Hawaii

A retired LAPD homicide detective was arrested this week in the fatal beating of his wife in Hawaii six years ago. He had been a suspect since her death. Dan DeJarnette, 59, was taken into custody without incident Monday night at his home on the Big Island in connection with the slaying of his wife, Yu Dejarnette. He appeared in a Hawaii courtroom Tuesday to face formal charges. He said at the time of her November 2006 death that he had awakened and found her lying on a lava embankment about 20 feet from the couple's home in Ka'u on the southern end of the island.

A retired LAPD homicide detective was arrested this week in the fatal beating of his wife in Hawaii six years ago. He had been a suspect since her death. Dan DeJarnette, 59, was taken into custody without incident Monday night at his home on the Big Island in connection with the slaying of his wife, Yu Dejarnette. He appeared in a Hawaii courtroom Tuesday to face formal charges. He said at the time of her November 2006 death that he had awakened and found her lying on a lava embankment about 20 feet from the couple's home in Ka'u on the southern end of the island.

HANALEI, Hawaii - It's a warm Tuesday afternoon on Kauai and tourists are lining up - just a few at first, then a dozen or so. Finally more than 100 have gathered, waiting patiently. They're not here to swim with dolphins, snorkel in turquoise waters or even learn to hula at a luau. They're here for a farmers market. Manager Kalen Kelekoma climbs atop a wooden crate and welcomes the throng with a warm "aloha" and an explanation of the market rules. Then the horn sounds, and they rush the stalls.

Seventy percent of beaches on Maui, Kauai and Oahu are going through long-term erosion , the U.S. Geological Survey says in a study released this week  . . . . The average hotel room rate in central London for the Olympic period this summer: $341 a night . . . . Happy 100th birthday to the Beverly Hills Hotel , which celebrates the milestone Saturday . . . . . Newport's Balboa Bay Club & Resort is hosting its ninth annual celebration...

Lumeria Maui started life in 1909 as a home for old plantation workers, built by one of Hawaii's big sugar families. In its 100-plus years, the North Shore property had been repurposed as military housing and then as dorms for a women's college. Now it emerges as a small, graceful retreat center that accents local culture and relaxation under the moniker "edventure. " Prices start relatively small too, with an introductory offer of $299 a night. The deal: Lumeria sits on six acres facing the ocean in Makawao on the island of Maui.

The helicopter went down in a sandstorm, half a world away in Iraq. But with word that at least 27 of the dead were from the Marine Corps air station at Kaneohe Bay, grief spread across the islands as Hawaii sought to cope with the biggest one-day loss of its troops since the attack on Pearl Harbor more than 63 years ago. "I'm not really a woman with words.

The restaurants at Disney's new Aulani hotel in Hawaii are expensive and limited, unless you like fine-dining food and prices at every meal. The $800-million Aulani in Ko Olina on leeward-side Oahu had a soft opening in late August with an official grand opening scheduled for Sept. 22. > Aulani: Photos of Disney's new Hawaiian resort I've been staying at the Aulani the last few days with my wife, Nancy, and our 11-year-old daughter, Hannah, where we spent a small fortune on food on top of room rates starting at $399 a night.

Cruise on a Catamaran Makani , Kewalo Basin, Honolulu; (808) 591-9000, sailmakani.com. Morning, afternoon and evening sails, from $35. Private charters also available. Holo Holo Charters , Port Allen Marina Center, Eleele, Kauai; (808) 335-0815, holoholokauaiboattours.com. Operates a sailing catamaran and power catamaran for excursions to the Na Pali Coast and Niihau. Trips from $99.

Anyone dreaming of a sunny winter break in Hawaii this week can forget it: Gov. Neil Abercrombie has declared a disaster on the islands of Kauai and Oahu after days of relentless rain that caused flooding, mudslides, waterspouts, hail and dangerously high surf. The sun was putting in a brief guest appearance Wednesday, but forecasters said more rain was coming Friday and Saturday -- this after Wainiha, on Kauai, has seen more than 35 inches since Saturday, with more than 15 inches dumped on the island's main city, Lihue.

Where can you find the world's wettest terrain, the most active volcanoes and the shortest alphabet (just 12 letters)? Hawaii, home to exotic animal and plant life found nowhere else, is not only the youngest state in the U.S. but also the youngest land geologically, with volcanic eruptions still transforming its landscape. Discover the rich history and culture of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands through the direct links on the Times Launch Point Web site: http://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/.

Lumeria Maui started life in 1909 as a home for old plantation workers, built by one of Hawaii's big sugar families. In its 100-plus years, the North Shore property had been repurposed as military housing and then as dorms for a women's college. Now it emerges as a small, graceful retreat center that accents local culture and relaxation under the moniker "edventure. " Prices start relatively small too, with an introductory offer of $299 a night. The deal: Lumeria sits on six acres facing the ocean in Makawao on the island of Maui.

