Retirement in Honolulu Hawaii

With so much to experience in such a beautiful area, it’s no surprise Business Insider ranked Honolulu, HI as #1 in Quality of Life for retirees.   People visit the state to enjoy the vast beaches and pleasant climate. People stay because of the quality of life offered by the state.  Situated 2,300 miles of the coast of California in the Northern Pacific just a few degrees south of the Tropic of Cancer are a series of five large islands (Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Big Island) peppered with over 120 smaller islands.  These lush green islands are actually the tops of a chain of submerged volcanic mountains.  Each island was formed by at least one volcano.  Hot magma rises up through a crack in the Pacific Tectonic Plate as it moves in a northwesterly direction approximately 2”-4” every year. 

The magma forms underwater volcanoes that rise above sea levels creating the islands that make up the Hawaiian archipelago.  The movement carries the crack away from the volcano allowing it to cool as it moves to a new location creating new active ones.  This geologic wonder is still happening today under Big Island.  Lava flows still exist adding new land.  Up until 2018, the lava flow could be witnessed at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  A new island is currently forming 3,000’ under the sea.  It is thought Loihi will rise above the surface within the next 10,000 to 100,000 years.

The oldest island, Kauai, is over 5 million years old.  Over time the islands were further shaped by slower-acting forces such as rainfall, erosion, wind and the powerful churn and crash of the Pacific surf.  These forces create sharp and craggy silhouettes, abrupt vertically grooved cliffs pocked with caves, deep valleys, collapsed craters and coastal plains. 

Heavy rainfall in some of the mountainous areas produces an extremely voluminous runoff which is responsible for the numerous groove, ridges, and V-shaped valleys that are the characteristics of the older volcanic islands such as Kauai and Oahu.

Long before the first European stepped ashore, Polynesians some 2,000 miles away made their way to the southern coast of Big Island in Hawaii.  The current theory is the Polynesians from the Marquesa Islands immigrated to the Hawaiian islands sometime between 300 and 400 CE in search of better farming conditions than their home terrain had to offer.  It is thought the name Hawaii is derived from their ancestral home of “Hawaiki”.  As one of the last areas on Earth to be explored by Europeans, Hawaiian civilization had the next 1,400 years to evolve into a complex society of small communities ruled by chiefs and priests.   British Captain James Cook became the first European to explore the islands.  Arriving in the late 18th century, Cook named his newly discovered land “the Sandwich Islands” in honor of John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich and one of the mission’s patrons.  In an unfortunate moment of terrible timing, Cook arrived in Kealakekua Bay, the sacred harbor of Lono, the god of fertility in Hawaiian culture just as the locals were engaged in a festival dedicated to Lono.  Cook and his crew were welcomed as gods and for the next month exploited the Hawaiians’ good will.  After one of the crewmembers died, the Hawaiians realized Cook and his crew were not gods, but mere mortals such as themselves.  As relations strained, Cook’s ships left the island but were turned back by rough seas.  This time the Hawaiians greeted Cook and his men with hurling rocks. 

Relations further deteriorated over the next several days when a lesser Hawaiian chief was shot to death and a mob of Hawaiians descended on Cook’s party.  Captain Cook himself was killed by the mob. A few days later Cook’s crew retaliated killing 30 Hawaiians.  Eventually, the crew left Hawaii, but the gate was open for decades of visits by explorers, adventure seekers, missionaries and whalers that would rapidly transform the Hawaiian culture.  The most notable effect was the introduction of diseases from which the natives had no natural immunities.  Fatal diseases such as cholera, venereal disease, cholera, measles, and tuberculosis decimated the population from approximately 300,000 to 40,000 by the end of the 19th century.

As the number of Native Hawaiians declined, other ethnic groups arrived.  Plantations owned by a small, but significant European and American population hired workers from all over the world, including China, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Korea.  Over the course of the next two centuries, people from all cultures settled in Hawaii, making the islands a multiethnic society.  Each group brought its own customs, languages, and religions to the Hawaiian islands.  Today, the descendants of these settlers far outweigh the descendants of the original Hawaiians.  The collapse of the population combined with the impact of outside cultures gave rise to a social crisis within the Hawaiian culture sparking political change. 

For the next 180 years as rule changed hands between the British, French, Russians and Hawaiian royalty the people of Hawaii suffered a turbulent period or political change.  As the natives lost faith in their gods, American missionaries began arriving in 1820 with their curious culture.  This new religion promised the ability to read and write about advancing Hawaiian civilization.  Hawaiians led by members of the royal family overthrew the laws created by the chiefs and priests bringing a swift adoption of Christianity for many Hawaiians. By the mid-19th century, Hawaii was largely a Christian kingdom.  To this day, the largest religious groups are Roman Catholics and Protestants. 

