OK - we have toyed with a European Cruise and a trip to Hawaii next August, but both may be a bit too costly. Also Hawaii is such a long trip from Boston and we would like to do 10 days. Now we are thinking of returning to Aruba or Curacao since we had great trips to those islands years ago...we are also trying to keep the cost under five grand...we do have some FF mileage...any other suggestions? I would love it to be special. I still can't get Europe out of my mind...even if we don't cruise it.

Thanks in advance...these boards are wonderful.

NannyJan

Paris

Paris could be very hot in August but what a great suggestion. It is only costly if you want to be. Do you have to stay in Ritz in Paris or would you consider less expensive accommodations? Start reading European board. We took many unforgettable trips to Europe and never a cruise

<I would love it to be special>
Only you can make your trip very special regardless where you go.

Did you ever consider Iceland or Czech Republic or Poland? What are your interests? We took many trips to Europe under $5,000 and each of them very special. We always travel on our own. No tours, no cruises for us. You can also spend 10 days in Hawaii and not to spend more than $5 G. How many FF miles do you have and with what airline?

Prague in the Czech Republic is fantastic and will give you the most bang for your buck.

Bermuda?

Thanks so much for the responses. I have wanted to go to Paris all my life. It is definitely up there on our list.

We have been to Bermuda three times...it is lovely, but I don't think I would want to spend 8 to 10 days there.

Hubby is very accomodating...said I should just decide and he will have a great time! (Now you know how we made 40 years!)

I have never considered Czech Republic or Poland. Perhaps I will research those destinations. I am sure there are wonderful European destinations that would never come to mind.

We enjoy snorkeling, driving trips, exploring, dining, nice beaches, national parks, sightseeing...have done Yosemite, Grand Canyon, San Fran and southern Cal, wine country, the Western Carribean (cruising and that's about it...

Not one for extreme adventure, but we do like to keep active and busy on vacation...while a day at the pool or beach is always welcome.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Although, as you say, Hawaii is a long way from Boston, go for it.

Stop in Las Vegas or San Francisco for a day or so on the way there (or back). That may screw up your being able to use FF miles for the entire trip.

That still gives you a full week in glorious Hawaii.

There are many free or inexpensive things to do in Hawaii. Here is a list of things to do that I made up for friends going to Hawaii. It is rather lengthy, but it is much easier for me to copy the entire thing than just bits and pieces:

List of things to do on Oahu
These are some hints/suggestions for things to do and see on Oahu.

Arizona Memorial: (free) get there early, preferably by 8am. Opens at 7:30am. If you get there after 10am the lines can get long and you may spend 1-2 hours in line. Battleship USS Missouri and Submarine USS Bowfin are in the same area. These are about $15 each so you can go or skip them. Look for coupons in brochures for two for one. You can take pictures of them from Arizona Visitors Center and the Arizona tour ferry. Go on the lawn behind the Visitor's Center. You can also walk around the Bowfin Memorial area for free without taking the tour. Its worth the time. The Swap Meet is only a couple blocks from here at Aloha Stadium.

Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC): www.polynesia.com General Admission about $40, but I prefer the buffet package ($55) or the luau buffet package ($75). The evening 'Horizon' show is the best Polynesian show in all of Hawaii. It comes with all ticket price options. The higher priced ticket packages get the better seating for 'Horizons'. Also the earlier you get there, the better the seating is for 'Horizons'. The Ali'i Luau Show that is part of the luau package is also a good Polynesian show. IMAX, Canoe Pageant, Samoa and Tonga villages and Canoe ride are the best other attractions (these are included with any type ticket). Plan on this as an all day event. Get there by 1pm (earlier if possible), leave around 9:30pm. When I take visitors, I try to keep on this schedule: IMAX 1:30, Canoe Pageant 2:30, Samoa 3:00, Tonga 4:00, Canoe Ride around 4:30, regular buffet or Ali'i luau buffet 5pm and 'Horizons' at 7:30. The other villages are nice also, but there is not enough time for all of them. You will have time to do some shopping or looking around between the buffet or luau and 'Horizons'. Closed on Sundays. You can go back for free for two days. Check with PCC employees for instructions before leaving the Center if you want the extra days.

Diamond Head Summit: Drive right into the crater and hike to the top. ($5 per carload or $1 each if you walk into the crater). I prefer to drive in. Awesome 360 degree view from the summit. Best time is around 8am or around 4pm. In between it can get hot walking to the top. Takes about 1 - 1 1/2 hours roundtrip.

