My first stop in the Hawaii Island chain was Honolulu,(Island of Oahu) and my destination was the University of Hawaii, similar to the experience of our former U.S. Senator and current candidate for Governor of Hawaii, Neil Abercrombie. For many years, my experience was mostly limited to the Island of Oahu. One of my first jobs, while attending the University of Hawaii, was working for a travel agent in Waikiki, where most of my hours were spent typing vouchers for tours to other islands “outer islands”, as they were called at that time. Then they became” neighbor islands”, and in recent years, they were finally identified by their proper names, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, Niihau and Kahoolawe(no tours to the last two, then or now).
Of course, the one exception, is the Island of Hawaii, affectionately referred to as the Big Island. In writing or discussing the Island of Hawaii, with those from outside the State of Hawaii, I always attempted to explain the difference and I have discovered it is one of the major confusions about the state. Where is Honolulu? Do you live on the Big Island? Oahu, where’s that? Big Island? Hawaii? This is where some of us need a visual…so I have attached one…… and checkout the Principal Volcanoes… a topic for later….
Dodie MacArthur
MacArthur and Company/Sotheby’s International Realty
