Jaunted

Tags: Volcano Travel / Volcanoes / Science Travel / Active Travel / Hawaii Travel / → All Tags

Hawaii Introduces Volcano Awareness Month Since Erupting Is So Hot Right Now

Thanks to a proclamation from the Hawaii County mayor, January is officially Volcano Awareness Month. Throughout the month the US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park—among other local organizations—are teaming up to share their knowledge and understanding about all things lava.

In addition to the usual offerings within the Big Island’s national park, there are going to be loads more programs, talks, and hikes focused on better understanding what the heck is happening both above and below the earth. Volcanologists will be on hand every Tuesday to answer questions about Kilauea and probably anything else you want to throw at them. On Saturdays, groups can meet up with a park ranger to head on a hike into the Kilauea caldera—it’s just shy of three miles round-trip. For those that are a little more into entertainment, January 16 is the day to learn all about a special hula that tells the story of Pele—the goddess of fire, not the famous soccer player.

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Tags: Travel Deals / 2010 Olympics / Vancouver Travel / Hawaii Travel / Mexico Travel / New York Times / Winter Travel / Budget Travel / → All Tags

Smart Travelers Don't Hibernate During Winter, Says NYT

There are deals to be found even in Vancouver right now

If you're smart, and not a hibernating mammal, then you're probably actively looking into travel deals for the month of January. While most people are recovering from holiday shopping trauma, others are taking advantage of less-crowded flights and predictably lower prices.

As The New York Times recently reported, "January may be the best time of year to take a vacation, as passenger traffic drops and resorts, airlines and cruise companies all roll out deals." Single travelers and childless couples, especially, may want to consider a trip in the dead of winter. As "families return to school schedules," there likely aren't too many teens, tweens, and toddlers with whom you'll be sharing airline time.

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Tags: Wedding Travel / Maui Travel / Hawaii Travel / New Year's Travel / Destination Weddings / → All Tags

Where To Elope For January 01, 2010: Aloha, Maui

If one of your resolutions is to elope on New Year's Day, but you're looking for something a little more romantic than getting hitched at a Vegas drive-through window, take a flight now to Maui.

Flying there is the hardest step to tying the knot. All you have to do is head to a marriage license agent with your soon-to-be spouse, show proof of age and plunk down $60. There isn't a waiting period and no blood tests are needed. You can save time by downloading a marriage license application here and having it filled out when you visit the agent. Just be sure to call the local agent to make an appointment so that you can get hitched on January 1 without any issue.

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Tags: Obama-Around-The-World / Presidential Travel / Barack Obama / Hawaii Travel / Northwest Flight 253 / → All Tags

Obama Says 'Mele Kalikimaka' From His Holidays In Hawaii

You know what we love most about Christmastime? The fact that most of the country gets to enjoy a long weekend, including the president and his family. On Christmas Even, President Obama, Michelle, and his two daughters hopped Air Force One to Hawaii for their traditional holiday family vacation.

Since they come to Hawaii every year, they don't go about doing the touristy sightseeing anymore, but instead hole up in a rented vacation home in Kailua on Oahu, conveniently neighboring an Air Force base. He plays golf, he plays basketball, and he swims at one of Hawaii's highest rated beaches.

But he is not to be completely envied, since he is the President of the United States after all, and duty calls even when he's on a much-needed island vacation. The news of the attempted terrorist incident onboard Northwest Flight 253 kept Obama chained to his desk for most of Christmas day as he upped the security threat level to orange and issued reviews of security procedure and of the terrorist watch list. We hope, for everyone's sake, that the rest of his vacation will be uneventful.

