I can relax just fine on Oahu. Right smack dab in the middle of Waikiki.

>

Me too Suze! Our condo is in the heart of Waikiki, but we have friends in Kailua we always visit in that beautiful area, and there are many areas on Oahu just as peaceful and beautiful as anyplace I've been on Kauai (but I love that island too). That's why I said above, you have the best of both worlds.

One week in Kauai: no radio, no TV, no newspapers, no news. Just beach, beauty, friendly people, the Aloha spirit.

Oh, how I want to go back!

While it is *technically* part of the United States, it might as well be "another country"
__________________________________________________ ____________
I sooooo wish that had been my experience.

Socaloc~ I'm have no idea where you went or what you did, but obviously your experiences were totally different than mine. It is a very exotic place with an incredible amount of influences from various cultures, if you get even a tiny bit off-the-tourist-path.

Volcanoes.

Night Diving with Manta Rays.
http://www.jacksdivinglocker.com/cha...mantanight.htm

The ethnic diversity of Oahu.

The question you should ask is, Why shouldn't you go?

It is truly one of the best places in the world for a wide range of reasons.

"Iowagirl, once when I was inching along the expressway on my way to work on a snow-covered road (we don't do snow well in Kentucky)"

Carolyn - I was living in Louisville for the big snowfall in January 1994.

It shut down the city for 5-6 days.

Do you remember it?

Why wouldn't anyone want to be in Paradise?

carolyn: how cute! Fall is starting to arrive here and I'm ALREADY counting down the weeks until we go back to Maui.

I forgot to mention to the OP (is she still reading this thread?) - quite often when we're in Maui we'll chat with other people who have taken winter vacations to Aruba, the Caymans, etc. and it's interesting that nearly all of them tell us that Hawaii is by far better than any of those places.

Dusty, I remember it well. Stayed home a couple of days and then my husband took me to work in his truck. I got a bonus vacation day for showing up, not that I did much work. Hardly anyone else was there. Some of the guys had rented a four-wheel drive and went around picking each other up. (Corporate office so the big wheels felt they must be there.)

We are hoping to get back to Oahu next June when my grandson gets out of school. We usually go as a family, and I want to take my sister this time. She was widowed in January and hasn't ever been, so I think it will be the perfect trip for her.

Without mentioning details we loved the natural beauty such as rain and cloud forests, also lava fields, volcanoes, etc.
Of course you can enjoy the beaches. We were there first time last March and it was a treat. Of course you should not miss the USS Arizona memorial.

Bill in Boston

JUST returned back from Big Island (first time to that island). Loved Kilauea. Loved all the different climates on Big Island. Would see cactus one minute and then be in a tropical rainforest. The best thing about Hawaii is the beautiful water, the wonderful pineapple and plumeria smell, surfing on the North Shore and the shaved ice!!!