Considering switching to all land trip...advice please

[beachchick]

Aloha all. Here's the situation. As my DH and I were pondering our fall PoH cruise (combined with several land days on Maui), we started to consider that we might prefer to do an all land trip (yet again). We've not yet managed to do a whole Hawaii cruise (long and boring stories) and do want to do one at some point. The PoH sounds like a good fit for us.

 

OTOH, we could do a week each on the BI and Maui. We've wanted to spend more time on the BI, which we really haven't fully explored. Last year, we blew through the Kona area, down around (including a stop at south point), and then spent several days at Volcano House. We also did the UoH Mauna Kea summit day, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Our only other visit to the BI, we rented a "budget" (and it showed) condo in Kona--and hit the first Kona storm of the season. Of course, we loved the trip anyway, but we couldn't snorkel or really do much of the sightseeing we wanted to do. It was one of those storms that went on for days.

 

Budget-wise this time, we could stay at a decent place on the Kohala coast or perhaps south of Kona and have a full week on Maui for less money than our current Maui/cruise plans. Another OTOH, we got a pretty good deal on the cruise (took the balcony guarantee that's "going around" for the fall and got assigned a good BC cabin--it's an HC cabin though, which is weird as we didn't ask for it and don't need it; whatever).

 

We're really torn here. Budget is a consideration, so there's no Kona Village Resort or Hualalai in our near future, but there are several moderate resorts (e.g., Hilton Waikoloa) that would work for us.

 

I know, how sad for us having to choose which Hawaii trip will be best this time...boo-hoo.:D I would really appreciate some advice from all the wonderful locals and the other Hawaii "enthusiasts" on the forum.

 

If we choose the land-only option, I'd also appreciate some suggestions or feedback on where to stay on the BI; don't need advice for Maui--we only stay one place there. We would prefer a condo/cottage type place. Some of the super resort ones are out of our price range, but I've seen a few listed that we can afford. I'm just a bit leary sometimes. We only need one bedroom and definitely want access to a pool (yeah, I know the ocean is right there; we love it, but like the option of a pool too). A BBQ and outdoor common area would be a major plus. Naturally, we would like ocean view or at least close ocean access.

 

A full kitchen would be best, but a true kitchenette would work (as long as it has a small range and oven). I hear that the Farmers' Market in Hilo is truly awesome. We won't have a kitchen on Maui, so I'll still get a week "off." We prefer eating breakfast in and doing a picnic for lunch, so we'll need to have reasonable access to grocery shopping. Is the closest going to be Kona? (At least I already know where the stores are there.) I certainly don't mind driving down to Kona, but would be happy to hear of any good fish markets, produce markets, or small groceries along the Kohala coast.

 

Our buget range is about $200 to $250 a night (plus tax). Our absolute max would be $300 per night if a place was just too good to miss. If anyone has any "gems" to suggest, I'm all ears (so to speak). We've found some incredible places for less money simply by not asking for the moon and the stars all at once. The minimums: Must be clean and well kept; does not need to have a million fancy bells and whistles (we have pretty simple tastes); comfortable (and again clean) furniture (a recliner is a huge plus for my DH); only need one bathroom (shower is fine); decent linens, towels, and basic kitchen equipment (we once rented a place where the kitchen didn't even have a spatula!); small, but well kept pool and common areas; A/C. Also nice, but not absolutely necessary: Private lanai; BBQ; ocean view/access; more "resort" amenities.

 

This is what I've looked at today as possibles:

ResortQuest Shores at Waikoloa (used to be Aston); ResortQuest Waikoloa Colony (sounds like it's geared for golfers, which we are not); Mauna Lani Terrace Condos (part of Mauna Lani Resort); Kona Coast Resort; Waikoloa Fairway Villas (also golf-oriented); Waikoloa Colony Villas; Vista Waikoloa (in the Waikoloa Beach Resort); Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village; Mauna Loa Village.

