The Secret, Slow Hawaii

Photographs by Thomas J. Story

Slow food. Yes. Slow travel? Please. Let’s try to do more of that.

Lately, in my travels, I’ve been noticing that wherever I go, there everyone is. Fully booked hotels, crowded Starbucks, mobile phones, WiFi. If anyone is going to successfully promote long, slow travel, it’ll be out here, where we keep it real. I mean, just 40 miles north of tech savvy San Francisco in Point Reyes, most iPhones turn into full-time cameras. Forget reliable cell service. And, frankly, I don’t want it. Find a restaurant without relying on Yelp? I think I can do it.

Another gem is Travaasa Hana Maui, where the nearly 3-hour road trip to the hotel in eastern Maui, in Hana, keeps the crowds away. It keeps it real. And the journey on the road slows you down.

Does anyone remember that this is why we travel? To explore other cultures, other places and ourselves, without distraction.