The magic of not over-planning

When visiting the islands it’s tempting to fill each precious vacation day with things to do.  Of course there are loads of things to see here, but in our travel experience, we’ve learned it’s also important not to plan too much.  It’s good of course to have a general idea of where you’re going and what you want to see so that you are prepared, but it’s also important to be flexible and open and allow things to unfold.  You never know how a given day may turn out, and what fantastic opportunity may present itself.

I was reminded of this the other night when we went out for dinner.  It was the last night of our vacation and we thought it’d be nice to have one last dinner out.  We had a certain restaurant in mind but when it was full had to go somewhere else.  We took this in stride and decided to try some place new to us.  This other place turned out to have a fantastic band playing.  We enjoyed our dinner, and spent the last part of it sitting up next to the stage (at the manager’s suggestion) so our son could dance.  It turned out to be a wonderful night.

We’ve had many experiences like this here, and so have our guests.  When you’re out and about, you never know what you may discover.  We’ve come across hula performances, impromptu musical gatherings, small festivals, exhibits, fantastic restaurants, and off-the-beaten path beaches and activities.  You also never know who you’ll meet.  Big Island people embody the aloha spirit, and sometimes the most memorable experience is a talk-story session with someone new.

An Innkeeping Family

My apologies, dear readers, for not keeping up on my postings.  Our little son is going through another bout of teething and has required lots of additional distraction.  He seems to get them in fours so I’m hoping he’ll soon be through.

On the topic of family, we’re often asked how we came to be innkeepers.  Our first connection to Hawaii was through Ken’s family, who is from Oahu.  We knew we wanted to raise our own family in the islands and moved here from northwest Washington in December 2005.  We opened Luana Inn to strong reviews a few months later, and continue to work hard to improve the business.  Although it seems that B&B’s have the reputation for being side-jobs or hobbies, Luana Inn is a serious business, the source of our livelihood, and much more than a full-time occupation for us both.  Like most small family businesses, Luana Inn is the product of much hard work and love. 

We are very thankful for all the wonderful guests we’ve been able to meet and serve over the years.  We will continue to work to make Luana Inn a place our guests love, and a business of which our son can someday be proud.