Archive for October 2011
Checklist for Moving to Hawaii with Your Pets
Author Alexine
When you move far distances on the mainland with your pets there is not much to do other than have a safe place for them to travel. On the other hand when you move over seas to Hawaii there is a lot to do in order for your pets to travel safely. To help you with the move I have written a checklist for moving to Hawaii with your pet.
Time
The most important thing to have when moving to Hawaii with pets is time. The process of getting them ready to travel over seas takes over four months so try and give yourself leeway. This will take the stress and financial burden of the move off of your shoulders.
Breed
Many cats and dogs are allowed to move onto the Hawaiian Islands however there are breed restrictions. You cannot bring any dogs or cats that are not domestic and bread with or full blood wolf, Dingo, Bengal or Savannah. These types of animals pose a potential threat to people and other animals.
Age
It is very important to consider the age of your animals before deciding to bring them to Hawaii. Traveling can be very hard on animals and cause them to panic or have difficulty with their health. Older animals are not advised to fly on airplanes and young animals have to wait to have their vaccinations completed.
Cost
There are additional fees that come along with bringing your dog or cat to Hawaii. You have to pay for the travel fees along with the vaccinations, medical exam, titer testing, and entry fees. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of money per pet when taking them to Hawaii.
Rabies
The state of Hawaii is rabies free and they take great pride in this fact so that is why it is difficult to bring animals there. You have to make sure your pet has had at least two rabies vaccinations in their life that were administered at least thirty days apart. Also the most recent vaccine must have been at least ninety days prior to arrival.
Microchip
Every cat and dog that plans to make the move to Hawaii must have a microchip placed inside them. The microchip is a way to identify the animal and the number is used on their medical records and blood tests.
Titer Test
In order to be certain no animal with rabies will come to Hawaii and infect another animal they require a titer test. This test is called the OIE-FAVN Rabies Blood Test and it has to be sent away to a laboratory. The lab must receive the test at least one hundred and twenty days before the animal is expected to arrive in Hawaii.
Waiting Period
The one hundred and twenty days after the test is received by the laboratory is considered the waiting period. This is approximately four months before you leave for Hawaii so it is important to plan way ahead. Work out a timeline with your veterinarian so the test is administered with time to spare.
Quarantine
If you are not lucky enough to have more than four months to spare and wait for your test, than your animal must be quarantined upon arrival in Hawaii. They do this for families that must move there with little notice and are desperate to have their four legged friends in tow.
Getting Everything Together
Finally after months of waiting and quite a few visits to the vet it is time to go one last time before you travel to Hawaii. This last appointment at the veterinarian is critical and must be done within fourteen days of travel. At the appointment you must obtain signed copies of a health certificate, vaccinations and the OIE-FAVN results. Also your pet must be treated with a tick killing drug containing Fipronil and you need proof from your vet.
With all your original copies signed by the veterinarian you will be good to go. It is quite a lot to do by worth it to bring your furry friend along. Remember to read up on my traveling with pets checklist to understand the other aspects of traveling with pets.
Posted in Travel - US | 
Tags: hawaii pet travel, moving pets to hawaii, pet travel to hawaii, pets to hawaii, traveling with pets | 
No Comments »
Traveling Across Country with Infants and Toddlers
Author Alexine
Whether you are planning a big move or a fun family vacation it can be a challenge when you have young children. Traveling with infants and toddlers requires lots of patients and plenty of free time. It is especially important to plan accordingly when traveling across country with little ones. With the right preparations your trip can be fun and successful.
Plan Your Route
Before you hit the road it is important to figure out how long of a trip it is to your destination or multiple destinations. Once you figure out how far it is and the roads you will be taking then you have an accurate mileage count. This is important when determining how many days you will need.
Driving Schedule
It is important to give yourself plenty of time when traveling with little ones. Trying to cram lots of driving into each day will become wearing on your energy and patients. To help make your trip more fun, break up the drive into no more than five hundred miles in one day. This will most likely take you all day to do so it is important to get an early start.
