Hawaii's Big Island is the cultural and historical hub of the archipelago.
Hawaii is a culturally and geographically diverse place that has everything a family will need to please its leisurists, scientists, intellectuals, party animals and young children. For Hawaiian families searching for an ideal family reunion, the island chain offers cultural centers within walking distance of the ocean. Hawaii is the birthplace of modern surfing and the home of ancient Polynesian religions, both of can be explored by Hawaiian families during reunions. Does this Spark an idea?
The Merrie Monarch Festival
The Merrie Monarch Festival is an annual celebration of the Hawaiian people held in Hilo, on the Big Island. For one week every March or April, hula dancers invade the town, taking to the streets and beaches to honor the rich cultural traditions of the Hawaiian peoples. The pinnacle of the week is a pilgrimage to rim of Kilauea Crater to honor Pele, the goddess of fire. The festival is named for King David Kalakaua, who brought hula back to the forefront of Hawaiian culture after years of disapproving Christian missionaries attempted to sweep it under the proverbial rug. For Hawaiian families looking to celebrate their cultural traditions while dancing the hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival is one way to go. The Naha stone, a sacred site to native Hawaiians, can also be seen in Hilo.
The Charms of Waikiki Beach
For Hawaiian families looking for a family reunion that incorporates activities and luxurious relaxation, one of the many hotels of Waikiki is an ideal destination. The hotels are a short walk from Waikiki Beach for family members who want nothing more than to swim, surf or laze in the sun. All of the shopping, dining and nightlife of downtown Honolulu is easily accessible from Waikiki. For the more intellectually curious, cultural activities in the area include the Polynesian Cultural Center, Hawaiian national treasure the Iolani Palace, the only monarch residence in the United States, and Valley of the the Temples, a traditional Japanese Buddhist temple with a 9-foot-tall, gold-lacquered Buddha statue and traditional Japanese gardens.
The History of the Kohala Coast
Hawaii's Kohala Coast is both a resort area and a place of cultural, historical and geological importance. For family reunions, there is plenty of surfing, swimming, boating, snorkeling, golfing and fine dining in the area. Those family members who are interested in the natural sciences will be in awe of the enormous black and red rocks surrounding the area, which were carved and colored by volcanic eruptions many thousand years ago. The nearby Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve is a wonder of human society, where ancient Hawaiian peoples carved thousands of figures in the volcanic rock. Hawaii's most sacred temple is on the Kohala Coast, and the area is the birthplace of one of the culture's most important historical figures, Kamehameha I.
Tags: Hawaiian families, Kohala Coast, Merrie Monarch, Merrie Monarch Festival, Monarch Festival, cultural historical, cultural traditions