Thinking of taking a trip to Hawaii? From the historical sites of Oahu to the out-of-this-world volcanic landscape of the Big Island, here are 20 tips to keep in mind the next time you head to Hawaii.
Thinking of taking a trip to Hawaii? Having spent most of my childhood living on the island of Oahu, I’ve been able to assemble some great tips for visiting the Hawaiian Islands over the years. This comes in handy especially when my friends and family ask about the best places to visit and how to find the best airfares–always check for flight specials on Hawaiian Airlines, which has been offering great sales ever since they started offering non-stop service from New York’s JFK airport back in June, and if you don’t see anything you like there, browse Budget Travel’s Hawaii travel deals to find air and hotel packages to the islands. From the historical sites of Oahu to the out-of-this-world volcanic landscape of the Big Island, here are 20 tips to keep in mind the next time you head to Hawaii. (Special note: you will need a car to reach most of the places mentioned).
See 30 Beautiful Photos of HawaiiOAHUMake time to venture out of Waikiki and Honolulu Some of the island’s best attractions are located out of the main tourist zone of Waikiki Beach and Honolulu, but are still worth checking out. The Bus, Hawaii’s main form of public transportation, offers a variety of options for as low as $2.50 a ride with free transfers, or you could even hop on one of the Circle Island Tours, which last anywhere from 2.5 to 4.5 hours depending on where you board. Of course, the other option is to rent a car and travel around the island at your own pace.
Spend a day snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, a protected nature preserve on Oahu’s southeast coast that rents out snorkel gear and a supply of fish food guaranteed to work the wildlife into a tizzy you’ll never forget. Tickets start at $7.50 per person, free for children under 3 and Hawaii residents and it costs $1 to park. Open daily except Tuesday.
Go for a drive up the windward coast on Kalanianaole (pronounced “ka-la-nee-ah-nah-oh-lee”) Highway, where you’ll have Koko Head, a dormant yet impressive-looking volcano on one side, and sharp cliffs leading into the bluest ocean you’ve ever seen on the other. Further down the road in Kailua, take in the beauty of Lanikai Beach, constantly voted as Hawaii’s number one beach by the Travel Channel, and still off the beaten path enough to not be bogged down with tourists.
Visit Oahu’s North Shore and spend a day exploring the Polynesian Cultural Center, kind of like Disney’s EPCOT, in the sense that every culture from Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji, Hawaii, and several other islands showcases their cultural dances, food, music, and other traditions ( tickets start at $49.95 for adults, $39.95 for kids).
Explore Hawaiian food specialties Every time someone asks me what to see and do on Oahu, food automatically ends up in our conversation.

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Sure, the amazing islands in the Caribbean Sea and off the Southeast coast conjure images of exclusive beaches, posh nightlife, and glitzy shopping. The good news? All of that can be yours without the sticker shock.
Admit it–you’ve had the Caribbean on your must-see list for years. What’s stopping you? For starters, the very word may inspire you to keep one hand on your wallet. But the truth is there’s never been a better time to take the plunge–both figuratively and literally–into those turquoise waters. Here, words of wisdom from your favorite experts–the editors of Budget Travel–about enjoying the white sand, world-class restaurants, and rich culture of the Caribbean without breaking the bank. Plus, for each destination, we share a Stylish Steal that will help you book a stay that feels luxe at a smart price.
See the IslandsBahamasFrom northernmost Grand Bahama, with its three national parks, underwater caves, and urbane nightlife, to the bustling port of Nassau, home to gorgeous Cable Beach and historic Bay Street lined with shops and cafes, the Bahamas remain a favorite for savvy travelers (airfares fell 4 percent in 2012 and hotel prices fell 2.5 percent from 2011 to 2012). While in Nassau, you can hop a three-hour ferry to the beach of your dreams on Andros Island, join a deep-sea fishing trip for blue marlin, wahoo, billfish, and tuna, and get a taste of authentic Bahamas cuisine at Twin Brothers with its grilled seafood combo platters including conch, snapper, and grouper starting at $20.50.
ArubaSure, the western side of this Dutch island is dominated by high-end hotels, casinos, and chic shopping. But venturing off the ritzy path, Aruba offers staggering natural beauty and outdoor activities. Take a jeep tour of cactus-studded Arikok National Park, go snorkeling, horseback riding, or get a bird’s-eye view of it all on a skydive. Near the island’s northwestern tip, Malmok Beach is a mecca for snorkelers and divers thanks to the sunken Antilla, a 400-foot German World War II freighter that is now a diverse mini-ecosystem that includes ruby sponges, colorful coral, and tropical fish. Take a detour from the wreck to swim in secluded Boca Catalina Bay.
Dominican RepublicPunta Cana has been a popular beach destination for Europeans for years, but Americans are now getting in on this inexpensive paradise just a stone’s throw (well, a two-hour flight) from Miami. Bavaro Beach is the area’s busiest, but its white sand, clear water, and offshore coral reef make it worth a visit. Take day-trips to the country’s historic capital, Santa Domingo, with its Spanish colonial architecture, and Indigenous Eyes Park, a private nature reserve and jungle park featuring waterfalls and lagoons for swimming. You can also try a surf lesson at Macao Beach, explore the Cordillera Septentrional Mountains, and soak up some history at Casa Ponce de Leon, a museum dedicated to the explorer.
Jamaica”Liming” in Jamaica means relaxing. And with miles of beaches, Rastafarian culture, and amazing food, this is the place to lime!