 

I'd appreciate any direct experience advice (good or bad) about any of them. I will be consulting Trip Advisor, etc. (as well as rechecking our Revealed book), but first-hand experiences always seem to be the best information.

 

Mahalo to everyone for all of your help.

 

Edited: Geez, I just read through this and realized I'm asking for a bunch of help all at once. So, double mahalos all around.

 

beachchick (and beachguy too):D

[spleen93]

Oooh, hard choice.

 

No condos available this way but did you think about Priceline for a hotel in Kohala?

 

List of hotels offered by Priceline in Kona/Kohala: http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm246.showMessage?topicID=45.topic

 

And the Marriott Waikoloa doesn't sound all that bad - http://p070.ezboard.com/fpricelineandexpediabiddingfrm167.showMessage?topicID=142.topic

 

Might be a nice bargain since they're renovating at this time. $90/night doesn't sound bad to me. :D

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Mahalo for the quick response, Spleen. Hm...more information to ponder.

 

I looked at VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). Most are 2 bedroom places or larger (as usual). We've had good (and not so good luck) with these types of sites.

 

I did find one intriguing one. It's a 1 bedroom with kitchen at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The price is right and it sounds good...but that's thing, they all sound good; it's the reality that doesn't always jibe.

 

Anyone have any reviews about the Waikoloa Village Resort in general?

 

Edited: Okay, now I'm seeing that this particular condo is in "The Shores" at Waikoloa Village Resort. I'm guessing that there are several condo complexes, etc. in the Resort, but that all are individually owned/managed?

 

beachchick

 

p.s. to Spleen: True, $90 a night doesn't sound bad. The question is how bad will the sounds of the renovation be? LOL.

[spleen93]

Hmmm .... this might help?

 

http://gohawaii.about.com/od/bigislandlodging/a/waikoloa_2006a.htm

 

Spleen

[CruisinMK]

On my pride of Hawaii cruise I did a kayak shore excursion that started right in front of the Kona Coast resort. Some people from the hotel watched us Kayak and snorkel. I was thinking how great it'd be to stay there, for proximity to great snorkeling, kayaking, and views. Hopefully the hotel itself is good too. :) Holua is also right there. Probably a 5 min drive to most shops/restaurants, which is about 5 times closer in than Kohala.

 

Kohala is great for people who like mega resorts or golf, that's not me. Well, I'm sure there are good points but I'd really rather be closer in to Kona. Then again you're travelling further afield so you might not care.

 

My favorite trip was when we stayed at a semi-dive smack in the middle of kona, and I could just stroll to shops and restaurants. I prefered that to my stay at the uppity Mauna Kea resort and disneylandesque Waikaloa.

 

Another thing to consider is a stay at the town of "volcano" on Hilo side, that'd be great.

[rjscott]

We've stayed at Holua Resort at Mauna Loa. The units are very nice and are spacious. The pools range from small to medium-sized. There is no ocean access from the complex, and little ocean view. It is convenient to Keauhou shopping center, which has a KTA market, a Long's Drug and a few restaurants. It is also a very short drive to Kahaluu Beach and to Honaunau for great snorkeling.

[Bucky3]

If you decide on the Kona area rather than Waikoloa, you may want to look further into the Kona Coast Resort as mentioned above. We spent most of a day there on our Hawaii cruise last fall. Looked like it had been recently renovated like it may have been a hotel and is now condos?

[hotmike98]

We own at Kona Coast. These were orginally single owner condos, later most converted to timeshares. Shell Vacation Resorts came in and built/renovated the Phase II units. (Phase I units are older, larger, and not slated for renovations til next year). We love the place, as it is just south of Kona (10 minute drive), five minutes from a great snoreling beach, and has an adjacent shopping center with market, post office, Thai restaurant, pizza, movie theater, etc. Be advised Kona Coast rests on a cliff and adjacent to a golf course. Most units are NOT ocean view, and there is no beach at the resort. If you check http://www.tug2.net they have a classified ad section where you can look for rentals; you need not be a TUG member to view it, and you might find something there. As much as we love cruising, I would not want to spend a second of my time in Hawaii on a cruise ship and have to compartmentalize my time on each island.

