Hawaii....help me (1 Viewer)

[Terminalxylem]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does it create fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Again, my opinion. The chances are miniscule, period. Get in the chopper, this isn't Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating.

Thanks for the kind words.

Believe me, I’m far less risk averse than the average person. But I know others aren’t the same, so I just wanted to educate them.

Ultimately you’re right: the absolute risk is small, and most people will love the experience.

Nonetheless, living here, it’s hard not to be biased by the relatively common (versus pretty much everything, besides motorcycles) news of copter crashes. Granted, they garner a lot more media attention than most motor vehicles, kinda the transportation equivalent of a shark attack.

Let's agree to disagree, besides the fact that you're a huge asset to this board.

I mean, this isn't like going to see the Titanic. It's an hour flight around an island on nice helicopters with pilots who know exactly what they're doing. And do it every day. This isn't some extraction and/or doesn't happen with inclemant weather. The choppers are nice. Hell, pick your company, chopper and pilot if you're that paranoid.

But don't let life pass you by and miss seeing something very few in the world get the chance to see due to some infinitesimal fear.

While I’ve never been in a helicopter, life isn’t passing me by. I’ve hiked Kalalau multiple times, and rappelled one 500+ foot Oahu waterfall the heli tours frequent. I know, because I saw a couple fly by as we lowered.

I also have a friend who recently got his pilot’s license. Waiting for him to get some hours under his belt before risking a flight to the neighbor islands, probably the sea cliffs on Molokai.

My wife is a different story. She freaks out whenever flights are turbulent. Since I’ll probably only visit Kauai with her, those tours are off the menu.

 

[Osaurus]

Keep in mind that sailing the Na Pali coast is no guarantee. Bad weather comes up fast. Our sunset cruise was cancelled in a hot minute due to bad weather back in December of 2018.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Keep in mind that sailing the Na Pali coast is no guarantee. Bad weather comes up fast. Our sunset cruise was cancelled in a hot minute due to bad weather back in December of 2018.

This is true for hiking too, as the streams become impassable in rainy season (winter).

 

[The Gator]

It was an amazing trip to Maui, we planned everything just right. Not too much overlap and never had to leave one activity because we had another one planned. Very chill week that I wish was longer. Zip-lining was a blast, the Maui Gold Pineapple tour was a surprise fun event. About an hour and a half tour of the pineapple farm and production facility. We added on the distillery tour at the end to top it off. Snorkeling was the best activity though imo. We hit up a couple different spots, including Black Rock and Honolulu Bay. I wish we would have timed our HB trip a little better as there weren't any turtles when we went. Still, the walk to the bay through the jungle and the banana bread were still worth it.

We started at Monkeypod Kitchen for out first lunch. Pretty sure this was recommend based on the location in Kihei, but we went to the location in Whalers Vilalge and it was ok. Good bar food but no wow factor here. Will just have to get back and try the one Kihei.

One of the most recommend places was Star Noodle, we got this lunch location correct and it didn't disappoint. Started with the Ahi Avo which was mouthwateringly tender and just melted on your tongue, the tempura shrimp was also great. The Hot n Sour noodles were the best, that dish went really quick. Garlic noodles were good, but tough to follow the HnS. Pillow Dumplings were ok, wish I had ordered the Kimm Chee Pork, but the server recommendation swayed me. Adobo Ribs were delicious, could have wen through two orders of those. They also make a solid Manhattan

Our first dinner was at Fleetwoods on Front Street. This one had a Hard Rock Cafe vibe to it that was a nice. @Drunken knight mentioned the apps, the lobster tacos were one of the better apps we had. Had a thin crunchy shell with some nice flavors. Highlight of the entrees was the swordfish my son ordered, it even had my younger son who isn't into fish raising his eyebrows about how good it was. He compared every other meal of the trip to this one, don't think anything passed it up. Wife had a fantastic filet and I had a nice moonfish that was very delicious.


Now we get into the SEUT meals.

After the pineapple tour we stopped in Paia at a nice little coffee/cocktail shop, killing some time before Mama's Fish House. Funny side story here, as this was the hardest reservation to get. We booked in February and couldn't get a dinner, only lunch was available. A few days after we were there and recommended it, my parents just drove down and wanted to see if they could get a seat. They pull up and let the valet know they don't have reservations. He replied that there might be open seats at he bar and if so that's first come first serve. They walk in and sure enough there's room. They belly up to the bar and start looking at the menu before a host comes over and offers them a table by the window because they weren't expecting to be full. Reservations are six months out for dinner, 4 months out for lunch and they roll up and snag a table. Class.

We started our lunch with the shrimp wonots, delicious with their dipping sauce. My now snooty-about-fish son and I order the Kanpachi fish stuffed with crab, and lobster. As he's slowly finishing his first few bites he looks at me and says "If it wasn't for the swordfish last night, this would be the best fish I've had." . I agreed, it was exceptional. My other so who is testing the waters of seafood got the beff short ribs with a lobster tail. He loved the lobster and might have turned a corner. We had to finish of the lunch with their chocolate oyster. Besides Star Noodle, this one probably had the most hype. So the fact it exceeded that for us means a lot imo. Hype can kill an experience sometimes.


