Hawai'i, FoolKiller style - My Hawaii Family Vacation (pics and vids)

[FoolKiller]

Aloha!

So, my father had been to Hawaii with his girlfriend twice and decided that his sons had to see it as well. He offered to pay for us if we covered food and tour expenses for ourselves after we got there. We agreed and so he booked us as soon as possible to get it in before my brother and his wife had the baby they had been talking about wanting to try to have. His timing was perfect as seven months before we decided to go my sister-in-law became pregnant.

The plan was four islands in 15 days. I will probably split each island up into its own post in order to avoid excessive lengths.

So, on Super Bowl Sunday we all gathered at my father's house for the game and then stayed the night so we could get up at 4:00 AM to catch a 7:30 AM flight in Louisville, KY.

We were flying Northwest Airlines. It was a quick Regional Jet (50 passengers) flight to Minneapolis, but it was late because the plane's weight was unbalanced so we had to wait for them to kick three people off the plane. So, that gave us 30 minutes in Minneapolis to go from Concourse A to Concourse G, nothing short of a mile run with luggage. Then getting on the huge 757-300 to Portland we find that we have had our seats reassigned and none of the six of us are seated together. My wife is scared to death of flying, so this didn't settle well, but she did OK. However, when we reached Portland we had to move seats, but same plane, and we were even farther apart and she is irrationally afraid of flying over water. Asking a couple of people to switch seats and one Valium later she was fine. My dad's girlfriend was not. She complained to the flight attendants until they shuffled everyone around and my whole family was together.

OAHU

Anyway, after all of that we finally landed in Honolulu. The first thing I saw was the rental car lot with some very interesting looking trees (Chinese Banyan?).

We were with Your Man Tours (MT) and they picked us up in a bus and took us on a tour of Honolulu and then to our Hotel, the Queen Kapiolani. The rooms weren't much but nice, and I had a great view of Honolulu from my balcony.

The next day we had a leisure day so we headed out to get some breakfast at....IHOP? My father likes chains. Anyway, after that we wandered around Waikiki and took in the beach and sights.

Looking across the bay at Diamond Head. Our hotel is somewhere on the left.

As you can see it was hazy, these were all the days when parts of Hawaii were getting flooding rains. That was in Hilo for the most part.

But occasionally the sun did come out.

Next we decided to hit the Waikiki Aquarium. So we headed across Queen Kapiolani Park which had some nice examples on East Indian Banyan trees, which Lost fans will recognize.

Then at the aquarium I saw a few interesting things. The most notable were:

Monk Seals

The only Nautilus bred in captivity (no flash allowed), which I found cool because I think cephalopods are awesome.

The promotional photo:

And very, very large fish copulating, we think. It isn't pee or poo, so....

And some videos:

Lagoon Jellies


Moon Jellies


Reef Shark/Large Fish tank


After the aquarium we snagged some photos from Diamond Head Park

Diamond Head is an extinct volcanic crater

And while there I learned that rainbows are a daily event in Hawaii.

And saw Pro Bowl party preparations. Unfortunately we left Oahu before the game.

The next morning we headed to Pearl Harbor.

USS Missouri, the treaty with Japan was signed on this ship.

USS Arizona Memorial

The story

The victims

The leaking oil

USS Arizona Anchor - That guy's shirt looks familiar.

Then we were driven around Oahu.

First we went to Nu'uanu Pali lookout, where you can see the eastern side of the island, it was also the place where the islands were united under one rule by King Kamehameha I.

And they have a bee problem, apparently.

Next, the Honolulu Cemetery

Then, through Honolulu itself

Rainbow #2

That's 3 days, two rainbows.

After that we crashed for the day. The next day my dad got a rental car.
Our first visit was up to Diamond Head crater where we hiked the 1.5 mile trail to the rim.


But first, Rainbow #3 from inside the crater.

3 rainbows in four days. I quit taking pictures of them after that.