[Bucky3]

After reading Hotmike's98 remarks, above, I was wrong about what I wrote above that! The hotel I had in mind is not Kona Coast. It is the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. You can find it by searching for Outrigger Hotels. They have a very nice video showing the grounds on their website. Sorry about my mistake. Have a wonderful trip.

[JunPOA]

Before deciding you might want to do some research on www.tripadvisor.com, select Maui forum and/ or Reader Reviews for an abundance of info related to lodging on Maui. Have a great trip.:)

[beachchick]

Mahalo everyone for your input and wishes for our trip. We know that whatever we decide, we'll be happy; we always love visiting the islands.

 

We're still pondering our choices. We have decided that if we do all-land again, we want a private home for the BI (either Kona, probably along Ali'i, or Kohala, but not inland). We've done condos, but have decided that we really want more privacy than that this time. I expect it will cost a bit more, but we'll see what the budget allows. We've also decided again staying at one of the resort hotels. We've done enough of that, and my DH has had to do so much business travel that he really doesn't like staying at a regular resort or hotel. That's fine with me, I prefer a quiet and more home-like environment too.

 

I appreciate everyone taking the time to give me feedback. It helps narrow the field for us. Does anyone know of private homes along the Kohala coast or the Kona area, especially on the Kahalu'u end of Ali'i? We've looked at a couple today that seem promising. One is only a block from Kahalu'u. I'm wondering if a private home is a realistic option along the Kohala coast resort area. Considering that it's pretty much all mega-resorts and condo complexes, I just can't picture much else. Perhaps a bit further north between Puako and Spencer Beach park maybe?

 

hotmike98: I hear you. We're usually the ones advising land trip over cruise for Hawaii. Still, we think it would be fun to do the Hawaii-only itinerary and combine it with several days on Maui. We've done several land trips in the past 8 years, plus my DH used to work in Hawaii several weeks a year. We've tried doing a Hawaii-only cruise twice before (several years ago). First time, I broke my ankle 3 days into the cruise and had to go home; second time, the cruise line declared bankruptcy 3 weeks before our cruise, so we quickly converted the trip into a 3-island land trip (love that travel insurance!). It was a great last-minute trip, but I vowed never to do more than two islands at a time again. It was just too much pack and move for us. That's one reason why we'd like to combine a cruise/land trip at some point. It's not like we have to rush, rush, rush to see as much of an island as possible during port days. In fact, we figure that we'll take advantage of ship's facilities as quiet time on Maui--it's not like we haven't "been there, done that" for just about everything on the island.

 

I completely agree about the difficulty of compartmentalizing island time. OTOH, for someone who is only going to get to Hawaii one time, it can give a good taste of the different islands and their individual character. My concern for most cruisers is that they tend to plan their days to death--with no time hang loose and really enjoy themselves. I hate to think that their memories may end up being that all they did was drive and hurry to "see it all" (when that's just not possible; not in a day and not even in a week). I always encourage cruisers to pick the activities that appeal most to them and then let the rest of the time be for relaxing.

 

JunPOA: Thanks for the link, but we are frequent Maui visitors and stay one specific place. It's always good to hear what other people think though.

 

Again, mahalo everyone and I'm happy to "hear" any other input anyone has for us.

 

beachchick

[sceptic]

Beachchick, the only thing I can suggest is to remember that you can combine Hilo and Kona without "switching islands." We've stayed for a few days in Kona (last time was Sea Village, very nice -- oops, a condo... never mind) then just packed our stuff in the car, toured the north part of the island, down the Hamakua coast, grocerie'd up in Hilo, then up to Volcano to our house in the village. You get two "ports" without the hassle of planes, new rental cars, etc. Even the "packing" is quite different when you just toss stuff in the car trunk rather than "pack" for a trip on an airplane. We also found a rental car with no dropoff fee, btw, so we got the "weekly" rate even though we picked up at KOA and dropped off ITO.

