The "Made In Hawai'i" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Shopping the shelves of stores in Oahu, Kauai and Maui for gifts for family and friends for the upcoming holidays.  Want to make sure that I get something suitable for everyone as well as pick gifts that are actually made on the islands of Hawaii.  More than once I picked up a gift, turned it over and found it was made in China or the Phillipines.  Quite a few stores did feature shelves marked with "Made In Hawaii" posted on them to make it easier to select local gifts.  I did manage to find the gifts I wanted and have all of them made in Hawaii.  I took a few photos of some of the items that I found were made on the islands to show you the selection of gifts I could find.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - click on photos to enlarge.

Rooster Kookies made by the Kauai Rooster Kookie Company.

Hawaiian Shirts can be found almost anywhere in Hawaii.  Make sure you find one with the Made in Hawaii, USA.  

Maui Style potato chips are fantastic.

Mulvadi Gourmet Pancake Mix in a variety of flavors is made in Hawaii.  Price is listed under the packages.

Made by Alaea Salt Company, these tubes of herbs or spices are a great gift.

Glico Hawaii Pretz packages have flavored pretzels in them. 

Big Island (Hawaii) Delights are chocolate dipped Macadamia Shortbread. 

Packages of made in Hawaii golf balls make a great gift.  They come in a variety of patterns.

Tiki Toes are island style stickers.  

Nutty Farms packages Trail Mix, Fruit chips, nuts and a variety of other good items.

The Aloha made juices are great.  They are made on Honolulu in a variety of  flavors.  My favorite is the Passion Orange.

The Aloha Spice Company packages many spices that are primarily organic.

These tins would be a great souvenir in itself, but it holds cookies made in Hawaii.

A variety of cookies made in Maui by the CookKwees Company.

Variety of types of nuts made by the Hamakua Nut Company.

The "Adding To My Collection" Story

My hand-made funnel is used to put sand
into the hand-painted bottle.  The 1/2"
opening on the Ma DouDou rum bottle
limits what can be placed in the bottle.

It was an ordinary day.  Putting the finishing touches on my very small Ma DouDou hand-painted rum bottle.  These little bottles I gather when Carol and I take our annual vacation to the island of St. Martin.  The rum comes in different flavors with the Banane Vanille being my favorite.  Bottle is good for maybe half a dozen shots, but afterwards I use them for a variety of things.  For about 15 years I have been using them to hold spoonfuls of sand that I gather from some of my favorite beaches in the world. The bottle I am filling now is my 13th bottle for my collection.  The sand that I am filling it with has all come from beaches in Hawaii from my recent trip to the islands.  I only gathered sand from four beaches this year, but by adding the spoonful or two of pebbles from Glass Beach in Kauai, it filled the bottle to the top.  

Final result.  A small label on the rear
tells where each layer was found. Notice
the colors of the different layers.

Bottom layer is from Lygate Beach on the island of Kauai with the next from bottom layer coming from Kaanapauli Beach in Maui.  The layer on top of that is from Poipu Beach on Kauai with the top two layers from Glass Beach on Kauai.  The reason for two layers from Glass Beach is that the beach is black volcanic sand with a layer of crushed glass from years of glass being weathered on the beach. My only regret is that I forgot to get a spoonful of sand from Waikiki Beach on Ohau, one of the most famous beaches in the world.  I do have some from another visit, but not from our recent visit.  I am now out of glass bottles so I will need to buy more rum or stop collecting spoonfuls of sand. Guess what my choice might be.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Kauai's Biggest Little Town" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Taking a heart-skipping stroll across the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge in Hanapepe, Kauai.  A trip to the town of Hanapepe was on our list of items to do during our visit to the Garden Isle of the Pacific, so Carol and I along with Jerry and Just Sue jumped in the car this morning for a visit to a few sites we had planned on touring during our vacation.  

The Hanapepe Swinging Bridge with Just Sue and Jerry crossing.

Wasn't long before we saw the sign that read "Welcome to Hanapepe - Kauai's Biggest Little Town."  The main reason for our visit is to see the multitude of art galleries as well as walk across the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge in the middle of town.  The town got it's name of Hanapepe during devastating landslides years ago, since Hanapepe means "crushed bay" in Hawaiian.  

The main street in Hanapepe.

The bridge we crossed was originally built in the early 1900s as a way for the residents to cross the river from the town to their homes.  To some it may look frightening, but it appears to be in remarkable condition.  I did note that in 1980 Douglas Kenney, a co-writer of National Lampoon's Animal House fell thirty feet from the bridge to his death.  

Sign for the Swinging Bridge.

