Latest / Hawaii Travel Podcast | Maui, Oahu, Kauai & Big Island Vacation Tips & Guide / The Hawaii Crosswalk Ticket (Spoiler, Not Jaywalking), The Waterfall Swim That Can Make You Sick Weeks After You’re Home, and What’s the Best Swimwear Shop on Oahu?
Transcript
- 0:01Jennifer Davis: Welcome to the Hawaii Travel Podcast.
- 0:04Jennifer Davis: I'm Jennifer Davis.
- 0:05Dan Schulz: And I'm Dan Schultz, and this is the podcast where in every episode you're gonna get seven different little-known travel tips about Hawaii's main islands.
- 0:14Jennifer Davis: Take today's episode, for example.
- 0:17Jennifer Davis: The dirt on the bottom of your hiking shoes could be killing a forest and you'd never know.
- 0:21Jennifer Davis: Or a swim that feels completely fine and puts you in bed with a fever weeks after you're home.
- 0:27Dan Schulz: Plus, you're gonna get five more answers to problems that would have been just as annoying to run into without warning while you're already in Hawaii.
- 0:35Jennifer Davis: And by that time, it's too late
- 0:37The wireless coconut singers: Before you go
- 0:48Dan Schulz: Here's what we're gonna do.
- 0:50Dan Schulz: We're gonna be going from tip to tip to tip, all of them about solving problems you're not even thinking about yet while you're planning your Hawaii vacation.
- 0:58Dan Schulz: In between each of these things, you're gonna hear this sound.
- 1:02Dan Schulz: That's the magic coconut.
- 1:03Dan Schulz: When you hear that sound, that means you should pay extra close attention because we're moving on to the next tip.
- 1:09Dan Schulz: We have seven tips today, like we said.
- 1:11Dan Schulz: This is episode 104.
- 1:13Dan Schulz: Are you ready?
- 1:14Dan Schulz: Good
- 1:15Jennifer Davis: The Honolulu law most visitors break by the first crosswalk.
- 1:21Jennifer Davis: If you're walking around Waikiki, a quick look at your phone in a crosswalk can get you a ticket.
- 1:28Jennifer Davis: Honolulu has a distracted walking law, and it covers all of Oahu.
- 1:33Jennifer Davis: You can't cross a street or a highway while looking at your phone or another mobile device, and checking the time counts too.
- 1:41Jennifer Davis: The one exception for most visitors is calling 911.
- 1:45Jennifer Davis: Well, we'd hope so.
- 1:46Jennifer Davis: Police started writing tickets in October 2017.
- 1:50Jennifer Davis: Fines start at $15 and go up to $99 for repeat offenders.
- 1:56Jennifer Davis: The law applies day or night, and visitors can be cited the same as anyone else.
- 2:02Jennifer Davis: Here's what to do: Stop on the curb when you need your map, a text, or your ride app, and finish before you step off.
- 2:09Jennifer Davis: If you're using walking directions, put one earbud in and let the phone talk to you from your pocket, but keep your eyes on the traffic.
- 2:18Jennifer Davis: Waikiki crosswalks are busy, and a ticket is the small cost.
- 2:22Jennifer Davis: Ten seconds on the curb keeps you off the ticket list, and it keeps your eyes where the cars are
- 2:29Dan Schulz: The Hilo waterfall that now charges at the gate.
- 2:34Dan Schulz: If you're stopping at Rainbow Falls in Hilo, better bring a credit card because it isn't free anymore.
- 2:40Dan Schulz: Since January, out-of-state visitors pay five dollars per person and ten dollars per vehicle at Wailuku River State Park, home of Rainbow Falls and the Boiling Pots.
- 2:51Dan Schulz: The same fee started at the Kua Bay section of Keakakahaki State Park on the Kona side.
- 2:56Dan Schulz: Children three and under are free, and Hawaii residents with an ID can skip it.
- 3:02Dan Schulz: So two adults in one car pay $20, and a family of four pays 30, a little less with a small child.
- 3:10Dan Schulz: Here's what to do.
- 3:11Dan Schulz: Pay once and make it count.
- 3:13Dan Schulz: At Wailuku River, one payment covers both Rainbow Falls and the Boiling Pots, so see both in the same visit.
- 3:20Dan Schulz: The fee system takes cards only, so don't count on cash.
- 3:24Dan Schulz: And check the state park's website before any park stop, because 14 Hawaii state parks now charge visitors, and not every part of the park charges are the same.
