March 24, 2013

Hawaii-One of My Favorite Places



 I love to travel, hence my blog of the fifty states, and I don’t get nearly enough vacation time from work or make enough money to go as much or as many places as I wish.  Hawaii was, and will remain on, my list of places  I will revisit several more times if I have anything to say about it.  As one good friend told me once or twice, “Don’t take this the wrong way but, I don’t see you running out of things to say any time soon.”

I had no volunteers for Hawaii this year-everyone must have been out surfing, sailing, fishing, sitting on the veranda enjoying the view, eating the marvelous food,  taking a quiet walk through the rain forests, watching the dolphins, whales and stingrays,  taking in the amazing aromas of nature that includes sea and sand, flowers and scents of outdoors people don’t regularly enjoy, visiting across the table with people who actually live on Hawaii, jumping in the calm tide pools and swimming to the base of a cliff to let the waterfall pelt against them,  seeing the outdoor markets and just plain sitting and listening to the wonderful and unforgettable sound of the waves rolling in against the shores—oh, fishing and diving and para-sailing and kayaking.   I know that’s what I did for three weeks on my first visit.  It’s not my last trip because I fell in love with those islands and, ever since I got on the airplane to come back to Nebraska, I’ve wanted to fly right back to the tropical paradise.  And then there are many local artist places that promote the talent of those from Hawaii—I picked up some of the great written work from novelists and history buffs from those storefronts.
Here’s a big hint—you can actually go cheap to Hawaii because we did.  We waited for flight sales for times when the airlines wanted us to go, not when we wanted to go and we booked a hotel and condo that wasn’t five star, but it wasn’t bad --we spent about three minutes in the rooms but they were right across the street from beaches.   And, every restaurant and bar has specials on food and drink so we ate cheap—except for that one night when we went to the amazing place recommended by the hotel—well I still remember how great the Poke was.  We spared no expense on some things and traveled the cheap the rest of the time.  If you want to know how we did it, email me and I’ll share. 
So, here are some of those memories to commemorate the beauty I found which far exceeded what I imagined before my way too short visit and to spur your interest in such a lovely place. 

9 comments:

  1. Oh, I so envy you your trips to Hawaii. As a retiree on a fixed income, my budget doesn't allow for lots of travel. Visiting Hawaii is something I've always wanted to do....maybe someday. If not in real life, I'll visit via TV or film or reading about the trips of others.

    Thank you for the beautiful pictures too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Our WCP cozy mysteries, Murder...They Wrote and Murder in Paradise, are set in Hawaii. Read one for a virtual vacation in the islands! (And, of course, we have to do lots of research for every book!)

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was my Dad's dream to visit the island. But he was waiting for a road to be built (wouldn't fly or sail) and he never made it. I've been and would go again if opportunity presents.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Maybe someday, after all of the kids have graduated from college and we've paid back what we borrowed for them to go, we'll be able to afford the time and the money to go to Hawaii...or not. Or we'll be the wrinkled old folks wearing the paper hats and asking if you want fries with that?

    Thanks for sharing your memories of your trip. Since it's still so cold here in Chicagoland, I dream of warm, sunny days and lazing on the beach before swimming.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love, love Hawaii. Thanks for sharing your memories and the pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Annette,
    I just returned from Maui last night! My husband and I took our daughters there for spring break. We ziplined, saw the whales and enjoyed the beach. Really love it there. Five years ago we visited Oahu and the Big Island. Such a great atmosphere. Am looking forward to returning one day. There's something about the islands that I've never experienced anywhere else.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kristy-I am so jealous! I would go back in a heartbeat. I know what you mean by the 'something.' I've wanted to go back ever since I got home...I troll the travel sites for tickets almost stalking prices. I wanted to go there from the very first time I imagined travel and when I arrived, it was magical--and I hadn't even left the airport. When I got in the limo--cause it was cheaper for all of us to get a limo than for us to get several cabs--and he drove through Waikiki and to our hotel, I was glued to the windows--rolled them down so I could smell the sea salt and hear the waves.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd love to go there someday. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. On one hand, I think you are so lucky to live in Hawaii, but do you ever feel claustraphobic living on n island?
    It's a beautiful place though, like a piece of Paradice.

    ReplyDelete

Follow 50 Authors from 50 States blog for the latest