Today it was the 4th of July, the national US holiday celebrating independence from Britain here in the United States of America.
Hawaii located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is often referred to as the most remote island group on the globe is 5 1/2 hours flight time from our nearest US neighbor, San Francisco, California.
Six time hours away from the US East Coast, Hawaii is always the last. When we got ready for our Friday night fireworks it was almost time in New York to get ready for Saturday.
Tonight in this remote part of the United States America tourists and locals had a great time on Sunset Beach, Oahu watching an amazing firework show put up by our only resort, the Turtle Bay Hotel.
This is the home of eTurboNews. The normal dress code here at eTN is: flip flops (sandals), t-shirt and beach shorts. Overlooking miles of white sandy beaches, swimming with the turtles for lunch hour or two, having Loco Moco for breakfast, and all day or night communicating with the world and our amazing team of representatives in almost any country in the world is a great feeling. We often do this from our lanai, while we also listen to our tropical birds visiting us from Waimea Falls Park, the ocean or while we’re watching the stars or the sunset. It explains why all of us love this job.
Talking to our colleges in New York feels like talking to a different world. However what unites us is to be a citizen of this great country, called the United States of America.
Be aware: Anyone coming here to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii on vacation, or living or working from this beautiful part of America may get addicted.
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
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| Happy 4th of July from the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, USA |
The Northshore of Oahu is where this publication was founded and operated from since April 1, 2001. Our Ohana (the Hawaiian word for family) are 230,000 readers among the global travel and tourism industry. Articles on eTN these days and thanks to the power of social media, Google and search engines are seen often by millions around the world.
eTN is definitely not the true star of the North Shore. The true stars of Oahu’s famed North Shore also aren’t the actors in ABC’s “Lost” or top-selling musician Jack Johnson, they’re the monster waves that roll in every winter.
In the winter this regions turns into the surf capital of the world. The rest of the year, when the 30-foot surf and the crowds are long gone, the North Shore returns to its usual laid-back, country lifestyle. It’s perfect for swimming, golfing, hiking, snorkeling or a lazy day at the beach with family.
Hawaii, The US Aloha State” became the 50th state in 1959, but the history of Hawaii goes back centuries earlier. Roughly 1,500 years ago, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on Hawaii Island. With only the stars to guide them, they miraculously sailed over 2000 miles in canoes to migrate to the Islands.
500 years later, settlers from Tahiti arrived, bringing their beliefs in gods and demi-gods and instituting a strict social hierarchy based on a kapu (taboo) system. Hawaiian culture flourished over the centuries, giving rise to the art of the hula and the sport of surfing, but land division conflicts between ruling chieftains were common.
In 1778, Captain James Cook, landed on Kauai at Waimea Bay. Naming the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, Cook opened the doors to the west. Cook was killed only a year later in Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii Island.
In 1791, North Kohala born Kamehameha united the warring factions of Hawaii Island and went on to unify all of the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810. In 1819, less than a year after King Kamehameha’s death, his son, Liholiho, abolished the ancient kapu system.
In 1820, the first Protestant missionaries arrived on Hawaii Island filling the void left after the end of the kapu system. Hawaii became a port for seamen, traders and whalers. The whaling industry boom flourished in Lahaina Harbor in Maui. Throughout these years of growth, western disease took a heavy toll on the Native Hawaiian population.
Western influence continued to grow and in 1893, American Colonists who controlled much of Hawaii’s economy overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom in a peaceful, yet still controversial coup. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.
In the 20th century, sugar and pineapple plantations fueled Hawaii’s economy bringing an influx of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Portuguese immigrants. Lanai, under the leadership of James Dole, became known as the “Pineapple Island,” after becoming the world’s leading exporter of pineapple. This mix of immigrant ethnicities is what makes Hawaii’s population so diverse today.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Oahu. Four years later, on September 2, 1945, Japan signed its unconditional surrender on the USS Battleship Missouri, which still rests in Pearl Harbor today. In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th State of the United States.
Today, Hawaii is a global gathering place for visitors to share in the spirit of aloha. Beyond the sun and surf of the islands, visitors can discover the rich cultural history of Hawaii.