Lahaina Grill was the best of the all, however. Just fantastic and delicious from beginning to end. We started with sharing the wagyu ravioli in a mushroom brandy cream sauce. Really could have eaten a dozen of these. Finally get to talk about one of my wife's meals, she isn't a big fish gal but loves a good fillet or lamb. She lucked out here with a great, amazing rack of lamb. Beautiful presentation on everything here also, really well done imo. I ordered the fish special; mong chong served over a sweet corn risotto. holy ####ing ####, one of the best dishes I've every had. Just a perfect bite with the crispy, tender fish and the risotto. Really took my time with this one, did not want it to end. Lamb, Mong Chong and Meatballs


Extremely satisfied with the meals on the trip. With so much to look forward to, nothing really let us down.

Mars/Venus aligned over Maui

Mong Chong is just exceptional. Favorite fish over there

It blew my mind. After the first bite I looked at my family and said "take your time, this needs to last."

Mama's fish house

Best restaurant top to bottom, style-ambience-food-service, I’ve ever been too.

I know many people love Mama's. When we went a couple years ago in early Dec, they were pushing everyone to finish their meals and ironically the service wasn't that good. Celebrating an anniversary (like most everyone else ). We prefer Merriman's up near Kapalua. Service/food is excellent and no rush. Great view of Molokai and sunset. Glad you enjoyed Mama's!

Bummer you had that experience. We didn't feel rushed at all, but it was a lunch service not a dinner one that might have been busier.

 

[berndog]

Recently found out my wife is running a conference in Waikiki.
The plan is to spend 3 days in Waikiki and when her work ends heading to Kauai.

More last minute then we would like but got a VRBO in Kauai and coming up with a plan. Looking forward to reading thru this thread for ideas.

Going to leave 7/25 and home on 8/3. Not long enough but as long as we could make it.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Man, 6 days in Maui over.. will write up later.

Food was :chefkiss: Lahaina Grill, Mama's Fish, Fleetwoods...

Maui has been a favorite location for 40-50 years. I never found fleetwoods to stand out. i'd like to hear more about your experience there (curious if the level improved).

We‘ve had apps at the bar and on the roof. Never entrees. It’s ok in my experience.

And it’s funny. I've had in-laws on Maui for 20+ years. Never been to mamas. I’ve been in the biz my entire life as well and usually seek out lesser known local spots. Maybe i should check it out.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does it create fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Again, my opinion. The chances are miniscule, period. Get in the chopper, this isn't Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating.

Thanks for the kind words.

Believe me, I’m far less risk averse than the average person. But I know others aren’t the same, so I just wanted to educate them.

Ultimately you’re right: the absolute risk is small, and most people will love the experience.

Nonetheless, living here, it’s hard not to be biased by the relatively common (versus pretty much everything, besides motorcycles) news of copter crashes. Granted, they garner a lot more media attention than most motor vehicles, kinda the transportation equivalent of a shark attack.

Let's agree to disagree, besides the fact that you're a huge asset to this board.

I mean, this isn't like going to see the Titanic. It's an hour flight around an island on nice helicopters with pilots who know exactly what they're doing. And do it every day. This isn't some extraction and/or doesn't happen with inclemant weather. The choppers are nice. Hell, pick your company, chopper and pilot if you're that paranoid.

But don't let life pass you by and miss seeing something very few in the world get the chance to see due to some infinitesimal fear.

While I’ve never been in a helicopter, life isn’t passing me by. I’ve hiked Kalalau multiple times, and rappelled one 500+ foot Oahu waterfall the heli tours frequent. I know, because I saw a couple fly by as we lowered.

I also have a friend who recently got his pilot’s license. Waiting for him to get some hours under his belt before risking a flight to the neighbor islands, probably the sea cliffs on Molokai.

My wife is a different story. She freaks out whenever flights are turbulent. Since I’ll probably only visit Kauai with her, those tours are off the menu.

Yea it’s weird, helicopters and islands seem to make the press way more. My sister lives on St. John. They had a terrible accident a few years ago. And people still talk about it all the time.
I’m becoming less willing to take risks as I age. But I’ve been up in helicopters a few times. I’d heli-ski in a minute though.

 

[Terminalxylem]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does it create fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Again, my opinion. The chances are miniscule, period. Get in the chopper, this isn't Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating.

Thanks for the kind words.

Believe me, I’m far less risk averse than the average person. But I know others aren’t the same, so I just wanted to educate them.

Ultimately you’re right: the absolute risk is small, and most people will love the experience.

Nonetheless, living here, it’s hard not to be biased by the relatively common (versus pretty much everything, besides motorcycles) news of copter crashes. Granted, they garner a lot more media attention than most motor vehicles, kinda the transportation equivalent of a shark attack.

