The Big Island of Hawaii's very own Mauna Kea has just been selected as the future site of the Thirty Meter Telescope.  Named after the measurements of one of the mirrors located inside, this telescope will be the largest in the world.

Mauna Kea, a now dormant volcano and a sacred site for Native Hawaiians, is currently the site of 13 different telescopes, not all belonging to the United States, as some belong to the NASA, Japan, and the United Kingdom.  One may wonder why this one site is the home so many different telescopes and the answer is simple: it is one of the best observatory places on the planet.  Mauna Kea is located over 13,000 feet above sea level, and over 32,000 feet from the bottom of the ocean.  When counting from the depths of the sea, Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the world.

 It is an exciting time in the Aloha State as we welcome the USS Hawaii to its new home at Pearl Harbor.  The USS Hawaii, the first named after our fair state, is one of the three Virginia-class submarines currently commissioned by the United States Navy.

In laymen's terms, a Virginia-class submarine is an attack submarine.  Traditional submarines are most equipped for near-shore combat, but the Virginia- class is not only suited for near shore excursions, but open-ocean deployments.  According to the Navy, on board the USS Hawaii, digital cameras replace the traditional periscope, and hydrophones allow the crew to listen to their surroundings.  This class of submarine is also equipped with everything needed for a variety of battle situations, whether the mission is mapping out minefields or keeping surveillance.

The Hawaii Super Ferry one of Hawaii's Premier inter island travel services, a luxury service at affordable prices. Whether you are traveling light or want to bring your bring your car, Hawaii Super Ferry is the way to go. The 350 foot Alakai can accommodate up to 800 passengers comfortably with plenty of room to move around freely, the rates and schedules can accommodate anyone's budget and travel plans even if you are just wanting to visit one destination or you are island hoping to view all the sites that Hawaii has to offer.

The Hawaii Super Ferry offers superb accommodations with leather sofas, comfortable reclining armchair seats or with restaurant styled

Kona Coffee started in the nineteenth century when Samuel Reverend Ruggles bought it to Kona. Kona Coffee is a gourmet coffee which can only be found in one place in the whole world and that is on the Island of the beautiful Hawaii on the Golden Kona Coast. Most Kona coffee farms are owned by the same kama'aina families for many generations.

It has been also said that this coffee blooms in the months of February and March. The small white flowers which cover the trees are called as Kona Snow. When the month of April comes, green berries appear on the trees. Then when August comes, cherries appear. Each tree will be handpicked many times between the months of August and January. An estimate of 20 to 30 pounds of cherries would be produced.

It was during the time of the 19th century when the early Western missionaries took notice of the need to have the natives be properly clothed in preparation for their conversion to Christianity. The shirts with flamboyant colors and tropical prints were conceptualized. But it wasn't until the mid-1930 when it went into full production.  

Research discovers stories of a Waikiki, Honolulu Chinese merchant by the name of Mr. Ellery Chun and owner of King-Smith Clothiers and Dry Goods, who was believed to be the pioneer of the Aloha Shirt. Along with his sister, Ethel Chun Lum, they manufactured the first vibrantly colored, floral, short-sleeved shirt from left-over kimono fabric.

HAWAII is considered as one of the best vacation sites in the world.

Yearly, millions of tourists visit Hawaii, considered as the premier place for fun and excitement in the Pacific.

What makes, Hawaii such a unique and good place to stay is its pristine beaches, countless beautiful sites combined with good food and culture of the native inhabitants.

To the tourists the scenic island is the perfect haven for any weary souls.

To the lucky person who gets the chance to either visit Hawaii by work or vacation it would be best to take advantage of the great opportunity.

Do you love to party? Do you enjoy fun party theme? Then Luaus are great for you! At Hawaii, Luaus are traditional ways to celebrate graduations, weddings, baby's first birthday or any for just any reasons to party. Most of the time, Hawaii Luaus are held in the backyard and under tents. The tents used for Luaus are decorated with ferns, heleconia and red gingers.

The Hawaiian language consists of only 12 letters. Seven consonants - h, k, l, m, n, p and w and five vowels - a, e, i, o and u

The "w" when followed by an "i" or "e" is pronounced like a "v". The vowels are a little different in that each one is pronounced individually and sound like:
a sounds like "ah" as in hurrah
e sounds like "ay" as in day
i sounds like "ee" as in bee
o sounds like "o" as in role
u sounds like "oo" as in soon

People think of many things when they think of Hawaiian chocolate. Some call it "ambrosia", which means food for the gods. To others it's comfort food or even an aphrodisiac. For most women it's a necessity, right up there with water and shelter.  

Chocolate, the word itself, is of Mayan origin. Their word "xocotal" meant "bitter water." Back around 1100 BC, the Honduran Mayans used the cacao seeds for many things, mainly as a drink. These cultivation of these seeds is where chocolate comes from.
Hillebrand is given the honor of introducing cacao to Hawaii, specifically Honolulu, back in 1850. In modern times, Hawaii's Big Island is the only place in North America that can grow the cacao used to make Hawaiian Chocolate candy. This probably contributes to the fact that coffee, tea, and cocoa are all made in Hawaii, whereas no other place in the world produces all. This makes cacao Hawaii's leading commercial endeavor.

The island of Hawaii prides itself with having the most abundant harvest of lavender. Several Hawaii lavender farms sit on the island and manufacture more than a few products made from the fragrant flower.  

One famous lavender farm is the Ali'I Kula Lavender of Maui. It embarked on the business in February 2002 and opened its doors to visitors wishing to enjoy the beauty of their Lavender Walking Tours. Ali'I Kula Lavender sits on 8.5 acres of land, with over 25,000 lavender plants blooming and more than 40 different lavender varieties. The owners Alii Chang and Easter Martin greatly take pride in their lavender farm. Martin is the one brewing different concoctions for the lavender, while Chang is the grower and harvester.