Fifty great things about Hawaii

A longtime visitor picks his 50 favorite places and experiences.

(originally published in 2009)

I was still in diapers when Hawaii became a state in August 1959. But in our mutual (relative) maturity, weve become lifelong friends. It was the first place I ever took a vacation on my own, the first place I vacationed with my future wife, the collection of islands I return to at least once a year for a working trip that is the most blissfully relaxing of anything I do all year.

Ive visited some 30 times, and my loves and a few dislikes about Hawaii could fill a book. But this is a newspaper, so in a salute to the 50th state, here are 50 things I have come to love about Hawaii, served in 10 slices like a Haupia pie from Teds Bakery on Oahu.

FAVORITE BEACHES

Hanalei Bay: A golden crescent of sand on the lush, green north side of Kauai. The waves are gentle in the summer and manageable in the winter. Much of the bay is ringed by homes, many of which can be rented for family getaways.

Lumahai: A small, gorgeous and sometimes dangerous beach. It was featured in the movie version of South Pacific and can be reached only by a sometimes muddy trail leading off the road just west of Hanalei. Its the hidden tropical fantasy that everyone thinks of when they visit Hawaii. Be aware that the surf can be dangerous, especially any time other than summer. People have been swept to sea off the famous rock ledge. Best to sit up high on the sloping beach and enjoy the scenery.

Kailua: Along with nearby Lanikai, this is the beach featured in dozens of postcards and calendars over the decades. Its white sands, gently sloping drop-off and brilliant green-blue waters are huge draws, but its distance from the tourism crush of Waikiki means theres rarely a crowd. Its suffered from severe erosion in recent years, but Im hopeful the state will do the right thing and save this iconic strand.

D.T. Fleming Beach: A great bodysurfing beach on the sometimes turbulent northwest shore of Maui. Theres shade of the trees along parts of the mile-long strand for when the sun gets too hot. When you are ready to call it a day, head for the bar at the Ritz-Carlton, which is just up the hill, and enjoy the sunset.

Mauna Kea Beach: The Big Island is the youngest of Hawaiis volcanic islands, so the lava hasnt been smashed into the fine grains of Kauai, Maui or Oahu. Finding a decent beach is tough. One of my favorites is in front of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Though the deluxe resort doesnt advertise it, the beach is open to the public and a small number of parking spaces have been set aside for nonguests. Come early or late (again, great sunsets) and splash on one of the few swimming spots where toe-stubbing lava rock isnt a feature every few feet.

FAVORITE TOWNS

Waimea: Its impossible to find a town in Hawaii untouched by tourism but still enjoyable for the visitor. Waimea comes as close as any. On the far southwestern shore of Kauai, its visited only by tourists on the way to nearby Waimea Canyon. This is still a place that mainly caters to locals, who often gather in the shade of the statue of Captain Cook in the center of the park. Make sure to visit even sleepier Hanapepe, the inspiration for Disneys Lilo and Stitch, on the way back to the busy eastern or southern sides of Kauai.

Paia: A funky post-hippie beach town of hemp clothing shops, organic food stores and, for my money (and lots of it), the best fish restaurant in the islands. Though just a few minutes drive down Highway 36 from the airport at Kahului on Maui, Paia is most often overlooked by Maui visitors. The town is a compact stretch of somewhat weather-worn, early-20th century storefronts housing an oddball collection of antique dealers and curio shops. One-of-a-kind gifts are sold at the Maui Crafts Guild.

Haleiwa: If Huntington Beach is the Times Square of Surfing, as boosters like to say, then Haleiwa is its Greenwich Village. The only town of any size on the way to the famed North Shore spots of Pipeline, Sunset and Waimea Bay, its a place that thrives on those who live and eat to ride the waves.

