Van’s Triple Crown of Surfing is here! The event actually started November 12th with the Reef Hawaiian Pro.

The Reef Hawaiian Pro runs through November 23. The four best days of surf will be chosen. Joel Parkinson from Australia won last year. The prize money this year is $145,000.

Sunset Beach host the World Cup of Surfing Nov 25 – Dec 6. Again, the four best days will be chosen for the event. The winner last year was Raoni Monteiro of Brazil. Who will win the $250,000 prize this year?

The third and most cherished Triple Crown event is the Pipe Masters held at Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu. The event runs Dec 8 through 20 – the three best days will be chosen. Jeremy Flores from France won the event last year. The prize money this year is $425,000.

Here are some other events:

November 19: Turtle Bay Resort at Surfer (The Bar), Bud light hosts the Party Animal 8:00 PM.
November 23: The new bar – Surfer (The Bar) at The Turtle Bay Resort hosts Talk Story with Clyde Aikau (Eddie’s little brother) – Clyde tells stories of riding big waves and his big brother. 8:00 PM.
November 25: Turtle Bay Resort’s Surfer (The Bar) WaveJet sponsors the celebration of Cory Lopez 7:30 PM.
November 27: Aloha Jam at Surfer (The Bar)
November 30: Talk Story 3 with Mark Healey at Surfer (The Bar).
December 1: The opening ceremony by Quicksilver – in memeory of Eddie Aikau. Waimea Bay Beach Park 3:00 PM.
December 2 – 4: North Shore Surf Film Festival at The Turtle Bay Resort.
December 5: Concert by Matt Costa at Surfer (The Bar).
December 6: Surfer Poll Awards by invite at the Turtle Bay Hotel.
December 7: 6th Annual North Shore Golf Tournament at the Turtle Bay Golf Course.
December 7: Talk Story 4 with Simon Anderson. 8:00 PM.
8pm.
December 10: North Shore Marketplace hosts the Wyland Surf Art Show 5:00 – 10:00 PM.
December 14: Talk Story 5 Steve Sherman’s Tribute by photos to Kelly Slater 8:00 PM.

Here is a satisfied guest of Turtle Bay Vacation Rentals.  Apparently when he stayed in our condos he got surf lessons.  Now he surfs all the time in Costa Rica.  We love to hear feedback from guests especially cool videos.

Turtle Bay Resort Seafood Festival
Location: Kuilima Ballroom and Kahuku Point Stage at the Turtle Bay Resort Hotel
Date:  October 7 – 8, 2011

What is the best shrimp truck on the North Shore?  Who has the best Ahi Poke in Hawaii?  What’s the best recipe for Ahi Poke?  These questions and more will be answered at this years Seafood Festival.  This event is one of my favorite at Turtle Bay overlooking the beautiful ocean where many weddings, receptions, and events take place.  Not only do you get to try all the shrimp from all the Shrimp Trucks on the North Shore, you get to taste a bunch of local micro brew beers and local wines.  Oh, and you get to try a bunch of the best tuna in the world – local style – ahi poke!

The Seafood Festival is hosted by celebrity Hawaiian Chef, Sam Choy.

North Shore Shrimp Truck Taste-off Competition
October 7.  6:30 PM
Kuilima Point Stage
$40

Includes local micro brew beer for tasting.  Come try coconuts shrimp, garlic shrimp, macadamia nut shrimp, lemon shrimp and more from Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp, Macky’s, and Romy’s.

Sam Choy Poke Contest
October 8 2:30 PM
Kahuku Ballroom  – Turtle Bay Hotel
$25

Includes cocktails.  Come see who makes the best Poke including the famous Ahi Poke on the North Shore.

Chefs Under the Stars
October 8 6:30 PM
Next to Kuilima Point Stage at the Turtle Bay Resort
$55

Includes tastes of fine wine.  This is the finale to the poke contest.  Fine food from local chefs, fine music from local band sensation Ka’ala Boys, and salad and pasta bar.

