By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate When I lived on the North Shore in 1978, there was not one home on the shore of horseshoe-shaped Hanalei Bay. The notorious Taylor Camp treehouse colony, populated by hippies living off the land, was in full swing. The now famous Tahiti Nui featured in the film The Descendants was a hole in the wall. I could hike the Kalalau Trail, tracing the rugged Nāpali Coast up to the roaring Hanakapi’ai Falls, and take a dip in the pool below, without seeing another soul. I never made it to the site of the sacred Hawaiian village at the end... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate As a young woman, I had dropped out of society and landed on the North Shore of Kaua‘i. It was a head-spinning transformative time in my life. There, I was introduced to people experimenting with alternate lifestyles and those leading highly creative lives. After a year of Island life, I was brimming with good health and ready to face the future. Now, 45 years on, I yearned to return to the nurturing clime to know how both the Island and I have changed. Kaua’i is lush with foliage, resplendent with waterfalls, and isolated by tumultuous... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate   Would you like to spend a week in Hawaii without having to cash in your 401K? Resorts with high-end amenities are lovely to stay in, but, for many, too costly to call home for a week. Air B&B offers rooms for rent from local hosts at very reasonable prices all over the world. I chose the Bicycle Inn in Paia, a walkable little town with several good eateries and fun shops close to the Kahului Airport on Maui. My digs were the master bed with a private bath in a three bedroom house with all the comforts of home. Two fantastic beaches... Read More