Now that the dust has settled and Allegiant Air's special, and short lived, introductory rates for their new Hawaii flights have passed, we can get a better idea of what their rate structure to Hawaii will be, at least for the next few months.

In case you missed it, Allegiant will be starting direct non-stop flights to Honolulu in late June from Fresno, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. In November they will begin flights from five additional west coast cities including a direct flight from Bellingham, Washington to Kahului, Maui.

Flights will be offered two or three times a week and the cost of airfare varies widely depending on the city of origin, date of week, and several other factors.

Allegiant also charges baggage fees as well as a fee for carry-on's stowed in the overhead bins. These fees are "per bag, per segment," so, if you're traveling from one of the other 80+ airports that Allegiant serves, these costs could add up quickly.

If, however, you live in or near one of these cities from which direct flights will be offered, the price may be right for you. Be sure to compare prices before you book any airfare using a service such as kayak.com.

For more details, check out our feature, Allegiant Air Announces Flights to Hawaii.

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_{Lantern Floating Hawaii}

The 14th Annual Lantern Floating Hawaii Ceremony will take place on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012. More than 3,000 candle-lit lanterns bearing individual and community remembrances and prayers will illuminate the ocean off of Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park.

The event brings together more than 40,000 Hawaii residents and visitors from around the world and from various cultures and traditions who cast afloat lanterns at sunset in remembrance of loved ones who have passed, or as symbolic prayer for a harmonious and peaceful future. The ceremony will also recognize those who have passed due to various causes afflicting humanity throughout the world. The theme of Lantern Floating Hawaii is "Many Rivers, One Ocean."

I attended the 2010 event. Taking away all of the pageantry, pomp and circumstance which was so beautiful, Lantern Floating Hawaii is ultimately about the people who get a lantern, write their special messages to deceased love ones, prayers to their God, hopes for the world and much more, and then place it in the water for the tide to take out to sea.

It is very much like lighting a candle in a Roman Catholic Church or writing a prayer on a piece of paper and then burning it as you watch the smoke rise to the heavens. What you ultimately take from it is up to you. It comes down to faith. For some the event was just fun, for some symbolic, but, for far more, something very spiritual as you could clearly see in their tears.

Find out more about this year's Lantern Floating Hawaii.

View a gallery of 12 photos taken at Lantern Floating Hawaii 2010.

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_{16-inch Guns of the Battleship Missouri}

Today the much anticipated motion picture Battleship from Universal Studios opens in the USA and Canada. The film has already earned over $200 million overseas.

Initial reviews of the film, including the review from About.com's Hollywood Movies' Guide, Rebecca Murray, are not particularly positive, however, I have heard from several friends who live on the island of O'ahu, where much of the motion picture was filmed, saying that they really enjoyed the film, especially the scenes filmed on the island.

Did you know, however, that the real battleship, the USS Missouri, now in Pearl Harbor, was used for the making of the film? If you see the film and have toured the USS Missouri since it opened to the public in 1999, you're sure to recognize many parts of the ship that you may have seen on tour.

The scenes of the ship sailing through the Pacific Ocean were actually filmed when the ship was moved to and from drydock at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in 2009 where it underwent a three-month, $18-million overhaul.

If you've never visited the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor and are planning to be on Oahu, be sure to read our feature on the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

If you plan to see the film and want to see what the real ship looks like, check out our gallery of 24 photos of the Battleship Missouri.

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If you're planning to be on Hawaii Island, the Big Island over the Memorial Day weekend, there's still time to make plans to attend one of the island's biggest events of the year, the 2012 Big Island Film Festival.

Nicknamed the "Talk Story" Film Festival, the Big Island Film Festival is a celebration of independent narrative films and filmmaking. In addition to 57 films of varying lengths (including nine from Hawaii, four of those from the Big Island), there are special showings of two Hawaii-made documentary films - Aunty Nona Beamer - Malama Ko Aloha and Family of the Wa'a.

That's just part of what's going on at this year's festival which has been called one of top 20 "Cool Fests" by MovieMaker Magazine.

It all takes place at the Mauna Lani Resort and at the host hotel, The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii.

Read more about the 2012 Big Island Film Festival.

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