Hanging Loose: Get a taste for the tropical wild of Hawaii

Isolated deep in the Pacific, Hawaii is a volcanic
chain of islands that stretch some 1,500 miles from the southeastern Big Island
to the northwestern Kure Atoll. Tropical sunshine, warm waters, cooling trade
winds, and the Polynesian-based indigenous culture make any visit an
experience, but outdoor adventures await outside the resort walls. For would-be
volcano tamers, a hiking trail leads to the rim of beachfront Diamond Head on
Oahu, while the fire-breathing Kilauea on the Big Island is possibly the most
active volcano on earth. On Maui, tour groups catch the sunrise at the lip of
10,000-foot Haleakala before coasting 27 miles back to the beach on bicycles.
Other instant hits on Instagram include the Big Island’s 442-foot Akaka Falls
(with zipline options), while the Garden of the Gods on Lanai is a barren swath
of land with volcano-spewed rocks in various shapes and colors.

Christian Arballo

Christian Arballo

Fun-Filled Facts:

-When tourism started in the early 1900s, steamships
were the main mode of transportation, and the trip from San Francisco to
Honolulu took almost five days.

-Hawaii is famous for so-called superfoods like noni
juice, breadfruit and kukui nut oil, but one of the latest trends is eating the
antioxidant-rich red fruit that surrounds the state’s famous coffee beans.

-Per public records, the islands with the most MMJ
patients are Big Hawaii with 5,131, Maui with 2,833, Oahu with 2,609 and Kauai
with 1,783, while little Niihau has only two.

If You Go:

Hawaii legalized MMJ in 2000, but doctors can
recommend use (not prescribe) only for certain medical conditions, and patients
must grow their own plants or allow a designated caregiver to do so for them.
Dispensaries do not exist, and caregivers can only grow for one patient. New
legislation took effect in January that increased grow limits and moved the MMJ
program from the Department of Public Safety to the Health Department, and a
new registry fund might pave the way for wider distribution. Hawaii, whose
classic strains include Kona Gold and Maui Waui, is a pakalolo-friendly state, and people
wishing to medicate can easily acquire. However, use in private, and never take
cannabis on a plane even if traveling between islands.

Time to
Go: Spring and
Fall (better weather, fewer tourists)

Weather: Tropical

Budget: $$$$$