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Big Island

Luau Hawaii

Hilton Waikoloa Village Luau @ Kamehameha Court

For once, being summoned to court wasn’t a bad thing. At the edge of the 62-acre Hilton Waikoloa Village resort, a winding path led to a luau at Kamehameha Court. The traditional (touristy and...
Coffee Hawaii

Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee: Carrying on Family Tradition at Cloud’s Rest

“Oh good, they re-paved the road.” That’s what Joan Obra said as her car crossed over a semi-paved road that’s prone to washouts and snakes up a hillside toward farmland. We eventually reached Rusty’s...
Donut Shop Hawaii

Tex Drive In: Delivering Big Island Donut Satisfaction

Prior to my first Hawaiian trip, it was pretty much a certainty that the hole-free, Portuguese-inspired, plantation-era donut called the malasada would enter my life soon after landing. They did, on day two, near...
Vanilla Sign Hawaii

Hawaiian Vanilla Company: Making the Most of Orchids on the Big Island

Apparently there can still be life in a slaughterhouse. That was the case at Hawaiian Vanilla Company, which Jim Reddekopp and wife Tracy situated along a winding road high above the Pacific Ocean in...
Mochi Sign Hawaii

Two Ladies Kitchen: Traditional Japanese Confections in Hilo

It’s always good to have two things on your side when traveling: luck and timing. On Hawaii’s Big Island, a beloved mochi confectionary with a small pink counter called Two Ladies Kitchen isn’t typically...
Restaurant Hilo

Nori’s Saimin & Snacks: A Beacon of Big Island Cuisine in Hilo

One of the Big Island’s best-known restaurants certainly presented an unassuming front. My car circled the block twice before it dawned on me that the sunken storefront in a well-worn strip mall might house...