Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park May 2013

Hawaii National Park, Hawai‘i – Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture and After Dark in the Park programs with the community and visitors in May. All programs are free, but park entrance fees apply. Mark the calendar for these upcoming event: Lei Making, Hilo-Style with Ti Leaf. Malia Macabio and Amy Kaawaloa demonstrate how to make the Hilo style of lei by twisting two strands of ti leaves together. Hula dancers use lei lā‘ī (ti leaf lei) to adorn their wrists and necks. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops. Free. When: Wed., May 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Where: Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai Volcano's National Park is just a short drive from Ohia House Bed and Breakfast. We are located in Leilani Estates, a few miles from the quaint town of Pahoa here on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Big Island of Hawaii farmers have alot to offer

When you are visiting the Big Island of Hawaii make time to visit the numerous Farmer's Markets held all over the Island. This is where you can truly experience Hawaii. We offer so many orchids, flowers, fruits, and vegetables you won't see in the supermarkets or on the mainland which are so amazingly delicious and beautiful. Local crafts and artists as well. All willing to talk story with you and let you experience new tastes! Ohia House is close to many of these farmer's markets. Centrally located, a great home base for you Hawaii experience.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park News Release

The Volcano House Story Restoring History to Hawai‘i’s Oldest – and Newest – Hotel Hawaii National Park, Hawai‘i – The beloved Volcano House will fully reopen on the rim of Kīlauea caldera in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park next month, following a multi-million dollar upgrade and completing yet another chapter in the epic history of this iconic hotel. Soon, guests will stroll through the lobby, where polished concrete floors of deep jade have been restored to their 1940s luster, and into the Grand Lounge. Flames from the original lava rock fireplace will warm the lobby and cast flickering light upon the imposing bronze of volcano goddess Pele, sculpted by Honolulu artist Marguerite Blassingame. A few more steps will reveal an expansive, comfortably appointed sitting room with spectacular views of Kīlauea and fuming Halema‘uma‘u Crater beyond large picture glass windows. While temporary shelters on Kīlauea predate the 1824 grass hut built by Chiefess Kapi‘olani and her entourage, it was in 1846 that Hilo resident Benjamin Pitman, Sr. built a grass house, and christened it “Volcano House.” The name stuck, and the first substantial wooden structure to welcome guests at Kīlauea was built in 1877. (Eventually, this one-story building was relocated, repurposed, and currently houses the Volcano Art Center). Famed writers Mark Twain, Isabella Bird and Robert Louis Stevenson were among guests in the 1877 building, as were King David Kalākaua, and French microbiologist, Louis Pasteur. In 1895, Greek-born George “Uncle George” Lycurgus acquired the Volcano House, and several structural evolutions ensued, including the construction of an ornate, two-story Victorian-inspired building that served many distinguished guests. Visitors included President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934 (the first U.S. president to visit Hawai‘i), Amelia Earheart, and Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani. In 1940, a fire from an oil burner destroyed the Victorian-style Volcano House. No lives were lost, but the entire hotel was a complete loss. Undaunted, Uncle George negotiated the construction of a new hotel with the park some 200 yards from its former site. In late 1941, the new Volcano House, designed by Maui-born architect Charles W. Dickey, was unveiled with great fanfare on the crater rim – and it is unveiled again in 2013 in the historic character of the 1940s. Uncle George’s name, flair for hospitality, and affinity towards volcano goddess Pele, will continue to define the character of Volcano House. The 33-room hotel is owned by the National Park Service, and is managed under contract by Hawai‘i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC, who also manage Nāmakanipaio Campground and 10 A-frame cabins. While the views from Volcano House of the active volcano may be distracting, the careful observer will note the restoration of canec ceilings in the comfortable guest rooms, appointed with historic crown moldings. Prints by local artist Marian Berger of native birds in the Audubon style of the era adorn the walls. Original tiled hearths in three rooms were upgraded with electrical fireplaces. Outside, two new decks overlook Kīlauea caldera. Indoors, guests can have a seat at the lovingly restored original koa wood bar in Uncle George’s Lounge, where another bronze sculpture depicting Pele’s vengeance graces a historic fireplace. If Uncle George were alive today, perhaps he’d marvel over the coincidental return of Pele to her home at Halema‘uma‘u Crater, which began to erupt again in 2008, and to the return of guests to historic Volcano House. -NPS- For more information, visit the Volcano House website, www.hawaiivolcanohouse.com.

