Kakaako Waterfront Park (Part 1): Promenade & Park

Note: This post is separated into two parts. Visit part two for additional photographs.

A craving for Hank's Haute Dogs lead to a Saturday afternoon at Kakaako Waterfront Park. With Hank's packed with an early lunch crowd, I drove to the park a couple of blocks away to enjoy the eatery's Chicago Dog. More about Hank's later. Surprisingly uncrowded, the park provided a quiet respite from busy Honolulu.

At over 30 acres, the park lacks a sandy beach and this probably explains the smaller weekend crowds compared to nearby Ala Moana Beach. Visiting the park today it's difficult to imagine that twenty years ago this site was a massive landfill. Officially opened in 1992, Kakaako Waterfront Park is a rolling landscape with a 20-foot wide promenade stretching along the entire length of the park's ocean side.

The park includes a community amphitheater where Daughtry played a concert last fall, the Ehime Maru Memorial and water access to Point Panic, a popular spot for surfers and board riders. A central mound provides an ideal photographic point and 360-degree panoramic view.

The completion of the Kakaako Makai Gateway Park along Ala Moana Boulevard serves as a proper entry to the waterfront park. There is a free parking lot and metered stalls along side streets.

The park is located between Downtown Honolulu and the Ala Moana/Waikiki area. Park hours is 6am-10pm daily. The Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), created by the State of Hawaii legislature in 1976 to revitalize urban areas of the state, manages the park. Visit hcdaweb.org to more info about the park, permit information and the HCDA. Click HERE for the park fact sheet.

See part 2 of this post for additional photographs.

A Very Potter Musical: Goin' Back to Hogwarts

In my post about 'Potted Potter' my intention was not to deny the existence of 'A Very Potter Musical' or its sequel but just to say that a musical version about Harry Potter has not been developed or presented for Broadway or London's West End.

To satisfy those who emailed soon after writing about 'Potted', this post is to declare the existence of 'A Very Potter Musical'. Who knows? There just might be a producer brave enough to invest in development of the idea but it would likely take a huge amount of effort to ask 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling to agree.  

After several million views on YouTube, it's unlikely the news of this Harry Potter musical parody would be startling. After all 'A Very Potter Musical' was originally called 'Harry Potter: The Musical' when it was first performed in 2009 at the University of Michigan. When a video of the the musical was posted on YouTube the same year, the video was removed for fear of a lawsuit. The video was reposted and rechristened under its 'A Very Potter' name. The video went viral leading to Entertainment Weekly declaring the show one of ten best viral videos of the year.

Elements, characters and plot points from the various books and movies appear in the parody. The musical tells about Harry Potter's return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he and his classmates experience feelings of adolescence while the dark wizard Voldemort returns from the dead to take revenge on 'the boy who lived'.

A creation of StarKid Productions, a student-created theatre production group formed in Ann Arbor Michigan, the musical also offered the introduction of Darren Criss to the masses in the title role. His guest stint on the television musical "Glee" and his Billboard #1 recording of "Teenage Dream" from the show helped to secure him a regular role on the series and mass of new fans. Criss with A.J. Holmes composed the music and lyrics for 'A Very Potter Musical'. The book is by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden. The popularity of the musical proved durable enough to warrant 'A Very Potter Sequel' in 2010.

In case you are not one of millions who have already viewed a sample of the show, a video is posted above of the song "Goin' Back to Hogwarts". Visit the StarKid YouTube home page to see the entire show comprised of 23 videos. 

A cast recording of 'A Very Potter Musical' and 'A Very Potter Sequel' is available for download on the StarKid website.

(all images: StarKid Productions)

Air Rage + Recline Button = Fighter Jets

Air Force F-16 Jet (image: AV8NLVR/flickr)

This straight from the Washington Post:

A passenger hit the recline button and sent his seat intimately close to the lap of the guy sitting behind him.  What followed: a smack to the head, peacemakers diving about the cabin to intervene and a pair of Air Force F-16 fighter jets scrambling into the night skies over Washington.

Example of the offending recline button.
(image credit: scoobyfoo/flickr)

It happened late Sunday, just after a United Airlines Boeing 767 bound for Ghana with 144 passengers took off from Dulles International Airport.

Not long after the 10:44 p.m. departure for the overnight flight, the offending seat was lowered into the offended lap, and a fight ensued. A flight attendant and another passenger jumped in between, said sources familiar with the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details.

