You know how some people come onto Fodors and say, "I want to do something Off The Beaten Path"?
Well this forum is off the beaten path and the thing about otbp is that you have to make your own entertainment. It's not flashy, it's just relaxing and slow.

Hope you vacation is both

hey!! That would make a great name for this forum, Off-The-Beaten-Path.

Maybe that would bring in some traffic. But then it wouldn't be Off-The-Beaten-Path. It's like having a favorite town or thing to do, you want to tell people but if you do the next time you go they will ALL be there

I need to get back to writing my trip report.

Really appreciated your responses and background explanations LSky and Suze! Ended up off Fodor rest of today... finally confirming nonstop flight SeaTac to Lihue (ridiculous that return flight was booked but we hadn't arranged to get there yet!) Then thought my mileage plan had lapsed-not. Everything ended up being very time consuming! Love Hawaiian Airlines but can't beat the ease of an Alaskan Lihue non-stop!

Thanks again to both of you for background on Lounge. Suze have a fabulous time and mahalo! Look forward to that trip report LSky!

My pleasure. De nada (as we say in Mexico). And thanks for the good wishes. I do love Hawaiian Air but since I'm flying Seattle/Honolulu mine IS a nonstop. Believe me I understand the attraction of nonstop flights!! All the best.

As you see, it just takes a couple people to get a thread going, but still I wish this one had a different, more positive name to illustrate the point ;-) bye all, suze

How about a new thread called "We need more people to read this forum"? Would that be OK?

What are we going to have to do, recruit?

I thought you'd be making leis by now, suze.

Sigh! I like Off-The-Beaten-Path too but for increased traffic ask Fodorites to brainstorm new titles?..... Travel Tip Central, Travel Essentials, Trip Center, the 3 Ts, Travel Tune-up.....but too alliterative and I'm still sounding pedantic LSky! How about HELP!

LSky, 3 more day... til aloha

It's a chicken/egg problem. You need an interesting forum to attract participation, and you need participation to have an interesing forum!

This could also be the Test Site for Trip Reports for those who are a little shy about posting trip reports. HELP might work too.

Well, 3 and 1/2 days now suze

I think I'll post my first installment of my trip report here. That way if no one reads it, I won't worry.

At least no one will yell at you on this forum ;-)

31 people have!

LSky and Suze, Thanks for NOT yelling and welcoming "the people who are new to Fodor's by helping them get to a forum where their questions will actually be answered" (Suze)

Enjoy your travels. Look forward to your trip reports... wherever they're posted!

coldplay~ 31 people have yelled at you on this forum? just kidding!

jojo46~ no trip reports from me. i love to chat on these forums & ii love to travel, but i just kick around wherever i go. i don't really have much to report that would interest other people probably.

I really enjoyed your Waikiki 'food' report Suze! Hope you had a great time. So rainy, dreary here in the northwest I can't wait to leave. My Kauai Kountdown is now 10 days!
Just had to post this on No One Reads This Forum! The original KK had tons of responses.

Thanks jojo. I had an incredible 10 days in Waikiki. Best trip so far to Hawaii. I hope yours in Kauai is fabulous too.

Hi, I'm a long time Fodors poster but spend almost all my time on the Europe forum because that's where I like to travel. Only rarely (when I'm bored) do I go to the US forum (primarily to look for questions about Ft. Lauderdale which is where I live) or to the Lounge (when I'm really, really bored) Today for the first time, I saw this forum mentioned on a thread on the Europe site and came here to check it out. I'll try to remember it and return more frequently. Perhaps if those of you who really like this forum but post on other forums as well can drum up some excuse to mention it in your posts on other forums, you'll get more people like me to learn about it and check it out. I'll try to see if I can't find some way to mention it in my latest trip report about Lake Como, Piemonte and Nice.

Tell your friends!!! Seriously, that's a great idea. All it takes is a little attention and a few interesting new topics to make a branch more lively. Travel Tips could be like the Lounge but without the drama : )

And the Travel Tips re: traveling with infant, are starting to pay off. DH and I are in Kauai now-YES!-and baby grandson's Pack' n Play arrived intact. Family doesn't arrive for a few days but DH and I flew business, allowed 2 free checked bags each, so brought it. Thanks to Fodor, passed on lots of flight info to my daughter.

Anyway Thanks Julie for bringing thread ttt. Aloha!

I've only noticed this forum in the last few days and think it's a great idea. As others have said, travel chat that's not destination oriented can get a bit lost amongst all the political stuff on the Lounge.

My Tips for today are: (1) check for festivals, major sporting events or business conventions in towns & cities you are planning to visit. Apart from possibly making accommodation more limited /expensive, traffic and unexpected other disruptions may suggest a variation to your itinerary.
OTOH, there may be something on that would interest you - an Opera, concert or Art exhibition, which would not necessarily appear on tourist information sheets or in guide books. Most destinations have websites and it only takes a minute to check.

2. Re: car rental insurance excess. Check specifically whether your credit card covers the country you're visiting and get it in writing from them. If it does not, see if you can have the Excess waiver added to your Travel Insurance policy. I added AUD 2500 to my annual policy for an additional $50. Saves me at least AUD 25/day on car rentals, without risking $2700 - $3500 excess for every scratch.