winter geta ways
At Yokohama Bay, the soft sand complements the gentle breeze.
oahu, Hawaii It’s the air When you land in Oahu, the first thing you may notice—before the umbrella in your mai tai, the sun, or the inviting beaches—is the soft air. Quietly intoxicating, the wafting trade winds brush the waves and cool off the sunbathers. According to the state climatologist, Professor Pao-Shin Chu of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the secret to the 50th state’s natural air-conditioning is the northeasterly winds that caress Oahu on most days. “Without the trade winds,” Chu says, “Hawaii would not be a very good place to live.” The trade winds begin in a subtropical region of the north Pacific and sweep down toward the islands. “The cold air is moderated by the relatively warm waters,” Chu says. The winds reduce the humidity, clear out pollution, and keep temperatures in the high 70s to mid-80s year-round. On the east side of the island toward Kailua, the trade winds tend to roar. At the Nuuanu Pali Lookout five miles northeast of Honolulu, you can experience their full force. For gentler breezes, stick to the leeward side of Oahu—the west coast. At Yokohama Bay you can picnic and hike, watch surfers and body boarders when the waves are up, and simply breathe. —bruce anderson
tony novak-clifford
Natural Wonders
Six wildly divergent destinations have one thing in common: The elements have conspired to make them magical. I
28 via january + february 2014
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