The pilot has complete authority over the aircraft, a United spokesman said, and he decided to return to Dulles. A 767 can take off with 16,700 gallons of fuel and the full load of fuel weighs more than 57 tons. Although a 767 can get that weight airborne, it can’t land with it. The United pilot flew round for about 25 minutes, shadowed by the fighter jets, to burn off an undetermined amount of fuel.

Audio transmissions indicate that the two Air Force fighters scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base at 11:03 p.m, just as the plane reentered Washington airspace. Five minutes later, the fighter escorts took up position 1,000 feet above the jetliner as it headed toward Dulles, sources said.

Visit washingtonpost.com for the complete article. Everyone has their opinion on when or when not to recline. It's only a matter of time before it goes another step further.

Lantern Floating Hawaii on Memorial Day

(image credits: top, discoverhawaii/flickr;
bottom, ajorth/flickr)

Visitors who manage a stay in Honolulu, Hawaii during the Memorial Day weekend may want to take in the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony.  In it's thirteenth year this was the first time I got to join in the viewing experience. It is an amazing and moving sight to see.

Taking place along the shores of Ala Moana Beach and Magic Island since 2002, prayers and messages for the dead and suffering are drifted out to sea on floating lanterns. Keehi Lagoon served as the site for the event from 1999-2001. This year a total of 3,000 lanterns were launched, the most for the event ever. Over 40,000 lined the shores this evening as the first lantern was dedicated to the victims of March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. For many the tradition serves as an act of letting go and remembrance.

The Lantern Floating is open to everyone regardless of nationality, race, faith or lifestyle. One unique aspect of the event is it combines the observance of the upcoming Obon season and Memorial Day. In July or August, Buddhists welcome the spirits of deceased loved ones and ancestors with bon dances and other Obon traditions.  Prior to the launch of lanterns was a series of speeches, songs, hula, traditional Buddhist chant and western choral music.

Visit lanternfloatinghawaii.com for information about the tradition and future events.

Orbit Tower: Becoming London's Coolest Attraction

Artist rendering of the completed Orbit.

View through the twisted rings.

(all images: ARUP/Getty Images)

Before the Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel is completed to compete with the London Eye, England's capital will be one step ahead with a new big attraction. The Orbit Tower is currently under construction and scheduled to be completed late this year for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Located near the new Olympic stadium, the blood-red steel sculpture designed by Indian-born artist Anish Kapoor will reach 377 feet (115 meters) making it taller than the Statue of Liberty. From a viewing platform, visitors will be offered a breathtaking view of Olympic park and London.

When Orbit finally opens, visitors will enter at ground level through an atrium. Then visitors take one of two elevators to the viewing platform which opens to a 360-degree view. Large mirrors inside the structure will reflect the sky. The twisted design incorporates five rings to symbolize the Olympic rings. One report describes Orbit as a roller coaster that's survived a hurricane.

The Olympic committee is managing the site and expects about 1 million people a year to visit resulting in revenues of $16 million (£10 million). The 2012 London Olympics opens on July 27, 2012.  Follow the construction at orbittower.org.uk.

The Orbit as of May 2011.

Ground eye view rendering of the completed structure.

Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel On The Strip

Artist renderings of the Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel
(images: Compass Investments)

It appears Sin City will gain a new visitor attraction and one that could become one of its most popular and iconic landmarks. In details released by the developers this week, a 500-foot viewing wheel called the Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel similar to the London Eye is set to open in early 2013. Skyvue will be located across the Strip from Mandalay Bay Hotel Casino and will be taller than the London attraction.

Plans for the $100 million project will include a roller coaster and 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space. Skyvue, on an 11-acre site being cleared this week, will rotate perpendicular to Las Vegas Boulevard and offer an unobstructed view from each of the 40 gondolas. Each gondola will hold up to 25 passengers and be available for private events. It should be noted that Caesars Entertainment Corp is planning a viewing wheel as part of its Linq project located behind several hotels on the Strip.

The developers cite one reason the project will be successful is the London Eye attracts 3.5 million visitors per year.  The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing plans to determine if the wheel's height may interfere with flights at McCarran International Airport located nearby. Let's see if developers will figure out a way to place slot machines in each gondola.

The Truth About Airline Fuel Surchages

(image credit: flyforfun/flickr)

SmarterTravel.com published an interesting article about the arbitrary pricing of fuel charges added to the price of airline fares. With how complicated airfare pricing has become this article sheds some additional light on the subject. Here are parts of the article:

The truth is that the only figure that matters is the total price—base fare plus fuel surcharge—and looking at either separately is rank idiocy.

