Kamehameha Day festivities in Hawaii

by Brenda Yun on

Local Hawaiians have plenty to be grateful for. We’ve got sun, surf, fun, and a cultural history so steeped in legend that sometimes we have to pinch ourselves as a reminder that we live in paradise. Yesterday marked the 62nd annual state holiday that celebrated Hawaii’s first king, Kamehameha I, who was responsible for uniting the islands. Kamehameha the Great, whose name means “The Lonely One,” left an indelible mark on the islands. His legacy is celebrated on King Kamehameha Day on June 11th of every year.

Here on Oahu there will be a variety of events held in downtown and Waikiki today and Saturday. Events include a Kamehameha Day parade, arts and crafts displays and a lei draping ceremony.

Friday, June 12, 2009

3:30 P.M. -Music by the Royal Hawaiian Band Ali`iolani Hale: Honolulu Civic Center
Prelude to the statue decoration ceremonies.

4:00 P.M. – Statue Decoration Ceremonies Ali`iolani Hale: Honolulu Civic Center
The statue of King Kamehameha I, in the City Civic Center is decorated with 13-foot floral tributes, which are created on site throughout the day by volunteers. Music and Hula performances add to the colorful display; a photographer’s delight.

Saturday, June 13, 2009
9:30 A.M. – 93rd Annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade
Colorful floral floats, glamorous Pa`u riders, outstanding marching bands traverse the streets of Honolulu beginning at King and Richards Streets, Punchbowl Street, onto Ala Moana Boulevard, merging into Kalakaua Avenue, ending at the Queen Kapiolani Park. Parade awards presentation will follow.

For more information, visit http://hawaii.gov/dags/king_kamehameha_commission/.

Over on the Big Island there will be a King Kamehameha Day Parade in Kailua-Kona tomorrow, June 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. The floral-themed parade honoring Hawaii’s monarch features Hawaiian-themed entries, including pā’ū riders representing all the Hawaiian islands, bands, hula and community groups. There will also be food booths, crafts and much more.

On-time airline improvements continue, third month in a row

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Airlines in the United States posted an improved on-time performance rate in April relative to the same month the year prior – stretching their streak to three. The 19 largest airlines were on time 79.1 percent of the time in April 2009, compared to 77.7 percent in April 2008. The industry also performed better than it did in March 2009, showing a month-to-month improvement from 78.4 percent. An on-time arrival is defined as being within 15 minutes of the scheduled time … which has already been buffered comfortably by the airlines.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 7.4 percent of April delays resulted from aviation system issues. Late-arriving aircraft caused 6.2 percent, and factors within the airline’s control (e.g., maintenance or crew problems) accounted for 4.8 percent. Extreme weather and security together didn’t even account for 1 percent of delays. The most delayed flight was Northwest Airlines Flight 803 from Atlanta to Honolulu. It was late 97 percent of the time.

The DOT also found that:

  • Cancellation rates improved to 1.5 percent in April 2009 – from 1.7 percent in April 2008 and 2.1 percent in 2009.
  • Nearly 50 flights had taxi-time waits of greater than three hours
  • Mishandled baggage rates improved to 3.79 per 1,000 from 4.99 in April 2008 and 4.12 in March 2009

Customers complained to the DOT 781 times about airline service, compared to 1,112 in April 2008. But, it was up from the 705 the previous month.

So, the airlines are generally posting some positive numbers – Fight 803 notwithstanding. Why? Are we looking at a vast improvement across an entire industry … an industry that clearly can’t afford to invest in doing a better job?

Let’s not go crazy, here.

The airlines are doing a better job because they don’t have to deal with as many people. Fewer asses are occupying seats, which eases the burden of boarding passengers, pushing back on time and keeping track of their luggage. Ironically, success is the path to failure, as selling more seats would give airlines an operational burden they’ve proved they’re ill-equipped to handle.

Gadlinks for Monday 5.8.09

by Brenda Yun on


This Monday brings some wacky travel posts around the web, as well as some practical tips for summer trips.

  • My True Slant friend, Jeff Koyen, offers up a hilarious list of the world’s worst cruises. Believe it or not, a Twilight cruise is set to sail from Seattle to Alaska in August 2010.
  • What is a sexy beach? Thomas Kohnstamm for Forbes Traveler tells us it’s a combination of sea, sand, and skin and offers up his list of the world’s sexiest beaches.
  • Just a few of Hawaii’s beaches made it onto that list of sexy beaches, but one thing on World Hum’s Pam Mendel’s mind is what value a “Made in Hawaii” label really has and what it really means.
  • Summer means seafood, and what better crustacean is there than the Maine lobster? I became a vegetarian one summer when I boiled a live lobster and heard it screaming at me, but if you don’t have a conscience and are driving up the New England coast, try one of Travel + Leisure’s best lobster shacks in Maine.
  • If you are a vegetarian, though, then you’re already a far “greener” traveler. If you want to be even more environmentally conscious as a traveler, read up on BootsNAll’s beginner’s guide to green travel for tips on the growing eco-friendly travel rage.

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening.

For past Gadlinks, click HERE.

Top 10 national parks, thanks to TripAdvisor

by Tom Johansmeyer on

More than 3,000 TripAdvisor readers in the United States have selected the top 10 national parks. Big shock: nine out of 10 are out west. Only Maine made it onto the list. But, let’s face it – if you want big, impressive national parks, you have leave the East Coast.

These readers are definitely interested in the national park scene. More than 70 percent plan to visit one this year, up from 62 percent in 2008. And, searches on TripAdvisor for “national park” and “national parks” are up 21 percent for the first five months of 2009 (relative to the same period last year).

So, what are the top spots?

  1. Zion National Park, Utah
  2. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
  3. White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
  4. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
  5. Redwood National and State Parks, California
  6. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
  7. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
  8. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
  9. Yosemite National Park, California
  10. Acadia National Park, Maine

“As Americans look for inexpensive travel ideas this summer, many are seeking out the amazing natural beauty that lies in our country’s own back yard,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “National Parks can offer travelers an active, affordable and often awe-inspiring escape outdoors.”

Gadling TAKE FIVE: Week of May 16–May 22

by Jamie Rhein on

It’s been a week already since a bulk of Gadling writers descended upon Chicago. Now that Memorial Day weekend is upon us as a kick off to the summer, we’ve been gearing up to give you some tools for the road and ideas of where to head.

  • Sean, our newest Gadling blogger has graced us with a post on Oxford, England’s Pitt Rivers Museum. After it year of remodeling, the museum has reopened. Check out the gallery he’s included and details about the shrunken heads. The post is part of a new series Museum Junkie.
  • For anyone who has traveled with a pet, particularly a canine, finding a hotel that is happy to have Fido can be problematic. Annie’s post on the top five pet friendly budget hotel chains is a handy guide. I can vouch for La Quinta Inns, one of the suggestions. Staying there with our dog this past December was a breeze and it didn’t cost us one dime more.
  • Kraig, an adventurer to the max has been writing posts about his travels to the Amazon. The one on Iquitos, Peru covers what makes this region of the world so spectacular and is a starting off point for finding out what he discovered.
  • If you’re a “where did the film this scene?” kind of person, there’s a map designed just for you. Scott’s post on Where It’s At, a web site focused on pop culture landmarks is interactive. People can add the landmarks they know to help it grow.
  • As part of our budget summer travel series, Brenda suggests a trip to Molokai from Honolulu. It sounds simply fabulous.