Please help with Big Island and Oahu questions
 

I will be visiting Hawaii with my husband and 2 teenaged sons in August. We presently have reservations for 5 nights at Four Seasons Maui, 4 nights at Hyatt Kauai, 4 nights at Hilton Waikoloa Village, and 2 nights at Princess Kaiulani on Oahu.<BR><BR>However, I am not sure if I have made the best decisions regarding our itinerary. The last 2 nights in Oahu were added on to our original plans so that the boys could see the USS Arizona (my husband and I have previously spent a week in Oahu so, initially, we did not feel the need to visit the island again).<BR><BR>The problem is that, the more research I do, the more I feel that I may have made a mistake in not planning a night or 2 in Hilo or in Volcano. I am very much looking forward to visiting Volcanoes National Park, and according to many of the posts I have read, seeing it at night is not to be missed. But, the concierge at the Hilton, as well as some of the posters on this board, have stated that the ride back to the Hilton from the park is very exhausting, especially at night. Should I cut down my visit on the Kohala Coast from 4 nights to 2 nights, and replace them with 2 nights on the eastern shore? Or should I leave the 4 nights in Kohala, add 1 night on the eastern shore, and then cut one night from my stay in Oahu? Also, I would appreciate advice about where on the eastern side of the island to stay-Hilo or Volcano? It seems like staying near the park might be the most convenient, but will we be missing out on other Hilo sites?<BR><BR>Also, another idea I had was to cut out the overnight stay in Oahu completely, and try to get to Pearl Harbor during our stopover in Honolulu. Then we could have 4 nights on the Kohala Coast AND have 2 nights on the eastern side of the island. Is there an easy way to get to the Pearl Harbor memorial from the airport? And does anyone have any ideas about what we could do with our luggage? I know that the baggage storage is no longer available due to added security measures. Would it be possible to check my luggage with American Airlines at 10:00A.M. in the morning for a 6:44 P.M. flight? And would 8 or 9 hours between flights be enough time to visit Pearl Harbor? Do you think the boys would be missing an important part of the trip if they did not actually stay over in Oahu?<BR><BR>Thank you in advance to those of you who reply to this post. And, Happy New Year! <BR><BR>

ttt Just anxious to get some info!<BR>Thanks.<BR>

I think you're trying to do many islands in too short time a time. It's just not efficient to do that and it can wear you down: you lose a lot of time checking into and out of airports, getting your rental car, checking into and out of hotels, etc.<BR><BR>I would cut-out at least one island, maybe two. People say that the Big Island is so big that you really need time to cover it. <BR><BR>I'm sure others w/ experience will have more advice.

Jeff, I agree that 4 islands is too many, especially with teenagers in tow. Originally, we were just doing 3 islands, which seemed a little hectic but doable. Since we had to stop over in Honolulu to get home, though, we decided to add the 2 days in Oahu. I would much prefer to just spend 6 nights on the Big Island, if we could somehow manage to see Pearl Harbor during our layover in Honolulu. I hope that someone will be able to tell me if this can be done. <BR><BR>Thanks, Jeff, for your opinion.

Eight or nine hours is absolutely enough time to visit Pearl Harbor. It is actually quite close to the airport -perhaps a 15 minute taxi ride. I had friends who did just that. But in the old days, you could store your luggage in a locker. I can't imagine why the airline would object to you checking your luggage early, but I would call them to find out.

I agree, cut an Island, and I would say cut Oahu. Don't skip Kauai or Maui, they're both paradise. We saw pearl harbor in a day, and that worked fine.

Well, everybody's different, but my teenagers said they much preferred Oahu to Kauai. And I know I do as well.

Celeste -what were your teenagers' favorite Hawaiian experiences? Did you visit other islands besides Oahu and Kauai? Thanks again!

Lisa, while adults love the detox of the neighbor islands, your teenagers will want the excitement of Oahu. And you know, there's more to Oahu than just Pearl Harbor. there's Hanuma Bay, Diamond Head, shopping, eating, ghost tours, you name it. Try www.gohawaii.com<BR>

Melissa -if you are suggesting we go to Oahu, do you think we should leave our travel arrangements the way they are, or should we drop one of the other islands in favor of a longer stay in Oahu? If so, which island would you drop, and how long would you suggest we stay in Oahu? Thanks for the info.

We took our son this last summer (17). He wanted to stay at the beach on Waikiki. He enjoyed surfing and just reading and relaxing.He did not really want to run around to different sites to explore. I think sometimes we try to see too much in too little time. We actually had a very relaxing week!

No time to read all of your answers so I apologize if I am duplicating. Took 13 year old, 11 yr.old and 8 year old last summer. Traveled other summers with 17 year old, 14, and 11 year old. <BR><BR>First group loved everything the parents loved and that included hiking, swimming, hiking, swimming. <BR><BR>Second group gave us a hard time at some moments but were always glad after activities got underway. We explored Oahu, Kauai, Maui and BI on different trips. I think your kids will love outdoor activities if they love them at home. I was amaized when one friend told me that he did not think his kids would enjoy a sunset. I had an 11 year old wake up an entire house trying to get his sister to catch the dawn through a sky light in his bedroom. <BR><BR>To be kind I think outdoor activities on Hawaii are wonderful and I have not been with a kid (3-4 trips) or teen that was not pulled in by the beauty. Yes I even had to argue with boyfriend that I wanted to shop not hike at times but always always always when I pushed myself when we did not give the kids a choice on some days they were always glad we went. I think it helps if you are excited and have prepared for the trip. It meant something that my boyfriend could reach down touch a spcific blade of grass and show us how it moves to the touch (folds in, can find sea cucumbers on a very shallow dive, identify salt beds on the North Shore. Ok I am rambeling but bottom my experience is that when you are excited about nature so will your kids and teens.

Lisa, it seems like you are asking for guidance from the wrong people. You know better than anyone what your teens like and don't like. Spending 4 days of a fifteen-day vacation traveling is not big on most people's lists.<BR>Accept the fact that you can't see it all, and concentrate on seeing and doing the things that make you happy. Get your kids involved in making the decisions. Make sure they each get to do at least three things on their top-five lists. You could even have them plan some of the excursions - sure, they won't do it as well as you would, but they will become much more interested in the sights and plans. And they just might surprise you.