(image credit: josepha/flickr)

Here's the problem. Some airlines, mostly based outside the United States, are splitting their true fares into a phony base fare plus equally phony fuel surcharges. As a case in point, I checked flights from San Francisco to Munich, leaving May 16 and returning on May 30, through both Lufthansa and United. Here's what I found:

• Lufthansa's total round-trip fare for the route's only nonstops was $2,140, figured as a base fare of $1,560 plus fees and taxes of $580, of which $420 was for a "fuel and security" surcharge.
• United's total round-trip fare for the exact same flights, but sold as a United flight through a Lufthansa codeshare, was also $2,140, this time figured as a base fare of $2,013 plus taxes and fees of $127.

And there you have the story in a nutshell.

The real fares on either line are virtually identical. The two lines just chose to present the fees differently: honestly on United, not so honestly on Lufthansa. Parenthetically, both lines offered lower fares on some connecting itineraries, but fares to Europe really are high this summer.

When you ask an airline why it goes through this charade, you get a long sermon about fuel costs, but that doesn't really answer the question. The question is why they don't just raise fares to cover increased fuel costs, the way U.S. lines (and most other businesses) do—why instead they split the real fare into two components, and they never answer that.

Visit for smartertravel.com for the complete article by Ed Perkins who also offers theories regarding airline fuel charges.

Pork Inspiration Cafe: I Wished I Knew You

Top Chef All-Stars winner Richard Blais.

(all images: Diane Bondareff/AP Images for National Pork Board)

The marketing gimick of a pop-up store once more appeared in NYC last month albeit and sadly for just one day. Called the Pork Inspiration Cafe, it's an eatery where I would have likely tried every dish. This statement is from a guy who eats pre-cooked bacon straight out of the bag. The adage that everything is better with bacon could be one of my mottos.

For the launch of the Pork Be Inspired campaign from the National Pork Board, Top Chef All-Stars Richard Blais joined the opening to serve up 'inspired pork dishes' free of charge. He also demonstrated how pork can be part of any menu, time of day, cuisine or lifestyle. Each pork dish served contributed to America's pork producers' donation of 125,000 servings of fresh pork to Feeding America.

Bacon Ice Cream 

Pear-Brined Pork Chops

The eatery served pork lovers on April 14th and was located at 470 park Ave South. Combine three of my favorite things: bacon, NYC and Top-Chef and I believe this place would be a winner in my book. I definitely would have tried the bacon ice cream. Other dishes served included a ham and herb schnitzel with 6-minute egg, pearl-brined pork chops, ginger ale pork ribs, malta and agave braised pork shoulder and pork bolognese.

Visit porkbeinspired.com for more information including recipes, pork basics, and nutrition. Visit pork.org to learn more about the National Pork Board. Visit feedingamerica.com to learn how to help to feed America's hungry.

Customers lining up for the first serving.

Customers receiving their pork inspiration dishes from Chef Blais.

Display of pork at the cafe.

Sunset Magazine: The Top 50 Hotels Under $150

With average hotel prices starting to rise again, Sunset Magazine set out to find weekend room rates for under $150 per night. Not to be cheap, the magazine set some standards: the room had to have its own bathroom, no bedbugs and over the hotel should have some personality. These hotels are either near popular water, mountain or wine country destinations. The hotels listed have an under-$150 rate for at least one weekend through late spring and summer excluding tax. Their best choices of U.S. hotels are listed by location and located in some popular resort destinations. See the full list at sunset.com.

Unfortunately the list does not include the region around New York City. Thought not listed either, there are always bargains about at some quality hotels in Las Vegas for $150. As a sample, here are the magazine's choices for Hawaii:

Ha‘iku Plantation Inn, Maui. This sugar plantation turned 4-room inn in Maui’s horsey upcountry is close to the Haleakala Crater, Pa‘ia town, and the gorgeous beach at Baldwin.  So you get a head start on all the Hana day-trippers schlepping from the resorty south shore. $119; haikuleana.net 

Ohana Waikiki East, Honolulu, Oahu. If you’re willing to walk a couple of blocks to the beach, you can save big bucks at the 441-room Ohana Waikiki East high-rise hotel—or either of its sister hotels, the Waikiki Malia or Waikiki West. Here’s the deal: You get a no-frills room (ask for an upper floor to cut down on street noise) and a pass to the trolley that endlessly circles Waikiki. $105; ohanahotels.com   