- 3:34Dan Schulz: So you want to plan for it, and it'll just be the price of two of Hilo's best sights instead of a surprise at the gate
- 3:42Jennifer Davis: The waterfall swim that can make you sick weeks after you're home.
- 3:48Jennifer Davis: If you're planning to cool off in a waterfall pool or stream, here's one easy thing to know first.
- 3:55Jennifer Davis: It's called leptospirosis, and it's very simple to avoid.
- 3:58Jennifer Davis: When it rains, animal waste from rats, mice, or a mongoose washes into fresh water, and those germs can get in through a cut or through your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- 4:09Jennifer Davis: Hawaii sees more cases than any other state, mostly from October through February So here's the plan.
- 4:16Jennifer Davis: Skip swimming and wading in fresh water streams and ponds.
- 4:20Jennifer Davis: The state is clear on that, and a bandage doesn't change it.
- 4:23Jennifer Davis: Beaches are still a great pick.
- 4:25Jennifer Davis: Just skip any water that looks brown or muddy.
- 4:28Jennifer Davis: And if the state posts a brown water advisory, just wait 48 to 72 hours after the rain.
- 4:35Jennifer Davis: And if you feel flu-like symptoms a month after your trip with a fever, chills, a headache, or sore muscles, make sure to tell your doctor you were around fresh or muddy water.
- 4:44Jennifer Davis: It's treatable with antibiotics, especially when it's caught early.
- 4:50Dan Schulz: The Maui beach you think you're not allowed on If you're on Maui and the best beach belongs to a resort you're not staying at, good news.
- 5:01Dan Schulz: The beach doesn't belong to the resort either.
- 5:04Dan Schulz: Hawaii has no private beaches.
- 5:07Dan Schulz: The state holds the shoreline up to where the waves wash at their highest point, and courts have backed that up for generations.
- 5:16Dan Schulz: A resort can't make the sand guests only.
- 5:20Dan Schulz: What it can control is the way in.
- 5:22Dan Schulz: You still need a marked public path, and parking is limited, so get there early.
- 5:28Dan Schulz: Hawaii also bans commercial chair setups on public beaches before a guest asks for them.
- 5:36Dan Schulz: A few years back, a photo sent to the Maui mayor showed more than thirty umbrellas and sixty lounge chairs across nearly all of Polo Beach with no guests in sight, and state officials stepped in.
- 5:49Dan Schulz: Here's what you can do.
- 5:50Dan Schulz: Look for the public beach access signs near the resort and stay off the lawns and decks that belong to the hotel.
- 5:57Dan Schulz: Bring your own towel and chair, since the pool and loungers are for guests.
- 6:01Dan Schulz: You don't need a room or a day pass to use the beach itself.
- 6:05Dan Schulz: Parking may cost you, but the sand is yours, and that's a good thing.
- 6:10Jennifer Davis: The one empty day every Kauai trip needs.
- 6:15Jennifer Davis: If you're planning a Kauai trip, build in some slack because the island's most famous places close more often than most visitors expect.
- 6:24Jennifer Davis: Ha'ena State Park and the Kalalau Trail were shut for about 14 months after floods in 2018.
- 6:31Jennifer Davis: Storm damage closed the trail again this March, and in September, Hurricane Lowell hit the island.
- 6:39Jennifer Davis: Recovery is ongoing, so check current status before you book.
- 6:43Jennifer Davis: County officials and local businesses are welcoming visitors.
- 6:48Jennifer Davis: Here's what to do: check the Hawaii State Parks website before you book and again the week you fly, and call every tour company the day before.
- 6:57Jennifer Davis: Keep one backup day with nothing reserved.
- 7:00Jennifer Davis: If you hold a Haʻena or Kalalau reservation or permit, a closure can still cancel it, so don't make it your only plan.
- 7:09Jennifer Davis: Travel officials ask visitors to adjust plans instead of canceling Hawaii altogether.
- 7:15Jennifer Davis: That can mean moving your Kauai days or spending a few on another island.
- 7:19Jennifer Davis: And if you do, eat and book local.
- 7:21Jennifer Davis: A little flexibility is what keeps a Kauai trip from ending at a closed gate
- 7:27Dan Schulz: I, I have to say, I think that is a really fantastic tip, Jennifer.
- 7:32Dan Schulz: And I know we were just talking about Kauai, but really, what a fantastic idea, like, but if, if you just plan a day where you have a blank day,
- 7:42Jennifer Davis: Mm-hmm
- 7:43Dan Schulz: there's nothing wrong with that, 'cause you can fill a blank day, even if that day is just literally sitting on the beach, right?