Roberts Hawaii, the state's largest tour and transportation company, has added Roberts Hawaii Express Shuttle service from Kona International Airport on the Big Island to and from select hotels and resorts along the Kailua-Kona, Keauhou and Kohala coastline.  A Roberts rep will greet guests and help with luggage. Roberts Hawaii Express Shuttle guarantees no more than five stops during any trip. The reservation-based shuttle service is available 24 hours a day.  Prices on Kona vary according to distance and the number of passengers in a party.

THE BEST WAY TO THE BIG ISLAND AND KAUAI From LAX, Delta, United and American offer nonstop service, and Hawaiian offers connecting service (change of plane) to Kauai and the island of Hawaii. Restricted round-trip fares to both islands begin at $852. TO LEARN MORE Slow Food: There are active conviviums of the Slow Food organization on the different islands, and their websites can be great resources for farmers markets and other local food places. http://www.slowfoodhawaii.org ; http://www.slowfoodkauai.blogspot.com ; http://www.slowfoodmaui.org ; http://www.slowfoodoahu.org . Edible Hawaiian Islands: This group of locally produced local food magazines has a strong edition in Hawaii that offers not only a printed magazine but also a good website ( www.ediblecommunities.com/hawaiianislands )

Travelers may think of Hawaii as the land of surfboards, sunsets and mai tais, but there's a lava flow of reasons to go beyond the beaches and discover why residents say they are lucky to live in Hawaii. And, yes, some of the state's best beaches are found on the Big Island. But don't get stuck there. Do what the locals do: Swim with the honu. There are five snorkeling areas along the Big Island's Kohala Coast: Puako Bay, Waialea Beach (Beach 69), Hapuna Beach, Mauna Kea and Mauume.

Hawaii loves to celebrate. There are festivals celebrating avocados, mangoes, coffee, craft brew, Chinese New Year, falsetto singing, taro, paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys), slack-key guitar playing and just about everything else you can hear, see or taste in the archipelago that Capt. James Cook called the Sandwich Islands. Come to think of it, the only one missing is a Sandwich Isles Sandwich Festival. Here is a look at some of the festivals you can attend in the islands throughout the year: Mele Mei Festival, Oahu.

If you go THE BEST WAY TO HANA, HAWAII From LAX, United, American and Delta offer nonstop service to Maui, and United, Hawaiian and Alaska offer connecting service (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $852. From Maui's Kahului Airport, take Highway 36E to Highway 360 to Hana, about 50 scenic miles, most of it winding, two-lane road. Don't attempt it at night. WHERE TO STAY Travaasa Hana, 5031 Hana Highway, Hana; (855) 868-7282, (808)

Happiness is often seen as something that can't be quantified. But is there a formula for happy people, and a specific person who fits the profile? Turns out there is. Gallup, which released its list of happiest (and least happy) states in America Sunday, had been asked by the New York Times to identify a hypothetical happiest person in the United States. After some statistical magic, Gallup sent back this answer, according to the newspaper : "He’s a tall, Asian American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year.

If you go THE BEST WAY TO HANA, HAWAII From LAX, United, American and Delta offer nonstop service to Maui, and United, Hawaiian and Alaska offer connecting service (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $852. From Maui's Kahului Airport, take Highway 36E to Highway 360 to Hana, about 50 scenic miles, most of it winding, two-lane road. Don't attempt it at night. WHERE TO STAY Travaasa Hana, 5031 Hana Highway, Hana; (855) 868-7282, (808)

Small farmers today have to do a lot of things to make a living. Still, you get the feeling that the Lydgate family at Steelgrass Farms on Kauai is overdoing it a little. The first Lydgates arrived in Hawaii in the 1860s. Will and Emily are fifth-generation Kauaians, the great-grandchildren of John Mortimer Lydgate, in whose honor Lydgate Park on Kauai is named. In the 1990s, the family bought 8 acres of scrub on a hill above the town of Kapaa. There they started growing cacao, the plant from which chocolate is made.

HANA, Hawaii - I came to play in a jungle, dance under a waterfall and swim with giant turtles in a tranquil sea. But at the end of the long, winding road to Hana, the thing that pleased me most was staring at the star-filled sky. Not to imply that Maui's road to Hana (pronounced HAH-na) isn't impressive. The treacherous 52-mile highway, which Sunset magazine calls "the most beautiful road in the world," wins accolades from many who make the journey. Verdant rain forests hug the sides of the mountainous road, waterfalls tumble into crystal-clear pools, beaches of black onyx meet a cobalt-blue sea. And for those searching for thrills, Hana Highway (Hawaii 360)