Hawi: The hub of lush North Kohala on the Big Island is Hawi, a three-block stretch of storefronts where mountain-hugging Highway 250 and the coastal Highway 270 intersect. It was once home to the Kohala Sugar Co., drawing Filipinos, Chinese and Japanese to work in the mills. Their free time was often spent at the areas range of temples, churches and chapels. The last mill closed in 1975 and the elderly, former sugar workers now share the town with artists, balding hippies and other end-of-the-road types who have opened galleries and coffeehouses. The mix of locals has changed, but the pace is still languid.

Lanai City: Once the center of whatever passed for action on the Pineapple Island, Lanai City has ceded its role to the two five-star Four Seasons resorts on the island. Whats left is a slow-paced town with a small hotel at its center and a collection of shops and cafes used by locals and day-trippers from the hotels. At night, this friendly place is in deep snooze, except for the workers from the hotels and other businesses enjoying a night on the town.

FAVORITE

THINGS TO EAT

A warm malasada at Leonards: Right off the highway on the way in and out of Waikiki, Leonards is the premier place in the islands to try malasadas, a kind of Portuguese doughnuts.

Garlic shrimp at Giovannis: There are plenty of shrimp trucks around the North Shore on Oahu, but my favorite is the graffiti-slathered white truck in Kahuku. Make sure to bring a felt marker and join the tradition of signing your name on the trucks sides, front and bumpers.

A butter bun from Teds: Surfers get up early to ride the waves at nearby Sunset Beach, so dont sleep too late or the big square buns will be long gone. Though theres always the Haupia pie in the refrigerator case.

Burger and onion rings from Duanes Ono-Char: Tucked into a valley on the road from Kapaa to Princeville on Kauai, this burger stand usually has a half-hour wait to get your grilled sandwich. Its worth it. Get the great onion rings and try not to share any with the roosters in the picnic area.

Moi fish at Mamas Fish House: There are plenty of great, fancy meals on the islands, but for me the most Hawaiian experience is moi the Pacific threadfin once reserved for royalty served at this north coast Maui landmark. Its availability on any given day depends on the luck of local fishermen.

FAVORITE SONGS

Opa E, by Brothers Cazimero: Sweet voices, resonating acoustic guitars and a chorus at the end make this Hawaiian-language story of a rescue by sea creatures my favorite sunset song.

Hawaii 78, by Israel Kamakawiwoole: Most songs I play in Hawaii are about tropical places and good times. Its a tribute to the voice of the late Iz that he can make a saga about the ruin of the land and people of Hawaii into such a beautiful song. Guilt never sounded so good.

On the Beach at Waikiki, by New Hawaiian Band: When I arrive from the mainland and get in my rental car, this is the first song I play. This jaunty instrumental version with its ukuleles and pedal steel guitars promises the warm sands and cool breezes just a few miles away.

Pipeline, by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dick Dale: A hit for the Chantays in 1963 and recorded by the likes of the Ventures later, I enjoy the rollicking 1988 take by guitar hero Vaughan and Dale, the king of the surf guitar. Though the solos veer dangerously close to overkill, it all comes roaring back to the classic centerpiece riff that launched a thousand surfboards.

Mele Kalikimaka, by Bing Crosby: Its a silly little Christmas ditty from 1950 featuring the Andrews Sisters. But it feels more appropriate than Der Bingles other standard, White Christmas, when decorating the tree on a sunny Southern California December day.

FAVORITE HOTELS

Waimea Plantation Cottages: I love history and preservation and here is an example you can sleep in. The cottages are former plantation houses from around Kauai that have been hauled to a coconut palm grove next to an ashen sand beach on the southwest end of Kauai. The early 20th century, Craftsman-bungalow-style plantation buildings have been lovingly restored and filled with Hawaiiana. Each comes with a kitchen. What the cottages lack in modern luxury is more than made up for the chance to experience life in a bit of history. Nowhere else in the islands do I feel so attuned with the aloha spirit of Hawaii.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel: When I first visited Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in the 1980s, I didnt like it much. A concrete modernist hotel that was too sedate, too old money. After all, it had been the creation of multimillionaire Laurence Rockefeller, who opened Mauna Kea in 1965 as a playground for his rich friends. But over the decades, the open, airy layout of the hotel, created by the famed New York architecture firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, has grown on me. I now adore the intersection of Manhattan modernism with tropical Hawaii.