We crossed the bridge, but didn't venture any further into the residential area.  I found the small town to be filled with art of all varieties from ceramics to paintings to leather and batik.  Small store after small store featured beautiful work from the artists of the island.  On many of the store fronts were posted photos of what the store looked like years ago.  Had a good time taking photos of the current storefronts and reproducing the old photos from the past.  Follow along with me as I photograph a few of the beautiful buildings in the town of Hanapepe.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This was the Serikawa Hotel at one time.  It was opened in 1921 and provided lodging and meals for $3 a night.  Hot water for a shared bath was heated over an open fire.  Not sure what a shared bath means, but I think I'd enjoy it.  It was used in the 1983 mini-series The Thorn Birds to represent the Dunglow Hotel in Queensland, Australia.  Today it is home to art galleries.

This beautiful building that today holds an art gallery was once the K.C. Kai Store/The USO Club/Style Mart.  It was built in 1931 by Kwock Chong Kai and was described in the newspaper as being "an up-to-date dry goods emporium.  During WWII it was turned into a USO Club for the military personnel stationed nearby.  After the war it was known as Style Mart while in the 70s and 80s it was the home of the Aki Family.

Another art gallery with a ceramics studio on the left of the building stands at 3865 Hanapepe Road.  It used to be Chang's Tailor Shop/Tung Pui Bakery/Hanapepe Pool Hall over the years.  It was built in 1926 by baker Ah Tung and partner Wai Tsing Chang and is on both the National and State Historic registers.  The shop sold pies for a dime and a loaf of bread for a nickel.  In 1938 the Malapit family leased the building and opened the pool hall.  It was badly damaged in hurricane Iniki in 1992, but since has been restored by artist Joanna Carolan.

This property was purchased in the early 1900s by Chand Chup Fong.  He was the rice broker for Kauai's rice farmers.  Dai Wo Chang purchased the building and moved it to the location where it now stands at 3840 Hanapepe Road.  He used it as a show room for his new auto dealership in 1927.  After hurricane Iniki the building was restored and now houses another art gallery.

This was at one time the Sun Ki Heong Chinese Restaurant/Obatake Jewelry Store.  It was built in 1932 by Cheong Sum and equipped with a  $1,000 Knight soda fountain, a huge G.E. refrigerator, a Victor phonograph, dumbwaiter and a doubly reinforced upper floor for dancing.  Over the years it housed a liquor store, baby clothes store and the Obatake Jewelry Store.  It was rescued and restored by Mark Jeffers after the hurricane and now holds the Storybook Theatre of Hawaii.  It too is on the State and National Historic Register.

 

This was Seto's Meat market/Virdinha Feed Store.  It was built in the late 1800s by the Seto family and stands at the entrance of Hanapepe.  It originally was a meat market and children would stop on their way home from school to purchase a cut of meat for 25 cents for their evening meal.  The sugar cane train ran next to the building.  In the 1930s it became a fish market, then the Aloha Market which sold groceries.  Finally the Vidinha family purchased it as a feed store.  Today it houses a gallery and gift shop.

This is a more recent addition to the town.  It is the beautiful Hawaiian Congregational Church in the middle of town.

The "The Rebirth of an Ancient Hawaiian Village" Story

Aerial photo from Kauai Magazine showing
the ancient site known as Ke Kahau O Kaneiolouma.
At bottom right are the kii I photographed.

It was an ordinary day.  Finished packing and loading the car for our trip to the airport where we were flying with Hawaiian Airlines from Kauai to Maui for the remainder of our vacation.  But, we had one last stop to make before we headed to the car return at the airport.  Both myself and traveling companion Just Sue wanted to take photos of an ancient Hawaiian village that we had passed several times during our six day stay in Kauai.  Place known as Ke Kahau O Kaneiolouma which was located a mile away in Poipu.  It is said that if you listen with your heart while walking near the ancient village you will hear the sounds of this thriving community as it was when it was alive.  

The reconstructed corner wall and kii will be the
cornerstone for the new cultural center in Kauai.

Kaneiolouma once covered the land from the mountains to the ocean, but in the mid-1800s, when the Western world's lifestyle began influencing the island, the jungle overtook the area and covered it with dense brush.  It remained that way for over 150 years until approximately a year ago when Rupert Rowe, a native to the land, began his journey to reconstruct the only intact Hawaiian complex never destroyed by man.  

Ground-level view of the site taken from the photo above.

