Kal, how's this one? (You live in the Bay Area, and probably have been to Oakland, so you'll appreciate it.)
We took my daughter's teenaged friend with us to Maui. As she gazed at the ocean, she said--seriously--"Well, it just looks like a big version of Lake Merritt."

My husband tends to rave on and on about travels/restaurants he liked and urges people to go where we went; I tend to be less enthusiastic since oftentimes people expect perfection and are disappointed if it's not.
And then of course, they love to tell you how you were wrong in your recommendation.

Same thing goes in reverse with recommendations, people get caught up in the magic of the moment and recollect wonderful evenings based on their mood;
on another night, the sight or restaurant or hotel bar might not be so magical.....just ordinary.

so, I have the habit of enormously discounting the raves of others......

Patrick, I know exactly what you are talking about. I have friends who would come back and Kill me if I convinced them to travel by the seat of your pants like I have done in Europe. I used to see buses full of tourists and want to puke. But I have changed a bit since then. No more hitch hiking through Egypt and sleeping with cock roaches for me.

On the flip side, my husband recommend a whole raft of restaurants to a co-worker who was visiting the DC area from Northern Ireland.

When he and his family got to Old Town Alexandria, they out-voted him to go to the worst tourist restaurant I've ever seen--Il Porto on King Street. No local EVER goes there. Sure enough, they discovered it was awful, and after that stuck strictly to our list of restaurants and loved everyone of them.

GoTravel......I FORGIVE YOU!!!! Actually, I was never angry with you.
Fret about it no more.

P.S. Sorry to hear about your cat.

SIL always goes to Maui year after year, I finally convinced then to explore Kauai, the Hyatt, and they were eaten alive by mosquitos the whole week. That never happened to us, but of course it happened to them because I kept begging to try something different:)

t'wifey-
Why in the world would you ever send anyone to a "Hell on Earth" of an island of Kauai!!!!

We allll know that...oh nevermind...
8 mo' days!
I'm taking an umbrellla, rain coat, bug spray, a LOT of extra money, no doze, and a lot of crossword puzzle books.
;)

I know Kal, isn't that something! To many Kauai is heaven on earth but for them it wasn't so great. I don't get it:?

I saw you will be leaving soon, you are so lucky! Especially to be spending the holidays there:) Have a terrific trip and be sure to share your experiences when you get back((r))((*))((p))

Kal LOL about K Falls. After spending some time there this past summer to visit my bro, I fer sure can say that your reletives knew what they were talkin' bout. ;)

Hope your plane leaves on time unlike the Aloha travelers who spent their Hawaiian vactions in the fog at SMF!!!!