Rooted in Native Hawaiian culture that has been passed down through generations mixed with the traditions of the peoples from all around the world who have made Hawaii home. For a time the Hawaiian language was all but gone, but today Hawaii is the only state in the union with 2 official languages.  There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.  Vowels: A, E, I, O, U  Consonants: H, K, L, M, N, P, W  Although there is still a close resemblance in language and culture between modern-day Hawaiians and their Polynesian relatives, time and culture meld has made the Hawaiian culture develop its own characteristics.

Geography

Hawaii is the most western and southern state in America.  It even has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time).  It is two hours behind specific standard time and five hours behind Eastern Standard Time.  There is no daylight savings time in Hawaii.

Climate

The mild tropical climate is viewed by many people in the world as the ideal climate.  The weather is often humid but tempered by the northeast trade winds that prevail for most of the year.  This makes living on the islands delightfully comfortable.  The wind blows east to west in Hawaii.  The trade winds carry the moisture-laden air over the islands which condenses and dissipates against the shores and mountains of the windward coasts creating the lush flora.  Most Hawaiians recognize only two seasons.  Summer (or kau) lasts from May through October.  This season is characterized by temperatures in the high 70’s and reliable trade winds.  The highest recorded temperature is 96 degrees Fahrenheit at the Honolulu airport.  Average daytime temp in July is 82 degrees. Temperatures over 92 degrees generally occur only once or twice a year. 

Winter (ho’oilo) is the rainy season that lasts from November to April cooler temperatures in the low 70’s and frequent rainstorms.  The lowest temperature is 56 degrees.  Average daytime temp in January is 72 degrees.  Temperature under 60 degrees may occur, but rarely more than once a year.   For every 1,000 feet in elevation, the temperature drops 3 degrees.  Therefore the mountainous regions are considerably cooler especially in the winter months when there can be frost. 

Demographics

There are no racial or ethnic majorities in Hawaii. Everyone is a minority. Caucasians (Haoles) constitute about 34%; Japanese-American about 32%; Filipino-American about 16% and Chinese-American about 5%.   Of the over 288,000 adults in Honolulu 65,000 of them are seniors.  It is very difficult to determine racial identification as most of the population has some mixture of ethnicities.

Economy

Hawaii has an extremely high cost of living.  Largely because of its insularity and dependence on imports, transportation costs are included in the prices of nearly all consumer goods.  Hawaii’s population skyrocket in the years after World War II, mainly due to the stimulus provided by the state government and local businesses plus continuous improvements in transportation expansion.  As Hawaii’s population rose, housing became increasingly difficult to acquire and it is disproportionately expensive when compared with housing costs in the mainland states. 

Historically, and most notably in Oahu, the residential land has been limited and highly priced since much of the property is owned by corporations and trusts.  Recently legislation has mostly remedied this situation for owners of single-family homes.  

Industry

Commercial air travel to the newly formed state brought a financial boon to the area. Centrally located between the U.S. and Japan, Hawaii entertains tourists from around the world. Today tourism is Hawaii’s principal industry. In 2016, the Hawaiian islands had its fifth consecutive record year for tourism with more than 8.9 million people visiting the area.  About 90% of Hawaii’s 640,000 workers are involved with the tourism industry.  Tourism may come to mind when many people think of industries in Hawaii, and while it is the strongest industry in Hawaii, the state's economy is rather diverse. 

Military

Defense is a large part of Hawaii’s economy. Several Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, and Air Force bases are located in the state. Direct and indirect impacts of military expenditures are reported to generate $14.7 billion into Hawaii’s economy, creating more than 102,000 jobs for residents that collectively report household incomes around $8.7 billion.

Agriculture

With such a tropical climate, Hawaii is a producer of many agricultural products which makes agriculture another major component of the local economy.  The industry generates $2.9 billion to Hawaii’s annual economy and accounts for 42,000 jobs.  The state is second in the nation for sugar cane production and the first in the nation for pineapple production. In fact, more than one-third of the world’s pineapples come from Hawaii.  Since the first Polynesians settled on the islands a tremendous variety of fruits and vegetables have been introduced from many parts of the world. All varieties of common garden vegetables are raised on the island year round.  Other food plants grown include papaya, mango, coconut, avocado, tamarind and specialty crops such as flowers, coffee, and macadamia nuts.

