It looks like I will be awarded a $5000 custom travel package for my achievement in a sales contest.

From what I know so far, I will be contacted by a travel agent to put together a trip. If the trip cost more than $5000, I'd have to pay the difference. I'm looking for ideas where to go.

Here is some background: It will be me and my wife, we are both 60, and even though I'm game, she can't/won't do real strenuous stuff like long hikes up mountains, or scary stuff like jump out of a plane or zip line, etc. Also, we are not really into night life, but we enjoy fine dining when on trips. We live in Minnesota, and I'm super busy in the summer, so a warm, interesting winter get-away seems like the best idea. We don't like to just lay on the beach in one spot all day. But walking around on beaches and seeing cool stuff is very interesting to us. I like to see new stuff that I've never seen before, natural wonders, cool man-made stuff like tours of gigantic dams or historic ruins for example.

We discussed going to the holy land at one time, but personal safety is kind of a concern on a trip like that. Is that really something we need to be concerned about?

Since I don't have a cash option, only the trip, I feel like we should do something that I wouldn't do if I was spending my own money.

What ideas do you guys have for me?

Well.....since someone else is paying.....Hawaii is an obvious choice. Spend some time on Oahu —Honolulu for some city activity, Waikiki beach, and Pearl Harbor for the tours.

Then puddle jump to Maui for super relaxing times, LaHaina, snorkeling and drive up to Haleakala. 5000 would pay for a lot of activity and some damn nice hotels.

The wife has mentioned that she would like to learn how to snorkel.

Maui is world famous for snorkeling......just ask Snorkle Bob. Milepost 14 by Lahaina is a favorite spot. You can also spend a full day driving to Hana and back....it’s a long twisty drive that’s kind of a must do.....

The brunch at Waileia (sp?) is world class, Not cheap, so go hungry.

My 1st thought was Hawaii,

My wife's uncle did 2 weeks in Italy maybe 2 or 3 years ago and said they WILL go back, but I doubt thats in the $5k or less budget

I personally would love to see Greece,or Italy, Switzerland , Ireland etc etc etc.
But wife doesn't like to fly so getting her on that long of a flight is near impossible

For around that price I would go to Bermuda. Some of the nicest people I have met.

H J ... would you LIKE a cash option ?

I agree that Hawaii would be my choice, but the Big Island is the one to visit and soak in.
I lived in HI for a couple years and then returned pretty much every year for a visit for quite some time.
Hilo has an old-town charm, Kona area has some interesting old sites, and the terrain & climate change in different areas.
There's also the volcanos, various farms & stores selling the farmed goods, waterfalls, etc.
If you like fresh fish, it comes into Hilo every morning before dawn.
It and Kauai are the most Hawaiian of the islands that are easy to visit.
What I didn't like about Maui is it's full of condos for haoles; Lahaina & Haleakala are very cool, but a lot of the Hawaiian character got lost IMO in the condo boom.
Oahu's become pretty built up, enough that friends have moved from there to Big Island.
If you stay in Hilo, get a room on the bay side of the Hilo Hawaiian: incredibly peaceful, plus the adjacent park & waterfront are almost heavenly.

Only other area I'd visit outside the US would be England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany & Italy, but they won't be as warm right now.
Everyone I know that's visited those places has loved them.

New Zealand. Rent a motor home and travel during our winter (their spring/summer).

Great ideas, thanks! Hawaii sounds like a great idea. New Zealand in a motor home would be really fun too. We would like to see Europe, but that would probably have to wait until after I retire so that we can go in the summer instead of the winter.

Doc, I'm glad there is not a cash option so don't have to make that choice. I love to travel, but it's hard to get my wife to go with. She loves her life at home and being around our grandkids and kids. It's hard for her to leave, even if it's only for a couple of weeks. But when I do get her to go somewhere she always has fun and we make great memories. But if there was a cash option should say to take the money and split it with her.

We did a couple trips in the last few years including Hawaii and Alaska. If I could do either again it would be Alaska...hands down. We did a cruise up the inside passage and it was stunning. Did a couple cool excursions including a Hovercraft ride out to a glacier and a 750hp boat cruise...both were a blast!! we went in June and the weather was perfect...not hot,not cold. Absolutely beautiful! This is cell phone pic from a glass top train ride we took...you can imagine what it looked like in person!

Are you going to wait till the corona scare is over. I wouldn’t take a plane or ship now if you paid me.

I have multiple friends who just got back from Israel. Security is not a big problem, at least in their eyes. It is a LOT of walking and some of it up and down hills. We want to take a motor home trip around the US, but that may not be something that this would cover.

But HJ ... can you transfer that (sell it) ?

