Fun Blog about Maui Where You Can Talk Story

My friend Cherie, owner and operator of the Hale Hookipa Inn, a Maui bed and breakfast, talks story on her Maui blog, Hookipa Aikane, or Home Sharing Friend. She's had some great posts lately, from the Fourth of July in Makawao, upcountry Maui, to her organic garden, her Maui stories are great reading for anyone who loves the true meaning of Aloha.

The Great Things One Can Find When Not Looking

While sitting around bored the other day, I got an email from Mike at Trip Advisor, who wanted to do some link exchanges. He offered to link to some of my sites from this great page of Hawaii links, which I spent some time following to find some very interesting Hawaiian sites. While most of the links on that page are for vacation rentals, there are some activities ones that I really enjoyed, like for Kayaking and Whale watching.

Oddly, that same day, Chris from Conservation Hawaii offered to swap blog posts, which led me to his fun and informative blog. His post is on the Hawaii Blog.

Boredom cured!

Supak.com Celebrates 13 Years of Free Desktop Wallpaper

The Supak family has been posting photographs to our computer backgrounds and free desktop wallpaper sites since 1996. We have created and cataloged hundreds of wallpaper pictures in our online photography libraries and computer backgrounds blog.

"We are living in an interminable succession of absurdities imposed by the myopic logic of short-term thinking."—Jacques-Yves Cousteau

From a small site about organic gardening beginning in 1994, Supak.com evolved into a photography site when we started posting our first pictures to be downloaded as free computer wallpaper. When we moved to Hawaii in 1998, the free desktop wallpaper pictures of Hawaii really started filling our servers. And environmentalism and politics started to mean something to us, as can be reflected in the many other subjects covered through the Supak.com home page, from organic gardening to The Simpsons.

After 13 years of work, we have compiled a large photography collection featuring free wallpaper photographs including Robin's abstract photography, Scott's Hollwood Downside Up photography series from Los Angeles, Pokemon wallpaper, Simpsons wallpaper, and photographs from all over the world, including Hawaii, California, Los Angeles, New York upstate, New York city, Maine, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Chicago, Italy and much more. The Supak's photography collection has been continued in the last few years at their computer backgrounds blog, where they continue to post photographs from all over the world, including works from other photographers and underwater photography.

Supak.com is the parent company of Bald Mountain Press, which has been helping very small businesses get higher search engine ranks since 1996. Freedom of the press goes only to those who own one. We have been using ours to help stop the succession of absurdities since we first figured out how.

For more information about Supak.com, contact Scott Supak, scott@supak.com, Bald Mountain Press

Buy American Coffee

Contrary to the opinion of some Tea Baggers, Hawaii is a US State. So, not only can you buy domestic coffee in the US, but it is, as Mark Twain put it, the best damn coffee in the world. OK, Twain didn't put it that way. Here's what he actually said:

The ride through the district of Kona to Kealakekua Bay took us through the famous coffee and orange section. I think the Kona coffee has a richer flavor than any other, be it grown where it may and call it by what name you please.

Now click yourself over to do your duty as a patriotic citizen of the United States and purchase organic Kona coffee beans. It's a little more expensive than Folgers, but you'll drink less and it's better for you, the people growing the coffee, and the planet.

Free Desktop Wallpaper of Hawaii

We've been taking computer background photographs, and offering high resolution versions of those pictures for download as free desktop wallpaper, since 1996. When we moved to Hawaii for a year in 1998, we took some Hawaii pictures that became very popular, and still are. In 2001 we made that whole site for Hawaii pictures and other Hawaii stuff, and it is still one of our most popular sites.

Over the years we found ourselves adding more and more pictures for use as computer backgrounds, so we started that photography blog to make it easier to post them all!

So, if you can't afford a Hawaii vacation like a Maui wedding or other Hawaii wedding package, maybe you can take a few seconds and download some free wallpaper pictures of Hawaii. We've found that great shots of a Hawaii beach makes for some warm viewing on a cold and snowy day!

Green Hawaiian Weddings

My friend Klaus, proprietor of Paradise Maui and King of Maui Weddings, is now offering green Hawaiian weddings in Maui! If you combine your green wedding with a volunteer vacation in Hawaii, you could do a lot of good and save 5% on your stay at the Hale Hookipa Inn, a Maui Hawaii bed and breakfast, plus have another 5% donated to the cause for which you volunteer.