I have to get up there.

Looks like we made it.

But no....

Yes, that is my 7 months pregnant sister-in-law making the hike.

It's as if they wanted to try putting every form of stair in possible.

But we made it and the view was worth it.

After Diamond Head we then drove over to Hanauma Bay

You have to pay to actually go in, but I didn't think that it was worth that.

Next stop was the Halona Blowhole


Then Chinaman's Hat

And Turtle Island

And finally the North Shore where the best surfing in the world is.

The next day was our last on Oahu and we spent it at the Polynesian Cultural Center run by BYU to pay for students from all over Polynesia to attend college in Honolulu.

Samoans like to play with fire, so they showed us how to make it.

And then they climbed the coconut tree

Then others showed us dances and instruments, but weren't nearly as cool. It is odd, I have heard of Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Marquesas, New Zealand, and Hawaii as great vacation spots, yet the Samoans have more fun and no one I know has been.

Anyway on with dancing and stuff.

New Zealand

Tonga - Nose Flute

Tahiti

Fiji

Hawaii

At the end of the day they had a large show with all the islands represented which concluded with the Samoan Fire Knife Dance


The next day we headed out for Kona on The Big Island of Hawaii.

Diamond Head from the air

Hanauma Bay from the air

Next Hawaii - The Big Island

 

[Solid Lifters]

We went three years ago. You have the exact same pics as we do.

My brother went a year later with his wife, and they went again this past September.

 

[TB]

You were there one week before my boss' were (they go for a week every winter).

I'd like to go sometime (your pictures don't help that at all ) but with a 4 and 2 year old and the flight time, that would currently be suicide. The flight from Minneapolis to Fort Myers was bad enough and that was only a 2.5 hour flight.

I completely understand the epic run in Minneapolis. We had a 30 minute layover on the way out and had to cross the entire concourse. I was carrying a laptop, camera, The Vest and a 50 pound 4 year old. My wife was lugging a backpack, purse and a 30 pound 2 year old. Needless to say, we were a bit tired after that sprint. Fast forward a week and we had a 1.5 hour layover which was extended to 4 hours as the planes were all running late due to weather. Then they tried to tell us that we couldn't bring The Vest on with us. All I said to the stewardess was "This is worth $17,000." She let me take it on board with us.

 

[Joey D]

So a white and red SUV is at the end of a rainbow then. Glad that's cleared up.

Looks like you had a nice time there, weather was probably a bit nicer then Kentucky.

 

[McLaren]

Great pics. It's a fantastic place to get away from people's problems. Have a friend who lives there on Oahu, although he told me many moons ago he had planned on moving back to the mainland because the salt ate everything.

 

[Stevisiov]

So a white and red SUV is at the end of a rainbow then. Glad that's cleared up.

 

[FoolKiller]

HAWAII - The Big Island

So, we landed in Kona, where they have an open-air airport.

On the bus ride to the hotel our tour director asked us who liked beer. I, of course, do. That is when she suggested dining at the Kona Brewing Company microbrewery. Who am I to argue with a tour director? It was across the street from the hotel and offered a dozen beers I had never heard of.

So, we ate their pizza and sampled the beer. I discovered that by law they cannot serve one person more than 24 ounces of beer at a time. Odd, especially since you then can take home a Growler, 64oz of beer in a glass jug filled from the tap. I got a Hefeweizen and my wife got Pipeline Porter, made from 100% pure Kona Coffee beans. Yes, coffee flavored beer.

So, with a full gallon of beer in supply, gallon and a half if you count my brother's growler, we settled in for our first night on our second island.

Knowing that our pre-planned tour of the island was going to miss a couple of things we got a rental car and booked a few things on our own. Then we headed out and checked out the lava strewn Big Island.

First major stop: Volcanoes National Park

Kilauea Caldera

Mauna Kea from the Jagger Museum

Kilauea Iki Crater - Notice forest surrounds it and rocky lava fields on the horizon.

