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Archive for July, 2009

Hawaii was proclaimed the 50th state of the USA on August 21, 1959 by President Dwight Eisenhower.   So, the 50th state will be 50 years old next month.

( image from blogspot.com)

How are you going to celebrate ?

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Hawaii has been selected to as the site to build the next largest telescope in the world.   It is being called the 30 meter telescope as its mirror will be almost 100 ft in diameter.  It is supposed to be able to capture light from distant galaxies that was sent 13 billion years ago.

The telescope is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

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When you’re ready for a beach vacation, it can be tough to pick from among vacation destinations.  There are so many great places you can go, whether its the Caribbean, or the beaches of Hawaii, or a spot closer to home.Take a look at this top 10 list, it can help you decide on where to go for your next vacation.

1.  Hawaii    If you live on the mainland, you can choose to put your frequent flier miles to good use and take a beach vacation on the island of Hawaii.  You can get a vacation deals package and you can relax on the beach, swim, play golf, sail or scuba dive. Honeymoon vacations on the big Island would be wonderful. Hawaii has some of the best weather.It is a wonderful choice for your beach vacation.

2. Cape Cod    Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket are all surrounded by beautiful scenic beaches. There are beaches on the bay and ocean sides of the islands, salt ponds, freshwater and kettle ponds. Calmer beaches make them perfect destinations for families with children. There are plenty of Cape Cod Hotels to choose from.

3.  Wildwood     Wildwood Crest is a small shore resort community located at the southern end of New Jersey.North Wildwood Crest has great beaches that are among the nicest in the United States.S. The towns offers thousands of hotel rooms for your accommodation. The boardwalk has amusements and piers with rides. it is just a short drive to the casinos of Atlantic City and the many other interesting attractions in southern New Jersey.

4. Myrtle Beach     Myrtle Beach is one of the top domestic tourist destinations in the continental United States. With millions of visitors a year. It has 60 miles of warm, sandy beaches, and is popular destinations for millions. If a Myrtle Beach vacation is what you are looking for, then Myrtle Beach has it all. Myrtle Beach has great golf courses, restaurants and shopping. 

5. Florida Keys     The Florida Keys is the perfect tropical retreat with balmy weather and beautiful beaches. It is an archipelago with many tiny islands. The Florida Keys stretch 100 miles away from the mainland and Florida Keys hotels offer new experiences for both old and young alike. Lots of travelers begin their Florida Keys vacation in Key West. The island has a real tropical feel and smell.

6. Cocoa Beach     Cocoa Beach is an hour drive east of Orlando. Its on the beautiful Space Coast. There is loads of recreation and leisure. Whether you are planning a family beach vacation, a weekend getaway, or just a day at the beach, you’ll find everything you need in Cocoa Beach. An affordable vacation spot is exactly what you’ll find in Cocoa Beach. Besides offering the best of a beach vacation, you can go parasailing. You may also like to try a casino cruise ship, or take an eco-tour to get up close with Florida’s wildlife.

7. Costa Rica     This can be the ideal tropical paradise for your Costa Rica vacations. You can enjoy watch whales and dolphins at play. Covering the mountains are the rainforest a paradise for eco tourism. Its home to a wide variety of plants and animals. For a real vacation you can try surfing, hiking, rafting, canopying, diving, deepwater fishing and snorkeling. You can find exclusive resorts for a costa rica vacation.

8. Bahamas    The Bahamas is a caribbean vacation choice many take each year. Beach-goers will sunbathe on the sandy beaches. If you seek waves you will want the beaches on the eastern side of the island closest to the Atlantic, snorkelers may want the calmer waters facing the Caribbean. You can enjoy the warm waters off the shores of this beautiful island, including surfing, sailing, and scuba diving. The tough part would be choosing from the  bahamas vacation packages available.

9. Punta Cana    Punta Cana is on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. It has 25 miles of white sand, coconut trees and more than 35 resorts. Punta Cana was discovered long ago and Americans are now enjoying it. Most guests choose to stay in all-inclusive resorts. You can find Punta Cana vacation packages may be just perfect for you.

10. Cozumel     Cozumel has beautiful beaches and an exotic location. A vacation deal would be great for a honeymoon vacation. You can share breathtaking sunsets, moonlit walks on deserted beaches, swim in crystal clear waters and enjoy romantic candlelight dinners. You can go diving, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, kayaking and more. Cozumel has a Caribbean flair. Be sure to book your Cozumel vacation packages early to avoid disappointment.

