It what will be a historic day for Hawaiian music, Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele virtuoso from Hawaii, will perform his arrangement of the Beatles' tune "In My Life" with Bette Midler for The Royal Variety Performance 2009 in Blackpool, England.

Blackpool's legendary Opera House will host the annual event. It is the largest theatre in the UK outside of London with a seating capacity of 3000.

The star-studded spectacle will take place on Monday, December 7 and be screened on ITV1, in the UK, later that month. It will be produced by ITV Studios, the makers of the 2007 Royal Variety Performance, which attracted an impressive 9 million viewers.

The Performance is presented annually in aid of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund (the EABF), whose patron is Her Majesty The Queen. Acts lined up to appear include: Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, Canadian singer and Grammy Award winner Michael Buble, teen superstar Miley Cyrus, and many more. Read more...

Despite a weak economy, there is one activity on Hawaii's Big Island that is still thriving and, in fact, more popular than ever. That activity is a trip to the summit of Mauna Kea for sunset.

The company that I selected for a trip to Mauna Kea was Hawaii Forest and Trail. I had previously taken their Kohala Wai PinzTrek Adventure in North Kohala and was eager to take their Mauna Kea Summit & Stars Adventure as well. When my wife and I were invited to cover the 2008 Kona Coffee Festival, this became one side trip that we wanted to take.

If you have even a passing interest in astronomy or geology this adventure is not to be missed. On the way you'll learn about the remarkable evolution and changes that the Big Island's natural world has experienced. Even if all you want to do is see one of the most amazing sunsets ever, you'll definitely want to make the trip.

Read our full review of a Mauna Kea Summit & Stars Adventure with Hawaii Forest and Trail and then view our Gallery of 36 Photos of our Mauna Kea Summit & Stars Adventure.

Last fall I went on a 5-hour HUMMER Movie/Lost Adventure Tour with Kos Tours on Oahu. It was the best tour I have ever experienced in Hawaii.

I was excited when I heard that Kos had added a 10-hour HUMMER Circle Island Lost Location Adventure which is a totally different tour, visiting all new Lost locations.

The 10-hour tour is a far different type of adventure than the 5-hour tour. While the 5-hour tour spends the majority of time on Kualoa Ranch and in the Ka'a'awa Valley where Lost does extensive filming, the 10-hour tour is literally a "circle island adventure."

Since I described the 5-hour Kos HUMMER Movie/Lost Adventure Tour on Oahu as "the most fun I've ever had in over 13 years writing about the island of Oahu" I'd be hard pressed to say that their adult 10-hour HUMMER Circle Island Lost Location Adventure is better. But, in fact, it was equally as much fun.

Read my review of the 10-hour Kos HUMMER Circle Island Lost Location Adventure and then view my gallery of photos of some of the Lost locations seen on the tour.

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For years I've wanted to explore the Kipu Ranch area of Kauai, but I've known that it's private property with no public access. Then I learned that a relatively new company called Kipu Ranch Adventures offers daily ATV tours of a portion of this area owned by the ranch, I jumped on the opportunity.

I was worried about riding on an ATV, but my concerns were quickly relieved when I realized that Kipu Ranch Adventures also uses 2 passenger 660cc Yamaha Rhinos. It's an ATV that drives like a car. Bucket seats and a steering wheel makes this Rhino simple to drive and safer than an ATV.

Read my full review of a 3 Hour Kipu Ranch Adventures Ranch/Mountain Tour and then view the 24 photos in our Kipu Ranch Adventures Ranch Tour Photo Gallery.

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Trump International Hotel & Tower® Waikiki Beach Walk®, the first new hotel to open on Waikiki Beach in many years had its soft opening on Monday, welcoming its first guests.

Located on Saratoga Road across Kalia Road from the Outrigger Reef on Beach, the 38-story luxury condominium-hotel has 462 studio to three bedroom units, many of which will be available as hotel rooms for the general public.

Also in the tower there will be two restaurants including Laurent Tourondel' BLT Steak which is scheduled to open in mid-December.

Trump International Hotel & Tower® Waikiki Beach Walk® is the fourth hotel under the Trump Hotel Collection brand which will manage the property under a licensing agreement with California-based developer Irongate Capital.