Fishing

Commercial fishing has been part of Hawaii’s economy for nearly two centuries.  While exceedingly exploitive, 19th-century whalers played a major role in bringing trade, commerce, and prosperity to the Hawaiian islands.  Hawaii’s fishing industry lands 27 million pounds of fish worth $115 million every year.  The most valuable catches are swordfish and, especially, bigeye tuna. Bigeye tuna, the source of the best quality sashimi-grade ahi, often sell for more than $7 a pound at auction.  With an average weight of a bigeye tuna at 250 pounds, that’s $1,750 per fish!The industry directly employs hundreds of fishermen and indirectly supports a vast economy of mechanics, electronics companies, boatyards, ice houses, and fishmongers.

Transportation

Ocean surface transportation is the center of Hawaiian shipping with its extensive docks, warehouses, and storage sheds.  A large percentage of cargo ships travel between Hawaii and California ports.  Some cargo ships move between Hawaii and the US East Coast through the Panama Canal and others between Hawaii and the western Pacific island ports. 

Oahu

Oahu is Hawaii’s third largest island and it’s second oldest island.  Along with the churning Pacific current, rainfall, and wind, Oahu had the additional force of two major landslides in shaping the island within its history. Two large portions of the island were washed into the sea, by these landslides. Known as “the Gathering Place”, Oahu is the home to the largest population of people in Hawaii.  The 2010 census reported approximately 950,000 of Hawaii’s 1.3 million people lived on the island of Oahu. 

With half of the Hawaiian hotels and one-third of the state’s best surfing beaches, Oahu is also the considered the main tourist area of the Hawaiian Islands.  Famous for its phenomenal beaches, Waikiki Beach alone welcomes over 4,000,000 visitors every year. Visitors and residents have access to a wide range of recreational and cultural facilities such as golf courses, tennis courses, parks, theaters, musical attractions, and sporting events. 

Shoppers will find world-class shopping in Waikiki and Ala Moana Center and lovers of smaller quaint shops will find boutique shopping in the Kailu neighborhood.  For a taste of local cuisine, visit the Kakaako, Kaimuki, Kapahulu and Chinatown neighborhoods.  Oahu also offers many historical sites including Pearl Harbor and Iolani Palace.

Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, bombed the Honolulu area in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor forcing the United States to enter World War II.  Since that time, Pearl Harbor is one of the most historic locations in the United States and offers four very distinct destinations.

USS Arizona Memorial

The memorial floats above the sunken remains of the USS Arizona, which was destroyed, along with 1,177 crew members, on December 7, 1941. Free tours of the memorial begin at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center with a film about the attack and its historical context, after which visitors board a U.S. Navy boat and are brought to the memorial. Here, you can view the massive marble wall, which is engraved with the names of all who lost their lives when the ship was bombed.

USS Missouri

The USS Missouri, affectionately known as "Mighty Mo," gained its fame as the official site of the Japanese surrender, which marked the end of World War II. Tours include a look at the captain's quarters and the bridge and a more in-depth tour includes exploration of the battleship's inner workings.

USS Bowfin

The two and a half acre USS Bowfin Submarine is moored proudly near the Arizona Memorial. This is a place filled with tales of men who served under extreme conditions with strength, bravery, and honor. There are free self-guided audio tours in several different languages of both the USS Bowfin and the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum.

The Pacific Aviation Museum

The visitors’ experience begins in Hangar 37, a 42,000 square foot former seaplane hangar that survived the December 7, 1941 attack. Also in the hangar is a light civilian plane that was airborne and shot during the Oahu attack. Other exhibits include an actual B-25B Mitchell, an SBD Dauntless dive bomber, an authentic F4F Wildcat and the actual Stearman N2S-3 in which former President George H.W. Bush soloed.  Hangar 79 is an 80,000 square foot seaplane hangar. At each end, the hangar doors’ blue glass windows are still riddled with bullet holes left by the Japanese attack. Today, it holds modern jets historic helicopters and features the MiG Alley Korean War Exhibit.  Hangar 79 is also used for aircraft restoration and exhibit construction facility.  It is filled with an array of vintage aircraft awaiting preparation for future displays such as the F-15 Eagle and the F-14 Tomcat.

Iolani Palace

This impressive Neoclassical palace was built in 1882 for King Kalakaua.  It was the residence of Hawaii's royalty until they were deposed by American settlers in 1893, then served as the state capitol until the modern one was constructed in 1969.  The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a great place to experience Hawaiian history.  The interior has elaborately carved wood paneling made of native woods, like Koa and several imported species. The throne room still has the original carved throne and chandelier, and the façade is adorned with stained glass and elaborate decorations.