Alaska, is another great idea. Depending on WHERE you go it might even be nice in winter.
I know a few people whom have made the trip there. ALL loved it

Some very good friends of mine made a trip there maybe 10 years ago. rented a 4 whl drive of some sort and drove around the Yukon for about 10 days . Said was one of the best trips he has ever made

My wifes aunt moved to Anchorage back in the mid 70s and never came back

I would love to visit the area someday,,,,,maybe someday I will

Hawaii, big island. Spent a week there on the honeymoon and never felt so at ease in my life. Absolutely beautiful and a great place to soak up WWII history if you're into that. I went a decade ago and and all inclusive trip cost us $6500 with airfare. Included a two day stay in a hotel overlooking Waikiki Beach. Take a tour of Punch Bowl and when asked what car you want to rent, get the convertible!

We are planning to an Alaska trip in our camper, but we don't want to do it in the winter. And while I'm still working in roofing, all the time I can afford to take off in the spring/summer/fall goes into racing and car stuff. So Alaska will have to wait until I retire. Hawaii is starting to sound pretty good. If we go there, I do want to see Pearl Harbor. So we would need to spend some time on that island.

This would be for next winter, I assume the coronavirus will be gone by then.

In my mind I would need a little more information to give a suggestion.

Where have you been in the past?

Are you scared of the CoronaVirus right now?

A few interests.. history etc. I say that even if you like laying around you are still surrounded by things.

Off the cuff I say visit Europe(Croatia, Spain, Italy) before it gets further in its spiral downward. I have spent plenty of time living and vacationing there.

Big Island. Start looking to book now, and go in December-February. This is high season though, and lots of hotels and rentals will be more expensive. But, you'll be in Hawaii in winter! It's a HUGE island; you'll need a rental vehicle. Jeep or convertible is best. If you're lucky, Mauna Kea will have a big snow while you're there, and you can go to the beach, then go up the mountain and ski and hike in snow, then bring snow back down to the beach. Lots of Humpback and other whales in the area at this time, and definitely recommend going out on a boat ride. Lots of different kinds of beaches to visit. Cliff jump at South Point. Fish. Pig hunt. Do a day trip to Oahu and visit Pearl. We can't wait to visit again. And there ARE some Mopars on the islands.

Make a tour of the Republic of Georgia.

Great sites to see, very friendly people, best food in the world, first place to make wine.

Start in Batumi and take a train to T'blisi.

You will however have difficulty making it come anywhere near $5,000.

flights will be about $2,500 and if you can get airbnb it won't be more than $50 a night for a good apartment.

Food will be very cheap and truly amazing. I was shocked at how good everything was. Adjaruli Khachupuri!!!!

my wife,oldest son and sister in law went to ireland. they had a super time. same son works for boeing and was transfered to austrailia then new zealand. wife and sister went there. a great time they said. me, if they ever open it, ill go to cuba. for the cars,rum, cigars and ....... the dark eyed spanish women.

What company is providing $5K trip allowance rewards, if you are permitted?

Jcc, I'm not going to give a name, but it is a huge manufacturer of building materials with a world wide presence.

My boss and his wife have been to Israel every year for the past several years. No safety issues and they always have a ball. Lot's of history right around there......

Costa Rica.

LEGO???

Like I said, safety was not a concern for those that I know that just got back, but since we can't afford the trip and my wife really can't travel like that at this time anyway I did the next best thing (based on what one of our friends told us last night)...this we could afford...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310431581/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Aside from Hawaii, there's always the San Diego area - its wonderful. Add in a few days in Laguna Beach, Dana Point. can't go wrong hanging there for a while with lots to do.

Carlisle,PA

Understood, my younger son essentially was given the same award from his large brokerage firm, and the reason I asked, and also probably think best for them to also remain anonymous. He was headed to Croatia, but current events have likely closed that option.

NYC...tour the 9/11 memorial, have some killer pizza, go to Katz’s Deli, maybe see something on Broadway.

Negril, Jamaica. 82 degrees and sunny every day. Western end of the island so you have afternoon sun and great sunsets every day. book an all inclusive resort.

The director Francis Ford Coppola has a few resorts in Belize.

Blancaneaux Lodge

Turtle Inn

Coral Caye

What about Greece or Spain or Portugal? All warm spots with interesting stuff but probably a long flight from Mn. My wife and I went to Portugal for our honeymoon, lots to see and do and the southern part where all the beaches are is kinda like Southern California.

But wherever you choose to go, make sure there is good food!

Disneyworld! The Family loves it

More specifically, Hedo II in Negril.

$5k generally gets us a week give or take. Winter here may be peak there but check website for deals and major holidays are generally low tide. Scenic ride from the airport, all inclusive, adults only, beach front, excellent staff. Don't believe the hype - it's not all young swinger hard bodies frollicing - most of them can't afford it. It's much more the 35-65 crowd and a very good time.