Napili Kai Beach Resort: With its soaring A-frame lobby and lava stone sign, this hotel on the northwest coast of Maui visually announces itself as a remnant of 1960s Hawaii. Constructed in the days before modern codes prevented building so close to the water line, its rooms and restaurant snuggle right up to the water. Not all rooms are air-conditioned, but the breezes here work wonders. Theres a loyal clientele and a small spa offering some of the lowest-priced massages of any hotel in Hawaii.

The Breakers: Waikiki used to be filled with lots of small, Polynesian-themed hotels. Most have been bulldozed away for the high-rises that have transformed Waikiki into a concrete canyon. One of the few remaining spots harking to the old days is The Breakers. Its low-slung, palm fringed courtyard and pool make guests an instant community within the anon-ymity of Waikiki. The Breakers counts on loyal repeat customers who love the large rooms and bargain-basement rates. If the Breakers is booked, try the similar Hawaiiana Hotel next door.

Hotel Lanai: The onetime pineapple empire of Lanai is giving way to tourism. There are two luxury hotels: the Manele Bay (where billionaire Bill Gates honeymooned) and the pine-rimmed Lodge at Koele. Id skip both and stay instead at the small Hotel Lanai. It was once the guesthouse for visitors to the Dole pineapple plantation. Rooms are pretty but small. And noises carry here in the plantation-style building. But sitting atop a slope in the middle of Lanai City, its the real deal on an island that seems fated to giving over its soul to the high-end resort crowd.

FAVORITE

SWIMMING POOLS

Hilton Waikoloa Village: The Disneyland of the tropics, and whether you are thrilled or appalled by this Big Island megaresort depends on your mood. Its so huge, guests are shuttled around on a monorail or mahogany canal boats. For families with children, there is no complaint about the 4-acre water park. It includes a lagoon and sand beach (the closest thing to toe-friendly grains on this rocky part of the coast). The fantasy world here is a collection of waterfalls that hide grottos for a game of hide-and-seek or a romantic kiss.

Westin Maui: In all, there are five pools spread about the grounds, with hidden grottoes, two waterfalls and a Jacuzzi tucked in a rock-rimmed hideaway. Nearly all the rooms overlook the 85,000-square-foot water park. The big thrill is a 120-foot slide built into a man-made mountain that drops 23 feet while sloshing swimmers around two 270-degree turns. Kids can buy bright green doughnutlike flotation rings, which they can decorate with their names and any other impromptu art using marker pens supplied by the pool shack.

Hyatt Regency Kauai: A water-park-style pool here makes sense. The resort itself fronts the rocky, turbulent 500-yard-long Shipwreck Beach. Guests instead can paddle around the 5-acre saltwater lagoon. The water slide is relatively short and sedate by the standards of the other resorts. The big draw here is the meandering man-made river that makes its way from the hotel through the terraced gardens down to a pool next to the lagoon. Full of grottoes hidden behind waterfalls, the 4-foot-deep channel is like a swimmable version of Disneylands Jungle Cruise.

Grand Wailea, Maui: Everything here is on an epic scale the art, the grounds and the bill at the end of your stay. So are the waterworks. It starts with the Hibiscus Pool, the 4,850-square-foot visual centerpiece of the resort that stretches from the lobby toward the sea. A giant mosaic of a hibiscus flower is created by a quarter of the 2.2 million tiles making up the pool. Its adults only. The big draw here is The Wailea Canyon Activity Pool. Nine pools are linked along six levels, from sea level to 40 feet high. An artificial river carries swimmers from spot to spot. A water-powered elevator takes guests back to the top of the sequence. In between are four jungle pools with slides, a rope swing, waterfalls, a rope bridge, whirlpools, an infant pool and a swim-up bar.