Punchbowl (National Cemetery of the Pacific): (free) While you are there, drive to the overlook area. Short walk to the summit that overlooks the entire city. If you have time, take the Mt. Tantalus/Round Top drive through a rain forest. Stop at the Puu Ualakaa State Wayside about 2/3 of the way to the top of the mountain. It has an awesome view of the city from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor. Punchbowl is near the bottom of Mt. Tantalus.

Hanauma Bay: Snorkel. Its for any age. You can rent snorkeling equipment there or some places in Waikiki or bring your own. Closed on Tuesdays. Try to get there as early as possible. If you drive, the parking lot gets filled up by 9:00 or 10:00. ($1 for parking, $5 for each person). You can reserve snorkel tours with several companies. They provide equipment, transportation, etc. They seem to have better equipment than the park does. You can also take the city bus. But the first city bus doesn't leave Waikiki until 8:30 am. Website: http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/parks/f...ay/welcome.htm

Byodo-In-Temple (Valley of the Temples): $2 each. Just past Kaneohe.

Chinaman's Hat: (free) Kualoa Regional Park is just past Byodo-In-Temple. Nice for pictures, picnic, swimming.

Swap Meet: You can buy almost any souvenirs here much cheaper than anywhere else. All items are new. Vendors wrap around the stadium twice. Located at Aloha Stadium near Arizona Memorial. Open Wed, Sat, Sun.

Hilo Hattie's: Nice place to shop. Higher prices than swap meet, but not too much more on many items. Has good selection of clothing, candies and souvenirs. Check brochures for coupons. Can take free Hilo Hattie's shuttle from Waikiki.

Ala Moana Beach Park: (free) Nice beach. Great sunset location in the winter. Walk all the way out to the end of Magic Island. Great view of Waikiki, Diamond Head, Ala Wai Boat Harbor (shown in opening scene of Gilligan's Island).

Hike to Manoa Falls: (Free) You can drive right up to the trailhead and park for free. Or you can pay a few bucks in a nearby lot to have someone "watch" your car. One mile one way. Short hike through a rain forest also bamboo there. Treetops restaurant there (at the previous Paradise Park site) has a good Chinese buffet.

Hike to Makapuu Point Lighthouse: (free) Great view from here. Easy one mile hike. In winter months (mid-November to mid-April) it's great for whale watching.

Other Hiking on Oahu:
http://www.hawaiitrails.org/
http://www.backyardoahu.com/
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/oahuhikingtrails/home.html
http://oahuhiking.com/

North Shore Beaches: Haleiwa, Banzai Pipeline (Ehukai Beach), Waimea Beach, Sunset Beach, Shark's Cove & Chun's Reef. Chun's Reef has sea turtles. Other nice stops for pictures in the area. Can be huge waves in winter. Good snorkeling at Shark's Cove and Chun's Reef in the summer.

Other beaches: There are close to 100 beaches on Oahu. Besides North Shore and Waikiki beaches these are some of the better ones: Makaha Beach (west shore), Waimanalo Beach, Lanikai Beach, Sandy Beach, Hanauma Bay and Kailua Beach (east/Windward side), Ala Moana Beach Park (south shore). All public beaches are free except Haunama Bay.

Dole Pineapple Plantation: On H-2 just past Wahiawa. Can visit on the way to or back from the North Shore. Nice gift shop to browse, but expensive. Go behind the center for pineapple exhibits and carp feeding pond.

Kualoa Ranch: Several movies have been set here: (Jurassic Park, Mighty Joe Young and others), ATV rides, horseback riding, tours. Located across from Kualoa Regional Park.

Waikiki: Beaches, shopping, dining, nightclubs, shows, some museums. Wide range in dining prices. $3-4 breakfasts, $6-10 lunch buffets, $20-$25 fine dining and anywhere in between. Best Waikiki shows: Creation: A Polynesian Journey, John Hirokawa's Magic of Polynesia, Society of Seven, Blue Hawaii (Elvis impersonator), many more to chose from. Many Waikiki shows offer cocktail show along with the dinner show. They seat you after everyone else has eaten. Regular price of shows around $40-$60. Cocktail show about $25-$35. There are several short free hula shows and other demonstrations in Waikiki daily. Check the brochures for location, days and times. Check brochures for coupons for shows/dining/shopping, etc.

