To kick off our visit to Maui post-fire, we hopped on a quick flight with Southwest Airlines. Specifically, we chose a mid-morning departure, Southwest 3524 Honolulu to Kahului. Thankfully, things weren't too crazy despite us traveling during a typically busy time on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. … [Read more...] about Review: Southwest 3524 Honolulu to Kahului
Trip Reports
Trip Report: Visiting Maui Post-Fire
The island of Maui changed forever following the tragic fires that obliterated the historic town of Lahaina. Unfortunately, that has had a negative effect on the island's primary economic driver—tourism. So, what is it like visiting Maui post-fire? Honestly? The negativity isn't there, but there are deep wounds and challenges. … [Read more...] about Trip Report: Visiting Maui Post-Fire
Review: Southwest 851 Hilo to Honolulu
Oh boy! I've been working on this trip report for nearly a year now! Alas, it's time to wrap it up with a review of my flight home: Southwest 851 Hilo to Honolulu. … [Read more...] about Review: Southwest 851 Hilo to Honolulu
Review: Ken’s House of Pancakes (Hilo)
When I was a kid, I LOVED going to Ken's House of Pancakes with my family whenever we visited Hilo. Learning that Mrs. Island Miler has never been, I made it a point to get here during our last trip to the area. Alas, things weren't quite what I remember them to be. … [Read more...] about Review: Ken’s House of Pancakes (Hilo)
Review: Arden Waikiki
With my shift in priorities came, not only a reduction in travel, but a massive scaling back in the amount I dine out. As such, I haven't really been keeping track of restaurant openings. But, Mrs. Island Miler wanted to treat me to a nice night out, and I ended up picking Arden Waikiki. … [Read more...] about Review: Arden Waikiki
Review: Atebara’s Famous Chips
Did you know that Hawaii's first and oldest potato chip company was founded in Hilo, Hawaii? Neither did I. But that's not surprising considering how few people - even locals - know about Atebara's and their famous chips. … [Read more...] about Review: Atebara’s Famous Chips
Best Bites of 2023
While I didn't travel much last year nor dine out much, I enjoyed a surprising amount of great eats. So, I wanted to take some time to go over my best bites of 2023. … [Read more...] about Best Bites of 2023
Outstanding! Kusano Sushi
Hilo is home to some surprising food options. Na'au Hilo and Moon & Turtle are two of the most visible (in my opinion), but other options exist as well. One of these is Kusano Sushi, which is a takeout-only sushi concept that requires preordering in advance. Sound familiar? It should. Kusano Sushi operates very similarly to the former FoodxJitsu, though both have very … [Read more...] about Outstanding! Kusano Sushi
Revisit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The title of this series is Big Island Bird-Watching. Well, the best way to do that was for me to revisit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, as its native ecosystems are the most accessible places to see some of Hawaii's last remaining honeycreepers. … [Read more...] about Revisit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Na’au Hilo Round 2
My very first standalone dining experience with Na'au Hilo was in September 2022. But eight months later, the stars aligned, and they had another dinner during my impromptu hop over to the island. So, in May 2023, I had a Na'au Hilo round 2 dinner. And it was fantastic! … [Read more...] about Na’au Hilo Round 2