Sheraton Waikiki-Royal Hawaiian: Waikiki has always been a place for small, pretty pools better for lounging than swimming. Water slides? Go to an outer island resort. All that changed this year with the arrival of a pool with slides and waterfalls wedged between the venerable Royal Hawaiian and the high-rise Sheraton Waikiki. Some find it architectural blasphemy. As a parent, its a welcome addition. Best of all, its just steps to the famous waves On the Beach at Waikiki.

FAVORITE HISTORICAL-CULTURAL SPOTS

Pearl Harbor: The prettily named harbor on Oahu has become synonymous with treachery, disaster and revenge after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack by Japan that brought the United States into World War II. In recent years, the sunken remnants of the battleship USS Arizona have been joined in the area by the USS Missouri, where the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay was signed in 1945, along with a submarine warfare museum and an aviation museum that form one of the great collections of military displays at a historic site in the world.

Puuhonua o Honaunau: Restored and maintained by the National Park Service, the old lava walls and large tikis on the southwest coast of the Big Island represented the city of refuge where those who had broken laws kapu could flee to safety. Theres a stone bench where Mark Twain once sat with Hawaiian royalty.

Iolani Palace: The only royal palace in the U.S., it is a reminder that Hawaii was a sovereign nation taken over by the United States in a dubious series of events in the 1890s. Built in central Honolulu by King Kalakaua, it shows Hawaiian rulers had embraced the architecture, culture and religion of the West as symbols of modernization. In the end they lost nearly everything their forefathers had fought to build.

Nakalele Point on Maui: One of the most mysteriously beautiful areas in the islands. At mile marker 38 is a turnout on the winding, rugged Highway 340. Visitors stroll a green, rolling field above sea cliffs. Visitors have stacked scores of stone piles cairns and made stone circles. Eerily beautiful, especially on sunny weekdays when you can sometimes be alone at the spot. A trail leads to a blowhole that shoots sprays of water into the air on days when the surf is large.

Pu’u o Mahuka Heiau: Unlike Puuhonua o Honaunau on the Big Island, all that remains of this huge temple complex above the North Shore surf spots the largest on Oahu are stone walls and a small wood altar maintained by locals. This was a place where priests would make human sacrifices. For many years, it was vandalized and the road into the temple grounds was a favorite dumping spot for car thieves who left the stripped hulks of sedans and vans in the weeds by the side of the road. The area has been cleaned up and given the respect it deserves.

FAVORITE NATURAL SPOTS

Pipeline: Ocean meets land on the North Shore of Oahu in a creation of natural perfection a curving, thundering pipe-shaped wave known around the world. When large enough for a top surfer to ride standing up, it is a marvelous combination of the power of nature and the skill of man. From Ehukai State Park, walk to the left down to the beach. Pipeline is the wave that breaks from your left to your right. The wave breaking the other way is called Backdoors.

Diamond Head: The view from Waikiki has been unforgivably hemmed in by rows of boxy hotels and apartment buildings, but the extinct volancos prow-shaped edges say Hawaii more than any other symbol. What a thrill it must have been in the prejet era to arrive from California by ship, round Diamond Head and see Waikiki before pulling up to the Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu.

Mountains from Hanalei Bay: The crescent-shaped beach would be fantastic all by itself, but the jagged, green flank of the backside of the Na Pali Coast gives it a tropical quality unparalleled in the islands. Add a rainbow and its a magic kingdom of surf, sand and sky.

Waipio Valley: A rare spot on the islands that feels much like it must have been like to live in Hawaii 50 or even 100 years ago. This is the kind of place where Hawaiians have always traditionally lived deep valleys by the sea, often accessible only by boat. Waipio Valley on the northeast coast of the Big Island can be visited on tours that go down a steep, muddy road. Once there, youll find a few shacks, wild horses and taro fields, along with a beach popular with local surfers. It takes work to get there, but its worth the journey.