Book Hotels
To make your travel plans run smoothly and to get a bit of down time between days of driving make sure you book hotels. With an accurate driving schedule you should be able to book your rooms along the way. This is nice so you can have a place to shower, bathe the kids and relax before getting back on the road.
Pack a Cooler
When you have infants and toddlers in tow it is really important to pack a cooler with snacks and drinks. Having plenty of sippy cups and bottles of formula or breast milk is essential for long trips. You will also want to pack non-perishable sandwiches in case there are no places to get lunch when they get hungry.
Plan on Stopping
When traveling by car with your little ones it is hard to drive for long periods of time. Remember to plan on stopping quite a bit with infants and toddlers, especially if you are potty training. It is almost more convenient when they are in diapers because you can wait to stop and change them instead of taking lots of potty breaks.
Entertainment
To make the ride more enjoyable for your infants and toddlers make sure you pack plenty of toys and books. Teething rings, rattles, links and sensory toys are great for infants to keep them busy in their rear facing car seats. On the other hand toddlers require more stimulation so a DVD player, DVDs and books to read are great for road trips. Also kid songs CDs are great if you do not mind singing along for fun.
Necessities
While this is the last category on the list necessities are the most important things for your trip. Infants and toddlers have a lot more necessities than older children to make their experience more enjoyable. Remember the binkies, bottles, sippy cups, blankies, diapers, wipes, extra clothes and medicines.
If your babies get fevers or are teething it is nice to have your bag of goodies along to help save the day. Also if there is a spit up situation or a blowout it is always nice to be prepared. You cannot prepare enough when it comes to traveling long distance with your infants and toddlers so take your time when packing and planning.
Weekly Art Walk in Hanapepe, Kauai
Author Alexine
If you visit the island of Kauai in Hawaii than you will not want to miss out on the weekly art walk in Hanapepe. This beautiful old town has been gutted, refurbished and turned into quite the little character. With delicious food and fun music to enjoy, you can walk the streets admiring local artists every Friday evening on your visit to Kauai.
Food
There are several great little places to grab a place to eat down in Hanapepe including some delicious barbeque pork and chicken. The Hanapepe Bakery is also a wonderful little place to have a special dinner on Friday nights if you make reservations. They fill up fast so make sure you call ahead.
In addition to cute little places to eat there are several trucks that make their way throughout the island and park in Hanapepe for art walk night every Friday. There is currently a truck that makes delicious authentic Thai food and Thai iced tea. Also they have a taco truck that prepares some delicious fresh fish tacos.
While dinner is delicious you have to save some room for the yummy pies that are baked fresh and served at art walk. There is a local baker that brings an assortment of fun flavors every week so you can try different ones or purchase a whole pie to take back to your home away from home.
Music
As a wonderful form of art music is abundant at the Hanapepe art walk. There are plenty of local musicians that rotate the art walk each week. With guitars and singing there is a mix of new age and old school Hawaiian music that is sure to get you and your children up and dancing.
Make sure you wear some comfortable shoes so that you can walk around and dance for all the great musicians. The main street in Hanapepe where the art walk is can be long for little ones so pack a stroller when you visit. Then the whole family can enjoy an evening of fun music and dancing.
Galleries
The main street in Hanapepe is full of great little art galleries that host a variety of art types from mostly local artists. There is plenty for sale if you would like to take a little piece of Kauai home with you as well. With so many different types of artists in Kauai there is sure to be an artist that suits your taste for artwork in your home.
When you visit the galleries some of the local artists will be part of art walk so you can meet them in person. It is great to chat with the gallery owners and workers as well to get a feel for the artist if they are not present. Most of the people selling there are down to earth and friendly so you can ask as many questions as needed.
Enjoy the Evening
Since every Friday night is an art walk in Hanapepe you should try to go as many times as you can while you are on the island. Each week there are different local artists out selling on the streets and bringing different types of delicious edible art as well. Enjoy your stay on Kauai and remember to stop by Hanapepe on Friday evening while you are there.