Downtown Area: Aloha Tower (take elevator to the top, nice view), Chinatown, Hawaii Maritime Center, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, other museums.

Botanical Gardens: Oahu has many botanical gardens. Most are free, the others charge a few bucks. Haiku Garden in Kaneohe is nice and is a nice stop if you are taking an island driving tour. Located near Byodo-In-Temple (Valley of the Temples). Check brochures or get info on-line. Search: oahu botanical gardens

Other: Sea Life Park, Zoo, Aquarium, Dinner cruise, whale watching cruise, submarine tours, parasailing, helicopter tours, horseback riding, Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, scuba, surfing lessons, other luau shows (Germaine's, Paradise Cove). Many other attractions, things to do. Check the brochures.

Brochures: (free) Can be found in the airport baggage claim area or at hundreds of news stands throughout Waikiki, in hotels, in stores, and at some attractions. These are excellent "things to do and see" guide books (maps, attractions, beaches, dining, night clubs, etc.). There are a lot of coupons in these for dining, shopping, etc. The best brochures are: 'This Week on Oahu', 'Oahu Gold', '101 Things Oahu', 'The BEST of Oahu'. Some of these brochures can also be found for other islands (Maui, Kauai, Big Island) unique to that island. Most of these brochures also have on-line versions.

Websites:
www.thisweek.com 'This Week On Oahu' They will send up-to-date brochures for a few bucks. Also This Week Maui, Kauai, Big Island.
www.spotlighthawaii.com 'Oahu Gold' They will send up-to-date brochures for a few bucks. Also Maui Gold, Big Island Gold, Kauai Gold.
www.gohawaii.com This is the official site for Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. They will send a free brochure.
www.101thingstodo.com
www.visit-oahu.com Oahu Visitors Bureau, for free brochure 1-877-525-6248 (toll free)
www.hawaii.com Good site for comparing hotel locations, prices, etc.
www.hawaiiweb.com
www.alternative-hawaii.com
www.hawaii-hotels.com Compare hotels
www.bookit.com Compare hotels
www.alohafriends.com
www.honoluluadvertiser.com one of two main Honolulu newspapers, has dining & entertainment guides, TGIF calendar
www.starbulletin.com one of two main Honolulu newspapers, also has dining & entertainment

Automobiles: Oahu is the only island that you can get around by bus. Oahu has a good bus system, but a rental vehicle gets around a lot better. Parking in Waikiki can be a problem at times. If you plan on renting a car, make sure your hotel allows parking at the hotel or in a nearby lot or garage. Get the parking pass at the hotel registration area. Probably $8-$14/day to park at the hotel. You can get city bus passes at any ABC store in Waikiki for $20 for 4 days. Or you can pay $2.00 per trip. There are also many shuttles, tour buses and vans and trolleys that go to many places (some are free).

Internet Search Engines: Use Yahoo, Google, Dogpile or any other search engine to find information on any thing else on Oahu (or other island) that may interest you. Type in: hiking hawaii, hiking oahu, bed and breakfast oahu, condominiums oahu, botanical gardens oahu, oahu hotels or any other terms that will get you information.

Hotels: Most hotels (or hotel chains) have their own 800 numbers and/or websites: www.outrigger.com www.sheraton.com www.ohanahotels.com, etc. Or you can use a search engine to find the website or use the search engine's yellow pages for the phone number.

Entertainment Book
Entertainment books for Hawaii and many other locations can be purchased online at www.entertainment.com. They cost around $35-$40 plus shipping or if you wait until mid-March, the price is reduced to about $25 (or less) with free shipping. Expires November 1.
Coupons include half price tickets for John Hirokawa's Magic Show. Hundreds of other coupons for reduce price luaus, shopping, dining, movies, attractions, etc. The Hawaii book also has many mainland coupons for hotels, car rentals, Universal Studios, Sea World, etc.

Phone Cards: If you don't have a cell phone, the best phone cards right now can be found at Costco or Sam's Club. Right now they are only $.03/m, 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no monthly charge. Can be used from pay phones ($.25 or eight units surcharge from pay phone), hotels, homes.

Thanks for the wealth of information. Hawaii is right up there with Paris...

Silly questions...how does one get from island to island...is flying the only option if time is a concern...how many islands can we see in one week...I am assuming just one and which one?