- 7:53Dan Schulz: Your hiking shoes are carrying something the Big Island just cannot afford.
- 8:00Dan Schulz: Angela wrote in asking for a packing list, and her full list is on this week's cheat sheet.
- 8:06Dan Schulz: More on that in a couple minutes.
- 8:08Dan Schulz: Here's the thing we want to tell her first.
- 8:10Dan Schulz: If you are packing hiking shoes for the Big Island, the dirt on the bottom of them can kill a forest.
- 8:17Dan Schulz: A fungus called Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death was first found on the Big Island in 2014.
- 8:24Dan Schulz: It kills ohia trees, which makes up most of Hawaii's native forests, and there's no recommended treatment for it.
- 8:32Dan Schulz: Scientists tested the soil at 34 trailhead boot brush stations on the Big Island and found the fungus at 28 of them Not all of it was still alive, but it showed the fungus travels on shoes.
- 8:47Dan Schulz: Here's what to do.
- 8:48Dan Schulz: Brush the mud off of your shoes and gear before and after every forest hike.
- 8:54Dan Schulz: Then spray the bottoms with seventy percent rubbing alcohol and let it soak for at least fifteen seconds.
- 9:00Dan Schulz: Pack a small brush and buy the alcohol at any drugstore when you land, since liquids are limited in carry-on bags.
- 9:08Dan Schulz: Clean everything again before you fly to another island.
- 9:11Dan Schulz: It's against the law to move soil, ʻōhiʻa plants, or ʻōhiʻa wood off the Big Island without a permit, and the fine starts at a hundred dollars.
- 9:20Dan Schulz: Shouldn't be doing this just because you want to avoid the hundred dollars, though.
- 9:23Dan Schulz: It can literally wipe out forests.
- 9:25Dan Schulz: That's why they have these rules.
- 9:28Dan Schulz: Two minutes at the trailhead protects the forest you came to see.
- 9:33Jennifer Davis: The best free hour in Waikiki happens once a week.
- 9:40Jennifer Davis: If you're in Waikiki on a Saturday evening, there's a free hour of real hula on the beach, and it's easy to miss.
- 9:48Jennifer Davis: The Kuhio Beach Hula Show runs Saturdays from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Hula Mound near the Duke Kahanamoku statue.
- 9:57Jennifer Davis: It's free, it's outdoors, and hula schools perform with live Hawaiian music.
- 10:04Jennifer Davis: Your guidebook may say it happens several nights a week.
- 10:07Jennifer Davis: Older listings do.
- 10:09Jennifer Davis: These days it's Saturdays.
- 10:11Jennifer Davis: Here's what to do: pick your Saturday and plan around it.
- 10:15Jennifer Davis: Bring a beach mat or chair because you sit on the grass or stand on the sand, and get there a little bit early for a good spot.
- 10:23Jennifer Davis: Rain or a hurricane watch can cancel it, and so can a street closure for a parade or a block party, so check the show's own calendar that week.
- 10:33Jennifer Davis: The organizer also lists a few Saturdays with no show, so don't just trust the day of the week.
- 10:39Jennifer Davis: It costs nothing.
- 10:40Jennifer Davis: You don't need a reservation, and it might be the best hour of your trip
- 10:46Dan Schulz: All right, you coconuts, couple things before you go.
- 10:49Dan Schulz: We want to know what you think is the best swimwear shop on Oahu.
- 10:53Dan Schulz: Search Hawaii Travel Podcast on Facebook, find that post, and tell us.
- 10:57Dan Schulz: We will read everyone and we will answer back to everyone.
- 11:01Dan Schulz: And there was a lot of stuff to remember in this episode, so we're gonna make it easy for you.
- 11:05Dan Schulz: You want that, right?
- 11:06Dan Schulz: If you want all seven of these tips in one place, email aloha@hawaiitravelpodcast.com and put episode 104 in the subject line, and that cheat sheet is going to be mailed to you instantly.
- 11:20Dan Schulz: And as a bonus, this cheat sheet is extra long because we included a full packing list for your Hawaiian vacation
- 11:27Jennifer Davis: By the way, that same email works for everything else.
- 11:30Jennifer Davis: Tell us where you're going, not just the island, but the actual thing, the hike, the rental car, the luau you've booked.
- 11:37Jennifer Davis: We'll find the one way people mess it up, and we'll tell you how not to
- 11:42Dan Schulz: Good luck with your planning, and thanks for listening.
- 11:44Dan Schulz: And we'll talk to you in the next one