Take a Vacation

[Bo Diddley]

I very well may be. But, for one thing, I am 4-6 hours further from Hawaii than most folks here, and there are no nonstop flights from my airport. I can get a whole lot of places in this fine world in a lot less than the 13 + hours it would take me to get to Hawaii.

I am not a big beach guy, and the only way I like to do the beach is if I am staying in a beachfront house. This is pretty easy to do on a Carolina beach, not so much in Hawaii is my guess? Traveling from a hotel or something to get to a beach never interested me, not when I was living in California, and not now.

I understand that there are a lot of beautiful places and hikes as well, so I am sure I will get to Hawaii at some point, but the travel time and lack of interest in the beaches have pushed it down on my priority list so far.

That's fair. I'm jealous how easy it is for you to get to Europe. Nonstop Delta flights from SLC to London, Paris and Amsterdam are God sends.

[Moliere]

I am sure I would enjoy Hawaii, but I have never been, and it is not in my Top 10 places to go. I am probably not giving enough credit to the non-beach attractions.

I’ve been to Oahu. It was a lot of fun but it’s not a place I’m itchin’ to get back to anytime soon. There’s a lot of other places I’d rather go but I’m glad I went that one time.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Lay it out for me. Kauai. 7 days. We'll compare.

I'm melanin-challenged and am not a big beach guy, but we've gone many times to Kauai, usually with family or friends, so that helps. Among our favorite activities on Kauai:

--hiking part of the Kalalau Trail, starting where the road ends at Haena. The views along the way to Hanakapiiai Beach (and Falls) are outstanding.
--We chartered a boat for the entire family, going up the west side from Port Allen and spending the day along the Na Pali coast, inarguably one of the most beautiful places on earth.
--A helicopter ride in and out of the various Na Pali canyons, and descending from the top of Mt. Waialeale into the valley below (this was the entrance to Jurassic Park in the movie).
--Golf at some very nice courses, formerly Including the Prince Course (RIP).
--Standing at the overlook of, and then hiking down into, Waimea Canyon.
--Snorkeling at a half dozen very nice spots on the north and south shores.
--Can't believe I'm writing this, but I actually enjoy Sacrament Meeting at either of two ward/branches (Lihue and Hanalei--never attended Kapaa)
--I like visiting movie locations--Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Descendants, South Pacific, Blue Hawaii (the wedding scene was filmed at a now-abandoned luxury hotel where one can take a fascinating tour), the Thorn Birds, Body Heat, the Jurassic Park movies, etc.
--the Poipu food truck and Chicken-in-a-Barrel (relatively cheap and tasty)

[falafel]

I am fat...so Hawaii has little to no appeal to me. I don't tan, I don't swim in the ocean, and I don't hike. I will say this....if I was built like some of y'all here, I would totally do all of that stuff.

Don't tell all the larger-than-average Hawaiians that fat doesn't work for Hawaii!

[Jeff Lebowski]

We typically go to Maui.

- the food is amazing. Restaurants, food trucks, etc.
- snorkeling, esp on smaller less crowded beaches like slaughterhouse bay
- playing on the beach with kids/grandkids. Sand sculptures, boogie boards, etc
- whale watching
- gorgeous weather
etc.

[The_Tick]

Don't tell all the larger-than-average Hawaiians that fat doesn't work for Hawaii!

You also don't see most of these people doing what I mentioned. Hah.

[falafel]

I'm melanin-challenged and am not a big beach guy, but we've gone many times to Kauai, usually with family or friends, so that helps. Among our favorite activities on Kauai:

--hiking part of the Kalalau Trail, starting where the road ends at Haena. The views along the way to Hanakapiiai Beach (and Falls) are outstanding.
--We chartered a boat for the entire family, going up the west side from Port Allen and spending the day along the Na Pali coast, inarguably one of the most beautiful places on earth.
--A helicopter ride in and out of the various Na Pali canyons, and descending from the top of Mt. Waialeale into the valley below (this was the entrance to Jurassic Park in the movie).
--Golf at some very nice courses, formerly Including the Prince Course (RIP).
--Standing at the overlook of, and then hiking down into, Waimea Canyon.
--Snorkeling at a half dozen very nice spots on the north and south shores.
--Can't believe I'm writing this, but I actually enjoy Sacrament Meeting at either of two ward/branches (Lihue and Hanalei--never attended Kapaa)
--I like visiting movie locations--Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Descendants, South Pacific, Blue Hawaii (the wedding scene was filmed at a now-abandoned luxury hotel where one can take a fascinating tour), the Thorn Birds, Body Heat, the Jurassic Park movies, etc.
--the Poipu food truck and Chicken-in-a-Barrel (relatively cheap and tasty)