All inclusive means all meals in at least (4) different restaurants and unlimited call brands at several swim up bars. Also includes snorkeling and scuba and the water is crystal clear. The usual catamaran cruise is optional, affordable and throws anchor at tourist bar where the locals cliff dive. Various day trips can be booked through the concierge. It's at the tip of Seven Mile Beach and that's great strole. Nightly vegas style shows, night club, piano bar, tennis courts but I don't know why.

One tradition at the place is get your rock painted - and then update it every time you come back. There's gotta be a thousand of them around the place and most have multiple dates. I think that's the best endorsement.

I agree, SD is great and I usually stay in the Del Mar area. Really fun during Goodguys too. Coronado Island is also great plus a trip to the Point Loma lighthouse, etc etc.

I looked in Miami
I looked in Negril
The closest I came was a month old bill

Hawaii probably best for most people, so I agree with that answer. If it were me, as much as I hate the state for many reasons, I'd probably go to California. I've never been, and I'd like to go once. I'd like to see San Francisco, I'd like to drive Pacific Coast Highway, I know San Diego is supposed to be a beautiful city, and they have many beautiful beaches. I'd also go to 29 Cove Rd. Anyone know that address?

So many beautiful places in California (again, despite all the problems that would keep me from living there).

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is my favorite hotel in the 48 states

I'd spend a few nights in Malibu at 29 Cove Rd

Thanks Bob!

I'm gonna jump on the Hawaii bandwagon with the others. I have been twice, and enjoyed each trip. The last one was the best, and we did it in 2003. My wife and I spent 12 days there, and it was the best trip EVER! We got invited to a breakfast the morning after we arrived on Oahu, and figured it was some sort of time share sales deal. We both know how to say no, so we went for the free breakfast. Turned out, it was a travel agent that arranged and sold packages of stuff to do in Hawaii. You pay for it all up front, and just go have fun. We booked something to do every day, and most days we did more than one. Honestly, it kept us busy instead of just wandering around aimlessly and missing out on Hawaii away from Waikiki. We did a day trip to the Big Island, which was awesome, but most of our time was spent on Oahu. We went on a snorkeling trip, went to North Shore, went to Diamond Head, went on a dinner cruise, went to a Luau, and yes....we went to Pearl Harbor. We actually went to Pearl Harbor on Memorial Day! We had to wait for our turn to take the launch out to the USS Arizona Memorial because an Arizona survivors ashes were being placed in the sunken USS Arizona by US Navy divers. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, had just returned from the Persian Gulf the day before, and was docked directly across from the Arizona Memorial. What looked like every single sailor on the USS Carl Vinson was on deck, dressed in their dress whites, at attention, while the Navy divers transported the deceased Arizona survivors ashes to the ship and interred him with his fallen ship mates. I'll never forget that as long as I live. If you do decide to go to Hawaii, stay long enough to make the long flight worth it, and to see everything you can see while you're there. I seriously doubt you will ever regret it! Have a great trip wherever you decide to go!

Benn there, done that twice!

you guys are really coming thru for me, thanks. I'll check in again this evening with more comments/questions

If I had 5 grand to travel, the last place I’d be considering is my own country.

Pick some place expensive because the cheaper places can be appreciated some other time on your own dime.

Have you considered Scandinavia, where your forefathers are from?

Isn't our OWN country the FIRST place to see if we haven't even seen that yet?! So many beautiful places right here!

And I could easily eat up $5000 in travel, food and hotels.

When I was 10 years old our family loaded up our 20 foot Avion
Travel trailer and went from Pa to California. You name it we saw it over the next five weeks. From the painted desert to the petrified forest. We sure have a beautiful country.

THERE you go Larry .... I’ve traveled THE WORLD (courtesy of Uncle Sam) and have NO DESIRE to go anywhere else - CEPT mAyBe Canuckada !

EXCEPT maybe until/when my sad sack SONNY kicks the bucket AND THEN a world cruise on a BIG BOAT is on MY bucket list !!

THE ONE that has THREE STOPS in Vietnam.... I’d like to see how it is THESE DAYZ .... and take some pics —- for my GRANDFATHER!!

It’s easy to travel the US any other time, as it is to eat at Chili’s.

Each to their own .. but I say SPEND IT in North America!

Alaska would also be tempting for that trip.

This is going to have to be a wintertime trip. Since I live almost in an igloo, it will need to be somewhere warm in the winter. I'm not leaving Minnesota in February to go somewhere where I have to wear a coat.

Which is why when I travel in the US with family, chain restaurants and listening to the radio are off limits while traveling.