Also, a little inside information bird has whispered in my ear that Klaus is going to do Hawaiian style weddings in New York, but it's not official yet... That would be a nice thing to do for all the cold New Yorkers who love Hawaii but can't afford to go there for their wedding.

Solar Powered Vacation Rental Near the Best Beach in the World

Hamoa Beach (picture, right, by Beach Bum Paradise) in Hana, Maui, Hawaii, has consistently been voted one of the best beaches in the world. Here's what James Michener had to say about it:

Paradoxically, the only beach I have ever seen that looks like the South Pacific was in the North Pacific. Hamoa Beach on Maui Island in Hawai'i; a beach so perfectly formed that I wonder at its comparative obscurity. Formed into the shape of a half moon, it is rimmed by boulders of lava and guarded by tall volcanic needles. Pandanus [Hala] trees line the shore, which offers a crescent of black and silver sand.

It takes some serious carbon output to get to Hawaii, no matter where you're coming from. And then there's even more driving to get out the famous Road to Hana. But once you're out there, just 2 miles from Hamoa beach, is this solar powered Hana Maui vacation rental house: The Hana Country Cottage.

The Hana Country Cottage: Solar Powered Maui Vacation Rental

It sure won't feel like you're reducing your carbon foot print! This place has 2600 sq. feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 4 luscious acres. It's a pleasant one mile walk to the Venus Pool, a popular swimming hole near Hana. And the solar power means that much less carbon to offset!

The house is decorated in antiques and warm country furniture. The ocean views, like this one from one of the bedrooms, are awe inspiring! The tropical gardens are beautiful and green. The whole atmosphere is one of relaxation and serenity that you just can't get at a busy resort or condo complex.

Visit the web site for the Hana Country Cottage for details on rates and terms, and to see a great compilation of things to do on the east side of Maui, while you're staying there.

Spectacular New Photographs of Kauai

Another bonus for anyone actually paying attention to this little-known blog that I inherited from an internet marketing client who moved on to other things: spectacular new Hawaii pictures from the Island of Kauai.

One of my clients, who has a Kauai Hawaii beach house rental that is literally the gold at the end of the rainbow, just sent me new high-resolution pictures of the house and various shots from around Kauai. This shot proves that her Hawaii beach accommodations are literally right smack dab at the end of the rainbow. Look closely, because there are actually two rainbows.



I'll be posting some of these pictures over at my computer backgrounds photography blog soon, but this is a little bonus for you readers of this blog: head over to this Kauai vacation rental beach house web site now, and you can download the full-size, high resolution pictures (for private use only) right now!

Be sure to go to the page about the island of Kauai, where you'll see some of the fabulous sunset shots (like the one above) that inspired me to write this post. And how about this nice shot of the ocean with a boat leaving its wake? It inspired the simple but effective background for the header of this blog.

Maui weddings

Get Mauied! Maui weddings can be practically anywhere you want. You can take your vows on a beach at sunset. You can get married in a small Maui church. Or you can hike up next to a jungle waterfall for a memorable marriage ceremony in the fresh island water mist. It's up to you. Check out these great Maui wedding locations suggestions. But, unless you're an expert on the Hawaiian Island of Maui, getting married there can be a daunting task.

That's why I recommend getting a Maui wedding planner. A Maui marriage ceremony can be surprisingly affordable. Paradise Maui weddings has Maui wedding packages starting at $300!

Paradise Maui is a big site with lots of information about Maui, and all the islands in Hawaii, including activities, accommodations, and discounts. Check it out! Even if you're not getting married, you can benefit from what Paradise Maui has to offer.

A little bonus preview for viewers of this little-known and used blog...

Thought this would be the perfect place for the first mention of a new site I've been working on. This site, about volunteering while on vacation in Hawaii, is the brain child of my friend Cherie Attix, who was recognized by O Magazine for her voluntourism efforts.

The new site, which isn't quite ready yet, will focus on various groups and organizations that have programs for volunteers in Hawaii. Since Cherie lives on Maui (she runs the Hale Hookipa Inn Maui Bed and Breakfast in Makawao), the site is, for now, Maui centric. There are so many volunteer projects to choose from just on Maui! From the top of Haleakala (bunkhouse lodging provided) to the beautiful Maui beaches, there's a volunteer project that right for you and your family. In fact, many of the volunteer possibilities are perfect for children, and give them an opportunity to learn while they help.

If you'd like to help us with this project, please let me know! This is a great way to give something back to the culture, environment, and community in Hawaii where you vacation!