is you’ll lose your heart there, too.
USA
Today bestselling author Amy M. Reade is a recovering
lawyer living in southern New Jersey. The
House on Candlewick Lane is the first of The Malice Novels, Amy’s gothic
suspense series set in the United Kingdom. The second book in the series, Highland Peril, will be released in the
fall of 2017. She is currently at work on the third book. Amy is also the
author of Secrets of Hallstead House,
The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, and House of Hanging Jade, all standalones
of gothic suspense. She loves reading, cooking, and traveling.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgp0_NFi_6iGQTU7dfUxg_-T3GIG5uKhUV8l6iPBKQom59A5WdrVSjnk4s5NSbOtjnaLtzgk6YMBZZNhUr-Zw59YTghYycIcpLJ0QfJ5aNMIit5_Tfua6vz_87T6J9aoQxGBZNyDk504/s200/3-12+HouseCandlewickLane_final+%25281%2529.jpg)
Thanks for having me here today, Annette!
ReplyDeleteI adore Hawaii. At least the parts I have visited. I went to Kuaii and Maui. But if I go a third time, I'm staying!
ReplyDeleteI can understand wanting to stay, Ashlyn. It's so hard to leave. The last time I was on Kauai was almost 22 years ago, but I remember how breathtaking the scenery was and I'd love to go back sometime. As for Maui, it's also beautiful. It's a great spot for whale watching in the winter. Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteHawaii is on my bucket list. And your photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your description of Hawaii today, Amy. I haven't visited the islands yet but I hope to do so. And anything Gothic is a sure favorite with me. I'd love to be your winner. Good luck with your new series. Linda Swift LSwiftR@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThank you for the trip down memory lane. Living on the West coast, Hawaii has often been the tropical vacation choice of my husband and me. We've been to Oahu, Kauai, and Maui, but love the Big Island. One very extended trip we spent time in Kona and Hilo. Kona with its Ali'i Drive, scubaing in the harbor, history of the palace, coffee plantation nearby, iced mug of Longboard Island Lager, and plate lunch in a little hole in the wall of the mall up the hill. Oh, Mac Salad and Kahului pig! Hilo was unique in its own right and very interesting, but I so enjoy Kona. We even made a trip up the mountain, over to volcano land, and explored Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park...the City of Refuge. Oh, I think we need to book another vacation. Thank you.
ReplyDeletekat8762@aol.com
Lovely! Now I want to go even more. I feel the same way as you about leaving my heart somewhere. I live in North Carolina, but my heart is still Alaskan. @mirymom1 from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Well I've been to Hawaii twice, but never the big Island. But twice was enough. lol I'll guess I'll have to miss it, so I enjoyed your 'tour'. I love gothics and rarely see them so I was looking for your newsletter link. Did I miss it?
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I hope you get a chance to visit someday. You won't want to leave! Thanks for stopping by. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and leaving your comment, Linda. Each of the islands definitely has its own personality. I haven't had a chance to visit Molokai yet, but maybe someday.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, you won't believe this. I've been to the City of Refuge a few times and I just love it there. You know the number you call to hear the story of the different areas of the City of Refuge? I keep it in my contacts so I can call it anytime to hear the words being spoken. Obsessed much? Maybe. :)
ReplyDeleteWe like Kona, too, and we always go to Kona Brewing Company on our first day on the island. It's nice you have such great memories!
Thanks for stopping by.
We visited Honolulu years ago for a work conference. It's a beautiful state, but it takes so long to get there from the east coast!
ReplyDeleteSamantha, I have a feeling that if I ever get to Alaska, I'm just going to love it. It's nice to have a place that steals your heart like that, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
Wow! Amy, you've sold it to me. It looks gorgeous and it's clear there's more to the island than most of us can even imagine. Definitely a place to visit.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a fan of Hawaii although I've only seen Oahu so far. Great article, Amy and Annette. I wish both of you continued success with your writing!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Hawaii, but it sounds amazing! The volcanos kind of scare me though, but I do think they're fascinating. mbradeen@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteIt was my dad's dream to visit Hawaii. Unfortunately, since you can't drive to the islands, he never made it. I have, and I'll second your opinion about it--though it can be an expensive place to visit and traffic around the cities is bad.
