Monthly Archives: June 2010

Kualoa Ranch Adventure

Posted on by

Marti loves horses, so we had to go riding on this vacation.  Fortunately, a short drive north of Kaneohe on Kamehameha Highway is the 4000 acre Kualoa Ranch, relatively well-known as the filming location for a number of blockbuster movies, such as Jurassic Park and Tears of the Sun, as well as the hit  TV series Lost, which ended its run a few weeks ago.

By 7:45 am this morning, we had arrived at the ranch; we watched as the guides saddled and prepared the horses, and shortly after 8, we set out on the trail.  There were five women riding, all of us on boy horses.  My sister Marti was in the lead, riding Sas (short for Saskatchewan); I followed on Romeo; and my sister Debbie rode behind me.

The day was warm but cloudy — a good day for a ride because without direct sun, it was not too hot.  The horses were patient and well-trained, and although most of us were complete novices at riding, we didn’t encounter any glitches like a rider losing control of her horse.  At various points along the trail, we stopped to admire the view.

We are looking down on the fishpond:

In the distance is the famous landmark, Mokoli’i Island, or Chinaman’s Hat.

Toward the end of the hour-long ride, I looked up at this volcanic ridge:

I can well believe the brochures, which tell us that

The ranch terrain varies from dense rainforest to broad open valleys and from beautiful white sand beaches to verdant cliff faces. It is truly a paradise for outdoor recreation with many places accessible only by horseback, on an all terrain vehicle, or by hiking.

Kualoa Ranch is also one of the most historically significant destinations on Oahu because in ancient times, this was a sacred place.  Since 1850, it has been a working cattle ranch, and continues today as a family-owned and operated property, with its mission to serve as a role model for land stewardship.

Lanikai and Shangri-La

Posted on by

Although it was cloudy this morning, what is a trip to Hawaii without a day at the beach?  With that justification, Marti and I headed toward Kailua and Lanikai Beach around 10 am.  As this was mid-week and public schools were still in session, the beach was uncrowded and we had our choice of spots where we could hang out.  We spread our goza in the shade and settled down to enjoy the sand and the surf.  Marti swam out to a small platform a short distance from shore, but I preferred to walk up and down the beach at the tide line and people-watch.  The most interesting to me were a Japanese bride and groom, or maybe they were models on a photo shoot.  Just before we left, I went into the water, which was cool and refreshing, and yes, very salty.

Back at home, we showered and changed, then we set off again for Honolulu, in time to park and meet our group at 1:30 at the Honolulu Academy of Arts.  Yesterday we had watched the video about Doris Duke’s life and work, so today we spent a few minutes viewing the exhibits in the Islamic Arts gallery until the rest of the group were ready to go.  About a dozen of us climbed into the mini-van with our driver, and we were on the road.

Half an hour later, we arrived at Shangri-La, Doris Duke’s estate on the other side of Diamond Head.  Built in 1937, the home is a testament to Ms. Duke’s love of Islamic art and her astute collector’s eye.  No signs announce the estate, which is tucked away amid tropical foliage; we drove down a shallow incline, and all of a sudden, we were there.  Even the main doorway into her home is modest:

Our guide met us at the portal and took us on an hour and a half guided tour; he was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the collection.  We saw the Entry Courtyard, the Foyer and Staircase, the Central Courtyard, the Living Room, the Dining Room, the Mihrab Room and Library, the Turkish Room, and finally the Mughal Garden, which is undergoing renovations.  The estate is spectacular!  We were not allowed to photograph the interiors, but you can take a virtual tour on the website (the link is below).  I do recommend it, as the beauty and historical significance of the pieces is breath-taking.

Ms. Duke was the only child of tobacco and electric power mogul James Buchanan Duke, and when he died, she inherited his fortune, estimated to be around $100 million.  In 1935, she married a wealthy member of her social set; during their honeymoon they travelled around the world, visiting many Islamic countries and relaxing for weeks in Hawaii.  Ms. Duke was so enamored of her time in Hawaii that she eventually decided to build a home here and decorate it with personally commissioned and purchased artworks.  The result was Shangri-La, an architecturally unique repository for 3500 works of art, steps from the Pacific Ocean.

The lanai is decorated with Islamic tilework:

The seaside location adds to the estate’s charm:

The large living room on the first floor faces the ocean; to the right, barely visible in the photo, is the dining room:

Today, the estate is managed by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art; the trust was established “to make Shangri La available to scholars, students and others interested in the furtherance and preservation of Islamic art.”  Conservation and preservation projects are on-going, and the foundation also supports various cultural events and activities.

By 4 pm we were back at the Academy in central Honolulu, and I was already planning another visit to Shangri-La at a future date when more of its rooms will be open to the public.  That is something to look forward to.