Finally, after 11 years of marriage, my hubby and I are financially set for a little vacation (seven days) away from our three small children. Can you suggest an economical, safe place to take our first vacation?
Yikes! Eleven long years without wiggling your toes in the sand? Get thee both to Hawaii! Head straight to the Big Island, the most diverse of the eight main islands.
First, explore the East Coast: lush, historic Hilo (America’s orchid capital), Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the windswept Hamakua Coast. Papaya trees, ginger blossoms and lava-rock beaches will remind you that you’re a far cry from Alberta. Next, drive to the Waipio Valley Lookout for a glorious panorama of taro patches, rice fields and old plantation huts dotting the valley.
Then, it’s up (2,700 feet in elevation) to Waimea. Hey! What happened to the swaying palms? You’re now in mountainous cowboy – or paniolo – country, where 55,000 cattle roam the grasslands of Parker Ranch.
Ready for some bona fide lazing about? Over to the Kona and Kohala coasts you go. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes protect the island’s western shores from trade winds, so you’ll come into hot, dry weather here. Kona Coast snorkeling is truly dazzling: 650 species of fish inhabit the waters, and you’ll probably spot vivid yellow tang and raccoon butterfly fish.
If you can pack your bathing suits and sunscreen fast, Dec. 1-14 is a great time to visit and you can get a great deals on flights to hawaii. After that, the blizzard-fleeing crowds flock to the Pacific paradise. Now, here’s the rub: The minute you step off the plane and take a whiff of the balmy, plumeria-scented air, you won’t want to tear yourself away. Better start saving for a return visit. But please don’t wait another decade. Promise? Aloha!