Let's agree to disagree, besides the fact that you're a huge asset to this board.

I mean, this isn't like going to see the Titanic. It's an hour flight around an island on nice helicopters with pilots who know exactly what they're doing. And do it every day. This isn't some extraction and/or doesn't happen with inclemant weather. The choppers are nice. Hell, pick your company, chopper and pilot if you're that paranoid.

But don't let life pass you by and miss seeing something very few in the world get the chance to see due to some infinitesimal fear.

While I’ve never been in a helicopter, life isn’t passing me by. I’ve hiked Kalalau multiple times, and rappelled one 500+ foot Oahu waterfall the heli tours frequent. I know, because I saw a couple fly by as we lowered.

I also have a friend who recently got his pilot’s license. Waiting for him to get some hours under his belt before risking a flight to the neighbor islands, probably the sea cliffs on Molokai.

My wife is a different story. She freaks out whenever flights are turbulent. Since I’ll probably only visit Kauai with her, those tours are off the menu.

Yea it’s weird, helicopters and islands seem to make the press way more. My sister lives on St. John. They had a terrible accident a few years ago. And people still talk about it all the time.
I’m becoming less willing to take risks as I age. But I’ve been up in helicopters a few times. I’d heli-ski in a minute though.

Good point - I’m gonna heli-ski as well. Looks like there are plenty of minutes available in 2024.

 

[The Gator]

Man, 6 days in Maui over.. will write up later.

Food was :chefkiss: Lahaina Grill, Mama's Fish, Fleetwoods...

Maui has been a favorite location for 40-50 years. I never found fleetwoods to stand out. i'd like to hear more about your experience there (curious if the level improved).

We‘ve had apps at the bar and on the roof. Never entrees. It’s ok in my experience.

And it’s funny. I've had in-laws on Maui for 20+ years. Never been to mamas. I’ve been in the biz my entire life as well and usually seek out lesser known local spots. Maybe i should check it out.

We did hit up a sweet little food truck area also. Nice to be able to feed the family for <$100 for once lol.

 

[Tick]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does is creates fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Just my opinion. The chances of not coming back are miniscule, period. Fact. Get in the chopper, this isn't some mission in Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating and that's a life worth living.

The helicopter ride was the highlight of our Kauai trip.

 

[Tick]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does it create fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Again, my opinion. The chances are miniscule, period. Get in the chopper, this isn't Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating.

Thanks for the kind words.

Believe me, I’m far less risk averse than the average person. But I know others aren’t the same, so I just wanted to educate them.

Ultimately you’re right: the absolute risk is small, and most people will love the experience.

Nonetheless, living here, it’s hard not to be biased by the relatively common (versus pretty much everything, besides motorcycles) news of copter crashes. Granted, they garner a lot more media attention than most motor vehicles, kinda the transportation equivalent of a shark attack.

I get that. I grew up in Alaska, and everyone there seems to have a family member who died in a bush plane. For me, my sister-in-law's dad disappeared in a bush plane, the guy who bought my uncle's lodge died in a one, and my dad's fishing buddy survived a crash in one. It wears on you... but man, the best things I ever did in Alaska involved flying around in bush planes.

My cousin owns a lodge and a charter airline, and I feel like I know his eventual fate :-(

 

[Terminalxylem]

I guess my point is, know the risk. How you use the info is up to you. Personally, I’d heavily research the tour company, look for a more experienced pilot, and not risk it unless weather was perfect (hard on Kauai, because it tends to rain a lot where the copters fly).

 

[Alex P Keaton]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does is creates fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Just my opinion. The chances of not coming back are miniscule, period. Fact. Get in the chopper, this isn't some mission in Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating and that's a life worth living.

The helicopter ride was the highlight of our Kauai trip.

Absolutely was one of the highlights of ours as well (20+ years ago). But I get why others might have a different risk tolerance, or why it would be good to do more research than we did at age 25.

 

[Tick]

For Kauai, any recommendations on botanical gardens? Booked mini golf at Anaina Hou Community Park, which has some gardens there (and mini golf appeals to my 7 year old), but wondering if should do some more. Staying in Poipu — Allerton Gardens nearby worth it?

I can't speak for other gardens but Limahuli (turning hands) was incredible. The drive alone was well worth it. Just go EARLY and not on a weekend if possible. Otherwise, go SUPER early. Make a reservation, if possible. Maybe set this up while not super baked. Then do that.

Also, hike the trail near there, forget what it's called, but you can't miss it with a little internet research. Kalalau. I would do that first, avoiding what's become a LOT of clueless tourists.

It really is a must and will blow your mind.

Limahuli Garden - National Tropical Botanical Garden

Limahuli Garden Tours

ntbg.org

Kalalau is an awesome, probably the most famous moderate-longer hike in the islands. It’s out-and-back to Kalalau Valley, 12 miles one-way. It‘s typically enjoyed over 2-3 days, camping a night or two in the process.