I've seen quite a bit of our national sites, with time and money, I would not hesitate a second to revisit all of them, except maybe " 4 corners"

NYC 1960, 1976, 19680, 1986, 2008
NY Worlds Fair 1964, 65
Seattle Worlds Fair 1962
Seatlle & Boeing Factory 2004
Maine 1964
Boston 1964
Chicago 1982
Alpine Valley 1886
Taos NM 1971
Denver 1971 2004
Smokie Mtns 1958, 1886, 2007, 2016
Stone Mtn Ga 1970 2007
San Francisco 1976, 2004
St Louis Arch 1998
Cumberland falls 2017
Washington DC 1960, 1996, 2003
New Orleans 1985
Chimney Rock 2001
Vanderbilt Estate 2001
Badlands 1960, 2004
Mt Rushmore 1960, 2004
Devils Tower 2004
Big Horn Mtn 2004
Grand Tetons 1960, 2004
Yellowstone 1960, 2004
Glacier NP 2004
Grand Coulee Dam 2004
Mt Rainier 1960 2004
Hershey Park 2003, 2006
Mt St Helen's 2004
Salt Lake 1960 2004
Arches NP 2004
Zion NP 2001
Crater Lake, 2004
Grand Canyon both rims 2001
Hoover Dam 2001
Las Vegas 2001
National Air Force Museum Dayton 2018, 2019
Evergreen Air Museum 2004
Yosemite NP 2006
Death Valley 2006
Great Sand Dunes NP 2004
Silver Gorge Co 2004
Redwoods NP 2006
Sequoia NP 2006
NASA Cape Canaveral
Everglades NP
Grand Tortuga's NP 2000
John Pennenkamp underwater SP Florida Keys
Gatlinburg, TN
Disney LA 2006
Disney Orlando uncountable visits

In the US, off the top of my head, and not a single Chili's in the bunch.

I don't know what you mean by easy. Financially? Again, I could spend $5k no problem just seeing some of what I want to see before dying in this country alone! I can see a lot more here for $5k than in another country.

Yellowstone Park; never seen

Grand Canyon; never seen

New York City; never seen

Blue Ridge Mountains, Rockies; never seen

San fran, LA, San Diego, PCH; never seen

Right here in USA

I could spend some time here in the Blue Ridge Mountains

No offense Larry, but, have you ever been out of Florida?

For myself, I'd take one big road trip avoiding the interstate.

Regardless the destination, I'd go the the website https://www.atlasobscura.com/ to find things to see other than the usual tourist traps.

I hope you make a bucket list and see those destinations. I have been blessed to see the Grand Canyon(twice),NYC(twice). The Rockies a couple times, San Diego once. Yellowstone will be done in May in our Mustang ragtop.We live in a beautiful country, make sure you spend some time exploring it!!

Once upon a time the corporate overloads sent me to a place just inland of SF. Flying in to Oakland is a bit weird as the approach is over water. Had a weekend off, rented a Camaro convertible, went joy riding. Did the Golden Gate but somehow didn't realize I was almost on the PCH. Flipped a U, wound up in the mountains and call me an idiot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mtPy8yNuDA

Understood.

some recent trips that were fun. Last August we flew into Vegas, went to the Hoover Dam, to Valley of Fire, Death Valley,
sequoia National Park to visit General Sherman, then drove into LA and stayed in Redondo Beach and flew out of LA, great trip and DV was on my list to see and it was absolutely beautiful. Stayed off the interstates as much as possible. Made it to LA and visited Bobs Big Boy in Burbank Friday Night.

In another trip with my wife’s company we went to San Diego and stayed in Del Mar again and visited The Zoo, Coronado Island, Point Loma, caught a Woodies show in Moonlight Beach, Lo Jolla all beautiful places, headed back there again this year.

Previous Year we flew into Seattle and drove to LA using the 101 then picked up the PCH from the northern mist point and drove to LA. On that trip visited Olympic National Park, Hoh Rainforest, Mr Rainier caught a cars and coffee at the Microsoft headquarters, drove into Oregon and drove the Oregon Coast and visited Indian Beach, Rockaway Beach, Gold Beach and stayed in Yachtas, beautiful little town. Drove to Crater Lake then drove through the Redwoods to the Trees of Mystery, then visited several spots along the way to San Francisco. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge very beautiful and very windy and cool that day, fisherman’s warf, drove and walked all around the city, then hit the coast again and drove the PCH to Carmel, Big Sur, Morrow Bay, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Malibu back into LA and visited Bobs Big Boy in Burbank Friday Night.

A few years ago on another company trip with the wife we visited the Grand Canyon and Sedona, drove down to the Saguaro National Forest, Tombstone etc. and the following trip to Scottsdale we drove fromSctootsdale to Joshua Tree in early spring and caught the desert in full bloom. All beautiful places.

