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AUDREY McAVOY/The Associated Press
Vise Vitale of Honolulu performs a Samoan fire knife dance during an “Aloha Friday” celebration of Polynesian music, song and dance in Honolulu. Fire knife dancing is often mistaken for Hawaiian even though it’s a Samoan invention. Hawaii resorts are increasingly turning to Hawaii’s actual rich traditions to make trips special for travelers.

DITCHING THE KITSCH: Many resorts in Hawaii moving toward real-life Hawaiian traditions

Last updated Saturday, September 15, 2012 - 11:27pm

HONOLULU — Coconut bras aren’t Hawaiian. Neither are grass skirts. Tiki bars? They’re from California. Yet they’re all among the most recognizable symbols of a Hawaiian vacation.

Now, many resorts in Hawaii are hoping to change those images, edging away from these kitschy marketing inventions and toward real-life Hawaiian traditions that can make the trip to the islands more special for travelers.

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A state Dept. of Transportation mini loader moves debris from a landslide which closed part of the road leading to the Wailua Marina on the Wailua River, Monday, March 5, 2012 as rains continue to fall on Kauai's East side and North Shore. (AP Photo/The Garden Island, Dennis Fujimoto)

Rain causes flooding, mudslides in Hawaii

Kim Murphy Los Angeles Times

Last updated Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 6:35pm

Anyone dreaming of a sunny winter break in Hawaii this week can forget it: Gov. Neil Abercrombie has declared a disaster on the islands of Kauai and Oahu after days of relentless rain caused flooding, mudslides, waterspouts, hail and dangerously high surf.

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Offbeat -- and off the beaten path

Carol Pucci The Seattle Times

Last updated Sunday, February 5, 2012 - 8:17am

MAUI, Hawaii -- Sample the cream puffs at a historic Japanese bakery.

Test your driving skills on a one-lane stretch of mountain road that weaves along coastal cliffs.

Buy a pineapple at a roadside stand. Watch the owner slice it with his machete. Then eat it as the juice drips down your chin.

If you're a first-timer on Maui, the guidebooks can help with the official checklist: sunrise at the Haleakala volcano. Snorkeling at Black Rock. Paddle-boarding off the coast in Lahaina.

Been there, done that, or just looking for something new? Pry yourself out of the lounge chair and put together your own mini-adventure. Here are some ideas for exploring off-the-beaten path.

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Visitors linger in the parking lot after watching sunrise atop Haleakala, a volcano rising 10,023 feet in Haleakala National Park on Maui, Hawaii.

Sunrise on Haleakala an epic earthly event

Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times

Last updated Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - 5:29pm

HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii -- Face it -- we were born way too late. Barring a biblical revelation, we'll never know what the Beginning of Everything looked like, whether it was a Creation or a Big Bang or something else we haven't figured out.

But after one sunrise on Haleakala, I do know what an epic earthly event looks like.

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