He can do just the first couple miles to Hanakapiai Falls as a day hike.

Hanakapia Falls is actually 8 miles, roundtrip. You are thinking the beach, which is 2 miles in, so each way, 4 total. Going all the way to the falls are another 2 miles, after the beach, which is can be worth it, but that's 8 roundtrip, and more elevation. Need to be in decent shape. And going to the gardens after that, it's a lot for most.

I'd just go to the beach, eat and turn back. He's looking for gardens. But if you're going to go that far, I'm just recommending a 2 (or 4 if you go to the falls), if they are into that. Why go that far and not see unbelievable sights? If that's not possible for the entire crew, then fair enough. But I'd at least do those first 2 miles to the beach (DO NOT GO IN THE WATER, BTW, just the river).

They won't get back from hiking to Hanakapia Falls, which I'd recommend over the gardens, by noon. That's fine, to each their own. Lunch and rest on the beach. Then go see the gardens (while a ton of people are just looking for their parking spot).

And yeah, Kalalau Valley is a whole other level, anything but a one day hike, and magnificent. Nothing like it on the planet. That's an overnighter and an entirely different discussion.

Thanks. Yeah, challenge with the longer hikes will be traveling with a 7 year old. Falls do look gorgeous, but I think that would be too long with him (valley is completely out for this trip). Maybe the beach could work one day. I’ve got a cruise to the Na Pali coast to see some of it that way.

If you’ve got a Na Pali boat trip lined up, no need to hike. The beach at the mouth of Hanakapiai Stream is not really better than Kee imo, which requires no hiking.

And while the absolute risk is low, seems like copters crash fairly frequently in Hawaii. In general, they are probably the riskiest type of commercial transportation one can take (though tough to compare apples-to-apples with cars).

There have been 54 commercial helicopter crashes in the islands from 1984 to 2022, averaging about one to two per year. Fifteen crashes were fatal, with a total of 57 people killed, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of these fatal crashes were caused by pilots flying into deteriorating weather conditions. Additional reasons for Hawaii helicopter crashes include pilot error, inadequate maintenance and mechanical defects.

Still, it’s possible to do a little speculation with the data that are available. Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Helicopters cover a lot more ground in an hour than a driver on the New Jersey Turnpike, so it might be better to come at the question from another angle. There are approximately 0.8 deaths on the interstate highway system for every 100 million miles traveled. There have been a fair number of studies on the average speed on the interstate system with varying results, but the average is probably somewhere around 68 miles per hour, give or take a few mph. That means it took drivers approximately 1.47 million hours to travel those 100 million miles, yielding a fatality rate of 0.054 per 100,000 hours in the car. By this measure, helicopter flying is just 27 times more dangerous than driving.

You are easily one of my favorite posters on here. Seriously, a huge asset to the board, I think they should pay you, lol, especially for all the work in the Covid thread.

However, you're kind of scaring them off a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stats back to the early 80's, as if a ride in the car or just life in general, doesn't have risks at every turn. Unsurprisingly, you actually crunched the numbers, and deemed it 85 times more likely to die in a chopper over driving. All that does is creates fear. In doing so, it's my opinion that you "scare" people off of an experience of a lifetime. Might as well stay in the condo once they get there.

I personally have done the flight maybe a dozen times and recommended it to at least 50. I can't remember any of them, literally, not saying it was the highlight of their trip; it's truly breathtaking and a day you remember the rest of your entire life, no question.

People got to live their lives and fear is not the way to do it. Just my opinion. The chances of not coming back are miniscule, period. Fact. Get in the chopper, this isn't some mission in Afghanistan, it's absolutely exhilarating and that's a life worth living.

The helicopter ride was the highlight of our Kauai trip.

Absolutely was one of the highlights of ours as well (20+ years ago). But I get why others might have a different risk tolerance, or why it would be good to do more research than we did at age 25.

Our research: "Sounds rad."

 

[Don Quixote]

Appreciate the back and forth on the helicopters, but when I started asking my wife about whether should think about a helicopter on the Big Island to see the caldera in Volcanoes National Park (which I’d imagine has less accident risk than Kauai, but maybe not), my wife let out an “absolutely not” before I could even finish the sentence.

So, I mean, welcome to debate, but not in the cards for me no matter the words posted here.

 

[berndog]

Speaking of helicopter tours… the options are 1 or 2 hours. Wondering what people did?

 

[Phil Elliott]

Most helicopter tours on Kauai are 50 minutes (Lihue) or 45 minutes (Princeville). We went in 2021 out of Lihue with Blue Hawaiian (their equipment has two engines) which potentially minimizes engine risk). One of the highlights of any trip we have done.

 

[berndog]

Most helicopter tours on Kauai are 50 minutes (Lihue) or 45 minutes (Princeville). We went in 2021 out of Lihue with Blue Hawaiian (their equipment has two engines) which potentially minimizes engine risk). One of the highlights of any trip we have done.

