Day 2 of our Big Apple Holiday Adventure saw our first full day of exploring. We like to keep things informal, though, so we had no plan or itinerary. Rather, we simply did whatever we felt like that day. Our second day in The City was BEAUTIFUL, so we decided to knockout some of the outdoor sights. So here goes, our Big Apple Day 2! … [Read more...] about Big Apple Day 2: Rockefeller, Central Park, Times Square
Hilton Hawaiian Village Expansion
First opened in 1955 as the Hawaiian Village hotel, the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV) is a Waikiki icon. It is the largest hotel in Hawaii, in Hilton's portfolio, and one of the largest hotels in the world. But it owners don't appear to be content with the property's current size. No, the HHV has been in a constant state of evolution as fas as I can remember. And that … [Read more...] about Hilton Hawaiian Village Expansion
CityPass New York City
Before I get into the rest of my trip report, I want to go over CityPass. For those you that have never heard of it, CityPass is a collection of attraction passes sold at a discounted rate. The passbook itself usually runs over $100, but the combined value is often a lot lower than the face value of the individual passes. And this being the wife's first visit to the Big … [Read more...] about CityPass New York City
Dining Review: Noreetuh New York
My dining philosophy when traveling is to avoid eating "local food," which is to say food I can get at home in Hawaii. There's nothing wrong with food in Hawaii, it's just that I prefer to experience a place through its food. It is a great way, after all, to try new things and experience different cultures. But while in New York, I decided to break my rule and booked us a … [Read more...] about Dining Review: Noreetuh New York
Getting Around in New York
For the first time visitor, getting around in New York can be rather daunting. Beyond the sheer size of The City, there are many transportations options. Of course there's the ubiquitous Yellow Cabs, Uber and Lyft, but they're a bit pricey. Plus, add in the constant, crush traffic (depending where you are), and Cabs or ride sharing is necessarily the best way to get around. … [Read more...] about Getting Around in New York
Kahala Hotel Renovation Plans
The Kahala Hotel & Resort, also known as the Kahala Hilton or the Kahala Mandarin, has changed hands a few times in recent years. Two years ago, however, the fabled property was acquired by Resorttrust Hawaii LLC, the Hawaii subsidiary of Japan-based Resorttrust. The previous owner was Kahala Hotel Investors LLC, a subsidiary of Honolulu-based Trinity Investments LLC. … [Read more...] about Kahala Hotel Renovation Plans
Guests Ordered to Leave Waikiki Hotel
Lately Waikiki has been an ever-changing landscape. Old hotels have been converted into "new" ones or timeshare units, while some new hotels have sprung up, too. However, some hotel owners don't always play by the rules. And sometimes these poor decisions causes government actions. In the latest of these "scandals" guests ordered to leave Waikiki hotel by State Regulators … [Read more...] about Guests Ordered to Leave Waikiki Hotel
Alaska Air N Terminal Lounge + SEA-JFK
Our HNL-SEA flight pulled into the North Satellite terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport slightly ahead of schedule. It was already dark outside and (surprise, surprise) rainy. We had thought about going into downtown Seattle for a little while since we had a 5 hour layover in SEA. But we decided against since we didn't want to have to rush and have … [Read more...] about Alaska Air N Terminal Lounge + SEA-JFK
Alaska Airlines HNL-SEA
As I said in my previous post, Mrs. Island Miler and I headed to the Big Apple earlier this month. To get there we flew Alaska Airlines using the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa Signature companion certificate, which gets you a companion fare for $99 + tax when purchasing a regular price economy class ticket. All-in, I spent just around $1,000 for our roundtrip tickets, … [Read more...] about Alaska Airlines HNL-SEA
Island Air Accepts First Q400
Island Air, the only other scheduled passenger airline in the State of Hawaii is modernizing its fleet. Throughout its history, Island Air has operated a variety of different turboprop aircraft, the most recent of which was is the ATR72. But for most of its modern history, Island Air had operated Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft; specifically the -100 type. That tiny aircraft was … [Read more...] about Island Air Accepts First Q400