INSPIRATIOS BLOG

THE FURNITURE THAT BROUGHT ʻIOLANI PALACE TO LIFE Inside the Royal Rooms, One Furnishing at a Time By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer One of the rooms I photographed inside ʻIolani Palace, where the furniture, rugs, draperi es and polished floors work together as part of the room itself. More Than Rooms in a Historic Palace After writing about the outside of ʻIolani Palace and its grand staircase, I wanted to look more closely at another part of the experience: the

WHY DOES THIS LOOK SO FAMILIAR? Outside ʻIolani Palace and a Classic Hawaii Five-O Connection By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer My view of ʻIolani Palace from across the street - the building that made me wonder, “Why does this look so familiar?” Before I Even Went Inside Before I ever stepped inside ʻIolani Palace, the outside of the building had already caught my attention. I remember looking at it and thinking that there was something familiar about it. I kept

THE GRAND STAIRCASE THAT STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS My First Impressions Inside ʻIolani Palace By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer The Grand Staircase was one of the first things that caught my attention inside ʻIolani Palace. A Quick Backstory: ʻIolani Palace Located in downtown Honolulu, ʻIolani Palace was completed in 1882 and served as the official royal residence of King Kalākaua and later his sister and successor, Queen Liliʻuokalani. The Palace stood at the cent

A DOUBLE CELEBRATION BY THE SEA My Birthday Dinner at 53 By The Sea in Honolulu By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer Celebrating my birthday at 53 By The Sea in Honolulu. Some restaurants are the kind of places you visit for dinner. Others are the kind of places you save for a celebration. For me, 53 By The Sea was definitely the second. During my 2024 trip to Hawaii, I visited the restaurant with my friend and her husband, and we actually had two reasons to celebrat

POSTCARD BLUE WATER & GIANT SEA TURTLES My Visit to Laniākea Beach on Oʻahu By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer The blue Pacific, waves and mountains made my first view of Laniākea Beach look like a postcard. The water looked like a postcard. That's one of the first things I remember when I think about my visit to Laniākea Beach during my 2024 trip to Hawaii. I was visiting a friend in Hawaii, and we decided to take a drive out to Laniākea Beach on Oʻahu's North Sho

22 MINUTES TO KAUAI My Quick Flight from Honolulu to Līhuʻe By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer Flying into Kauai — and getting my first look at the island from above. Twenty-two minutes. That's how long my flight from Honolulu to Līhuʻe felt from takeoff to landing. When I decided to spend the day exploring Kauai, I knew the flight from Honolulu would be short. But I didn't realize just how short it would feel until I was actually on the plane. I flew Southwest Air

A Different Side of Kauai: Rum Tasting at Kilohana Plantation FOOD & TRAVEL By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer Caption: Kōloa Rum Company at Kilohana Plantation in Līhuʻe, Kauai. Kauai may be known for its beaches, mountains and breathtaking scenery, but some of my favorite travel experiences are the ones I don’t necessarily expect. During my visit to Līhuʻe, I spent part of the day exploring Kilohana Plantation, a beautiful tropical property offering a completely

A BRAVE LITTLE DETOUR Crossing the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge in Kauaʻi FOOD & TRAVEL By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer The Hanapepe Swinging Bridge turned an unexpected stop into one of the memorable moments of my drive to Waimea Canyon. Sometimes it's the little stops along the way that make a trip even more memorable. While heading toward Waimea Canyon during my 2024 trip to Kauaʻi, I stopped in Hanapepe and came across the Hanapepe Swinging Bridge. And, of cours

Kauaʻi’s Grand Canyon of the Pacific FOOD & TRAVEL By Teresa Davis | Travel & Lifestyle Explorer The incredible view across Waimea Canyon was one of the highlights of my trip to Kauaʻi. When I traveled to Kauaʻi in 2024, one of the places I really wanted to experience was Waimea Canyon, often called the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” I had seen pictures of the canyon before my trip, but seeing it in person was completely different. The first thing that caught my attention was