Honolulu

Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is Hawaii’s state capitol.  In Honolulu, you can have it all.  This city offers activities for those who know retiring doesn’t mean you have to slow down and for those exploring more intellectual pursuits.  Positioned on the southeast corner of the island of Oahu, rugged adventure and upscale retail are just minutes from each other.  Named for its calm ports due to the fringing reef absorbing the impact of the large Pacific Ocean waves Honolulu actually means “sheltered bay” in the Hawaiian language.  Hono meaning “a bay” and lulu “sheltered.”  Honolulu serves as the business and trading center for the Hawaiian Islands. This major seaport is the largest city in Hawaii.  Also, the Honolulu Harbor has a prominent Foreign Trade Zone. Numerous major shipping companies serve the port.  Honolulu is the only major metropolitan area in the world completely isolated from the next major seaport. 

Over 70% of Hawaii’s population lives in Honolulu. In terms of population, Honolulu is the state’s largest metropolitan area.  The 2015 population estimate of Honolulu proper was approximately 350,000.  Sixty-five percent of this number were senior citizens.  In terms of boundaries, Honolulu is the largest city in the world.  According to the Hawaii State Constitution, any island not named as belonging to a county belongs to Honolulu.  This makes all islands within the Hawaiian Archipelago, stretching some 1,500 miles (the distance of more than halfway across the 48 contiguous states) northwest to  Midway part of Honolulu.  Leisure and hospitality companies such as Aloha Airlines, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach, Oahu Transit and the Polynesian Cultural Center are the major contributors to Honolulu’s economy; typically contributing 10 billion dollars a year. 

Hawaii Kai Neighborhood

Tucked deep in the Ka’Alakei Valley is Honolulu’s top-rated, affluent Hawaii Kai neighborhood.  With a population of approximately 30,000, this area offers several activities for the adventure seeker and those who prefer a slower pace.  For local shopping and dining visit Koko Marina Center located on the corner of Kalanianaole Highway and Lunalilo Home Road.  Located directly on the marina you can dine right next to anchored boats and enjoy views of the water with the green mountains in the background.

Hanauma Bay State Park

It is a premier destinations on Oahu if you want to get acquainted with hundreds of tropical fish and marine life. "Hana" is the Hawaiian word for "Bay" and "uma" refers to the curve. Formed within a volcanic cone, Hawaiian Royalty used Hanauma Bay for fishing and recreation. It offers a pristine area for both beginners and avid snorkelers to view colorful fish and coral.

Sea Life Park

Sea Life Park offers the chance to swim with dolphins or scuba dive in the shark tank.  With a focus on educational and interactive programs, Sea Life Park is small enough to enjoy on foot but diverse enough to be a full day of educational and unique experiences.

The Koko Crater Trail

Located in Koko Head Park the reward for climbing the steep 1.8-mile trail with 1,048 steps is the breathtaking panoramic view of the Ka Iwi Coast.  The journey begins at the base of Koko Crater near the baseball field.

Koko Crater Botanical Garden

Within the crater, the Koko Crater Botanical Garden shelters rare desert plants on  260 acres of covering the slopes and basin of the crater. inner.  The self-guided tour loops through 2 miles xeriscape concept that explore rare and endangered dryland plants. In addition to native and naturalized Hawaiian plants, the garden features species from Madagascar, Africa, and the Americas.  Many of these are rare and endangered species.

Hawaii Kai Retirement

Nestled in the Ka’Alakei Valley of the Ko’olau Mountain Range, the Hawaii Kai Retirement Independent Living center offers a tropical oasis on 23 acres on East Oahu.  Managed by the award-winning Holiday Retirement, Hawaii Kai Retirement Community aims to provide a safe, nurturing, and caring environment to its residents in a community-style setting that is similar to being in the comfort of their own home.  The 110 residents within the community participate in daily activities such as music therapy or pet therapy, and outdoor excursions.

The campus is a small city within itself.  Hawaii Kai Retirement offers so many amenities and activities there is really no reason for the lavish resort area.  The community offers walking paths with picture-perfect views of the Pacific Ocean, yoga, a billiard lounge, chef prepared to dine with accommodations for special diets and much, much more.

Hawaii Kai Retirement is perfect for residents seeking an autonomous lifestyle in a community of people similar in age.  Choose from a variety of luxury studio, one bedroom or two bedroom floor plan.  Each fitted with the latest technology, housekeeping, linen service, and patio or balcony.  Services include transportation to and from doctors appointments, shopping and religious worship, a traveling barber or hairdresser, and physical therapy. 

At approximately 600 square miles (smaller than Rhode Island) Honolulu, HI on the island of Oahu packs several varieties of opportunities for any retiree’s passion from physical adventures to intellectual pursuits.  And in the middle of it all is Hawaii Kai Retirement is the perfect home base for those dreams to become realities.

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