A beautiful taste of the "real" Hawaiian Islands! My husband an I went on a cruise around the islands to explore all that Hawaii has to offer - culture, wildlife, and beauty.

A recent Wall Street Journal article stated, "Enjoying an ocean cruise and breaking a sweat aren't concepts that traditionally go together. Indeed, the indolence that many people crave from such vacations is the very thing that keeps others away from them."

However, this is changing as there has been an increase ofcruise options …

Though I've traveled to nearly 50 countries, I was not in a hurry to visit Hawaii. I always pictured it to be a mass tourist destination full of tacky souvenir shops and overcrowded beaches. I knew my husband would enjoy the ease of staying in the US for a change so I decided to take a chance on this small ship cruise on the Safari Explorer. It …

Breaching orca whale

Each year various whale species make their migration from the cold waters near Alaska to warmer conditions. Right now, we are in the midst of fantastic whale watching opportunities in different locations along the Pacific.

The whale watching season for gray whales is about to begin in Mexico! This species makes a round trip …

One of our favorite ship operators,UnCruise Adventures, has become the FIRST cruise line to partner with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. This means a formal promiseto serve only seafood caught or farmed byocean-friendly techniques. "We're committed to serving sustainable seafood across our fleet of yachts and small ships," …

We wanted to spend one last relaxing vacation before our baby arrived. What better place to relax and adventure than Hawaii? We chose the Big Island, where we were able to spend time in the water, listen to the waves crash against the rocks, snorkel, hike, visit lava flows and fish.

Many people go to the Big Island and spend their entire time on the west coast, near Kona. After all, that’s the dry side of the island and where the beaches are calm and welcoming. If you’re looking for a more relaxed pace and fewer tourists, check out the east side of the island around Hilo. The surf is often huge and not safe for …

No visit to the eastern side of the Big Island would be complete without a stop at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens. The garden is about 40 acres and set in a big ravine stretching down to the ocean. You park at the top and make your way down the paved path toward Onomea Bay. There are over 2000 species, including orchids on nearly every …

If the conditions are right, you can actually hike out onto the lava flows near the southern coast of the big island of Hawaii. When we were there, conditions were great. We booked a bike rental complete with lights, water and bike locks, and set out in the late afternoon on bike. After a few miles of biking along old lava flows, and new houses …

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was established just over 100 years ago. It is located in the southeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii. There are two active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa located within the park. We had the opportunity to visit the park twice – once near the top by Kilauea and a few days later we biked and hiked to the …

After finding out we were going to have our first baby join us in February, I knew that we’d want to get in one last warm-weather vacation before we became a family of three. I’d already been researching the best and safest places to travel, especially since many of our favorites were out due to Zika risks. While Hawaii has the type of …