Hotel Lana‘i, Lanai. Lanai is the most fancy-pants of all the Hawaiian islands—virtually every visitor is bound for one of its two Four Seasons Resorts. But a few choose the Hotel Lana‘i in town, built in 1923 for pineapple plantation execs. The 11 rooms aren’t 5-star but are loaded with charm: Hawaiian quilts on the bed, hardwood floors, white wainscoting. Dinner here isn’t cheap, but it’s a must. $99; hotellanai.com   

Grand Princess Loses Skywalkers Nightclub

Before and after photos

(image credits top to bottom: halle0909/flickr; patrick_c/flickr;
travelweekly.co.uk; andremoura2010/flickr)

Although not a cruise traveler myself, it's always intriguing to learn about some of these mega floating resorts and in this rare a instance transformation. Princess Cruises dry-docked the Grand Princess for improvements and among them was the removal of the 160-ton Skywalkers Nightclub featured in the above video.

Shortly after the ship debuted in 1998, the nightclub located 18 decks high became the ships late-night hot spot. Just visiting the nightclub was meant to be memorable experience for passengers. Elevators took passengers to the ship's top deck which lead to a moving walkway that took them through a long, clear tube to the club. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows made for a dizzying view for club crowd.

To improve the ship's fuel efficiency, Princess Cruises removed the nightclub. News reports indicate the transformation of the ship is the biggest in the history of the cruise line. Other changes include the addition of a piazza-style atrium, steak house, pizzeria, martini bar and seven suites. To replace Skywalkers is the One5 Lounge located on Deck 15. Princess reports one unique feature of the ship is a combination library/tea lounge with a selection of 500 tea blends.

See all the video episodes of the Grand Princess at drydock on the Princess Cruises youtube.com page. Visit princess.com to learn more about the ship.

Photos of the Skywalkers Nightclub.

(images credit: snaebyllej2/flickr)

Archtek Toothpaste Tablets: Just Chew, Brush & Go

This product sounds promising for traveling on long flights, long delays at the airports or for those who are simply always on the go.  It may be worth a try to see if Archteck Toothpaste Tablets are as convenient as they sound. On the plus side it's not a liquid or gel so it will get past airport screeners in carry-on bags. But does it work and how does its mint flavor compare to toothpaste? It should be noted this does not replace brushing completely. These tablets are used as a substitute for toothpaste but still meant to be used with a toothbrush.

For more information visit archtekinc.com. The item can be purchased from Magellan's Travel Supplies at $12.95 for 60 tablets. It's also available on amazon.com through other sellers.

  

New Passenger Protections Effective 8/23/11

(image credit: juseppe90/flickr)

In April the U.S. Department of Transportation issued new airline passenger protections that will help passengers from the booking online to the airport experience. Here are the highlights. All changes are effective August 23, 2011.

Lost Bags and Bag Fees:  Airlines will now be required to refund any fees for carrying a bag if the bag is lost. This rule only affects lost bags and not applicable to delayed bags.

Full Disclosure of Additional Fees: Airlines will also have to prominently disclose all potential fees on their websites, including but not limited to fees for baggage, meals, canceling or changing reservations. Expect to see the full disclose of other fees such those in reference to children and pets. This rule only affects the websites and not necessarily requires the airline to clearly display the fee schedule at the airport.

Bumping: The new rule doubles the amount of money passengers are eligible to receive in the event they are involuntarily bumped. If passengers are bumped and the airline gets them to their destination within a short period of time (1 to 2 hours of their original arrival time on domestic flights; 1 to 4 hours on international flights), the compensation is equal to the double the price of their ticket up to $650 in lieu of $400. For lengthy delays (over 2 hours from the original arrival time on domestic; 4 hours international), the payment is four times the value of their ticket up to $1,300.

The unfortunate aspect is these payments do not begin to make up for the lost cost for hotels, tours, cruises or even lost time from work.

(image credit: superops/flickr)

Tarmac Delays: Click here to see the post about domestic tarmac delays. The new rule expands the ban on lengthy delays to cover foreign airlines operating at U.S. airports and establishes a four hour time limit on tarmac delays for international flights of U.S. and foreign airlines. Carriers must also ensure that passengers stuck on the tarmac are provided adequate food and water after two hours, working lavatories and necessary medical treatment.

The delays experienced by passengers on foreign carriers stuck at New York's JFK Airport during the December 2010 blizzard was an important factor for this provision.

Other Changes: Among them includes notifying passengers of delays overs 30 minutes, cancellations and diversions. This must take place in the boarding gate area, on the carrier's telephone reservation system and on its website.

The experience of flying is still far from the storied past glory days of jet age but these rules should help qualm some of the potential problems for passengers. Read the complete press release at dot.gov.