Matsumoto Shave Ice
66-087 Kamehameha Highway
Haleiwa, HI 96721
(808) 637-4827
Hours Daily: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
11.6 miles west of the Turtle Bay Resort

Matsumoto make the #3 spot for top 10 favorite restaurants on the North Shore.  OK, so it’s not a real restaurant but it is a place to eat even if it’s just a snack.

Matsumotos isn’t your typical mainland snow cone shop.  Does Rainbow allow you to put ice cream, condensed milk, or beans in your shave ice?  No, but it’s probably a good thing they don’t allow beans but the ice cream is great.  Does your mainland snow cone shack have several pictures of celebrities including Tom Hanks, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Junior Seau?  I don’t think so.  Does your typical shave ice shop have 60 years of operating history and nostalgia?  Don’t think so.

My favorite flavors are: lilikoi, melona, and lychee.  You gotta try the tropical fruit flavors, they are the best.  Make sure you add the ice cream on the bottom.

Oh and if you say ‘shaved ice’ you need to spend more time in Hawaii.  It’s shave ice.

Justin Bieber has been in Hawaii all week with Selena.  They have been seen on Maui enjoying the sun and each others lips.  I heard a rumor that the couple is headed to The Turtle Bay Resort next week to shoot a video.  Is that true?  Can anybody confirm? At least they wouldn’t have to pay $10,000 per night staying at the Maui Four Seasons.

Justin and Selena have enjoyed Hawaii thoroughly and their activities have included kissing, jet skiing, para-sailing, laying at the beach, and kissing.

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez and were recently seen at a Pinkberry in Los Angeles for Justin’s Birthday eating frozen yogurt.  Apparently Jusin loves frozen yogurt and of course kissing for his birthday.  Where will Justin and Selena head next?  Perhaps they’ll book Las Vegas flights and head to sin city to do … well, we’ll leave that to your imagination.

Apparently Justin has had his  shirt off the whole vacation showing off his new tattoo.  The tattoo says Jesus in Hebrew.  Or, at least that’s what the tattoo artist told him.  Oh and what about his new hair cut?  Do you like it?  He just doesn’t look like Justin Bieber anymore.  And he has earrings now or he has had them for a long time but is just now starting to wear them.  Shoots, I need to brush up on my Bieberology, things are moving quickly.

Hawaii- the Perfect Family Vacation Destination

It’s no wonder that Hawaii translated from the ancient Hawaiian language means ‘paradise’.  It’s almost always over 70 degrees everyday in Hawaii.  The climate only varies a few degrees throughout the year.  It’s a little more rainy in January and February but still warm and certainly no snow.

Even for Californians where it typically isn’t snowy, winter in Hawaii makes a lot of sense.  It’s just a 4 – 5  hour flight to be hanging by the beach with a cold beverage.

Because of the wide range of activities available, Hawaii is a great family vacation destination.  Parents love to relax on the beach and children love to entertain themselves in the water.   All of the islands offer a variety of family  activities. The Turtle Bay Resort beach is a shallow beach that is kid friendly.  The waves are small so you don’t have to worry much about the ocean kidnapping your child.  Waikiki Beach in Honolulu is also a family friendly beach.  Although, the beaches are very crowded the waves also  long and shallow offering a good family atmosphere. Waikiki is a good place for beginners to learn to surf because the waves or not so large.  Honolulu is a big city, so you can even find fast food or pretty much anything you need to satisfy those hungry children.

In Oahu, don’t miss the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. This memorial is both powerful and soul searching. After watching a brief video depicting the horrible attacks on Pearl Harbor, you take a ferry ride to the memorial. The memorial floats on top of the sunken ship. Just off the ferry you’ll be able to see the wall of all the persons who died early that morning in December.