Read more about the Trump International Hotel & Tower® Waikiki Beach Walk®.

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Too often overlooked by visitors to Honolulu and Waikiki, the Honolulu Zoo is one of the island of Oahu's hidden treasures.

Located in Kapi'oplani Park between the hotels and resorts of Waikiki and Diamond Head, the Honolulu Zoo is an easy walk from most Waikiki hotels.

The only zoo within 2300 miles, the Honolulu Zoo features many species of animals that you won't see in any mainland zoo, including a family of Komodo Dragons, Sumatran Tigers and several species unique to Hawaii such as the Hawaii State Bird, the Nene.

Find our more about the Honolulu Zoo and view our gallery of 84 photos taken at the Honolulu Zoo.

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The Hilton Hawaiian Village® Beach Resort & Spa is one of my favorite resorts in Hawaii.

I admit that for many years I was reluctant to stay at the resort for fear that it was just too big and too crowded. While the resort is big, it rarely seems crowded. In fact, at many times of the day it's easy to find a your own private space.

The advantages of being so big far outweigh any negatives. There are so many things to do that you rarely have to leave the resort. If you enjoy the beach and sand, the resort has some of the best in Waikiki. If shopping is your thing, there are more than 80 stores within the resort. If you're looking for great restaurants, there is none better than Bali Steak and Seafood.

In short, the Hilton Hawaiian Village® Beach Resort & Spa has it all. Check out our review of the Hilton Hawaiian Village® Beach Resort & Spa and the 10+ reasons that I really like the resort.

The 2009 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing will kick off this week with the first day of surfing scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2009 at Hale'iwa's Ali'i Beach on Oahu's North Shore.

This year will mark the 27th year for what is generally accepted as the World Series of surfing for both men and women. The Series of three men's and three women's Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) sanctioned events will run through December 20, 2009.

Find out all about the 2009 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

As the winter travel season approaches, many of the bed and breakfasts, hotels and resorts on the Big Island of Hawaii are eager for your business. They are offering great deals for travel now and into 2010.

The Big Island of Hawaii continues to offer some of the best deals available in Hawaii. If you're looking to get away from the cold winter weather, there's no better place than the quiet shores of Hawaii's Big Island.

Check out some of these great deals:

Art & Orchids Bed and Breakfast
Art & Orchids Bed and Breakfast is located in the Puna district, conveniently close to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, and the Kalapana Lava Viewing Area. A new swimming pool features beautiful inlaid turtles and other sea life mosaics as well as a waterfall guests can sit behind. Rates range from $90 to $115 per night. Call toll-free (877) 393-1894.

Bougainvillea Bed & Breakfast
A Salute To Our Nation's Military. Ocean View's Bougainvillea Bed & Breakfast offers a Big Island "Sizzlin' Special Double Experience" at a 20 percent discount to military personnel. Includes three nights at Bougainvillea B&B and three nights in a one-bedroom oceanfront Kona condominium. Owner Martie Nitsche is a certified travel agent who can also book rental cars and activities for inbound guests. Call (800) 688-1763 or (808) 929-7089.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, which recently completed a $40 million property enhancement, has a new chef at Pahu'ia, its fine-dining beachside restaurant. Chef Jacob Anaya was chef at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and has cooked in restaurants including Silk at the San Francisco Mandarin Oriental and the esteemed Wildfire in Sydney, Australia. In November, Chef Anaya will introduce new dishes to Pahu'ia, which focuses on fresh, sustainable local Big Island seafood and produce. Read more...

The 2009 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival will open this Friday, November 6, 2009 and run through Sunday, November 15, 2009. That's ten full days of exciting events that will take place at various locations around Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island.

My wife and I attended a full week of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in 2008 and had one of our best weeks ever in Hawaii. Even if, like us, you're not a coffee drinker, there are plenty of activities that are just plain fun. If you are a coffee drinker and especially if you're a fan of Kona Coffee, this festival is your Nirvana.

Beginning with the beautiful International Lantern Parade on the opening Friday and concluding with the Kamehameha Schools Kona Coffee Grand Parade and Sunra Kona Coffee Concert in the Park the following weekend, there are non-stop activities throughout the week.

Check out our feature on the 2009 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.