 

Just a thought if you can find an ideal house to rent in Kona but it's only available for part of the time you're on the big island. You mentioned you spent some time in Volcano recently, so maybe you don't need to go back there so soon.

 

Anyway -- something to keep in mind.

[beachchick]

sceptic: Funny you should mention it. DH and I were discussing the possibility of 1/2 a week at two different places on the BI. I ruled against it because I really want to just get a little house or cottage and "park it" for the week. You're right though about the differences in packing when you're staying on the same island. It's much easier than going island hopping. Still, I think I'd rather just stay put this trip and make our inter-island to Maui our only "pack and move" day.

 

We spent 4 nights at Volcano House last June, so we've decided not to worry about VNP or the surrounding area this time. It's the Kona/Kohala area, as well as all of the north part of the island and the upper inland (Waikoloa, Parker Ranch, etc.) that we haven't explored much (or at all).

 

We plan to do the UoH Mauna Kea summit tour again, but can rent from Harpers in Kona and drive in from the north on Saddle Rd. We've done coffee tasting before too, but will no doubt do it again. (I'm always open to suggestions for the best Kona coffee; I can't remember which two seemed to be everyone's favorites last year; I can say that coffee is like wine, each "vintage" is different and we were really disappointed with our usual favorites last year. So, I'm open to ideas.)

 

I've snorkeled at Honaunau and loved it, even though it was right after a storm and the ocean was a bit rough. Other than that, we haven't done much snorkeling on the BI. I know that some of the beaches along the north Kohala coast are supposed to have excellent snorkeling as well. We'll just play it by ear depending on our health status, the weather, etc. We will do the Fair Wind this time--this I promise myself!

 

Our only experience on the Kohala coast was one day that we kind of toured the big resorts for fun. I scored and got a spot for the DolphinQuest long adult program. It was expensive, but worth it. Of course, that was 5 years ago, and I know the program has changed (and costs more too), so I'll probably not do it again. We also toured Kona Village Resort and then had cocktails at the outdoor bar for happy hour. That trip was right after 9/11, so many people had cancelled travel plans. Add in the first big storm of the year and I have to say that it was wonderfully quiet and uncrowded.

 

Mahalo for the ideas and suggestions.

 

beachchick

[spleen93]

Mountain Thunder was one of the Kona coffee farms recommended in the old Kona coffee thread that we had going back then.

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Mahalo, Spleen. That's one of the names I was trying to remember. As I recall, your favorite is a different one that is difficult to get. Is it available to "the general public"?

 

beachchick

[spleen93]

http://www.kona-coffee.com/KonaStore/

 

Langenstein Farms.

 

They used to offer tours by reservations - the current website doesn't make mention of this however.

 

Spleen

[cmjaffe]

Has this trip past yet or still in the planning stages?

Thought we had our land portion set for Big Island but now am considering renting a place for a week... but all the choices.. what to do?

[beachchick]

If you want to rent a house or condo, try the "by owners" sites to start (such as vrbo, vacation rentals by owner; we've used them several times with mostly successful results).

 

And since this is back up front, I'll give everyone a bit of an update.

