Interesting Things About Hawaii

Isolated Paradiserock which became the foundation for all of the
Even though Hawaii is part of the United States, theislands.
state certainly isn't anywhere nearby. In fact, HawaiiMany Places to See
really isn't near anyone else. The islands areWhile Hawaii is sometimes thought of as a single
considered the most isolated population center on thedestination, it actually consists of eight main islands:
planet. Here are some statistics to show just howHawaii (the Big Island), Maui, Kaho'olawe, Lanai,
remote this paradise is:o Almost 3,900 miles fromMolokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Ni'ihau. While all eight of
Japano About 4,900 miles from Chinao More thanthese islands provide picturesque views of the Pacific
5,200 miles from the PhilippinesOcean, they aren't all going to give you quite the
In the case of this island paradise, isolation won'tsame experience. Kaho'olawe, for example, is the
make you feel cut off from the rest of the world,only one which is uninhabited. Maui, on the other
however. You can find all of the same luxuries buthand, is the hot tourist destination for North
without as much traffic, smog, noise, and pollution.American travelers while Oahu is the choice for Asian
Land of Two Languages (and More)vacationers. That means both islands are going to
The United States may not have an official language,have all the tourist trappings you'll either love or hate.
but Hawaii has two according to its Constitution.If you want something different during your visit,
According to the governing document, both EnglishMolokai may be a good choice. As one of the least
and Hawaiian are recognized languages in the statedeveloped islands and one with a higher percentage
and all government business must also be conductedof native Hawaiian residents, visiting the island can
in Hawaiian. Hawaiian originated from a type ofmake you feel transported back in time.
Polynesian language that was brought to the islandsExperience a New Culture
by the original inhabitants. Today, many people whoEven through Hawaii is part of the United States, the
were born into the Hawaiian culture speak pidginstate's isolation and unique cultural history has set it
which is a combination of the two languages withapart from the rest of the country in many ways. In
some parts of others thrown in. While Hawaiian andfact, going to Hawaii can feel almost as foreign as
English are the two official languages, you'll findgoing to an entirely different place, except you can
others spoken on the islands as well. Nearly 5 percentstill speak English and don't have to worry about the
of the population speaks Japanese and anotherexchange rate for the dollar.
almost 2% speak Chinese.While you're on the island, you may get a chance to
Unique Time Zoneexperience some of the cultural differences. Many of
When you travel throughout the United States bythese, such as the luau, are demonstrated for
car, bus, train, or plane, you're likely to cross intotourists. Other traditions, like driving slower, will be
some different time zones. Of course, the differencethings you'll experience yourself and will have to
isn't much - an hour one way or another. However, ifbecome accustomed to while on the islands.
you're flying to Hawaii that's going to be an entirelyHome to the Only Royal Residence in the United
different story because the state has its own timeStates
zone.For those unfamiliar with the history of Hawaii, the
Known as Hawaiian Standard Time, the whole statepresence of a royal palace may be a bit of a surprise.
is always 2 hours behind Pacific time and a full fiveBut before the state became part of the country, it
hours behind Eastern time. That means when thewas run as a monarchy and the Iolani Palace in
alarm goes off at 5 in the morning in New York theHonolulu about ten minutes from Waikiki. This palace
midnight party is just getting started in Hawaii.was built by Hawaii's final king, David Kalakaua. The
Tasty Exported Treatstotal construction cost was $360,000 when it was
Hawaii is home to some of the country's most uniquefinished in 1882. Even more interesting was that the
agricultural products. Considering its uniquepalace was more advanced than the U. S. White
environment, this should be of no surprise. MostHouse at the time. The palace had telephones and
visitors to the island aren't surprised that two of theelectric lights which wouldn't be true of the White
biggest crops are pineapple and sugar cane. In fact,House for a little while still. Self-guided and guided
nearly one third of all money earned from exportedtours of the residence are available and well worth
agricultural products comes from pineapple. However,the time.
one of the popular crops does surprise some tourists.Leave the Black Sand
That crop is coffee. Hawaii is the only U. S. stateOn some of the Hawaiian beaches, you'll find black
where coffee can be and is grown.sand. While it may be tempting to take some with
Walk on Magmayou as a souvenir, the island's mythology would
The Hawaiian Islands didn't just pop up one day instrongly warn against such actions. That's because
the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They were formedtaking the sand is said to anger Pele, the goddess of
thanks to volcanic activity. About 70 million yearsthe volcanoes. She's definitely not someone you
ago, that part of the ocean was known as a hotwould want to have on your bad side.
spot meaning it was a point of intense and recurringIf you are worried about Pele, you may also want to
volcanic activity. As one of the earth's plates movedbe on the lookout for the ghostly Night Marchers
over the volcanic area, the islands were formed fromwho are said to roam in some parts of the island.
the magma which emerged and dried into igneous