Planning our next vacation
- Thread starter ps99472
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SoCal said:
Yes. We did it through these guys and it was fun. It is on Kauai though but I'm sure there's similar outfits on other islands. http://www.kiputours.com/atv-tours.php
And my favorite zip line place on Maui. http://www.flyinhawaiianzipline.com
socal78
Well-known member
irvinehomeowner said:
Ikr? Seriously! I met a couple on Catalina that were celebrating their anniversary. They had saved around $10k to go to Hawaii. When they were researching where to stay, they realized that most of the activities in Hawaii were available on Catalina, for example, zip lining, snorkeling, hiking, Jeep tours, biking, sailing, paddle boarding, golf, etc. They ended up, of course, going to Catalina instead and were really happy with their decision! I love Catalina and go there annually. Plus, Catalina doesn't have the humidity that Hawaii has, don't have to spend all day on a plane to get there, and no need to waste perfectly good money if you don't have to. There's no surfing for the kids in Avalon, of course. But I did see kids with boards on the other side of the island. The only real downside I can think of are the hotels. You are pretty much roughing it. Catalina has some of the oldest hotels in the state. The Glenmore Plaza is the 2nd oldest hotel in California. Sure, they "modernize" them but not very well. But like you said, you can just as easily pick any nice hotel property in Newport which also has some of the best surfing in the world (not that I'm really going to let my kid surf The Wedge, but you know...)
I've thought about buying a condo in Hamilton Cove! Not to be Debbie Downer, but, I also decided when I die I will be cremated and buried in the Avalon Cemetery or sprinkled in the water, depending on the availability of plots (they have not returned my messages). That way, it will encourage my sons to return to Avalon with their own families one day to visit my grave, remember the childhood memories they made with their momma when they were young, and create new ones with their own kids.
SoCal said:
Most people just pick one island to relax on, unless you're thinking of Maui and and then taking the ferry over to the Fours Seasons on Lanai.
Since you have to fly to the other islands, Hawaii is not as conducive to island hopping as say, Greece where you can take a ferry from island to the next for minimal cost.
Then again, most people don't have 19 weeks of vacation per year, so hop away!
The Motor Court Company
Well-known member
and SoCal would create more than one thread related to her upcoming vacation, with countdown starting 100 days prior
panda
Well-known member
One of our favorites places for a mini getaway by car is Destin, FL. It is about a 5 - 6 hour drive from Atlanta and we went there two weeks ago. The ocean is so clean that you can literally see through the water. My boys loves to go fishing, go-karting, and we took them out on jet skis. They got really scared so my wife and I had to go very slow
I try to take a silver vacation every three months. This fall I am planning on taking my family on a Disney Cruise near Orlando.
I believe we need to remind ourselves to live sometimes, to do things we enjoy. I categorize vacations by four categories: bronze, silver, gold, and diamond.
A bronze would be something that makes you feel good - such as reading 15 minutes in the sun with an iced cappuccino. A Bronze is something nice that you do just for yourself.
A silver would be going away for a weekend with your husband, wife, or family, or someone special. I try to do a silver once every three months.
A gold could be a week's vacatoin to someplace a bit more fabulous than a regular weekend destination - the Bahamas or somewhere special (but reasonable) you want to go.
A Diamond could be tour of Asia or a one month Africian safari, or some other absolutely mind blowing experience that a lot of people don't get to experience but that you want to do before you die.
panda
Well-known member
No. Silver for me is a weekend getaway like Destin or Hilton Head which would be a similar drive to San Diego, Bay Area or Las Vegas for you.
I try to do a bronze to reward myself as often as possible and a silver vacation is something i try to do every 3 months with my family. A cruise or a vacation to Maui would be considered a gold for me which I try to do once a year. A diamond vacation would be considered a very special vacation or experience (i.e. Asian or Europe etc.) which is something i wish to do every 2-5 years.
I try to do a bronze to reward myself as often as possible and a silver vacation is something i try to do every 3 months with my family. A cruise or a vacation to Maui would be considered a gold for me which I try to do once a year. A diamond vacation would be considered a very special vacation or experience (i.e. Asian or Europe etc.) which is something i wish to do every 2-5 years.
SoCal said:
J
jmoney74
Guest
I remember my childhood diamond trips to....... San Jose.
woodburyowner
Well-known member
Panda said:
One of our favorites places for a mini getaway by car is Destin, FL. It is about a 5 - 6 hour drive from Atlanta and we went there two weeks ago. The ocean is so clean that you can literally see through the water. My boys loves to go fishing, go-karting, and we took them out on jet skis. They got really scared so my wife and I had to go very slow
Funny you mentioned Destin. I went there last summer on an extended family vacation. The ocean/beach is absolutely beautiful and not overrun with tourists. The biggest pain was the flight over. It's not very convenient to get to at all. But once we got there, it was very relaxing. Warm 80+ degree water and super clear. The only thing Destin didn't seem to have was good food options. Just your typical US chain restaurants and a few local places.
I can't stand humidity either, and much prefer the socal weather. I am clearly healthier here than in Hawaii. But Hawaii has nothing on Florida when it comes to humidity, so I would stay away from Florida too. The Kona side of the Big Island is probably the driest part of the state.
We have found, time and again, that the more research we do poring through threads on lonelyplanet prior to leaving, the better our trip is.
I think the medical care is good on Oahu. Not leading edge, but good, and better than a lot of destinations. Just like the university, no one regards it very highly, but you might be surprised at how many great doctors and professors are there because that's where they want to live. My take on safey: yes fairly safe, but there are some areas you would just as soon not get lost in (especially if you're up near Turtle Bay). The economy is not great for a lot of folks, and there is a small % of disenchanted citizens that find Caucasians to be a convenient scapegoat ("F!%K!NG HAOLE!"). I agree maybe Hawaii is not a slam dunk. But Hawaii is home to me, and never a vacation, so I sometimes have a hard time seeing it as such. If you like experiencing new sights and new cultures, then there are things there you can't get anywhere else. There is no shortage of very memorable things you can do there while on a vacation. I think you could have a great time, but I also think you should consider other places. But come on, it has to be better than a trip to Catalina, right? Even I would choose Hawaii over Catalina.WTTCHMN said:
We have found, time and again, that the more research we do poring through threads on lonelyplanet prior to leaving, the better our trip is.
Probably not a surprise, but the last few times I've been back, I noticed the Chinese tourists more than the Japanese ones. Not sure if there were more of them, but they stood out more to me. Growing up there in the 80s, and working in Waikiki a couple summers, it felt like 90% of the tourists then were Japanese. Some from the mainland, some from Australia, some from southeast asia, some from Europe. None were Chinese.ps9 said:
We feared the great Japanese takeover then, like many fear the great Chinese takeover today. The evidence is growing that those fears may also be overblown.