I appreciate the feedback.
We found one where it has a see thru bottom and is 2 hours. As you can imagine it’s more d expensive. It’s a one in a lifetime thing so trying to figure out if 50 minutes is plenty or if longer would be better.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Most helicopter tours on Kauai are 50 minutes (Lihue) or 45 minutes (Princeville). We went in 2021 out of Lihue with Blue Hawaiian (their equipment has two engines) which potentially minimizes engine risk). One of the highlights of any trip we have done.

I appreciate the feedback.
We found one where it has a see thru bottom and is 2 hours. As you can imagine it’s more d expensive. It’s a one in a lifetime thing so trying to figure out if 50 minutes is plenty or if longer would be better.

F it. Go longer.

 

[Phil Elliott]

Most helicopter tours on Kauai are 50 minutes (Lihue) or 45 minutes (Princeville). We went in 2021 out of Lihue with Blue Hawaiian (their equipment has two engines) which potentially minimizes engine risk). One of the highlights of any trip we have done.

I appreciate the feedback.
We found one where it has a see thru bottom and is 2 hours. As you can imagine it’s more d expensive. It’s a one in a lifetime thing so trying to figure out if 50 minutes is plenty or if longer would be better.

I love helicopters so I would go longer if possible. You will enjoy either. I haven't heard of any with see thru bottom. There are "doors off" which are quite cold and windy but many people like it.

 

[The Noid]

My wife's family wants to do Hawaii this summer as a "bucket list" trip since none of us have ever been. Coming from the East Coast that means 12-15 hours of flights and airports each way and probably only doing 7-10 days total so thoughts on best one-stop island for a group that:

• Prefers (heated) pools to beaches
• Would rather eat burgers and pasta than try "exotic" foods
• Likes sightseeing or tours with little walking
• No interest in shopping/retail stores
• Not willing to do anything extreme or slightly dangerous like helicopter rides or ziplining
• 8 people: 1 senior, 3 adults, and 4 "kids" (19, 18, 14, 10)

I know it sounds like "Why even bother going to Hawaii??" but after my SIL overcame cancer last year, they are adamant about going. This is my struggle when we vacation with that side of the family. We did a Disney Cruise years ago and by the second night they were eating off the kid menus because the regular menus didn't have any food they like. My wife and I like to vacation in new places and experience new things, but they are East Coast go-to-the-NJ/DE/MD-shores-for-the-boardwalk-and-hotel-pool people and when we do a vacation together we wind up bending to more humdrum things.

With these parameters I’d take a look at Maui in the Wailea area. Lots of resorts in that area. I’d try to go in early spring to see whales.

@The General great call!

We just got back from an amazing week in Maui at the Grand Wailea. The resort was perfect for everyone and what they all wanted to do:

• Day 1: Arrived 4pm Maui time after 13 hours of flights from Philadelphia, grabbed some dinner at the quick serve place in the resort and went to bed.
• Day 2: Sunrise on Haleakala via tour company that provided a guide and transportation and since we were still on East Coast time, the 2:30am pick-up wasn't bad; hung out at the resort pools the rest of the day.
• Day 3: Road to Hana (tour company), and used the Resort shuttle to go to Monkeypod for dinner
• Day 4: Beach day and Luau at the resort
• Day 5: Pool day at the resort (the kids loved the huge pool area with all the different levels and slides, lazy river, activity pool, rope swing, etc.), walked to the Shops at Wailea for dinner
• Day 6: Rented a van for the day and went to the Maui Gold Pineapple Farm for a tour and then Makawao for dinner
• Day 7: Sea Scooter snorkeling at the Wailea reef in the morning; pool in the afternoon
• Day 8: We had a 10:30pm flight out after checkout so took an Uber to Kihei and saw the new Mission Impossible to kill some time before going back to the resort for dinner and airport shuttle

 

[The General]

My wife's family wants to do Hawaii this summer as a "bucket list" trip since none of us have ever been. Coming from the East Coast that means 12-15 hours of flights and airports each way and probably only doing 7-10 days total so thoughts on best one-stop island for a group that:

• Prefers (heated) pools to beaches
• Would rather eat burgers and pasta than try "exotic" foods
• Likes sightseeing or tours with little walking
• No interest in shopping/retail stores
• Not willing to do anything extreme or slightly dangerous like helicopter rides or ziplining
• 8 people: 1 senior, 3 adults, and 4 "kids" (19, 18, 14, 10)

I know it sounds like "Why even bother going to Hawaii??" but after my SIL overcame cancer last year, they are adamant about going. This is my struggle when we vacation with that side of the family. We did a Disney Cruise years ago and by the second night they were eating off the kid menus because the regular menus didn't have any food they like. My wife and I like to vacation in new places and experience new things, but they are East Coast go-to-the-NJ/DE/MD-shores-for-the-boardwalk-and-hotel-pool people and when we do a vacation together we wind up bending to more humdrum things.