 

We kind of went back to plan A and decided to split up our trips. We won't be going this October because we have too many other things to deal with. We also decided that planning one long trip was just begging for health trouble. It's simply too much for us to do. So, we will be in Hawaii this winter and then again next October. We decided not to wait until next year partly because we've had a few very difficult, stressful years (healthwise and housewise) and feel the need to get away from all the problems and try to regroup the limited energies we have. Partly because NCLA has some pretty good deals on PoH this winter (off holidays). I was just browsing around one day and saw some good pricing (which BTW has already DROPPED twice--we moved from the cheapest BE gty to an aft BA, which would have cost $1200 more total when we booked, for no extra fare), plus I booked on a Wednesday, so we've got the OBC. At that point, we decided to add a few days pre on Maui at our favorite place and then do a "must do someday" by staying at the Royal Hawaiian for a few days post (got a good package there, not through the cruise line). We already had inter-island air which I switched to the new dates. What really made it definite was when my mother offered to gift us for Christmas with enough of her FF miles to take care of the air--which is way up there right now. Amazingly, we found good flights only a few months out (that's unusual for mainland to Hawaii FF dates). And finally we decided to do the PoH now because we're just not sure how successful the Hawaii-only ships will be. We didn't want to miss out because we've tried twice in the past (other ships, other stories) and figure this is our last chance.

 

For October 2007 it will be land only in Kohala and then Maui again (DH calls it his "zen" place).

 

My surgery was completely successful--I'm thrilled to have one health thing go really well. DH's skin cancer surgery was also successful--but he will be wearing even more sunscreen then usual and a broader brimmed hat then he's had in the past. (We are big sunscreen believers now, but decades ago as kids we spent summers playing in the sun--"go outside and play" was our parents' chant all summer long--without protection; who knew then what we know now? So even though we were never "tanners," we still got too much sun exposure. I suspect that most of "our" generation will end up with superficial skin cancers in the coming decades. End of lecture.)

 

We still have several health and home issues to deal with and, of course, our ongoing disabilities, but we've decided that we're going to take some time to recharge and smell the plumeria. It's funny, but Hawaii is the one place we can visit and come back feeling like we really got away from our worries. I think it's partly because we don't try to "do too much," which is a real danger when you have few "good" days--you want to make the most of them to the detriment of your overall health. In Hawaii, we can sit on the lanai, walk by the water, take a little swim or snorkel, and just let things be.

 

Aloha and happy cruising to everyone.

 

beachchick

[cmjaffe]

Beachchick...

Thanks for your update. (and also your helpful advice).

Did you have surgery on your foot (I believe I saw somewhere you had broken your ankle)?

I believe we're in the "same boat". We've had a stressful year with juggling "life" and also my long recouperation on complicated foot surgery. We had locked in FF air for Xmas in May but had flight go in KOA out LIH (could have done r/t KOA but thought heck, let's do 2 islands). Now reading etc. realize that there's so much to do on Big Island that having around 5 days would be a "tease/taste". So we're playing around w/FF holds for next summer. Will probably lock in at least 2 weeks away since the kids have the whole summer off and DH will have rebanked all vacation for year. Had originally thought of Maui but not sure it it's the "right fit" w/kids (DH doesn't seem to be wanting to be doing chilling) also DS is fairly fair skinned redhead who got a killer burn this past summer on Carib cruise and not sure if being out will do for him (yes we had him coated in SP45 but it didn't help a bit). Luckily I'm starting him out this fall w/body checks w/dermo since we're not taking any chances.

Wishing you and your DH a healthy fall in anticipation of your upcoming cruise.

Carolyn

[beachchick]

cmjaffe: Aloha and mahalo for your good wishes. No, not my ankle. That happened on a Hawaii cruise about 7 years ago. It's all healed and fine. (We always buy travel insurance, and thank goodness for that.) However, I can sympathize only too much about complicated foot surgery. Almost 20 year ago now, I had complicated major surgery to correct congenital problems on both feet. My ortho said that he was going to do both at the same time because the pain would be so severe and last so long that if he only did one, I would never come back for the second one. He was soooo right. On a scale of 1 to 10, my pain level when I woke up in the hospital the day after surgery was about a 20. I had never before and have never since yelled at a nurse to call the doctor RIGHT NOW to authorize more pain meds (I was on morphine!) Childbirth? HA! Let's talk real lasting pain. I got the added joy of having to be in a wheelchair for 8 weeks. (It did give me a bit of an appreciation for those who are permanently wheelchair-bound.) I hope you have survived and are feeling better now.