The Waikiki Aquarium is also located in Oahu along with the Honolulu Zoo and the Sea Life Park.  The aquarium holds 300,000 gallons of water with sharks, sting rays, and reef fish.  Your children would love to swim with the dolphins there.

Maui hosts the Maui Ocean Center.  It’s the largest tropical aquarium in the USA.  Maui is known for it’s hikes and waterfalls.  Windsurfing is also very popular in Maui which may be a great challenge for some of the older kids.

Ka’anapali is located on the western coast of Maui, and has plenty of resort, swimming pools, and world famous golf courses.  The calmer beach at Kihei, might be a little more kid friendly.

Horseback riding is a great family adventure that everyone is sure to love.  Visit the North Shore of Oahu, the Big Island, or Kaua’i for the best facilities.

After all that adventure, what would be better that a large traditional meal with entertainment?  Make sure to take the family to a luau with fire dancers and hula dancers.

What is the best season to visit Hawaii?  Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall?

You may be wondering what is the best time to come to Hawaii.  The best time to come to Hawaii is now, or as soon as you can.  It’s always a great time to visit Hawaii.  There are really no seasons in Hawaii – it’s always beautiful.

Hawaiian climate classification is a mild tropical.  Mild temperature and humidity due to the almost constant eastern trade winds.  Summer highs are in the upper 80s with lows in the mid 70s.  Winter highs are low 80s with lows in the upper 60s.

Hawaii is typically know for only 2 seasons.  The dry season from May to October and the wet season from October to April.

January and February typically have the most rainfall.   But, it’s still a very nice 70 – 80 degrees at least all year round.   Winter is very popular, even if it’s rainy, because that is the best time to surf the big waves.  The waves on the northern shores of the islands, especially Oahu,  are much bigger during the winter. The North Shore of Oahu is famous for huge waves, sometimes coming in as high as thirty feet -  some of the largest waves in the world.

On the north shore of Oahu you’ll see famous surfers hanging out and surfing the famous spots like Waimea Bay and Bonzai Pipeline.  These waves are for experts only.  Most people wouldn’t even be able to paddle out to the waves let alone catch a wave to worry about the shallow coral reef below.  If you are a beginner, you should stay in Waikiki Beach in Honolulu at the 1 -2 foot waves.

Winters is a popular time to come to Hawaii not just for the relatively great weather compared to most of the mainland USA but also for whale watching especially on Maui.  Many different species of whales are seen including the humpback.   The western shore of Maui is a great place to see the whales especially Ma’alaea Bay.  The shallow waters of the bay give protection to the baby whales from shark attacks.  There are several boat tour companies doing day trips to popular whale watching sites or you could simply walk along the shore and see plenty of big mammals.   The island of Lanai is the second most popular island to watch the whales.

Because of previous years of hunting, the humpback whale is currently on the endangered species list – it’s the 5th largest of in the whale family of mammals.  Just a few years ago hunting humpbacks was considered a sport that almost forced the species to extinction. The whales be as long as 45 feet and can weigh 45 tons.

No matter what the weather is like on the mainland you can always sip Mai Tais on the beach no matter what time of year.  What would you choose, a February snow storm or Hawaiian sunburn?

Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
1 Arizona Memorial Road
Honolulu, HI
(808) 954-8777
Drive time from Turtle Bay Resort:  35 minutes
Hours: Daily 7:30 am to 5:00 pm

Pearl Harbor was previously known only for the pearl oyster.  Now this harbor is know for the reason that the United States entered World War II. The attacks happened on December 7, 1941, when swarms of Japanese planes flew over and attacked an unsuspecting army very early in the morning.

One automatically thinks of lush tropical trees and pristine sandy beaches when visiting Hawaii. After all, Hawaii is the perfect spot for vacationing and sipping tropical drinks. However, there is one  tourist spot that should not be missed for different reasons. It is the memorial at Pearl Harbor.

Per year, 1.5 million people visit the USS Arizona memorial. Tourists of all kind stop to remember the lives lost on that dreadful morning long ago.