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Do you think Julia Child scoffed at the sound of someone giving her a cooking tip while she worked in her kitchen? Would José Andrés fire his chef de cuisine on the spot for suggesting something new on the menu? Do you think James Beard never had a question about a technique?
We don’t think so, and we don’t think that any other legendary culinarian would act in this way, either, because learning the craft of the culinary arts is never complete. With varying opinions, different training, and new techniques and ingredients being introduced every single day, there is never an old tip or suggestion when it comes to cooking, and we as cooks are committed to an unending quest to discover how to be better in the kitchen.
The Cook editors at The Daily Meal never stop asking questions about cooking. In fact, we have contributors telling us new tricks of the trade on a daily basis. While cooking advice can be narrowed down to the most specific questions (like, say, how do you use a pressure cooker?), we also want to know what those overarching skills and qualities are that make so many talented chefs, cookbook authors, and bloggers as great as they are today.
Want to know how we found out? We just asked them, and now we have a neat and easy list of their thoughts for you to refer to. We didn’t just go to one expert, but to several, from big names like TV personality Sara Moulton and legendary inventors like Nathan Myhrvold to talented and hard-working chefs that are, probably right now in fact, ferociously working away at the stove to create beautiful and delicious masterpieces with food.
These tips range in topic and scope; some are ones you should remember every single time you’re in the kitchen (like salt!), and others are things like roasting a chicken, because if you don’t know how to do it, then you can just forget about being a good cook. Some had us going “right, right…” and others had us raising an eyebrow, but at the end of the day, the tips listed here are things that we think you should know (and pass along to others) if you ever want to join the ranks of Child, Andrés, and Beard. So put your pride aside for a moment and take a look, we think some might surprise you.
Be CreativeEveryone can agree on this, but we heard it first from the mouth of chef Chris Peitersen, executive chef of Johnny Carino’s in Fort Collins, Colo., and one of only 75 people in the country who is a Certified Research Chef based on his culinary experience and background. Just as how cooking is never perfected, it also knows no limits, so if you’re able to experiment and investigate new things with cooking and recipes, you’re a good cook.
Put Your Ingredients on Display.Blogger and author of Secrets of the Best Chefs Adam Roberts picked up on a few things while doing research for his book, and eye candy was one of them.
“When I went to various chefs’ homes for my cookbook, I noticed that many of them had baskets and bowls full of gorgeous farmers’ market ingredients out on their counters.

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Coach tells HS team ‘Get your helmets’ as tornado hits – FS Southwest

Coach tells H.S. team ‘Get your helmets’ as tornado hits
MOORE, Okla. – Twenty-three years ago, Charles Redman and his wife got into a bathtub and covered up as a tornado clipped their apartment in Stillwater, Okla.On Monday, Redman saw his second tornado. Saw it coming from miles away, actually. Saw it getting closer and closer. Only this time, he didn’t have an 8-months’ pregnant wife to take care of. He had a room full of high school students.The Southmoore High assistant football coach ordered his players, track athletes, soccer players and student managers, all at the school Monday afternoon, into the coaches’ dressing room, where he put as many cinderblock walls between them and one of the most destructive tornados in history.And then he told the kids to put on football helmets.”I was watching it,” Redman said of the tornado. “I watched it until I was getting hit with debris. We ran in as it was getting close and we said to put them in helmets. ‘Get your helmets,’ I said. We told the girls to do the same and they were running around getting them and I told them, ‘Put your heads down’ and it would all be over in a minute.”Someone asked to say a prayer. We did.”The National Weather Service said the path of Monday’s tornado was 17 miles long, 1.3 miles wide with winds more than 200 mph. It leveled the Moore community, a suburb of Oklahoma City just north of Norman and the University of Oklahoma. Twenty-four players from the Southmoore football team, and an estimated 200 of the school’s students, lost their homes.
None lost their lives.The tornado traveled about 200 yards north of the school on a day when the football team was supposed to be practicing. This is Oklahoma, and most of the time, football comes first. High school football is a huge deal and coaches maximize their practice time on and off the field as best as they can, often suiting up regardless of weather.”If we can get a minute of practice in, I’d take it,” head coach Jeff Brickman said. “And I don’t worry a lot. But for some reason, I had a bad feeling that morning.”
With bad weather in the forecast, Brickman said the team wouldn’t even be going outside. So, instead of practicing, Brickman had his team inside, scattered among the classrooms watching practice film from last week. And when the sirens went off, everyone covered up – Redman and the other coaches in the fieldhouse, and Brickman, alongside side his wife, Brandi, Southmoore’s cheerleading sponsor, and the other coaches in the school.”It came right by the school,” Brickman said. “We really thought it was going to hit us,” Redman said. “We kept watching it and watching it. It kept getting closer and closer, and we didn’t know. We watched it all the way until it must have been within a mile of us. It was small and it looked that way until it was closer and closer and then it just looked massive.

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