Before that we flew into Denver in late spring and went to Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Aspen, Vail, Central Coty, Boulder then drove up to Estes And drove the Trail Ridge Road amazing and beautiful.

Another beautiful trip was driving the US 1 from Miami’s to Key West very beautiful and relaxing

Another highly recommended trip is to visit Maine, Vermont, RI, Mass etc during the fall the colors are amazing and coastal Maine in beautiful.

Good luck on what you decide, many beautiful places to see.

my traveling days are over, and that has been for a long time. however, thanks to YOU guys, i can see sights through the pictures you post i will never be able to see otherwise.
THANK YOU !

I'd go somewhere warm and mostly dry if it's a winter (for us) vacation. Getting out of the country allows you to see some amazing things, see how other people live, and in some ways develop a greater appreciation of our own country.

Costa Rica is nice, you get rainforest and beach. Go during the dry season (starts mid-November). Lots of websites showing you what to do there. It may or may not appeal to you. Same with Brazil.

November is also a great time to visit SE Asia. Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam are all very interesting and so different from anywhere in the U.S. Our country is but a few hundred years old - it's cool to see things that were built in the 12th century, for example (Cambodia, Morocco, etc., have amazing ancient areas). The Roman Coliseum was amazing. (I don't recommend Italy in the winter).


That said, I'd go to Argentina. Buenos Aires with a side trip to Mendoza. Make use of guides and tours.

That's me, though. Figure out what you and your wife like to do - maybe try something new and different? As long as the appeal is there, picking a place should be straightforward. I love the US, have traveled it extensively, but would take a wintertime trip to the Southern Hemisphere. Good luck and have fun!

No reason to be offended. I have been out of Florida. I was born in Michigan, lived in Vienna Virginia, also beautiful, but I was a child. As adult, I've been to Atlanta and parts of North and South Carolina. The most beautiful place I've been is Chile, in South America. The Andes Mountains are beautiful, as is Chile in general. Santiago, the capitol city is clean, modern, and very beautiful. We also went to Rio de Janeiro and Peru.

But again, I need to see so much of this country before I go wandering elsewhere. And yes, I'd love a trip avoiding the interstates, and seeing all the scenery.

Here's a pic of Santiago Chile

Downtown Santiago has some very cool historical areas that I could walk around in for hours

Cool! Thanks for the reply Larry!

I've been out of this country only once and that was to Montreal with my parents when I was a kid (although moving to TX was kinda like leaving the country.......... ).

As much as I'd like to visit other countries, what stops me (aside from fundage) is that I don't have a cast iron stomach. I could be with a group of people with all of us eating the same food, but I'd be the only one to get violently sick from it.

I want to do a road trip so bad, but I want to do it with something vintage (re:my wagon) and have enough time/money to stay off the interstates.

I'll second that one - made that drive a couple times. My advise is avoid the Miami airport at all costs. Have flown in to Ft. Lauderdale for a couple decades but it was easy and simple. Miami beach is nice but brutal traffic. Key West oddly doesn't have any worthwhile swim beaches. Truth be told we had a much better time on the drive than at the destination. Sunset diners on the gulf side, random fun parties at hotels on the atlantic side, various places in the keys to wander around.

Another really good drive is Skyline Drive / Blue Ridge Parkway. Off season with a rental car (the fastest cars ever built) can be a lot of fun. A side trip to Monticello is totally worth it. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel is a cool drive too. One road trip that's still a bucket list thing is a boneyard crawl through Arizona / New Mexico.

Taking our 3rd trip in May. I'm hoping she manages to right size the suitcase this time.

I agree we enjoyed the drive more than the destination on that trip. We got lucky in Key West though since they were running trials for a big boat race outside out hotel so we sat on the balcony and watched for a while. I also avoided Miami AP, I drove down from Lexington instead of flying on that trip. Really liked the upper and middle keys.

I totally agree on the enchantment of the Oversea Highway trip, made it probably over 100? times. Dry Tortugas is a nice side trip. On the drive, two things to also consider, try to avoid traveling during school bus traffic hours, as they buy law often stop traffic both directions, like every 300 yards of travel, it seems like, and after 10:00pm the highway is nearly deserted ,if just making mileage is the goal, but one still should watch out for speed traps, as the limit changes island to island.

Oh yes RWG75, Miami International is a nightmare. Been there several times. It's exciting at the same time if you're not in a hurry.

Beautiful picture.