2335 soldiers died at Pearl Harbor.  Half of those killed were on the USS Arizona. In 1o minutes, the huge ship was bombed and sank carrying over 1000 men on board. Today, the ship floats exactly where it sank and is a giant tomb. The bodies on the ship were never extracted. A memorial was built and floats directly on top of the ship. The ship still leaks oil in the bay which some say are black tears.

60 years following the attacks, the mood at the memorial is still somber. As you enter the memorial you receive a ticket for your movie time at the theater.  The wait may be up to 2 hours during peak tourist time like the Summer.  During that time there is plenty to do. A museum  containing memorabilia like letters from soldiers to loved ones and uniforms is interesting to visit. This museum contains photos of Japanese planes as well as a map showing the destruction of the harbor.

A World War II submarine is also located at the memorial site. The USS Bowfin Museum and Park are also interesting. The submarine has been left as was so you can so how life was on the submarine as you walk through the tight quarters.

The movie is about twenty minutes showing actual video footage of the early Sunday Morning.   After the video a ferry takes you to the back of the memorial to a  wall listing the names of all who died that day.

See this video for a quick look at the visitor center:

Lanikai Beach
Mokulua Drive
Kailua, HI 96734
Distance from Turtle Bay Resort: 35 miles to the East

Although Waimea Bay is my favorite beach on Oahu, many people’s favorite beach, including locals, is Lanikai. Located on the east side of Oahu in Kailua close to Kaneohe, locals love the isololation (relative to Waikiki) and the pristine white/soft sand.  The water is also very blue or greenish blue.

Lanikai is a small beach but has consistently ranked among the best beaches in the world.

The beach is also very close to the closest offshore islands in Oahu. The islands are called Mokuluas.  A great adventure is to Kayak to the island from the beach.

There are no public facilities like restrooms or showers available.  Street parking is the only parking.  Remember not to leave valuables in the car – especially in clear site.

Driving directions:
Drive east on the Kamahameha highway for about 29 miles.  Turn on Kaneohe Bay Drive, continue on Mokapu Saddle Road, right on Kalaheo Avenue, continue on Lihiwai Road, continue on Kawailoa Road, left on Alala Road, continue on Mokulua Drive, continue on Aalapapa Drive, left on Kaiolena Drive, left on Mokulua Drive.

Sharks Cove
Located just north of Foodland Pupukea
Distance from the Turtle Bay Resort: 12 miles south/west

Sharks Cove rated by Scuba Diving Magazine as one of the “Top Twelve Shore Dives in the World”.   Here, you will find reef, with a vast array of wildlife.  All of which you can see up close and personal. The cove’s ocean floor is made up of large boulders and coral heads forming caves and ledges for marine life to hide.  The walls of the surrounding cliffs provide calmer water which attract school surface fish.

Warnings.  DO NOT enter the cove when waves are big or even medium sized.  The best time to snorkel at Sharks Cove is the summer.  Also, theft is common at Sharks Cove.  Do not keep valuable in your car especially in plain sight.  Do not leave your car keys in plain site while you are in the water.  Yes, it’s called Shark’s Cove and yes, reef sharks have been sighted.  Not often and they are relatively harmless but do keep an eye out and don’t panic if you happen to see one.  Just calmly swim away.

The bay is about 8 to 15 feet deep and the shore and gets deeper as you head out.  Within the short distance you can see plenty of marine life like: turtles, damsel fish, jacks, eels, invertebrates, Butterfly fish, parrot fish, surgeon fish, tang, wrasse, big eye, perch, chub, trigger fish, goat fish, mullet, cornet fish, needle fish, and crustaceans.

Make sure you have the proper gear including a mask and fins.  These are provided for free to all Turtle Bay Vacation Rentals guests.

Other notable snorkeling spot in Oahu are Kuilima Cove at Turtle Bay Resort and Haunama Bay.