Pools on the road to Hana: As you can see from this list, I prefer the lush, rainy, green parts of Hawaii. The twisting, slow road to Hana on the eastern end of Maui passes by several pools fed by waterfalls. Its an idyllic swimming hole for the adventurous able to withstand the cold. The pools come with their own dangers slippery rocks (my wrist once took a whacking), waterborne illness and sudden flash floods that can turn a gentle waterfall into a thundering torrent. At least look, even if you dont touch.

FAVORITE DRIVES

Hanalei to Kee Beach: Drivers wind down the hill from the hyper-polished world of Princeville, across the one-lane bridge and then bounce along a two-lane road past horse farms, tropical gardens and wet caves before pulling into the lot at Kee Beach, where they can sunbathe, swim, snorkel or set off on the trail up the Na Pali Coast.

Across top of Maui: Less famous than the road to Hana, the highway across the west tip of Maui features the islands top surf spot, a spooky cliff filled with stacked stones, tiny villages, one-way roads on steep grades, before popping out for the long drive down to funky Wailuku, the little touristed capital of Maui County.

Oahu Windward Coast: The long way to the North Shore takes in a Buddhist temple, passes a Marine base, and skirts a dozen coral-rimmed beaches, ramshackle markets, fruit stands and shrimp farms before popping out at the outskirts of the Turtle Bay resort.

North Kohala Coast: The knobby thumb at the top of the Big Island is former sugar cane country, with the towns reflecting the plantation-era past with clapboard buildings and huge banyan trees. The road dead-ends at the cliffs above the north coast. You can backtrack the same way or swing upcountry at Hawi and take the high road back to the Kona Coast through the rows of pine trees planted by settlers.

Southeast coast of Molokai: The most Hawaiian (and least-visited) island is best know for the dry Molokai Ranch area in the west or the Kalaupapa National Historical Park, better known as the leper colony founded by Father Damien. But a drive along the southern coast takes visitors to pretty, lonely stretches of the island, past coconut tree groves at Kapuaiwa, the golden sand beach at Kakaha, the Kamalo Church (built in 1871 by Father Damien), and a collection of nice beaches around Maloo, before ending at the Halawa Valley lookout. Its a wetter, greener, wilder antidote to the red dirt world of the other side of the island.

FAVORITE THINGS

I MISS

Aloha Airlines: Nonstop from Orange County to Kauai. Was it just a dream? For three months, it was reality in 2008. Then came bankruptcy and all the island flights from John Wayne disappeared. Now every trip to paradise starts with a trek to purgatory LAX.

The Waikikian at the Beach hotel and Tahitian Lanai bar: The classic little hotel on the far side of the Duke Kahanamoku lagoon was getting run-down, but the bar was classy until the end. These were the kind of thatched-roof Polynesian-style spots that have sadly all but disappeared from Waikiki. Both have been torn down and replaced with nothing.

Coco Palms: The most famous casualty of Hurricane Iniki that ravaged Kauai in 1992 was the old classic resort popularized by Elvis Presley in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii. The place where the torch-lighting ceremony was born, the Coco Palms has languished as a half dozen plans to renovate the hotel have come and gone. Its memory lives on at David Cisans great Web site, coco-palms.com.

The Royal Hawaiian: OK, its not gone, just, in my mind, missing in action. A recent renovation has pimped up the pink color scheme and chunkily modernized the amenities of this classic hotel. Its a design misstep that hopefully can be peeled away in the years to come. Until then, Ill be hunting around for a new favorite Waikiki hotel.

Lanikai Beach: Youll find dozens of postcards still sold in Waikiki showing a thick stretch of sand reaching out to the ocean with a pair of islets in the distance. Unfortunately, storms and tides have stripped away much of the beach at this windward shore beach, leaving just a narrow, coarse strip. Fortunately, the beautiful water and tiny islands are still there.