 

I had surgery on my ear to restore my hearing. I waited as long as I could, basically until I was nearly deaf in that ear. The surgery is almost always successful, but there is a tiny, tiny risk that it won't be, and then you are deaf permanently. Anyway, all is well. I've gone from saying, "Excuse me? What?" to my husband 50 times a day to "Would you please turn down the darn TV! Why do they have to make commercials so loud?" DH is thrilled.

 

Good for you for starting early on those skin checks. What a bummer that your DS got a sunburn even with all the "goo" on. Have you checked out sun-protective clothing? We have wonderful hats from Solarveil, which also makes lightweight clothing items. I'm sure there are other companies that do the same. I know that in Australia there are all kinds of protective beach clothes. I'd bet they have things that would work for water play and snorkeling as well.

 

You need and deserve to plan AT LEAST two weeks. If your DH can take a bit more, go for it. You won't be sorry because no matter how many days you have, you'll wish it was "just a few more." (Trust me on that one.)

 

If you can swing it, at least a week on the BI would be great. There is so much to do and see. We were at VNP for 3 days (and 1 day on Mauna Kea) last year, and we barely scratched the surface of that side of the island. It will be great for the whole family. We spent 5 days in Kona years ago, but hit the first winter storm, so we really didn't get much sightseeing done. (Had a great trip anyway--how could we not? It's Hawaii!)

 

I can't imagine that Maui wouldn't be a good fit with kids. There's tons to do there as well. We always see plenty of kids when we're on Maui, and they don't appear bored in the least. Kauai is really the quietest of the four major islands, but there are plenty of outdoor and family activities. (But then again, what do I know? Our DD has been grown and on her own for years, so it's been a long time since we've had youngsters to plan for.) Kauai has Waimea Canyon, Poipu Beach (great for the whole family), river "stuff" (tubing and kayaking), and several great beaches besides Poipu. Still, there's just as much to do on Maui with many great beaches, Haleakala, and surfing/swimming/snorkeling/parasailing (when not whale season)/diving and just plain old beaching. The road to Hana may or may not be fun for your kids, it just depends on their tastes and ages. Both have waterfalls and hiking. I don't know. Either Kauai or Maui would be good, IMO. We love both islands. (Although, Waimea Canyon was the spot of the infamous "broken ankle while on a cruise so we had to fly home early" incident.)

 

I highly recommend that you look into renting a house or condo on both islands (whichever you choose). Some of them are surprisingly affordable. You might look for one that has a pool so your DS can have water time out of the sun (morning, late afternoon, etc.). I was surprised at how reasonable some of the simple homes with pools could be when you rent for a week. And of course the savings in food costs can be huge when it's the whole family. Plus, you can eat what you want when you want and take picnics with you when you go on adventures.

 

Have fun planning (and may you walk without pain).

 

beachchick

[cmjaffe]

I know what you mean by "pain"... w/foot surger I was on the morphine for a while, the oxycotin (though only when absolutely necessary) but it took a LONG time.

Thanks for recommending the rental info. It's SO TEMPTING... now to "play" around w/American Air. to make sure we've got the flights available... so far I've got about 18-19days on Islands.. flying into KOA out of HNL or visa versa. Just putting them on hold. Would LOVE to go for 3 weeks but I think that's going to stretch it a bit w/Mike getting out of work.

Now I just "pray" that AA doesn't "cancel" my HOLDS for July... I'm "playing games" and so are they...

Carolyn

[beachchick]

Oh boy, I truly "feel" your pain. I hope you are completely recovered now. If not, I send wishes for a speedy remainder of your recovery time.

