time for a new countdown to Hawaii
 

Since the holidays and the winter vacation season are approaching, it's time for a countdown to Hawaii, doncha think? All you Hawaii lovers, let's hear you shout out!!

And I'll start--Dec. 2-10 to south Kona - our 20th trip to paradise. Only 12 days away--can't wait to smell the plumeria and eat some poke!!

Jealous. Have a blast.

Me too, jealous! Our next trip is not until March 1st to HNL. That is exactly 101 days from today. Enjoy your trip!!

tifa, love it! I also count the days from pretty far out when we have a trip planned. March 1 will be here before you know it.

Poke -----sigh

Mr_Glass and I were watching a recent episode of Hawaii 5'O and at the food truck set, they had a huge bowl of poke at the picnic table. We both got all misty eyed.

Yay! Love your reports and I hope you have a great time and get your plumeria and poke fixes!

We're going to Maui in February again. Same dates as last year for 11 nights (inc President's week), same hotels but this year we're using air miles and got upgrades (for the return at least!). It might mean that leaving paradise is a little easier and even better I get to stay for 2 extra days as there were no award flights for my chosen return date. :)

Most of all I'm looking forward to the sunshine in the dead of winter.. and the whales.. and the beach.. I could go on!

Our next trip is May 25-June 1, 2013 to Kauai!! It will be our 5th trip to Kauai! We are going with my brother and his fiancee and it will be their first time to Hawaii.

DH & my brother's fiancee share the same birthday, May 31, so we will be there to celebrate!

6 months and 5 days!!!!!!!!

I'll beat you by ten days, louistraveler5: May 15-26, 2013. Heading to Maui.

and they don't make good eatin even if you poached them. Although rooster jerkey has made great strides in the culinary world.

Not only that, but those buggers chase you down the street for a poppy seed muffin.

Have a great trip martym.
Hope to go back to Kauai next fall.

Hanalei in 217 days!

The Big Island for our annual month in March-April. Poke, yes!! Papayas, yes!! Hula dancing, yes!!

A smidge less than three months until my very first visit to Hawaii (17 days on Waikiki, Poipu and Big Island)! I am SOOOO excited! I'll be spending a good chunk of the holiday weekend nailing down more details. I keep watching The Descendents which is on heavy rotation on HBO at the moment. I just discovered a good friend is booked on the same flight as us on the way home - small world! HURRY FEBRUARY!!

Another Hawaii virgin gets defrocked!

37 days....first New Year's Eve we've missed on Kauai since '92. Been going every year since '89, except for Iniki. We used to go for T'giving/Wedding anniv until the lovely Mrs Kal's biddness took off.

Since the hotel no longer keeps the Sand Bar open for New Year's Eve so we could celebrate with all of our "local ohana", we decided to go over a few days later....let all those pesky tourists clear off the island. :))

Sad to miss New Year's Eve but nice to get a rental car for $17/day v. $25/$30 from Dec 30-Jan 2.

In 10 days we'll be "cleansing our palates" for Kauai by going to Pittsburgh. >:D<

Martym......We'll be in Kona starting Feb 1 for a month. I already have a lot of info, but please give me your favorite beach, your favorite luau, your favorite attraction, your favorite seafood restaurant, and anything else that is your favorite! Also, any reasonable places to golf? Thanks!

Kal, pretty much set for Kauai the end of Jan but if you have any favorites, I would like to hear them! I probably be in the Kountry Kitchen for pancakes every day!

cd, where on Kauai will you be?

Depending on tomorrow's medical procedure, we'll be doing 'Baggage Lotto' Jan. 4 into HNL, then on to OGG for two months at our South Maui condo.

(I can't predict the outcome of HA's new refusal to through-check baggage off our AA flight. All wasbooked by AA, but that leg is on a separate ticket from the rest. We may be claimin', haulin', re-checkin' and enjoying the shoeless shuffle all over again at HNL.)

Hi sf, we are staying in a condo at Wailua Bay View, Kapaa

Well, I highly concur with the Kountry Kitchen recommendation, but also wanted to mention that we had a couple of really good dinners at Josselin's in Poipu if you happen to be in the area. It's "small plates", meant to be shared, and a very innovative menu.

Thanks! Made note!

two hundred nine.

91 Days before JFK --> HNL! Made it down to double digits.

cd -- I'd be interested in hearing how you like WBV. We stayed there two years, but long ago. We enjoyed watching the canoe clubs and once had a monk seal visiting for a few days on the beach alongside the road across from Coco Palms.