THe wife and I talked all of this over, then she thought about it for a few days. She decided she would like to go to Hawaii. Sounds like a great choice! We were planning to go to Hawaii for our 30th wedding anniversary in January 2017. But when I tried to plan the trip, she decided she didn't want to go. So this trip will be the replacement. SInce I don't know if I'll ever get her out on a trip like this again, I want to go deluxe, even if I have to kick in some of my own $$. Like upper level beach front rooms, etc. We will for sure rent a convert for the exploring by car. I suggested that we don't have to stay in the most touristy, crowded areas of the state. SHe said she didn't want to spend the whole time in the jungle, either.
I'm going to try to get her to agree to 2 weeks, at least. She will want to do only 1 week. I'll have to filter thru all your responses again to help formulate a game plan. Thanks for all the help!

I spent a week there one night.

Take her to carlisle , 5 K should cover the fuel consumption in the HEEMi

I would recommend splitting your time between 2 islands as they are all different. The only busy spot is Waikiki where 90% of the people are, but its still a cool place to be. From there you can drive the island - the North Shore, the Dole Plantation, the Honolulu flea market are all cool things to see, I love Oahu.

Maui is great too - less crowded, a little more nature oriented. Great driving spots to haleakula, the road to Hana etc. Wailmea, Lahaina, Kaanapali are great spots to stay there.

The big island is awesome, very few people there and a lot of volcanic activity. Very cool to drive up Mauna Kea and see the view from by the observatories. I've stayed in the Kona and Waikaloa areas and loved it. For the most part the landscape here is more open, less tropical. Its a big island, takes most of the day to drive around it.

Kauai is the most rural of the 4 most visited islands. The most rural of them, the most tropical. The best if you really want to be out in nature.

Hawaii has a drag strip also, get a quick rental lol

A friend of mine was born and raised in Hilo, I believe it is near the drag strip, he decided to move to Michigan, now looking at a way to get back to Hawaii or at least out west (after 5 winters the fun of cold weather and snow has worn off). Also check out the Cars and Coffee in an area while there if your near one, fun way to get up early and start the day, check out a few cars have a coffee and then hit the rest of the island(s). Have fun.

I hope you take your trunk monkey too. Lol

just be sure to wait until this flu panic is over.

Sorry, no free trip for the Trunk mOnkey!

We'll probably all be exposed to the virus before this is over. Maybe I should go lick door knobs till I get it, then if I survive I'll be immune, so I can go wherever, do whatever. Is that a viable strategy?

We stayed in The Pacific Beach Hotel. It was pretty nice, but honestly....all we did there was sleep, shower, and lol. I don't think I'd try the door knob thing! Supposedly....just because you get this one, doesn't mean you're immune afterwards. I hope she will stay 10 days to a week, so you guys can see all you want to see. Another thing we did one day was take a trip up into the mountains on Oahu. We went to a place where Mighty Joe Young, Lost, 50 First Dates, and parts of Pearl Harbor and Tora Tora Tora were filmed. We rode 4 wheelers back up into the cove to see some of it. Try to be in front of the line if you do that....it's dusty! We stopped on the way back, to have dinner at The Polynesian Cultural Center. OMG was that meal good! We never rented a car. Everywhere we went was on a tour bus. The trip around the Big Island was very interesting, but it was a long day. That is a big ass island, and we rode over 300 miles making 1 lap around it! Saw a lot of Mopars sitting around though. I hope y'all have a good time!

Thanks!
She says she wants to go snorkeling, and whale sighting. That's good news that she is thinking of stuff. I would like to see pearl harbor, a live lava flow, the sun rise or set over the ocean from a tall mountain, and spend some time on the beach and other tourist stuff.

If you can broom the idea of lava and a mountain...

The rest sounds like Bahi Honda State Park ... in da KEYS

A few of those are easy. Maui: Snorkeling at milepost 14 (between Kihei and Lahaina) is great. The water is calm so very little risk. You don’t have to be an athlete or great swimmer there.
A tall mountain........wow. Haleakala, it’s 10,023 feet and as I recall it’s the only 10,000 foot drive from sea level you can do in a single trip. The sunrises there are legendary, but you will embark EARLY, like 3:00 or so if you expect to see sunrrize. You also get an amazing view of a crater, and the island.

As stated earlier, Maui is laid back, slow, little night life, lots of culture if you look for it.

Pearl means Oahu. Of course, and that means Honolulu and Waikiki beach——ever want to see women in bathing suits they would NEVER wear back home, but should? That’s Waikiki.....seriously. No really, seriously. Honolulu (still right there with Waikiki) has the nightlife, and shows, if that’s your thing.

Go.

I forgot whale watching. Wife and I went on one in Maui, Gray whales, Aka “right whales” and we had to shut down cause a whale was surfacing and bumping our boat.......RIGHT there. The guides said that kind of display happens maybe once every other year-for them—and they do it every day. So Maui is fine for that, but treat it as a boat trip, and maybe you see something, maybe you don’t and have fun. it’s a very seasonal thing, so maybe you are there at the right time, maybe not.

