thanks for the pics, Lee. I've never really thought much about going to Hawaii and neither has Jim. However, his sister LOVES the place. Your idea about renting a condo on Maui is exactly what she did. They went down several years at Christmas and spent a month to six weeks. After he passed away last year she decided it was where she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Kauai is where she liked best and with declining real estate prices was able to find the home of her dreams. I really hope it works out well for her and that she has many years left to enjoy it. She is now 75 btw.

 

Valentine, where on Kauai? My sister lives there near Poipu Beach in a home she and her husband built. My ex goes and stays with them all the time, but I haven't been there for about 7 years.

 

Patty, I have no idea. She's here in SC for the next few days. I'll ask her the next time we see her. Jim thinks its kind of weird that she's decided to make this move since her health is very poor, but I figure wth. If that's where she wants to go to live out her years, then more power to her.

 

I know house prices feel over there too. That's why my sister is still there. When they decided to sell, it was too late to get the big bucks they wanted. I think she's happiest there anyway.

 

We liked Hawaii but that was BD (before digital) so no picks without scanning.

I thought Kauai was like a warm Vermont with different trees,
Gentle slopes with lots of farms.
We stayed a Puipu Beach, Patty but it was a few years after Iniki and things were still a mess. It was pretty in places.

The thing that stood out the most to me was the current sweeping by the north side of the Island.
The would drop you at one end of the reef and take the boat down to the other end to pick you up.
I would not want to have to swim against that for any distance.

 

Thanks for the pics of the orchids Bat. I needed some beautiful screen savers. Glad to see you out and about and enjoying life.

 

My pleasure...I have a lot more that I did not post.
If you see one you like in the thread, I can send you the full res version.

 

Actually, the resolution is already so great, they look perfect when I stretch them out on my screen. I do especially love the yellow one though.

 

We have a timeshare on Kauai, and really enjoy going to HI. If I had it to do over again, I would probably buy a timeshare on the big island instead of Kauai. Have never been to Maui, but have wanted to go for a long time.

The first 10 years after Iniki were pretty hard on Kauai. All the hotel amenities were there, but the supporting services were pretty scarce. The pictures I have seen of the island after Iniki, and the conversations I have had with those that were there at the time certainly make me believe that it must have been a very scary typhoon. Unlike Louisiana or Texas, you can't just pick up and drive off to get away from the storm.

I am constantly amazed at the islands, in the southwest corner of Kauai, the rainfall amount is about 25 - 30 inches a year, but not more than 20 miles away on top of the volcano, the rainfall amount is almost 400 inches per year.

We have plans to go back to Kauai with our friends from Edmonton in summer, 2009.

 

Thats exactly what i try to tell anyone who wants to do hawaii on a cruise ship! FTR my cruise was also 15 days but 10 of them were spent island hopping the 7 islands. I'll never do it againand I reccommend it to no one! If your going to go to hawaii GO TO HAWAII and stay on an island! lanai if you can afford it and a good affordable place to stay on lanai is in lainai city. It here http://www.hotellanai.com/ and if your ultra well heeled well shucks this is the place for you! If it was good enough for bill gates to get married and honeymoon at im sure it will fit the bill for all

http://www.fourseasons.com/manelebay/

there are suites here which go for 20K plus a night.