What do Pig Farms, Wild Boars, Kauai Caves have in common?

March 17, 2015 by dustinthewind The Book Travel Tips

caves

If you read my book, you know that pigs and I have a history. Oh man, those shoes! And all that fatback!!

Well, on a sort of related note, what do you think about wild boars? They are nothing to mess with. I went on a hunting trip for boars with nothing but a spear and a knife. Not for everyone!

Here’s another question for you. What do you think about caves? Ha!

Well, I know that boars and caves may be things that some people are afraid of, but if you’re like me and not afraid of too much, you should head over to Haena Beach Park on Kauai. Haena Beach Park is the home of the Maniniholo Dry Cave and the Waikanaloa Wet Cave. Both are worth a visit, and you can enjoy some great hiking in this park too. Just pay attention to the warnings about boars and look out if you see one because they don’t mess around.

What do Pig Farms, Wild Boars and #KauaiCaves have in common? Nada. Except they’ve all been a part of my adventures.

Wild boar track on a most beautiful coast

Stop to Smell the Roses ~ Insider’s Travel Tips

February 22, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

Frecks on a ridge in American Samoa

This is where you’ll soon be able to learn about excellent places to see and things to do in Kauai and other places Frecks has been. Stay tuned! #smelltheroses

Hike Kauai with an Insider

January 19, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

If you like to hike (I like to hike and camp and all sorts of outdoor stuff, which is a good thing when you’ve got to travel over mountains and through jungles to assess damage after a cyclone—ha!), Hawaii is an amazing place for it. You probably know that much already.

An insider’s secret that I like to share is to take the back roads to the end of the Wailua River. The Wailua River was the subject of my last blog post. There you’ll find hundreds of stone mounds (known as cairns) left by early Hawaiians. You also find heiau—ancient structures—in this area.

But the best-kept secret is the hike that you find past the end of the Wailua River trail. You take this trail and it brings you inside of the crater formed by the volcano that made the island. This is where the river actually begins, formed by the water seeping from the ground and the walls of the crater.

As it sits at the bottom of the mountain, beneath the famous Wall of Tears (which is where some of the waterfalls are found), it is obviously a good source of water and is a trail that you have to try if you like nature and are interested in the ways that fresh water operates in this environment. #Hikekauai just for fun!

Swimming in the pools

The Aloha Spirit

January 10, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

Leilani before her adventure to the South Pole.

It was really hard for me not to include in my book a whole bunch of stuff about Hawaii that didn’t have anything to do with disasters. Finally though, my editor convinced me that I could still tell my readers about it, but here on my blog! Ha! So welcome to a little slice of my life that I like to call, Stopping to Smell the Roses.

Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and I have seen quite a few places! The #AlohaSpirit of the place really got to me. I liked Kauai so much that after I was sent there to help with the disaster relief following Hurricane Iniki, I got myself a full time gig as a building inspector (OEP). I lived there only a short time before I became known for my own Aloha Spirit. I figured I arrived with the seed of Aloha Spirit in me, and that the environment of the island really made it bloom.

The post-Iniki marketing campaign to get tourism to return was “Kauai is Back,” and to do my part, I bought “Lailani,” a little island doll, and sent her down to my buddies in the South Pole. They snapped a bunch of photos of this gorgeous island beauty living it up in Antarctica. They then handed her off to someone heading home, and their job was to get the doll back to me. However, the spirit of adventure got the best of Lailani’s escorts, and it took a little over ten months for her to finally get home. When she did, it was clear that she had become a true global traveler and Hawaiian diplomat.

Flight attendants and other travelers took to putting pins and badges on Lailani and then sending her to the next exotic or distant destination. When she got home you could hardly see her for all the evidence of her travels.

If there was any more of an iconic symbol of Hawaii than little Lailani who had traveled the world to spread the word of Kauai’s spirit, it would be hard to beat it.

It wasn’t the last time I would show this spirit, and it never fails to surprise me how people react and respond to it.

Robert Winter, Aloha Spirit, travel tips, Kauai

Leilani/OEP sign at the South Pole

Leilani ready for her journey

You’d rather ride than hike Kauai? More insider tips

January 7, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

For those of you who aren’t much for hiking in the jungle, there are other ways to see the beauty of Hawaii away from the paved roads. Here are a few of my favorites:

Andy’s Sailing Adventures – Their giant catamaran is fully netted and allows you to enjoy observation above the waters. They also take you snorkeling in some of the best spots. For those of you who have read my book, this is NOT Captain Gary Licatta! Ha ha!
#Thunderboat – This is a boat that goes around the island of Kauai in about three hours. In other words, you are flying across the water and you have to be strapped in for safety. It is a cigarette boat that skims across the waters and yet lets you see some of the most beautiful spots.
The Thunder boat, if you have a need for speed.
Ohana Helicopters – This is a gem of a tour company because their pilots are long time residents of the island and they have tremendous respect for the environment. They give you tons of information about the island, and not just the shallow touristy stuff. This is a reliable helicopter firm and one that never seems to get any complaints.