Hawaiian illiterate thanks you!

A friend's Mom is going for her 70th birthday to Hawaii and island hopping through a cruise line. They chose this route as it was most cost effective. It is costing appx $5K for two people, inc air fare and all meals.

If you have really always wanted to go somewhere in particular, I say the 40th anniversary is the time to splurge and just do it! Now you'll just have to choose between Paris and Hawaii!

Congratulations on your anniversary, and best wishes for a wonderful celebration.

How about Silversea cruise line, consistently rated first or second in Best Small Ships roundups? They currently have a number of voyages "on sale" - some with rates under $3,000 pp. We'll end our 40th anniversary Trip of a Lifetime in Boston in September, after 12 days spent sailing over from S'hampton. (But that's not one of the ones on sale, I'm afraid).

How about saving Paris for early fall and celebrating the "real" anniversary sharing memories either alone or with friends and family.
Did you honeymoon locally? Perhaps a weekend there, or the where you got married. Paris/Europe is spectacular in the fall and should be enjoyed and not endured in the heat.
40 yrs ...priceless,
Bless you both!

If possible wait until Sept when airfares/hotels come down a bit, especially on the weekdays.

Have you seen Vegas? A trip to Las Vegas then a drive through the desert to Los Angeles then a drive up or down the coast is perfect if you have 10 days. Fly home out of San Fran or San Diego

We celebrated our 40th last year by taking the kids and grandkids on a Princess Cruise to Mexico. It was so much fun for everyone, and a great way to celebrate our life together!

Yes, we have thought of taking our trip in Sept or Oct and may well do that since August is a hot month everywhere!

Thanks for all the kind and happy wishes. I do feel truly blessed. Have one daughter who has four beautiful kids and they all live around the corner from us and my parents (in their 80s) live with her and her children. Hubby and I met when we were 12 years old. He lived across the street from me and guess what - we now live in that same house that I grew up in and his parents - also in their 80's - still live across the street. We have a large extended family and have big parties for every occasion...just celebrated Mom's 80th and my neices 30th. I KNOW how fortunate and blessed we are to have the family and friends that we have. If we go nowhere, I would miss nothing.

That said, we have taken the kids, grandkids to Disney, on a cruise, etc...and it was great! We had a very small wedding, honeymooned right here in Boston...didn't even drive...my parents drove us to the hotel..we were 18 years old...can you imagine?

So now we thought we would do something romantic and special...like the honeymoon we never really had, although over the years, many beautiful romantic trips.

California and Vegas are favorite spots...have been to Vegas twice and loved it...and to San Fran area several times. Paris in the fall is a real possibility...it has always been my number one dream to go to Paris...

Thank you all so much for your good wishes. You are all so helpful...

NannyJan

What a wonderful life story, NannyJan. Go for your dream, you deserve it! Bon voyage.

If you like the outdoors do to Sedona Arizona. Very beautiful and romantic feel to it as well. We just got married there. Nice relaxing getaway. Otherwise I would say if your looking for tropical goto the bahamas

If you are wanting to cruise do the bermuda, St marteen, ect rotal carribean cruise that is leaving right from boston in October. It's a 10 day cruise and the price was only $1100 per person

What a great story! And what a loving, close family you seem to have. How fortunate you are to have your parents still alive, and your children close-by.

My parents were both in the army when they married. The only guest in attendance was my mom's mom. They all checked into the hotel afterward, and had to switch rooms because Nana's was a "double," and the newlyweds had a single twin! But they were married over fifty years!

You do realize you mentioned three times that your #1 dream is to go to Paris? I think your choice is already made for you! I think it is something you shouldn't wait any longer for. Paris will be beautiful in September, and a week in the city will give you plenty of time to explore. Go for it!

Dreamer2

Yes...I think Paris is it...the Med cruise sounded wonderful but so much to do and see, so busy, so expensive! I think just a week in Paris alone will be wonderful and very romantic...I am sure there is plenty to see and do...

Thanks for your nice comments...I sure do feel lucky...

Serenitymassage, We stopped in Sedona when we did our Grand Canyon trip...breaktaking and peaceful...loved it...will definitely return and spend more time there...we loved Arizona!

NannyJan

tuckerdc

Congratulations to you as well...Have a wonderful time on your 40th Anniversary trip...sounds like a great cruise... please tell us all about it on your return..

NannyJan