CHECKLIST

Some of the places mentioned in the story. For all others, contact the Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-464-2924 or www.gohawaii.com.

Leonards Bakery: 933 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, Oahu; 808-737-5591 or www.leonardshawaii.com.

Giovannis Original White Shrimp Truck: 83 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, Oahu, no phone

Teds Bakery: 59-024 Kamehameha Highway; 808-638-8207.

Duanes Ono-Char: 4-4350 Kuhio Highway, Anahola, Kauai; 808-822-9181

Mamas Fish House: 799 Poho Place, Paia, Maui; 808-579-9248 or www.mamasfishhouse.com.

Waimea Plantation Cottages: 9400 Kaumualii Highway, Waimea, Kauai; 808-338-1625 or www.waimea-plantation.com.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel: 62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Drive, Kohala, Big Island; 866-774-6236 or www.maunakeabeachhotel.com.

Napili Kai Beach Resort: 5900 Honoapiilani Road, Napili, Maui; 800-367-5030 or www.napilikai.com.

The Breakers: 250 Beach Walk, Waikiki, Oahu; 800-426-0494 or www.breakers-hawaii.com.

Hotel Lanai: 828 Lanai Ave., Lanai City; 800-795-7211 or www.hotellanai.com.

Westin Maui: 2365 Kaanapali Parkway, Lahaina, Maui; 808-667-2525 or www.westinmaui.com.

Hilton Waikoloa Village: 425 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa, Big Island; 808-886-1234 or www.hiltonwaikaloavillage.com.

Grand Hyatt Kauai: 1571 Poipu Road, Koloa, Kauai; 808-742-1234 or www.kauai-hyatt.com.

Grand Wailea: 3850 Wailea Alanui, Wailea, Maui; 808-875-1234 or www.grandwailea.com.

Sheraton Waikiki: 2255 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki, Oahu; 808-922-4422 or www.sheraton-waikiki.com.

Pearl Harbor: 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, Oahu; 808-422-2771, ext. 119 or www.nps.gov/valr.

Puuhonua o Honaunau: Four miles from Kealakekua, Honaunau, Big Island; 808-328-2288 or www.nps.gov/puho.

Iolani Palace: Corner of King Street and Richard Street in downtown Honolulu; Oahu. 808-522-0822 or www.iolanipalace.org.

Puu o Mahuka Heiau: Turn uphill off the Kamehameha Highway at the Pupukea fire station, then follow the signs on Pupukea Homestead Road; 808-587-0300 or www.hawaiistateparks.gov.

Article source: http://www.ocregister.com/travel/hawaii-280931-kauai-maui.html

The Healing Power of the Sea

Author: Andrew Pacholyk

Every summer I take my long awaited trip to the sea. This powerful source of nature yields some of the most essential healing tools and additional benefits that are hard to compare with anything else. We already know the necessary and soothing abilities water offers.

The mysterious and amazing healing power of water has been utilized for centuries. Water cleanses, refreshes and restores all life. We are always drawn to water. Be it a soothing fountain, majestic waterfall or the churning sea. Water is a carrier. It flows. It moves along the line of least resistance to find its way to the ocean where comes and goes in the ebb and flow of tides and waves. The appeal is inexplicable! We crave water, maybe because our bodies are made up of a large percent of it. Maybe beacuse we instinctively know how it can heal us.

Here are some of the best tools and tips the sea can offer:

1. Sun – is the best source of Vitamin D. More than 15-20 minutes can be harmful when you are not protected. The sun is the source of all life and it sure feels good on our face, especially after a long, cold winter. Prevention and precautions are the most important methods when you go out in the sun. Applying sunscreen (SPF 15, at least), wear UV-protective sunglasses, and limiting your time in the sun will help avoid this problem. Stay out of the sun when it’s high in the sky; this is when the UV rays are more intense (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Choose clothing that covers your skin – hats, lightweight, long-sleeved shirts. Pure aloe vera rubbed into the skin can help to heal. Take antioxidants to help block the chemical reactions that can trigger cancer’s uncontrolled cell growth.