Using maps that had been drawn in 1959 by Henry E.P. Kaneio- louma, Rupert began his tedious task.  Allegedly there are two big taro patches, remains of a fishpond, a natural spring, 17 house sites, 23 idol sites and a heiau which is an Hawaiian place of worship.  Mr. Rowe and his team of professional have begun the task by building perimeter rock walls around the site to match the one small section that they unearthed when they began their excavation.  

One of the four kii that are a prominent
part of the cornerstone.

The team has planted Niihau palms, plumeria, native white hibicus and kukui nut trees.  It is Rupert's hopes to build a cultural visitors center and two ancient-style Hawaiian houses.  A time-table of four years has been set for the work to be completed.  Standing on the corner of the property are four beautifully carved 16-foot tall kii that are the focus of our photos today.  The kii were a gift from the Big Island of Hawaii.  The kii facing east is the Hawaiian god Kane or "giver of life" while the other three represent gods Logo (peace and prosperity), Kanaloa (the ocean) and Ku (War).  At certain times of the year the kii line up with the stars, helping you to make your journey to wherever you plan to go.  Mr. Rowe has hopes that the Hawaiian culture will live on in this newly developed piece of earth in Kauai which eventually will be open to all who care to visit for a fee.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Ordering Your 'Puka Dog'" Story

Sign outside the "Puka Dog" store in Poipu, Kauai.

It was an ordinary day.  Finishing our Puka Dogs while sitting on the porch of our condo unit in Poipu, Kauai.  Never heard of a Puka Dog?  Goes back about eight to ten years ago when I saw a story on the Travel Channel where they featured "Hot Dog Heavens."  Watched in amazement as they made these great looking dogs in a small shopping center near Poipu Beach.  Since we had a trip planned for the following year I made sure to make the "Puka Dog" store one of our stops when visiting the island of Kauai.  

Menu which stands outside the store.
It tells you the ordering process.
Click on photo to enlarge.

I wasn't disappointed with my dog when I eventually got it.  When it came time to plan one more trip this past fall to Hawaii, I made sure to add it one more time to the agenda during our stay on Kauai.  Then I found that the "Puka Dog" was featured once again on the Travel Channel when Anthony Bourdain did a "No Reservations" episode, but this time they visited the "Puka Dog" store on Oahu.  That location was finally closed when they shut down the International Market Place in Honolulu right before our visit.  Didn't matter really since I wanted my dog from the original store on Kauai.  Well, Carol and I as well as our friend Just Sue, made a visit this evening to the "Puka Dog" store to buy our evening meal.  Neat process to make one of the dogs.  

The rolls are placed over the metal
skewers to toast the inside of them.

The rolls are a rather large hot dog roll of Hawaiian sweet bread which hasn't been cut.  The roll is placed over rather unique toaster rods that punch a hole in the roll and toasts the inside.  Then you need to select either a large Polish Sausage or a large Veggie Dog.  Next you must decide on either a garlic, spicy or hot garlic lemon secret sauce which they put into the hole before the sausage.  Next comes the relish into the hole, also before the sausage.  Your choices are mango, pineapple, papaya, coconut, banana or star fruit relish.  Finally the sausage goes in on top of all that and forces the sauce and relish around it.  The result is amazing and delicious.  One "Puke Dog" is all that is needed by each of us, since they are so large .  Hopefully the photos will give you a better idea of how the "Puka Dog" is made.  If you ever head to Hawaii for vacation or happen to live on the islands, make the "Puka Dog" store a stop for a real treat. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "secret sauce" and relish is added from your many choices.

Then the sausage is pushed into the bun loaded with the choices.

The satisfied customers. We may not look happy, but we really are!

The "Guess What We're Having For Supper" Story

Creamsicle at home on my desk.

It was an ordinary day.  Heading to the back door to let Creamsicle in after his morning trek around what he now considers his property.  Creamsicle was homeless for quite a few years, but hung around our house so that he could eat the food that Carol and I placed outside for all the homeless animals in the neighborhood.  One cold snowy winter day he decided it was time to visit with us inside the house and after seeing the rear door opening, darted into the warmth.  Wasn't long before we took him to the vet for a check-up and to make sure he had all his shots and was neutered.  That was a few years ago and now he is a regular member of the family.  Spends more time indoors now that outdoors, but does love to walk the perimeter of our property to keep tabs on the other cats and varmints that hang close to the house.  Well, this morning he is looking in the back door, waiting for someone to open the door to allow him to step in for his morning nap.  I opened the door and was about to let him in when I noticed he leaned over and picked up something in his mouth.  "Oh no, you're not being him in here." I shouted in a voice that scared him.  He was standing at the door with a dead squirrel in his mouth.  

Getting' ready to find dinner for mom & dad.