We'll see a whale. We are lucky that way. My wife won a muskie fishing trip as a grand prize in a door prize drawing. The fish of a thousand casts, the guide warned us not to be disappointed if we didn't get one. 20 minutes of casting, and we had a whopper in the boat! It seems to always go that way for us. Dumb luck.

Be ready for "Traffic Shock", even on Maui and Kauai. On Maui, from Lahaina Town back towards the airport area and on your way towards Haleakala and the Road to Hana, I was surprised to see how much traffic had increased, in the 12-15 years in between visits. Same with Kauai. Just be aware. Can't imagine what Oahu is now like.

Get your reservations for rental car as early as you can, when going between November and February; this is high season. And for some activities like luaus and whale-watching trips, you may also want to look at booking before you actually leave. We waited till we were there on our last Maui trip, and could not book the luau we wanted. Same with sunrise on Haleakala-they are still limiting # of people on top for sunrises and requiring visitors to make a reservation for this. I think none is required for sunsets, though.

Do yourself a favor and check out the "blue book" well before you go; it really IS a great help for planning what you want to get into, including the lowdown on the good snorkeling spots and vendors/trips.

Enjoy!!

Wife & I stayed a week on Maui for our 30th back in 2016. We loved it. Neither of us would do the road to Hannah again - PITA drive (I drove our rental car) but there were some beautiful sights - too bad my eyes were glued to the road - you couldn't take your eyes off of it for a second! The drive to the summit of Mt. Haleakala was awesome, & really not that crowded. We found some great restaurants & they were all priced quite fair. Went to a grocery store to get a find Hawaii-grown pineapple - they were all from Costa Rica!

Here we are at the top of Mt. H:

The Hawaii governor just announced a request for all Hawaii tourists to NOT visit for the next 30 days. Suspended inter island travel was also mentioned.

Wouldn’t you just know? We were all set to be there for two weeks starting April 12 (Kauai and Oahu).

Looks like I’ll lose several thousand in VRBO rentals... p

Dominica, 1 river for every day of the year. Snorkeling, hiking, hot springs, gorgeous water. Could use the dollars after Maria.

Thanks for all the help! I got the trip booked for early 2021. Based on the recommendations here we went with a 3 island Hawaii plan: First 3 days at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort Rainbow tower oceanfront, no car rental here. Then fly to Kauai and pick up a convertible rent-a-car, and spend 5 nights at Waipouli Beach Resort and Spa Kauai by Outrigger at Kapaa/Wailua. Then fly to Maui, get another convert, and stay 6 nights at the Royal Lahaina Resort Kaanapali - Beach, then fly home. THe travel agency picked everything for me, so I hope they did OK. I do have to kick in a big chunck of $ myself, as it exceeded the $5000 award. But still a good deal.

Now that I know where we will be, I need to hone in on an activity schedule for each island. Suggestions are very much appreciated!

I've been to Maui twice, in my opinion it's a fantastic island.

Top Recommendations:

1. Haleakala Crater
2. Snorkeling Cruise
3. Whale Watching Cruise
4. Road to Hana

Mike.

I like Kauai the best ,back in 1985, before the typhoon wreck it.
I'm sure it is more crowded and develop now, make sure and take the drive up and into the Grand Canyon of the Pacific
Have fun and enjoy

Very cool - you will love it! I stayed in the same tower at the Hilton Waikiki, the views are great! Nice lagoon and wander the beach. Lahaina is a great area on Maui - walk south on the beach to the Hyatt and check out the wonderful bird collection they have there including some African penguins! Great plate lunches in the area and Maui is fun to drive around.


View from my room in the rainbow tower. There was a submarine tour that launched from that pier there, i highly recommend it.

Those pics look wonderful, I can't wait. I'll be filtering thru the suggestions and creating an activity schedule, and booking some activities. But probably not until spetember or so.

Do a luau. On Maui, the big one in Lahaina is very good. On Oahu, if the cultural center is stlil in operation, I've read that it is one of the best "old style" ones.

Snorkel on Maui and Kauai, if you're able. Maui is probably the better bet for a whale tour, and you'll be there at a good time for it. If you do a sunrise at Haleakala, you may have to call to get a reservation for it, and bring something warm to wear. Road to Hana on Maui, and keep on driving past Hana and hit the gravel road that circles back around. Look for Pat Benatar in Hana. Go to Pearl and the north shore while on Oahu; you can take The Bus to both, I believe. Lots to see and do, and you'll love it. Hope the Corona stuff is down by then and no mandatory visitor quarantine by then.

