When you're a queen and married King Kamehameha IV, you can put up palaces where you wish. Queen Emma had a couple of summer palaces besides, of course, the lovely Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu. Even with tall rooms and wide shading porches summers are hot, as any visitor to Honolulu without air conditioning would know. So Queen Emma moved up to Hanai'akamalama, her Summer Palace- a compact six-room Victorian sited where breezes waft, and sometimes whistle through the Pali. There's a story of an attempted suicide from Na Pali that failed when a jumper got blown back up onto the scenic outlook. The gardens here are well worth a wander on a sunny day, and seem filled with ghosts in the not uncommon rain, but the tall, ivory-colored graceful home with its high windows, doors and ceilings hold the real treasures. Besides some wonderfully sad images of Hawaiian royalty (that by this time had more than an inkling that America would rule), the wonderful feather work, Prince Albert's canoe cradle and some rather less interesting Victorian furniture, speaks of the transition from ancient to American times. Queen Emma was a product of this transition as she was descended both from Hawaiian chieftains and from John Young, an Englishman who became the friend and advisor of the great Kamehameha I. Frankly, the drive up the Pali from the heat of Honolulu when the ginger blooms in summer and the view at the top is just as attractive as a visit. Mark Twain apparently called this 'the most beautiful view in the world' but then he also said Lake Tahoe was 'the fairest vista the whole earth affords.' Early and late in the day when clouds mist the foliage, some Hawaiians claim Emma's ghost walks the manicured paths of the Summer Palace. It's only fair to point out that Queen Emma founded her namesake Hospital and helped start the Episcopal Church in Hawaii. So she wasn't always on summer vacation. She just led a sad life as her husband and son Prince Albert Edward, died before her, she lost the second election to the Hawaiian throne, and she died before 50. At least she didn't live to see royalty overthrown in 1893.
Greater
Miami is comprised of a diverse assortment of distinctive neighborhoods,
each with its own unique collection of attractions and hotels. Miami and the
Beaches offer an immense selection of distinctive lodging that can suit any
personality or budget. From the lavish hotels that line the streets of South
Beach ....more
Venetian Hotel stands out amongst the 125 hotels in the city. Michael
Flatley's Lord of the Dance nowshowing. In Las Vegas, Center Of Strip
Venetian can be found at 3355 Las Vegas Blvd South. Strikingly beautiful
interiors. Venetian Las Vegas contains Sauna, Airport Shuttle, and Outdoor
Pool. Featuring a half-mile long canal.... more