Related Stories:
· Obamas in Hawaii: First Family Arrives In Oahu for Vacation [HuffPost]
· News interrupts Obama's Hawaii vacation [CBS News]
· Presidential Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: Huffington Post]

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Find Out Where 'Avatar' Filmed The Non-CGI Scenes

As those of you who rushed to see Avatar this weekend know, the movie is hard to summarize in a few sentences. According to IMDb, James Cameron's epic tale is about Jake, a paraplegic war veteran of the future, who is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture; then those from Earth find themselves at odds with each other and the local culture. What the summary doesn't tell you is that the 3D movie looks really cool thanks to new CGI techniques developed just for Avatar.

But even though the movie is a technological showpiece, there was still some old school location filming that took place in New Zealand and Hawaii. First, Cameron, who has always been an unconventional filmmaker, brought the movie's stars, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, to Hawaii where he dressed them up like aborigines and had them running around half-naked while acting out their scenes before actually filming in front of a green screen in the studio. The technique was suppose to give them all a taste of how the scenes would feel if they were being shot in a real rain forest.

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Tags: New Year's Travel / Hawaii Travel / Travel Deals / Hawaii / → All Tags

Helliday Madness Has Us Dreaming of Waikiki to Kick Off 2010

With the holidays in full swing, we're spent. Finished. Dunzo. We surrender. Quite frankly, if we have to brave one more packed-like-sardines parking lot or feign full-on merriment, some of us might have an aneurysm.

Melodramatic? Perhaps, but don't tell us that you, too, aren't feeling the seasonal crunch. And then there's New Year's to consider, party and/or travel planning which is a task in and of itself. Here's an idea, though: doing up NYE staycation-style and planning a Hawaiian getaway to kick off 2010, not to mention cleanse yourself of fruitcake nightmares.

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Sleep Under The Stars of Hawaii In A VW Camper Van

Traveling over the holidays is definitely expensive, and the prices really start creeping up when you head somewhere warm and popular like Hawaii. However, there’s a way to cut down on your lodging and rental car costs while increasing your vacation adventure quotient—just rent a Volkswagen camper van. Happy Campers Hawaii and GB Adventures are more than willing to hook you up with a vintage—yet restored—VW Westfalia van for all of your explorations around the Big Island.

You’ll be able to wake up in a different location each day and totally take advantage of the island’s parks and campgrounds. Most of the vans come with everything you’ll need including a sink, stove, and running water. Just swing by Costco to stock up on snacks and you’ll be good to go. Just make sure you pick up a blender, because a couple blended beverages are a must for evenings back in the van.

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Tags: Travel Deals / Hawaii Travel / Honolulu Travel / Beach Travel / Beaches / → All Tags

It's Friday; Go Ahead And Daydream About 5 Nights In Hawaii For $499

Whenever we're stressed and have to go to our happy place, we picture the beaches of Hawaii. But now, probably thanks to how hard the recession has hit tourism to the islands, everyone has a chance to actually go there, thanks to Travelzoo's $499-for-five-Hawaiian-nights package.

The deal includes round-trip airfare to Honolulu, where you'll be greeted with a lovely-smelling lei and thus the right to brag that you got "lei'd" in Hawaii, like tourists do for days after their arrival. Your accommodations will be at the Castle Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki. And if you want to upgrade to an ocean-view pad, the hotel gives you the option for $25 and up per person.

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'Fly' Beneath The Hawaiian Waves On A Winged Submarine Jet

Adventure travel company Incredible Adventures has been letting customers pilot high-altitude fighter jets for years. Now the Florida-based company is going from soaring through the air to "flying" under the sea, teaming up with California's Sub Aviator Systems to let people navigate the oceans in company's winged submarine. The Super Aviator looks much more like a jet than it does a sub, and apparently it feels that way too. Per the website blurb, it's a "totally new dimension of flight."

To handle the unique sub you'll need to go to Hawaii this February and be able to hand over between $3,350 and $8,650. But if you're willing to do that they're willing to train you and take you beneath the waves. The Super Aviator runs on battery power but it runs fast—in contrast to a normal submersible where you can stand up and walk, zooming around in this jet requires Indy-500 style seat belts.

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