Lanai is one of the largest (6th largest to be precise) of the Hawaiian Islands (which means it is quite small compared with the other islands of Hawaii).
It is commonly called as the pineapple island because the island had an island wide pineapple plantation in the past.

Lanai has a small town called lanai city which is a pretty small settlement.
The island has a comma shape and has a width of 29km in the direction in which it is longest and has a land area which is approximately about 364 km2. Hence, Lanai is the 42nd largest island in the whole of United States.

Lanai Island is separated from the Molokai Island by a channel named as Kalohi which is to the north and is separated from Maui by a channel called Auau which is to the east.
The total population of Lanai is approximately around three thousand one hundred and ninety three according to the year 2000 census done by the United States Census Bureau.
Lanai Island?s landmarks and other important sites are usually located off of dirt roads and hence, four-wheel drives are required to access these locations.
As the pineapple industry declined in Lanai Island, tourism industry took its place, as of the recent years.

Managed by Four Seasons hotels, there are two resort hotels on Lanai namely: Manele bay and the lodge at Koele.

Lodge at Koele is rather unusual when compared with other Hawaiian resorts as it is located inland rather than near the beach.

Used mostly by people visiting Lanai residents, there is a small hotel in the Lanai city.
With eleven rooms available for guests, Hotel lanai is a charming bed and breakfast hotel. It was built in the year nineteen twenty three by James Dole who was working at the Pineapple Company. It was intended to be used as a lodge to provide housing to HAPCO executives who were overseeing the pineapple production and hence it was the only hotel in the Lanai island until around the year nineteen ninety.

Both of these lanai hotel resorts have golf courses.Lanai boasts of many sites which are historical with old fishing villages and hence is a place of deep cultural importance.

Lanai Island has unique features such as Keahikawelo which is boulder-strewn.
The Lanai city, situated in the centre of the island, has the lanai playhouse and theatre which is simply lovely. Hence, this island of Lanai has a lot to offer to its tourists.

When considering Hawaii facts, first and foremost, looking at the area of Hawaii, it is ten thousand nine hundred and thirty two square miles.
According to Hawaii facts, the population of Hawaii is approximately 1,262,840 as of the year 2004.

The state capital of Hawaii according to Hawaii facts is Honolulu and the people of Hawaii are considered as American.

Hawaii facts state that the official language of Hawaii is English and Hawaiian; languages spoken are English, Hawaiian, pidgin, Samoan and Tongan.

The government of Hawaii, according to Hawaii facts is republican and the head of state is Governor Linda Lingle

The major industries in Hawaii according to Hawaii facts are Tourism and Agriculture of bananas, pineapples, taro, macadamia nuts and sugar. Also, the time zone is Hawaiian time zone as according to Hawaiian facts, Hawaii does not observe daylight saving time.
According to Hawaii facts, Hawaii got admission to union as the 50th state and entered the union on the 21st of august 1959, and the nickname of Hawaii is Aloha state, with the state motto being ?Ua mau ke ea o ka aina I ka pono? which means ? The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

The major rivers in Hawaii as stated in Hawaii facts are Wailuku River on the island of Hawaii and the Anahulu River on the island of Oahu, and major lake is the salt lake.
The highest point in Hawaii is the Mauna kea which is about four thousand two hundred and five meters above sea level, and the island of Hawaii is surrounded by the pacific ocean.

According to Hawaii facts the island of Hawaii has 8 islands namely: Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, Kaho?olawe.

Also according to Hawaii facts, the rare species of monk seal known as ilio holo kai to the Hawaiians has made Hawaii its habitat.
The state bird is Nene- the Hawaiian goose, state marine mammal is the humpback whale, the state fish is the reef trigger fish, state flower being the yellow hibiscus, state tree the candlenut tree, state gem being the black coral, and state dance is known as Hula. Also according to Hawaii facts, the state individual sport is surfing and the state group sport is Outrigger canoe paddling
Finally, according to Hawaii facts, the official colors of Hawaii are red (Hawaii), Pink (Maui), Golden yellow (Oahu), Purple (Kauai), Green (Molokai), Orange (Lanai) and Kaho olawe (Gray).