With these parameters I’d take a look at Maui in the Wailea area. Lots of resorts in that area. I’d try to go in early spring to see whales.

@The General great call!

We just got back from an amazing week in Maui at the Grand Wailea. The resort was perfect for everyone and what they all wanted to do:

• Day 1: Arrived 4pm Maui time after 13 hours of flights from Philadelphia, grabbed some dinner at the quick serve place in the resort and went to bed.
• Day 2: Sunrise on Haleakala via tour company that provided a guide and transportation and since we were still on East Coast time, the 2:30am pick-up wasn't bad; hung out at the resort pools the rest of the day.
• Day 3: Road to Hana (tour company), and used the Resort shuttle to go to Monkeypod for dinner
• Day 4: Beach day and Luau at the resort
• Day 5: Pool day at the resort (the kids loved the huge pool area with all the different levels and slides, lazy river, activity pool, rope swing, etc.), walked to the Shops at Wailea for dinner
• Day 6: Rented a van for the day and went to the Maui Gold Pineapple Farm for a tour and then Makawao for dinner
• Day 7: Sea Scooter snorkeling at the Wailea reef in the morning; pool in the afternoon
• Day 8: We had a 10:30pm flight out after checkout so took an Uber to Kihei and saw the new Mission Impossible to kill some time before going back to the resort for dinner and airport shuttle

Love it. That looks like a great trip and am glad to hear I didn’t steer you wrong!

Such a great place. Am very much in need of a trip back!

 

[Don Quixote]

Just returned earlier this week from about 2-1/2 weeks doing some island hopping between Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. I’m on a month-long sabbatical from work and making the most of it. Some of trip report below. I was traveling with a 7 year old, so a lot of kid-friendly activities were involved.

Oahu

• Hotel-wise: Split time between the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki, and the Disney Aulani. Moana Surfrider had a nice central location for the start of the trip. Wife was pushing for some time at the Disney Aulani for the 7 year old.
• Day 1 - Spent day on Waikiki and mostly used it to acclimate to the time change. Reserved some chairs through hotel on the beach, which was worth it given spent the whole day there.
• Day 2 - In the morning, drove by Iolani Palace and stopped to take some pictures. We also drove around Punchbowl Cemetery and walked around to see some of the notable gravesites there. Then went up to the Polynesian Cultural Center, walked around the “islands” there, and did the dinner buffet followed by show at night.
• Day 3 - Went to Kualoa Ranch and did a Jurassic Adventure Tour. That was a pretty cool spot, and they took around to see a number of the filming locations from the movies. Lots of other types of tour options and adventures there.
• Day 4 - Pearl Harbor / Arizona Memorial. Pretty special place; not sure what more can be said. Did the audio tour beforehand.
• Day 5 - Checked out of the Moana Surfrider and went to the Aulani on this date. We went to the Dole Plantation while waiting for room to be ready. That was a bit of bust. Had some Dole Whip and did the maze. Wait time for the train was about 90 minutes, and did not want to stand in line that long. (Can’t reserve train in advance, so you are just stuck with whatever the line is.)
• Rest of time on Oahu was just hanging out at the Aulani. The kid did enjoy the Aulani and called it his favorite hotel, particularly the lazy river and water slide. Got some photos of a monk seal on the “secret beach” one morning, which was pretty cool too.

Big Island

• Hotel-wise: Split between the Volcano House inside Volcanoes National Park, and the Mauna Kea Resort.
• Day 1: Drove from Kona to Volcano along the southern side of the Belt Road. Stopped at the Punalu’u Bake Shop and Black Sand Beach on the way to Volcano. Could have skipped the bake shop (good Bismark Malasada, but not sure worth the wait). Black Sand Beach was really cool; a number of sea turtles hanging out there.
• Day 2: Spent the day at Volcanoes National Park. Awesome time there. Still can see steam coming up from the crater. The Volcanoes House Hotel was right on the crater rim, and could see the steam from our room. (While I liked the hotel, it was my 7 year old‘s least favorite hotel because it did not have either a TV or a pool. Draw is really the location rather than the amenities.)
• Day 3: Drove up from Volcano to the Mauna Kea Resort, taking the northern end of the Belt Road. Stopped near Hilo at a chocolate farm called Lavaloha, and had an excellent tour there. My son obviously appreciated the chocolate tastings.
• Spent the evening and next day at the Mauna Kea Resort. Had dinner at Manta Restaurant one night, which was excellent. Even though a fine dining place, they had a kids menu. The Manta Point is pretty cool, as can see the manta rays up close at night. The beach was really nice there, and I think my favorite beach in our time in Hawaii, as not too crowded relative to the others that we went too.

