15Jan 2023 by Doug Arnott

2023 starts with a new Kilauea eruption

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Camping, Environment, Environmental, Geology, Hawaii, Hilo, Nature, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Volcano, Volcanoes, Volcanology
Aloha to Arnott's Guests and future guests!This is an update to the current status of the Kilauea volcano and its eruption. As of January 10th, 2023, there is a spectacular lake of molten lava with one fountain that varies from a few to 30 feet or more in height (10m +.)The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park staff have have prepared great viewing areas that are very close to the crater and allow spectacular photography. Be aware, however, that the full show does not begin until the sun sets (currently around 6:00 p.m.) and that large crowds and long waits for parking can be expected until about 9:00 p.m. After 9:00 p.m. and until around 4:00 a.m. there are very few people in the park. It can be very cold at that…
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05Dec 2022 by Doug Arnott
The New Eruption of Mauna Loa

The New Eruption of Mauna Loa

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Conservation, Environment, Environmental, Geology, Hawaii, Hilo, History, Nature, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Uncategorized, Volcano, Volcanoes, Volcanology
On the evening of November 27th at 11:30 p.m., we were just getting ready to sleep when social media became alive with news of a lurid glow over Mauna Loa and that an eruption was in progress. This announcement followed months of increased activity after years of mild tremor recorded by sensitive instruments placed at strategic points on the mountain. Of course in a very short time the Internet was flooded with pictures from 360 degrees around the mountain of very strong glow. A quick visit to ever-patient HVO research Webcams on Mauna Loa's NW corner of the Caldera Rim showed the entire Caldera of Moku'aweoweo flooded with very hot fresh Lava, and for a while it seemed like it would spill out the Southwest corner toward a very steep…
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08Jun 2021 by Doug Arnott

Doug Arnott Discusses our SUNSET and stargazing Mauna Kea tour

Adventure, affordable, Budget, COVID, Environment, Environmental, Hawaii, Hilo, Outdoors, Travel, Traveling
Aloha guests and future guests. My Blog today is about our Mauna Kea Summit tour and why some companies advertise the use of expensive telescopes while we use a Laser Pointer, and also why our emphasis is on SUNSET and not so much on stargazing. Most people who go up Mauna Kea, have never experienced anything like this amazing adventure, nor have they experienced the clarity of our atmosphere that has you gasping in wonder with your eyes; not even with binoculars.Many realize for the first time that we are part of a highly visible VAST galaxy that looks like a River of closely associated Stars in their Billions: this is what drove ancient Egyptians to build the Pyramids in perfect alignment with this River.If you want to look through a…
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21Mar 2021 by Doug Arnott

Doug’s Blog on Visiting the Big Island during COVID

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Business, Camping, Conservation, COVID, distance work, Environment, Environmental, Geology, Hawaii, Hilo, History, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Volcano, Volcanoes, Volcanology, Wifi
Aloha All Visitors reading my Blog.The problem for any destination that has a Main Feature is how to draw visitors to come when that feature is not doing its thing.The burning question is whether the destination has other charms for Visitors besides its main feature.Paris without the Eiffel Tower is still amazing Paris, Japan without Mt Fuji is still rich in culture and scenery.Many have visited Italy many times without seeing Rome or the Volcanoes.And so it is with the Big Island, or as our Visitor Bureau likes to call it, "Island of Hawaii".For a start this is a BIG Island with three Huge Mountains: two over 13,000ft above sea level. One is Mauna Kea, which you can drive (4x4) or take a tourto the top, the other is Mauna Loa,…
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20Dec 2020 by Doug Arnott
A Blog by Doug Arnott, founder and owner of Arnotts

A Blog by Doug Arnott, founder and owner of Arnotts

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Camping, COVID, distance work, Environmental, Hawaii, Hilo, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Wifi
Douglass Arnott standing in one of Arnotts guest areas. While 2020 with Covid raging around the world has presented its challenges, we find ourselves approaching Christmas with a deep appreciation for Hilo and the Big Island of Hawaii where we are based.Our small population...only 200,000 on a large island and our sense of Ohana (family) and of Kuleana (ones obligation to others) has seen us through; far better than many other places. Going into 2021 we will probably see hesitancy by our usual clients of Paddling, Hula, Soccer, Rugby, Biking, Adventure Hiking and of course our Au Pair camper groups to travel in numbers, and so we find ourselves pondering who might we reach out to who could utilize our unique Hotel and the vans and buses which used to serve…
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10Sep 2018 by Sarah Garcia

Hurricane Season in Hawaii

Adventure, Conservation, Environment, Environmental, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, Travel, Traveling, Uncategorized
Guess what time of year it is! That's right, it's hurricane season in Hawaii! Every year from the beginning of June to the end of November, Hawaii has its eyes on the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Japan, watching for weather disturbances. The Central Pacific Basin, in which Hawaii squarely sits, is monitored constantly by NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.) Our busiest month for hurricanes is usually August, followed by September. Let's be real: Hawaii is in a blessed spot. Hurricanes rarely strike us directly, and there are some good scientific reasons for this. First, Hawaii is a small target in a big ocean. The Pacific is the largest and deepest ocean on the planet: it covers about 63 million square miles and contains more than half of…
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10Sep 2018 by Sarah Garcia

Hawaiian Terrestrial Life

Conservation, Environment, Environmental, History, Nature, Outdoors, Travel, Traveling
Sitting outside on the lanai, enjoying a cool drink and relaxing sea breeze, listening to the crashing waves in the distance...and then you hear it. This small, two-tone animal call. Most visitors to the Island think it is a small bird….but what bird is awake at night? It is actually a tiny, invasive frog endemic to Puerto Rico; the Coqui Frog. They are only one of the many species that somehow managed to find their way to one of the most remote islands in the world. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The size of an adult coqui frog[/caption] As you travel around this beautiful island of Hawai’i, the diversity of plants and animals across the island is absolutely amazing! However, there is a darkness to that beauty. Much of what is…
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23Jun 2018 by Sarah Garcia

Marine Life in Hawaii

Conservation, Environment, Environmental, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, Sunscreen, Travel, Traveling, Uncategorized, Volcano
When you hear “Hawai‘i”, what do you first think of? Sunshine, the beach, and the ocean, right? Many travelers coming to the islands often look forward to jumping into our warm waters, whether to surf and swim, or snorkel and dive! Just as the views from above the surface of the water are beautiful, the life and landscape under the water is just as breathtaking! To the untrained eye, everything under the water tends to look the same, with little to no diversity...however when you take an even closer look, you begin to realize life under the water is more than just a few rocks, fish, and turtles! There is an amazingly complex, and delicate ecosystem, just waiting to be fully understood. Here in Hawai‘i, we have amazing reef systems…
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