Top Ten Things You Should Know Before Visiting Hawaii

Hawaii can be a paradise for visitors, with its pristine beaches, swaying palms, and turquoise ocean. The people of Hawaii are some of the kindest, most generous people you'll find anywhere. Here are a few bits of information to remember before your visit:

1. Hawaii is a state. Really! When visitors tell us how things are done "back in the States" it makes us feel like we're some little backwater, instead of the 43rd largest state in the union. We even have a governor and a congress, just like you do.

2. No matter what your travel agent says, there is no rainy season in Hawaii. Each island is drier on the leeward (western) side and wetter on the windward (eastern) side. Oahu and Kauai are wetter in the winter, the Big Island is drier. At some point during every day it's raining somewhere, but if you wait ten minutes it might stop. The more lush and tropical your destination is, the greater the chance that it will rain.

3. Hawaii runs on "Hawaiian Time". Whether you're renting a car or ordering a meal, things tend to take a little longer. If you're in a hurry to mail seven coconuts to your relatives on the mainland, you'd be better off going to a larger post office where the service will be faster. If you go to a smaller, rural post office, be prepared to hear everyone "talking story" about how Malia broke up with one boyfriend on Friday and had a new one before Sunday morning. That's part of life in Hawaii and we like it that way.

4. Don't make fun of the Hawaiian language. Even though your kids might find it hilarious that there is a Poopoo Street and a Peepee Place, convince them not to make a big deal of it. The Hawaiian people are very proud of their language and their culture. Hawaiian really is a beautiful language, and easy to pronounce if you do it phonetically - try humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

5. Almost everything costs more because it has to be shipped here. So, instead of complaining about the high price of Fuji apples ($1.89 a pound), try picking a wild papaya out a vacant lot (free). Did you know we grow vanilla and chocolate in Hawaii? Visit a local farmer's market and you will see a Garden of Eden. Even the beef is grass fed and free-range. Don't forget all the wonderful fish! So eat local, like the locals do.

6. If you are lucky enough to be invited to a local person's house, don't come empty-handed. Even if you just pick some flowers or buy a perfect pineapple, bring something. Chances are, they will send you home with much more than you brought. Remember, you will have to take off your shoes, so wear some that are easy to get off and on.

7. Be prepared for traffic. Many workers (especially the State and County ones) start and end work earlier. Rush hour can start as early as 6:00 a.m. and again at 3:00 p.m. In some of the rural areas there are just two (or even one) lane roads. A fallen tree or a mudslide can stop traffic for hours. Work out an alternate route, if possible, before you leave.

8. Just because it has a pineapple on it doesn't make it Hawaiian. I have never seen a local person do anything with a pineapple but eat it raw, or maybe put it in a cake. So all those Mai Tais, Hawaiian Pizzas, and Sweet and Sour dishes are not Hawaiian food. More traditional everyday food would be teriyaki chicken (cooked on a hibachi without too much sugar), white rice, and some kind of vegetable.

9. Whether it's raw fish, snorkeling, or dancing the hula, just try it! You're on vacation, after all. Don't you want to have some great stories to tell everyone back home?

10. Show a little aloha, you'll get back much more than you give. Hold a door open. Pick up something that someone has dropped. Most importantly, smile! Aloha really is a way of life in Hawaii.