Kauai

• Hotel-wise: Stayed at the Koloa Landing Resort in Popui. Not really a beach in walking distance from the property, but the pool is great; the hotel makes much of the fact that it was voted “Best Pool In America.” It really is a nice pool with slides, waterfalls, easy-entry areas for the kids. Room was pretty spacious too, as ours came with a full kitchen, which was nice to have after all of our hopping between hotels and needing to eat out basically every meal.
• Day 1: After landing in Kauai and dropping off bags, went up to Anaina Hou community park and played a round of some mini golf. Gorgeous mini golf course set among botanical gardens.
• Day 2 - My favorite day of the entire trip. Spent the morning and early afternoon driving through Waimea Canyon State Park and Ko’kee State Park. Gorgeous beyond words. Then did a sunset cruise along the Na Pali coast with Holoholo Charters. Coastline obviously amazing itself. Also saw a pod of dolphins and double rainbow, and ending with the sunset over the ocean was all just jaw-dropping. They were good with our son, including helping to bring him up to the front of the ship to see the dolphins. Also free-flowing mai tai’s for the adults.
• Another day or two here was mostly just spent hanging out at the pool at the resort. My wife went to the Anara Spa at the Hyatt one morning; she said it was nice but liked the one at the Aulani more, FWIW.

As I posted a couple of weeks ago before the trip, helicopter was off the table. And hiking pretty much off the table too, as wife not interested in that, and son still pretty young. Think if I go back, I’d like to go back to the Big Island, as would have liked to explore a bit more of the waterfalls, etc. Kauai was my favorite island and would like to do some of the moderate hiking and explore a bit more there.

 

[berndog]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

 

[Don Quixote]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Nope. No reservations needed, as long as just driving through or hiking. Entry fee pay while parking at the lookout, but that is all.

Most of my dining was in room or at resort. (Except for two stops at McDonald’s for the kiddo, ). I also got lunch at the Venezuelan food truck at mini golf, which was pretty good. Got pizza at a place near the resort (Volcano Pizza); it was okay, but nothing special. The restaurant at my resort was pretty good though, if staying near there.

 

[Drunken knight]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Nope. No reservations needed, as long as just driving through or hiking. Entry fee pay while parking at the lookout, but that is all.

Most of my dining was in room or at resort. (Except for two stops at McDonald’s for the kiddo, ). I also got lunch at the Venezuelan food truck at mini golf, which was pretty good. Got pizza at a place near the resort (Volcano Pizza); it was okay, but nothing special. The restaurant at my resort was pretty good though, if staying near there.

any special menu for the Hawaiian McDonald's?

 

[Don Quixote]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Nope. No reservations needed, as long as just driving through or hiking. Entry fee pay while parking at the lookout, but that is all.

Most of my dining was in room or at resort. (Except for two stops at McDonald’s for the kiddo, ). I also got lunch at the Venezuelan food truck at mini golf, which was pretty good. Got pizza at a place near the resort (Volcano Pizza); it was okay, but nothing special. The restaurant at my resort was pretty good though, if staying near there.

any special menu for the Hawaiian McDonald's?

There is a Spam and eggs platter for breakfast. Did not try that though, as times I stopped there were later in the day.

 

[Drunken knight]

@Don Quixote

As a kid, i vaguely remember teriyaki burgers (or some asian bbq sauce for nuggets)

 

[Don Quixote]

@Don Quixote

As a kid, i vaguely remember teriyaki burgers (or some asian bbq sauce for nuggets)

Did not see teriyaki burgers on the menu there. Don’t think I looked closely enough at the sauces to notice if there were different options.

 

[The Gator]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Nope. No reservations needed, as long as just driving through or hiking. Entry fee pay while parking at the lookout, but that is all.

Most of my dining was in room or at resort. (Except for two stops at McDonald’s for the kiddo, ). I also got lunch at the Venezuelan food truck at mini golf, which was pretty good. Got pizza at a place near the resort (Volcano Pizza); it was okay, but nothing special. The restaurant at my resort was pretty good though, if staying near there.

any special menu for the Hawaiian McDonald's?

There is a Spam and eggs platter for breakfast. Did not try that though, as times I stopped there were later in the day.

This post made me make some spam and eggs just now. Cubed the spam and gave it a quick sear.

 

[Tick]

@Don Quixote That matches my memory of Kauai

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Nope. No reservations needed, as long as just driving through or hiking. Entry fee pay while parking at the lookout, but that is all.

Most of my dining was in room or at resort. (Except for two stops at McDonald’s for the kiddo, ). I also got lunch at the Venezuelan food truck at mini golf, which was pretty good. Got pizza at a place near the resort (Volcano Pizza); it was okay, but nothing special. The restaurant at my resort was pretty good though, if staying near there.

any special menu for the Hawaiian McDonald's?

Big Kahuna Burger - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Navin Johnson]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Where are you staying? We are going Friday, staying in Poipu

 

[berndog]

@Don Quixote
What a fantastic trip! I’m headed there on Tuesday and was wondering do you need reservations for Ko’kee State Park? Any food recommendations on Kauai

Where are you staying? We are going Friday, staying in Poipu

We rented a condo in Kapaa and as luck would have it, it’s a short walk to a brewery.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I also have a friend who recently got his pilot’s license. Waiting for him to get some hours under his belt before risking a flight to the neighbor islands, probably the sea cliffs on Molokai.