Since it may be a once in a lifetime trip, don't miss the chance to go to Pearl Harbor. Study about the attack a little before you go, and recall all of that while you are standing on the memorial over the sunken remains of the USS Arizona. That was the start of the war for our country. Sitting a few hundred yards behind the Arizona is the ship that represents the end of that war, the USS Missouri. The Japanese surrendered on the Missouri.
There are many other things to see on Oahu, and you can get a bus to most all of them. We enjoyed The Polynesian Cultural Center, North Shore, and the International Marketplace. I can't help with Maui, or Kuai. My ex wife lived on Maui for a year after we split up, and said there's a nude beach there....lol. Have a great trip!

That's now a super high-end mall. Its beautiful but I loved the old school marketplace. I bought a tiki from a guy that was sitting there carving them, sending wood chips flying everywhere! Had great food there too. The property was just too valuable

I got an idea for your race with jX !

If he you ... YOU have to take him on your vAcA

Dang! That just sucks. We bought several things while we were there. It's been 17 years since we went, so I'm sure a lot more than that has changed. I read somewhere that the dragstrip is gone also.

Good choice, you'll have lots of options.. Growing up in the Northeast US, it's been a great change of scenery to visit Hawaii.. If you research each island, you'll get a sense of each one's "vibe" and find what fits you and your wife...

We did Kauai and The Big Island (Hawaii) once.
- Kauai: Easy to find condo rentals right on the beach in Lihue, walking distance to restaurants and shopping. Some good places and tours to go sightseeing. Rented a Jeep to explore all over, REALLY varied terrain between the cliff shore of the NaPali Coast up north, the giant jungly volcanic mountain in the center, the beaches all around the edges, and the dry scrubby canyon in the south.
- The Big Island: All about volcanoes.

Another time we spent the entire week just on Oahu.
- Luxury hotel at Waikiki, easy walking to restaurants, bars, shopping, entertainment. Rented a convertible to drive the island. Nice beaches, very decent nature hikes, a wide variety of tourist sightseeing options. Pearl Harbor. Pineapple plantations. Macadamia nut plantations. Bird sanctuary. An awesome Buddist temple you can visit. With that much variety I think you could enjoy an entire week on Oahu and not be disappointed.

You will have a great time.
- Art

Cancelled it due to covid. We can re-book within a year and still claim the award.

Sorry to hear, but glad you can still look forward to it...!
- Art

We were set for our first visit to Oahu and Kauai in May, 2020.

Cancelled on account of Hawaii COVID restrictions, and rebooked for May, 2021.

Cancelled THAT last month because things are still too wierd and unpredictable.

Three weeks ago we decided to scuttle our Hawaii plans permanently.

We booked a new trip via VRBO for St. George Island, Florida for May, 2021. We would drive from Missouri... the heck with flying these days.

What do you know? A few days after booking, there’s White House talk of COVID travel restrictions to Florida under consideration.

Just CANNOT win!

Travel still isn't looking good is it.

I/we were supposed to embark on a two week Caribbean cruise this past Saturday. Been bumped to 2022 now. On the sunny side, it gives me plenty of time to find a new travel companion seeing that Susan & I ain't no more.

Good luck everyone.

Spam sandwich on Poi

In 2020, I was planning to go to Europe to spend my vacation with my wife. But because of covid, we had to cancel it. The travel agency that organized the flight and the hotel still has not set our trip dates. The situation is changing every day.
And I even made a map of the cities that I want to visit! A friend advised me to travel by train. While you are traveling on a beautiful railroad, you enjoy no less beautiful landscapes. And even recommended a good website with an up-to-date schedule — https://www.dbfahrplan.com/de/.
It remains to wait until I can finally get to Europe.

I know I'm late, but I'd do Iceland.
I've been to Hawaii, Australia, Norway and Iceland over the last couple of years, Hawaii comes in last for me.
I'm from Florida, so another beach doesn't impress me.

Iceland has so much to offer if you like hiking.

Try and due a multi island trip
I took my wife on a surprise 3 island 7 day trip on our 20th wedding anniversary, started on Ohua (SP) two days and then to Maui for two days and ended up on Kaui for the remainder and return to Ohua( SP?) for the return trip to L.A. on the last afternoon
We went back in 2007 for our Sons second wedding , it was on Maui and we stayed in the same resort that we had stayed in in 1985,lots of changes to that island
We had drove around the south half of Maui on the first trip to see Charles Lindberg grave in Hana and managed to make the trip around the north half on the second trip Not for the faint of heart, my wife wouldn't let me drive on the second trip

As a geology buff I have always wanted to spend two weeks in Iceland, despite knowing the expense.

Of course I would like to be there when Loki massively erupts.....

I was in Iceland for 3 weeks and that was cheaper than Hawaii for only 2 weeks.
Hawaii was probably the most expensive place I've been, besides Australia, and that was because of the flight.