ReplyDeleteI loved visiting Hawaii in Amy's House of the Hanging Jade.
ReplyDeleteHi Carly, thanks for visiting! I do have a newsletter which you can subscribe to via my website. Here's the link: http://www.amymreade.com/. If you scroll down to the bottom of the home page, there's a sign-up form. You can also sign up under the drop-down menu of the "Contact Me" page. Here's another link you can use: http://shoutout.wix.com/so/9L2G-s5N#/main.
ReplyDeleteRobin, it seems to take forever going to Hawaii from the east coast. I think that's part of it's allure for me--I feel like I'm about as far away from the real world as I can get. :)
ReplyDeleteLynne, you should pack your bags now! The sooner you get there, the sooner you can start enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan, my favorite part of Oahu is Pearl Harbor, but I also love Waikiki Beach. We took a drive around the island once and enjoyed every minute of it. Watching the surfers was incredible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words!
We spent some time on Maui with my parents and my then teenaged son. We had to drag my husband there and after he spent some time there, we had to drag him home! Lovely place on earth.
ReplyDeleteHi Marla, if you get a chance to go to Hawaii, you definitely shouldn't miss the volcano! The park rangers are very careful to keep people at a safe distance from the flowing lava. The pictures you see on the news about people who are very close to the lava are people who've gone rogue and ignored the rules.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I'm sorry your dad never made it to Hawaii. But you're right--it's not easy to drive to it!
ReplyDeleteWe noticed from our first visit to Maui to our most recent, there was a huge increase in the traffic. The same is true along the Kona coast near Kailua-Kona. We have to make sure we build an extra hour into any travel down that way because it's so bad. And it can be expensive, but it's more reasonable if you stay away from the touristy places, like resort grocery stores, etc.
Thank you, Maggie! I'm so glad you enjoyed your novel-length tour!
ReplyDeleteNancy, your husband and mine should get together. I can hardly get him on the plane to come home at this point. He kicks and screams. Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI got to go to Hawaii once. We saw all the Islands because we booked a cruise ship that went to each one. Really a beautiful place. Enjoyed your post. I'll be here in the Fall talking about Tennessee where I now live. I hope I can do as good of a job as you have.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's time to visit Hawaii. I've been all over Europe, southern Asia, India, Australia, and most of the US, but not Hawaii. Now it's on the bucket list.
ReplyDeleteOh my. WOW expresses it for me, too.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I've never been on a cruise, but I keep hearing how wonderful they are. I'm glad you enjoyed the post, and I look forward to learning more about Tennessee. I've been there a few times, but only to Nashville and the surrounding areas. It's a beautiful place. Thanks for visiting me here today!
ReplyDeleteBob, I must say I'm jealous of all the traveling you've done. There are very few things I enjoy more than seeing the rest of the world, and it sounds like you've had some incredible adventures. Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nadine! Hawaii is definitely one of the most wow-worthy places I've been. Glad you enjoyed the post!
ReplyDeleteOne month ago today my husband and I flew to to Oahu for a week-long celebration for our anniversary. It was our first trip to any of the Hawaiian Islands, and we loved every minute of it. We were discussing our next trip to the islands before we boarded our flight home! We were fairly settled on Maui next time, but now you have me thinking maybe we should consider the Island of Hawaii!
ReplyDeleteMy memories are still fresh, but reading your post made me want to go look at our pictures again!
Sounds like you certainly love Hawaii. I was married there and feel a special connection ever since.In fact, it made
ReplyDeletea lovely setting for my first novel.
Good to know about the volcanos, Amy. I definitely would not be one of those rule-breakers who fall into a pit of lava!
ReplyDeletehose are some beautiful pictures. The flowers look so vibrant in photos, I wonder how vibrate they really are in real life. When I was younger I wanted Hawaii to be my honeymoon destination.
ReplyDeleteA good book on Idaho would be great I grew up in the Silver Valley
ReplyDelete