Best Places to Visit in Mexico

Best Places to Visit in Mexico

Visit Hawaii and Enjoy Local Festivities

Hawaii has idyllic weather much of the year. It is wise to be aware of the month by month events that take place in the islands so you can plan accordingly.

January is typically Hawaii’s wettest month. This is also when snowbirds escape winter storms elsewhere and make their way to the Hawaiian Islands. I guess they enjoy the warm rain rather than the cold snow.

The third Monday of January is Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday and is a particularly busy time. Then there is the Chinese New Year. This is different every year, but depends on the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually between mid-January and mid-February. There are lion dances, street fairs and parades. The biggest Chinese New Year celebration is in Honolulu, but there are also festivities in Lahaina, Maui and Hilo on the Big Island.

February is a good time for whale watching. A whole event takes place in Maui organized by the Pacific Whale Foundation with live music, crafts and food boothshttp://www.pacificwhale.org/

Waimea Town on Kauai hosts more than 10,000 folks for the island’s biggest festival. The celebration includes canoe and foot races, a rodeo (yes, Hawaii has cowboys called paniolo), ukulele and lei contests and much more.
http://wkbpa.org/

If you are into slack key guitar, you won’t want to miss the Waimea Ukulele and Slack Key Concert on the Big Island in mid-February.

In March, all islands in Hawaii honor the birthday of Prince Kuhio Kalaniana’ole, the man who would have been King if Queen Lili’uokalani had not been overthrown by the USA. It is a public holiday for most. Most students have a two week break from school around Easter and mid-March the Honolulu Festival celebrates the mixture of cultures in Hawaii.

The peak tourist season ends in April. The Big Island holds the Merrie Monarch Festival, the best time for hula photographers. A week-long celebration attracts hula competitors from around the world to Hawaii.

May is typically sunny and cloudless and hotels sell out for the Memorial Day holiday so plan ahead. Lei Day is in May and there is a Lei queen in Waikiki’s Kap’iolani Park. There are lei-making competitions on Kaua’i and Lihu’e with lei-making demonstrations an hula dancing galore.June brings warm, dry weather and King Kamehameha Day on the 11^th. The King’s statue is draped with leis in downtown Honolulu after which a parade and live music fills the streets. A hula competition is one of the years’ largest. West Maui sets Hawaii’s best chefs against each other, in the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival in late June.

As temperatures rise and school vacations begins, July Fourth celebrations begin as well as a pineapple festival in Lana’i, and Plantation Days in Kauai. The beaches in Hawaii are usually full in August as hot sunny weather abounds. http://alohafestivals.com/pages/events/oahu.html

Trade winds start to blow in September and crowds start to disseminate as students go back to school. The Aloha Festivals began in 1946. It is Hawaii’s premier cultural festival. Check out the lastest dates at  http://alohafestivals.com/pages/events/oahu.html

The slowest month for Hawaii tourism is usually October. It can still be warm and sunny. The Ironman Triathlon World Championship is held on the Big Island. Halloween is akin to Mardi Gras in Hawaii. Waikiki is the place to be for a great street party!

The Triple Crown of Surfing runs from mid-November through mid-December depending on the surf. The Honolulu Marathon is usually held on the second Sunday in December attracting 25,000 runners from around the world.

The Christmas Honolulu City Lights begins a month long celebration including parades, fireworks and other gaiety. It can be rainy and cooler than the rest of the year, but rarely gets below 65. Come and visit!

Best Places to Visit in Mexico

With over 5,000 miles of beaches, warm weather and a rich history, it is no wonder that Mexico is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Personally, I have not been there yet, but many in my family have. I researched this hub to find out where I would like to visit in Mexico. I found that there are actually three different spots in Mexico that most people travel to. I will discuss them below.

Besides the historical sites, there are over 150 museums. I love museums! Mexico is the birthplace of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. As an art student, I studied both of these artists and I found their work very interesting. I wouldn't mind traveling to Mexico just to see some of this artwork in person.

You might think you have tasted authentic Mexican food, but your taste buds will thank you for showing them the difference, or so I've heard. Tamales, burritos, tacos, and so much more. I do love Taco Bell, but would love to taste real Mexican food.

Architecture in Mexico is one of the major tourist attractions and includes haciendas, cathedrals and other amazing structures. Also the huge Mexican Mayan pyramids would definitely be on my list of things to see. Major settlements were built by the Mayan civilization in this area. I'm sure one of the highlights of visiting Mexico would be touring one of these historical sites.

The Yucatan peninsula is the most popular of the tourist destinations, and encompasses the Riviera Maya, otherwise known as the Caribbean Riviera. It is well known for the Mayan Ruins, white-sand beaches and beach towns. This includes Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. My son and his wife traveled to Cancun for a week last year and thoroughly enjoyed their experience.

Second in popularity is the Mexican Riviera. It includes 2,000 miles of beaches between Acapulco and Ensenada. Many cruise liners travel to this region regularly ending up at the Puerto Vallarta area, Cabo San Lucas, and Ixtapa. It is about time we take a cruise instead of flying. So this area could be a definite possibility.

The third most popular area tourists visit in Mexico includes Copper Canyon, Morelia and Mexico City which runs down the center of the country.This land boasts abundant marine and wildlife. There are occasional Mexican craft markets where you can pick up some treasures to take home. I have heard you can find some great bargains at some of the markets. I am sure I would love to go to a market for shopping.

I would love to hear from you if you have traveled to Mexico and what you enjoyed the most.