Where the heck has the summer gone? It's hard to believe that next weekend is the Fourth of July. But you procrastinators still have some time to plan a kick-butt Fourth of July holiday weekend, so book your travel now...

· Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
If fireworks and barbecue aren't your thing, escape the Fourth of July chaos with a trip to Punta Cana. This package includes four nights on the island as well as airfare starting at $585. Your beachfront vacay will be free of hot dogs and loud fireworks, but you'll want to sip a cocktail or two from your chaise lounge. We were just there ourselves recently, so be sure to check out all those special stories loaded with tips here.]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-06-23T16:30:57-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/11/75149/4277

If sitting on the beach and having an adult beverage in tropical paradise is too boring for you, then we’ve got an alternate adventure for your next trip to Hawaii. Parker Ranch on the Big Island welcomes one and all for a unique hunting opportunity. Just in case your true travel dream is to kill something in all 50 states. No ducks here, they are all about the big game hunting.

Year round hunters are able to chase after wild pig, wild goat, and wild cattle. Organizers claim they maintain a 98 percent success rate on these types of hunts, so if this is your thing you should be good to go. For those who prefer feathered friends, turkey and pheasant hunts are open during different times of the year. Gobblers are only available in the spring, so bringing a fresh one home for Thanksgiving isn’t an option. ]]> kjb 2009-09-11T11:28:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/9/72231/01500

You’ve done a good job sharing your travel plans this summer. Since one of the best travel deals has been to Hawaii, we’re thinking that you’ll need something to do when you arrive. If the Big Island is in your travel plans, and it should be, then you might want to take the time to check out the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament—t’s their fiftieth anniversary.

The deal is, anglers from around the globe gather on the Kona Coast to head out in search of some huge fish. The biggest and the baddest is usually the Pacific blue marlin, and hooking one of these big guys will definitely provide an afternoon of excitement and exercise. You should probably skip the beer on this fishing trip and ensure that the cooler is stocked with Red Bull.

Things run throughout the week of July 20 and the tournament is open to 50 teams. Even if you don’t want to join a team and compete, you’ll definitely be able to cheer on the teams as they return from their three-hour tours. Best of all, if you’re in the right place at the right time, you’ll be able to snag a picture with a 600-pound fish and Miss Hawaii Billfish 2009. That's a way better picture for Facebook than you holding a Pina Colada with an little umbrella in it.

Related Stories:
·Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament [Official Site]
·Crazy Kiwi Man Teaches Us How To Deep Sea 'Heli-Fish' [Jaunted]
·Fishing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Official Site] ]]> kjb 2009-07-09T13:19:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/12/7388/82481

If you’ve been paying attention to all the hype, you’d know that now is a great time to visit Hawaii. The state is hurting since a lot of tourist money has dried up, but that’s good news for budget-conscious travelers who've always dreamt of getting lei'd. With a little patience, scoring a great hotel and airfare deal is totally possible. If for some reason you need more urging to visit the Aloha State, consider that you might just get to see Kilauea getting a little feisty.

Over on the Big Island, things have been a little more active than usual for the last week or so at the Halemaumau crater, and the glow of lava can easily been seen overnight from the viewpoint at the Jaggar Museum. Scientists are pretty hot and heavy about what could happen next, but they’re unsure if lava will ever erupt in a fountain out of the crater.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has limited access to the summit vent, just in case things get a little too exciting a little too quickly. Right now, it’s estimated that molten lava is only about 300 feet below the crater flow—which, in relative terms, is extremely close. Although there’s always something cooking deep inside the earth, it’s been since October 2008 since Madam Pele has been this active. If you go at active times like this, there's no need to enter the dangerous zone in order to see volcanic action; so get there while the lava getting's good.

Related Stories:
·Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park [Official Site]
·Scientists Eye Glowing Volcano Crater In Hawaii [AP, via Google]
·Halemaumau Lava Lake Bubbling Up? [KHNL]
·Jaunted In Hawaii coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo from 2008: NDomer73] ]]> kjb 2009-06-12T09:32:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/14/82314/085

This week, Kyle Brown updated us on the budget-friendly scene in the islands. Catch up with his adventures in our Hawaii on the Cheap guide.

We quickly got hooked on snorkeling on Oahu, and soon it was the only thing on our minds when we were searching for a place to spend our time. Thankfully, the Big Island didn't disappoint. The snorkeling spots here were just as great as those on Oahu, if not even more impressive. Here's a look at three of our top picks:]]> kjb 2008-11-14T16:18:28-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/14/8135/0639

Hikes are pretty much free, so we did a bunch. However, we didn't want to spend too much of our, uh, time budget, so we chose some that were pretty short and sweet. Our primary mission was to see one cool thing and then get back to exploring elsewhere. Here are a few of our favorites:]]> kjb 2008-11-14T12:00:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/13/65717/232

Long ago in Hawaii, the kapu system of laws was pretty strict when it came to what was and wasn't allowed, and many things were punishable by death. Guilty parties were wise to try their best to make it to a Pu'uhonua, a place of refuge, to avoid nasty consequences while paying their debt to the community.

One such place is the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, located south of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island's western coast. Here the National Park Service has preserved the area, offering a chance to see a massive ancient wall that separated the royal grounds from the areas open to commoners and many ki'i, or wooden icons, that would hold the bones of the ancient chiefs to provide spiritual strength to the area.]]> kjb 2008-11-13T17:00:13-05:00 19.4640845 -155.89960 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/