Just Back From Hawaii.

[DawnCt1]

Glad to hear you had a great time! We are headed to Oahu in January, how was the Hale Koa? You mentioned Safeway, did you go to any of the commisaries? Since we haven't lived in the US for a while therefore I don't have a Safeway card but I assumed the prices at the commisary were cheaper??

I love the Hale Koa and the PX at the Hale Koa has good prices. We didn't go to the PX in Honolulu which is the largest, so I have heard. When we visited the Pacific Missile Range on Kauai, which is almost at the end of the road on the hot and dry side (west), the only thing that was cheaper was the gas. Of course I am sure that the prices were cheaper than some of the grocers on that west side but Safeway was the best bet. Apply for a Safeway Card and a Foodland Card on line before you go.

 

[DawnCt1]

i'm curious-how is maui doing with the mediteranian fruit flys? we're going in november, and when we went several years back they had a huge issue with them (made us appreciate the efforts california was making against them).

did you do a luau on maui? we did 'the old lahina luau' when we went but i'm interested in hearing about other options.

.

I didn't read any buzz about the fruit fly in the Maui News. Kauai still has banana quarantine areas. I saw the signs along the road but they were the same signs that were there last time we visited Kauai. We did the luau at the Hale Koa this year for around $34. Glenn Medieros (?) is the talent at that luau. He had a hit record back in the 80's, "Nothings gonna Change my love for you". Someone at our table said that it was in a Disney movie. Don't know which one. He works the Hale Koa luau up to three times a week but his real job is teaching 4th graders I think. He plans on getting his doctorate in curriculum studies. He was born and raised on Kauai. Of course the rest of the talent are the wonderful dancers , singers and the band. On Maui we have been to the Marriott's luau, which is now at the Sheraton and the Hyatts. I think I liked the Marriott's a bit better. (mo' bettah!)

 

[DawnCt1]

I agree with the "help wanted" signs everywhere. In Kona, they were desperate for people. I kept thinking my boys might be able to spend a summer at my brother's and work in a few years! It cracked us up, because Kona's dirty little secret is extreme traffic problems. They need more people, but the roads are packed - I don't know what they'd do with more people! The beaches and tourist things were fine, but avoid commuting hours!

When we were on our Na Pali cruise, I was talking to a local from Maui visiting Kauai, who said that the rental car companies have doubled their car registrations in the last year. The traffic problem that Maui has is that there is one road that is really safe to travel on from Kahului to Lahaina and beyond. That road had 3 road closures that I knew of while we were there. Two accidents and a brush fire. The real estate prices have gone up 100% since 2004! To move to a house comparable to mine in Ct, which is not known for its low housing prices, It would cost me over $3 million!

 

[TheDoctor]

Sounds like fun. I am partial to the Big Island. I love it when the lava is flowing on the surface.

 

[DawnCt1]

Sounds like fun. I am partial to the Big Island. I love it when the lava is flowing on the surface.

Me too. We opted for Kauai this time because we hadn't been there in a while but I do love the Big Island; the lava, the rain forest, all of it.

 

[grlpwrd]

Welcome back!

Sounds like fun. I am partial to the Big Island. I love it when the lava is flowing on the surface.

Me, three! My family is from Keaukaha (homestead land) and Hilo in general. I plan to return there for good one day.

 

[Laz]

I was on Maui and Kauai last year and miss the islands so much! The Princeville area is our favorite area.

 

[DawnCt1]

Welcome back!



Me, three! My family is from Keaukaha (homestead land) and Hilo in general. I plan to return there for good one day.

Kaulana 'o Keaukaha!

 

[Kahana-ri]

Loved reading your post. We were in Maui last June and wish for another visit very soon. My in-laws have two condos in Kihei. Since they live in CA, its easy for them to go back and forth. As you know being on the East Coast too, its not easy or cheap to fly through three times zones to Maui.
Reading your post brought back many great and fun memories.