 

I'll be sending good thoughts your way that you can work out your schedule and get exactly the flights you want too. I think that 18 or 19 days would be absolutely wonderful. Keep in mind that the following is merely my opinion and how we would plan the trip.

 

If you have 18 or 19 days, you can either do longer stays on two islands (the BI and either Maui or Kauai) or slip in a few days on a third island. Based on the "bustle" and "activity" features of the major islands (and they all do have their individual feel and vibe), I would go to the busiest first, then ratchet down a bit, and end at the most laid back. That would be: Fly into HNL and stay on Oahu for about 4 days. This will get you into the aloha spirit and give you time to get over jet lag. Although Oahu is not our favorite island, there are definitely some "must do's" there. Pearl Harbor, a drive to Diamond Head (and hike up for the more active folks), Haunama Bay for a snorkel, a drive up to the north shore, Waikiki Beach (yes, it is a fun beach day), Kailua Beach (across the island from Waikiki Beach and, so far, hands down my favorite Hawaii swimming beach). Then I would fly to the BI for 7 or 8 days. I can't even begin to list all the adventures you could have (not to mention time to just relax and unwind). VNP alone is at least 1 full day. From there, it would be on to either Kauai or Maui for 7 days. Kauai would definitely be the least busy of the islands, but Maui is wonderful as well (at least, we think so). If you don't want to do three islands, then really any combination would be good as long as one of them is the BI because it sounds like the island your family might enjoy most. We did one trip that encompassed three islands, and it really was too much for us. OTOH, with our disabilities, we do have limitations that the young and healthy do not. It's just personal preference. We like doing two islands for at least a week each.

 

Whatever you do, enjoy and take time to smell the plumeria. Don't try to fill each and every island day with a whole list of activities. Leave time to truly relax.

 

beachchick

[Breezey]

Know this is an older thread but since it is still going..... I most definitely would go land next time I go to Hawaii. We were on the POH and then took an extra week in Maui. It is so much more fun and relaxing to be in the same place for a few days, rent a car and go at your own pace then have a few hours in port. We loved Kauai and wish we had more time to explore it. Our next trip to Hawaii (oh I wish) I would do Kauai and Maui and depending on how much time we had, we would try to fit in the Big Island as well. Plus being on land, you will really experience freestyle :) And definitely would find a condo to rent.

[Carolyn R]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents. From personal experience, the Kona Coast Resort is a very nice place to stay. It is a primarily time share resort, very nicely appointed units, pool and jacuzzi, restaurant at the pool, no direct access to the beach but a view of the ocean and a blow hole visible across the golf course. It is close to the Keauhou Shopping Center and just a few miles from the village of Kailua-Kona where the cruise ships tender. It is a very good base if you are planning on a land trip of a week or more, traveling south or north, all being an easy day trip, around the island or to the volcano can be done in a day too. So many possibilities here, not enough time, even in 2 weeks, to see it all. I love the Big Island.

[cmjaffe]

thanks everyone...

Right now we've got "several" (that is if the AA computer doesn't "kick" things out) different days on hold for approx. 16-20 days) so we're planning on doing flights from mainland to HNL/KOA (routing depends on departure dates) and will definitely spend at least a good week or so on Big Island (need to look up a cousin I've never met near Hilo, not sure if we're going to have the opportunity in December) and Volcano -- and return to places to fave spots from this winter's trip... then spend a few days exploring Oahu (and Honolulu) and possibly squeezing Maui along the way but keeping interisland flight open until we get a "feet wet" in December.

All this planning I think I better buy the Revealed books and possibly buy an Entertainment book (though I've got the card for local this year.. use the rental coupons) Right now I've got Revealed books for Big Island and Kauii from library but there not the latest edition (1 behind). Would love to know if there's going to be a new one put out in January, might hold off buying until then. Now the big decision whether to stay at Hilton or Sheraton this trip.

We still got time, might even try a Priceline bid if I feel lucky since we've got insurance locked in. With my luck you never know.

Carolyn