2. Sand – is a natural exfoliator. These finely ground seashells become an amazing tool for cleansing your skin. Wet your skin in the sea and rub it gently all over your skin. Use some in a bowl to create a Zen garden or sea display.

3. Salt Water – the healing abilities of salt water are profound and well documented. Salt water is an astringent and speeds wound healing. A cup or handful of water in your hand or neti pot is a wonderful cleansing therapy. Slowly inhale the salt water into your nose to cleanse your sinus and open up the air passages. Floating in sea water is an extreme release of tension and stress of the day. Allow yourself to float weightlessly in the water. You deserve it.

4. Sponge – a natural cleanser and exfoliator, sponge can be dried in the sun and placed in your decorative bowl or on the bathtub. Rewet your sponge and use it in the bath or shower.

5. Coral – comes in many forms. When this beautiful “art of the sea” washes up on the beach and bleached by the sun, it’s beauty can be awe inspiring. Coral is rich in calcium. This “stone” can be used as pumice to exfoliate dead skin cells, bring blood and circulation back to the feet when used as a massage stone and can make a wonderful decorative piece.

6. Sea Air – deep breathing of ocean air helps us to relax and let go. The faint smell of salt in the air can take us to a place of pure joy. Sea air has a certain aliveness found no where else. This deep breathing can help release tension and the problems associated with it.

7. Exercise – yoga, body toning, running on the beach, breath exercises are all great ways to stay fit and take advantage of all the outdoor activities offered us in the summer. Make them enjoyable to you. In the summer months it is a good idea to exercise early in the morning or late afternoon. Make sure you drink plenty of water before, during and after activities to ensure hydration.

8. Seaweed – rich in iodine, and other minerals, seaweed and other sea vegetables are fat-free, low calorie and one of the richest sources of minerals in the vegetable kingdom since they have access to the abundance of minerals in the sea. One of seaweed’s most beneficial health properties is its ability to remove radioactive strontium as well as heavy metals from the body. Seaweed is generally categorized into brown and red algae. Seaweed can also be ground into a wonderful exfoliant and used in mineral and mud treatments.

9. Seashells – these magnificent works of Universal creation are wonders to behold. Finding and searching them out is a great past time that can last for hours, take us away from ourselves and gives us a care free adventure that is rewarding on many levels.

Your favorites can be taken home and cleansed. They can make beautiful decorative pieces. Display them in a bowl. Place them in any room in the house, especially rooms with water. Seashells are natural vessels that can be used for cleansing and make a great carrier for sage or incense. They can be placed on your personal alter as a reminder of good times or as a tribute to nature and all her powers.

10. Stress relief – the best combination for stress is combining the above element of light, air and surf to create the best prescription for good health and relaxation. Take advantage of any of the above suggestions. They will melt away stress and bring you back to nature. Leave your laptop and cell phone behind (for once, please!)

Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac. – http://www.peacefulmind.com – Therapies for healing mind, body, spirit

References

1. Sundance Natural Foods, Inc. “Neptune’s Garden – Vegetables of the Sea”.

2. Shirley’s Wellness Cafe’s “Water the Great Healer”.

The Sensual Beauty of the Beach

The beach is a wonderous place where the sheer beauty and sensuality of the environment can reclaim even the most harried minds.

It can take you to a time where there was only mankind and nature — No cell phones, work left undone, cluttered minds and desks, financial problems or job worries…just you and nature in a simple yet intense relationship. The beach can be that side of nature that soothes, stimulates, invigorates and heals. One day at the beach and you are rejuvenated for a time….it stays with you…and that is worth protecting.