Poor little thing had no chance against the great hunter that Creamsicle had become while fending for himself over the years he was homeless in the neighborhood.  Creamsicle gave me a bewildered look and slowly carried his catch off the rear deck and around the side of the house.  Carol was upset that he would kill a squirrel, saying, "There's no way he is hungry with all we feed him."  This isn't the first time he has brought a dead animal to the back door.  This past summer he dropped a dead chipmunk on the rear mat, waiting for us to open the door so he could bring it inside.  A few birds have been left by the back door over the last year or so.  My guess is he is trying to repay us for all we do for him and this is the only way he can think of to do that.  He probably thought squirrel potpie would have been good on the menu for tonight so he was ready to present us with the main part of the meal.  After taking his catch along the side of the house, Carol managed to entice him away from the dead squirrel so she could pick it up and dispose of it.  We know more will come, but hope he will someday realize he doesn't need to help out with the food supply in the house.  We love him without all the extra help he is now giving us.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Trip to Lahaina" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking around the historic town of Lahaina, Maui.  This is our third time to visit the island of Maui and we never miss the chance to head to Lahaina for a meal, shopping or just exploring.  Lahaina is Maui's historic jewel and the old whaling capital of the Pacific in the mid-1800s is just a few miles from where we are staying at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel.  Lahaina has restored many of its historic sites and today I walked the small town checking out many of the sites that are close to Lahaina's Front Street.  Today's story will show you a few of the restored buildings and give you some of the historical background that is pertinent to the building.  So follow with me as I do some exploring.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This Banyan tree on Front Street in Lahaina is the oldest in the state of Hawaii.  It was brought to the island in 1873 and when planted in it's current location, was only eight feet tall.  The the tree is said to stand 50 feet tall and span approximately 200 feet in length while covering about two-thirds of an acre.  It is immense and lovely to walk under.  Many people have autographed parts of some of the many trunks that have rooted over time.  It was sad to see all the homeless that have made the tree and the block in which it resides their home.  The stench of urine was hard to ignore as I walked under its huge limb structure.
 

This is the courthouse that is home to the Lahaina Arts Society, Banyan Tree Gallery, the Lahaina Heritage Museum  and the Visitor's Center.  It was built in 1859 after the fort (pictured below) had been destroyed.  At the time the courthouse served as a custom's house, post office, collector's office, office of the Governor, police office and a courtroom.

The Pioneer Inn and Theatre is one of the oldest hotels in Hawaii that is still in operation.    The theatre opened its doors in 1913 offering a Hollywood movie for 5 cents.  For a few cents more you could catch a Japanese movie on Monday nights.  The theatre had downstairs seating with an upstairs balcony and reserved seating.  There were no concessions.  The Pioneer Theatre was closed in 1965.  The current owner of the Inn is George "Keoki" Freeland who is preserving the memories of the plantation days when his father operated the movie house in the 1940s when thousands of sugar plantation camp residents visited the theatre.  The Pioneer Inn had been the background for the film "The Devil at 4 O'Clock" as well as TV shows Hawaii 5-0, Hawaiian Eye, Adventures in Paradise and Baywatch.  The Inn is still in operation and operates as a Best Western.  It captures the ambiance of the whaling days and the plantation era.  The Pioneer Bar and Grill is part of the structure.

The Fort on the Canal was built in 1831 out of coral blocks that were hewn by hand.  It once covered an area about the size of an acre with 20 foot high walls.  All that remains of it is pictured here which is along the waterfront.  Click on the photo to enlarge it.

The Rev. Dr. Dwight Baldwin and Charlotte Fowler were married in Connecticut the week after they met.    At the time they wanted to serve their church abroad and unmarried people could not go abroad together, so they married to accommodate the rules of the church.  They moved into this house in 1835 after it had been erected by the Rev. Ephraim Spaulding who was a missionary in Lahaina.  Dr. Baldwin was a Harvard educated physician as well as a minister in the Congregational Church.  The house was built with stone, coral and hand-hewn timbers.  The Baldwin family added a one-floor bedroom and study at the north end of the house in 1840.  It was here that six children were raised by the Baldwins.  They also lost two children in early childhood.  The house has been totally restored and is in beautiful shape.  The women in the window greeted me when I walked onto the porch.  The photo of the rear of the house shows both coral and stone being used in it's construction.

This is the prison also known as Hale Paahao.  It was built in 1852 during the reign of King Kamehameha III to lock up rowdy sailors who failed to return to their ships at sundown as well as unruly natives.  The surrounding coral wall was built in 1854 while the guard house and cells were completely rebuilt in 1959.  The prison sits about two blocks inland from Front Street.