The lava and how to view it

The lava from Kiluea Volcano continues to provide surface flow and water viewing. Our guest's continue to rave and return in utter amazment at the site. Ohia House, just a short drive from Hilo International Airport is a great central location for these two and many more activities here on the Big Island of Hawaii. Come join us and enjoy the great breakfasts, sounds, & sites Pahoa, Hawaii and the surrounding area provides.

After Dark in the Park - Volcanos National Park

Looking for Lava in all the Wrong Places—and Finding it in Some. Most eruptions and intrusions at Kīlauea take place within the summit caldera or the two rift zones. Some, however, occur elsewhere or have trends not readily explainable by this standard model. Though unusual, these eruptions and intrusions tell us much about the internal plumbing of Kīlauea and its evolution during the past tens of thousands of years. HVO geologist Don Swanson elaborates on this theme in a partly factual, partly speculative, broadly based alternative view of Kīlauea. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series. Free.

The Hula

With Merrie Monarch on the way I wanted to share this from Wikepedia. Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form. There are many sub-styles of hula, with the main two categories being Hula 'Auana and Hula Kahiko. Ancient hula, as performed before Western encounters with Hawaiʻi, is called kahiko. It is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. Hula, as it evolved under Western influence in the 19th and 20th centuries, is called ʻauana (a word that means "to wander" or "drift"). It is accompanied by song and Western-influenced musical instruments such as the guitar, the ʻukulele, and the double bass. Terminology for two main additional categories is beginning to enter the hula lexicon: "Monarchy" includes any hula which were composed and choreographed during the 19th century. During that time the influx of Western culture created significant changes in the formal Hawaiian arts, including hula. "Ai Kahiko", meaning "in the ancient style" are those hula written in the 20th and 21st centuries that follow the stylistic protocols of the ancient hula kahiko. There are also two main positions of a hula dance - either sitting (noho dance) or standing (luna dance). Some dances utilize both forms. Hula is taught in schools or groups called hālau. The teacher of hula is the kumu hula, where kumu means source of knowledge, or literally just teacher. Often there is a hierarchy in hula schools - starting with the kumu (teacher), alaka'i (leader), kokua (helpers), and then the 'olapa (dancers) or haumana (students). This is not true for every hālau, but it does occur often. Most, if not all, hula halau(s) have a permission chant in order to enter wherever they may practice. They will collectively chant their entrance chant, then wait for the kumu to respond with the entrance chant, once he or she is finished, the students may enter. One well known and often used entrance or permission chant is Kunihi Ka Mauna/Tunihi Ta Mauna. Hula dancing is a complex art form, and there are many hand motions used to represent the words in a song or chant. For example, hand movements can signify aspects of nature, such as the swaying of a tree in the breeze or a wave in the ocean, or a feeling or emotion, such as fondness or yearning. Foot and hip movements often pull from a basic library of steps including the kaholo, ka'o, kawelu, hela, 'uwehe, and 'ami. There are other related dances (tamure, hura, 'aparima, 'ote'a, haka, kapa haka, poi, Fa'ataupati, Tau'olunga, and Lakalaka) that come from other Polynesian islands such as Tahiti, The Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Aotearoa (New Zealand); however, the hula is unique to the Hawaiian Islands.

Merrie Monarch Festival / from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coming in April, can you believe it has been a year already! The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week-long cultural festival that takes place annually in Hilo, Hawaii. It honors King David Kalākaua, who was called the "Merrie Monarch" for his patronage of the arts and is credited with restoring many Hawaiian cultural traditions during his reign, including the hula. Many hālau hula (schools), including some from the U.S. mainland and some international performers, attend the festival each year to participate in exhibitions and competitions. The festival has received worldwide attention and is considered the most prestigious of all hula contests.