That's a good list. Here's what we did this last trip:

-- Hiked down into Waimea after seeing the overlook
-- Snorkeled at Tunnels Beach, Poipu beach.
-- Boogie boarding at Kealia beach (best surf beach, per my friend who is from Kauai)
-- Kapa'a food trucks (did chicken in a barrel last time)
-- Ziplining on the plantation, near Poipu
-- Kalamaku Luau
-- Tubing down the 130-year old canals built to water the sugar plantation
-- Walked and shopped at Kapa'a historic downtown and at Poipu (ate at Bubba's in both locations )

Of course, I drove by the Coco Palms resort about 50 times.

[falafel]

You also don't see most of these people doing what I mentioned. Hah.

Well, they certainly seem to like the beach just fine. But kept under some semi-permanent tents.

[PaloAltoCougar]

That's a good list. Here's what we did this last trip:

-- Hiked down into Waimea after seeing the overlook
-- Snorkeled at Tunnels Beach, Poipu beach.
-- Boogie boarding at Kealia beach (best surf beach, per my friend who is from Kauai)
-- Kapa'a food trucks (did chicken in a barrel last time)
-- Ziplining on the plantation, near Poipu
-- Kalamaku Luau
-- Tubing down the 130-year old canals built to water the sugar plantation
-- Walked and shopped at Kapa'a historic downtown and at Poipu (ate at Bubba's in both locations )

Of course, I drove by the Coco Palms resort about 50 times.

You did very well. I forgot tubing down the irrigation canal. We did it with the grandkids had a lot o' fun. But yeah, I'm fine not returning to Kauai/Hawaii annually There are too many amazing places in the world awaiting us.

[falafel]

You did very well. I forgot tubing down the irrigation canal. We did it with the grandkids had a lot o' fun. But yeah, I'm fine not returning to Kauai/Hawaii annually There are too many amazing places in the world awaiting us.

That's probably what it was. I was just there 3 years ago. I think I've done most of what I'd like to do there. Rather go to Mexico for a beachy water adventure.

[BigFatMeanie]

You obviously don't get it. There's new stuff to see in Tokyo Disney! I fought the same fight when we visited France and won because it was a short stay in Paris. Next time when I want to add in Normandy and make it longer, I'm going to have to fight it again.

I also have a rule of not eating in chains.

Dude, if you're paying for the trip you control the trip. If family members are lobbying hard for Tokyo Disneyland (wanting to go to Tokyo Disneyland is really possibly the stupidest travel-related thing I've ever heard of) then make them cough up the dough for the trip on their own.

[Bo Diddley]

Dude, if you're paying for the trip you control the trip. If family members are lobbying hard for Tokyo Disneyland (wanting to go to Tokyo Disneyland is really possibly the stupidest travel-related thing I've ever heard of) then make them cough up the dough for the trip on their own.

Yeah, I'm not going down that road with the missus.

[Moliere]

Yeah, I'm not going down that road with the missus.

Ha, Bo’s clearly been married longer than BFM. That strategy may work in kids but I doubt MJ would take it kindly if I told her we are doing what I want becssue I’m paying.

A good compromise would be to drop them off at Disney and then you take the day to do something you want to do that they wouldn’t care about.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Yeah, you can't throw down an ultimatum like that. I am not sure how you finesse it, but that would kill me. Travel halfway around the world to go to a US theme park. Yeesh.

[clackamascoug]

Yeah, I'm not going down that road with the missus.

The guys giving you a hard time are elitists - so you and me are normal folk who enjoy travel with loved ones - because the point of the trip is not to see the world - the point is to see the world with the ones you love.