My wife is a different story. She freaks out whenever flights are turbulent. Since I’ll probably only visit Kauai with her, those tours are off the menu.

Update: Flew yesterday with my friend, in a 4-seat prop plane. Circled Molokai. Visibility and wind were good; the sea cliffs along southern Molokai are amazing, with some of the tallest waterfalls in the world.

Did not crash, despite sharing airspace with several tour helicopters.

 

[The General]

Terrible fires on Maui.

Haven't seen videos yet but sounds really bad near Lahaina area with much of Lahaina burned.

 

[jamny]

Ugh...we were just going to book Maui for next year. Looks really bad. I hope they can minimize the damage as much as possible.

 

[krista4]

Terrible fires on Maui.

Haven't seen videos yet but sounds really bad near Lahaina area with much of Lahaina burned.

There’s a video embedded in a WaPo article I was just reading. I’m not going to watch it.

There are bad fires on the big island, too.

 

[The General]

Terrible fires on Maui.

Haven't seen videos yet but sounds really bad near Lahaina area with much of Lahaina burned.

There’s a video embedded in a WaPo article I was just reading. I’m not going to watch it.

There are bad fires on the big island, too.

Just saw a video on Twitter that may have been the same thing. Fire ripping through downtown Lahaina. Reportedly people jumping into the ocean. Bad, bad.

 

[El Floppo]

stay safe, HI folk.

 

[krista4]

Terrible fires on Maui.

Haven't seen videos yet but sounds really bad near Lahaina area with much of Lahaina burned.

There’s a video embedded in a WaPo article I was just reading. I’m not going to watch it.

There are bad fires on the big island, too.

Just saw a video on Twitter that may have been the same thing. Fire ripping through downtown Lahaina. Reportedly people jumping into the ocean. Bad, bad.

Yes, that was probably the same one. The screenshot was fire in downtown Lahaina. It’s terrifying.

 

[krista4]

@DA RAIDERS , do you still have family in Lahaina? Hope everything is ok.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

It looks like much of the tourist area in Lahaina on front street is burnt bad, this is going to devastate that area. CG pulled at least 30 people from the water yesterday, I think that number is going to go higher.

 

[Wildcat]

My wife’s dad and his wife are in Lahaina. Cell service is down there so we don’t know if they are ok.

 

[The Gator]

Front Street Fire

 

[DA RAIDERS]

@DA RAIDERS , do you still have family in Lahaina? Hope everything is ok.

Cell service is down. Haven’t heard from them yet this morning. Been looking for any info for last couple hours.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Front Street Fire

My in-laws live about a mile behind the cameraman. One block inland. He’s standing on the cross street where my SILs office is. It’s one block inland. My BIL’s restaurant is 2 blocks behind him On front street. We really want to hear from them.

one of the uncles is a Maui fireman. cant reach him either.

 

[Wildcat]

My wife’s dad and his wife are in Lahaina. Cell service is down there so we don’t know if they are ok.

He was able to get a text to us. Said they are ok, but are loading up the car and evacuating. They live on the hillside up from Lahaina and he said all they can see is the fire below them. Scary.

 

[Wildcat]

Front Street Fire

My in-laws live about a mile behind the cameraman. One block inland. He’s standing on the cross street where my SILs office is. It’s one block inland. My BIL’s restaurant is 2 blocks behind him On front street. We really want to hear from them.

one of the uncles is a Maui fireman. cant reach him either.

Sorry. Hope you hear soon. We just heard from my FIL that they are ok, but evacuating. What’s the restaurant?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Front Street Fire

My in-laws live about a mile behind the cameraman. One block inland. He’s standing on the cross street where my SILs office is. It’s one block inland. My BIL’s restaurant is 2 blocks behind him On front street. We really want to hear from them.

one of the uncles is a Maui fireman. cant reach him either.

Sorry. Hope you hear soon. We just heard from my FIL that they are ok, but evacuating. What’s the restaurant?

The firefighter texted me back. they have him on lana’i. He can’t reach them either. Or his wife and young kids. Just crazy

capt jacks

 

[Wildcat]

Front Street Fire

My in-laws live about a mile behind the cameraman. One block inland. He’s standing on the cross street where my SILs office is. It’s one block inland. My BIL’s restaurant is 2 blocks behind him On front street. We really want to hear from them.

one of the uncles is a Maui fireman. cant reach him either.

Sorry. Hope you hear soon. We just heard from my FIL that they are ok, but evacuating. What’s the restaurant?

The firefighter texted me back. they have him on lana’i. He can’t reach them either. Or his wife and young kids. Just crazy

capt jacks

Sorry. Hope you hear soon. We love that restaurant. We were just there in January. It’s my FIL’s favorite restaurant too.