ChiSue, tell me all you know about it! It is ocean front but I can't find a path to the ocean. You lived there? How did you walk to the ocean?

cd--you asked for the following
1. favorite beach --though I'm sure you know about the beautiful Kohala coast beaches (Hapuna, Mauna Kea, etc) here are three we like--that are often deserted or nearly so especially during the week--
Kaloko Honokohau http://www.nps.gov/kaho/index.htm
Kekaha Kai http://www.hawaiigaga.com/big-island...each-park.aspx it is a very rough road to get to this beach--but we have done it in a rental sedan--just go slowly
Ke’ei http://mapcarta.com/24043946 it’s located at the south end of Kealakekua Bay on an unmarked road—if you think you would like to visit it—I can send specific directions
2. favorite luau--we've never been to a luau
3. favorite attraction--here are several we've enjoyed through the years
High Tea at Onomea Tea http://www.onotea.com/
Tide pools in Puna http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/sn...ide-pools.html
Circle Drive to Hawi from Kailua—hwy 19 to Kawaihae—hwy 270 to Hawi (have lunch at Sushi Rock or Bamboo; continue east to Pololu Valley overlook; then back to Hawi)—take hwy 250 over the Kohala volcano back to hwy 19 then back to Kona
Holualoa http://www.holualoahawaii.com/ art galleries and a nice restaurant see blow
Buddhist Temple in Ka’u (if you're driving the southern route from Volcano to Kona) http://www.nechung.org/
whale watching www.ilovewhales.com--Captain Dan is the best, IMO
4. favorite seafood restaurant -- don't have any favorite restaurant specifically for seafood; the restaurants all have very fresh seafood;--we like
Sushi Rock http://www.sushirockrestaurant.net/
Hilo Bay Café http://www.hilobaycafe.com/
Holuokoa Café http://www.holuakoacafe.com/
Ke’ei Café http://www.keeicafe.net/
Sam Choy’s http://www.samchoy.com/
Super J’s if you want to try authentic Hawaiian food—located south of Kona on hwy 11, ocean (makai) side of road; easy to miss and nothing to look at—wonderful lauluas—the owner is a lovely Hawaiian lady—if you want to try poi this is the place to do it—closed Sunday—cash only
5. any reasonable places to golf--first of all as I'm sure you know, the term reasonable is relative in Hawaii -- sometimes, if he is going to play several times, he buys a golf card that helps a little
Golf card http://www.hawaiigolfdeals.com/big-island-golf/
Courses he likes play are
Makalei http://www.makalei.com/
Big Island Country Club http://www.bigislandcountryclub.com/
South Kona Country Club http://www.konagolf.com/

Wow, great list Martym! Thanks so much!

cd -- You can't swim there. The unit LR's overlook Wailua Bay, and the BR's are in back. Downside is the mini-mart on the BR side. We used the A/C as 'white noise' at night. It's not far from the Coconut Marketplace. If you want to be on a swimming beach, look in Poipu.

ChiCue, we just like to walk the beach, not swim. Can we do that there?

cd -- Yes, but it's not a very LONG beach within the bay. You can go look at the derelict Coco Palms, never rebuilt after Iniki. LOL Ocean is pretty rough along Kapaa, especially in winter. It is a convenient 'middle' place to stay -- driving south to Poipu and Waimea Canyon and north to Princeville/Hanalei.

cd,
I think NeoPatrick stayed at Wailua Bayview two years ago. If you were to post a question with WBV in the title, he might see it and give you his experience.

Chi Sue, that is the reason we chose Kapaa, because it is in the middle.

wekewoody, thanks I'll give it a try.

ChiSue? What's funny about the demise of Coco Palm?

With the ever continuing beach path project in Kapaa, I think you are going to have a fantastic time cd. More then ever, it is a wonderful central home base to explore the island.

Thanks Lookin_Glass

Heading for the airport--if we can get though the rain and wind in San Francisco this morning--we'll sleep in south Kona tonight -- woo hoo!

I will be more than happy to keep this coundown thread going in your absence marty. Have a great trip and I hope the weather here lets a bit so you can get to Kona! Right now it it storming like banshee where I live about 30 miles from SFO.

martym, have a great time and please write a report!!

Oh dear, in just a few hours poor martym is going to be hit with a full forced tradewind of that horrendous stench of plumeria and ocean breezes. Oh the humanity! Not to even mention the fact that when they land, they will think they were on the space shuttle and somehow got diverted to the moon.