Then we headed for our doors-off helicopter ride over lava and waterfalls

Rainbow Falls

Some other falls

Hilo Bay

Hilo Raceway - the only place you can legally drive faster than 55mph in Hawaii.

After that the sun was headed down and it was time to go back to Kona.

The next day we wandered the street of Kona.

Black crabs

Afterward we went snorkeling, but the waterproof camera hasn't been developed yet. I got a sunburn while in the water, but didn't really mind because it snowed 4 inches back home. I figured a slight sunburn was a good problem to have.

The sun set on our visit to Kona and we wandered around a bit more to check out the night life. There isn't a lot to do.

Oldest church in Hawaii

The next morning we took our island tour as we headed to our one night in Hilo.

First stop, Kona Coffee Plantation

Then the southernmost bakery in the US.

And a black sand beach

With a sea turtle

Then we went through a lava tube in Volcanoes National Park

We went around the park again, but I did the best stuff the day before.

Then we went to an orchid nursery where they bred one that smells like chocolate.

And our last stop was Rainbow Falls

After that we went back to out hotel to rest up for our flight to Maui in the morning.


Some nice shots on the flight out of Mauna Kea.

Next up, Maui.

I'll finish that tomorrow.

 

[Kylehnat]

Cool photos . You're making me jealous...just 6 more weeks....

 

[FoolKiller]

MAUI

While flying into Maui I look out my window and see an atoll so I grabbed my camera and snapped a shot. Later I discover it is called Molokini and is supposedly some of the best snorkeling in the islands. Too bad I didn't get to check it out.

Then our plane lands in Kahului and we go on another bus tour while we wait for our hotel rooms to get ready.

Our first stop was Iao Needle. This is an interesting formation in the mountains created by millions of years of erosion, and is described by the Lonely Planet guide book as "the real big Kahuna, the ultimate phallic symbol." It was also surrounded by a large number of beautiful streams.

Then we drove around to the western side of the island to visit Lahaina. The bus dropped us off at Hilo Hattie's and we were able to walk through Lahaina to shop and eat lunch.

Tiki carver in Hilo Hattie's

A coastline shot from the beach front in Lahaina.

My dad posing as Forrest Gump at Bubba Gump's. I didn't eat there.

A ship wrecked on the reef that was supposedly left after the owner realize removal cost more than the boat.

Second largest Banyan tree in the world. It takes up an entire city block.

Next we went to the Maui Tropical Plantation for a tram ride through the facility, where the tram guide made me dumber with her beach babe personality and explaining the processes by saying, "And I don't really know how they do that, but it's pretty neat." I knew more about the processes than she did.

This would be our idiot....er tour guide.

Taro is what they make poi (wallpaper paste) out of.

After that it was time to head back to the hotel in Kahului and our bus driver made sure to takes us through the middle of the island so we could see why it is called the Valley Isle.

This is to the west

And this is to the east

The two volcanoes formed separately and created two islands but the lava flow from the east eventually connected itself to the western island and created one gigantic valley island.


The next day we got another rental car and first stopped on the coast off Kahoolawe and Lanai to attempt to watch for whales where they run through the channel between the islands. We saw some and I even saw one jump, but it is nearly impossible to catch a good picture.

This is the closest thing I got to a whale picture.
DAD, PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON!!!!

After hearing that the best time to see whales is at dusk we went back to Lahaina to do some shopping and eat lunch. Actually, we went past Lahaina at first to check out the Maui Brewing Company in Kahana. This is where I discovered that the microbrews don't ship to the mainland because it is illegal. Um, what? I think any economic woes can be at least partially blamed on their local laws. Anyway, good food, good beer, especially the Coconut Porter, a bit pricey, and I got a souvenir pint glass.

Then we went back into Lahaina for a bit and I ran across this awesome hand carved statue of Kamehameha I.

Then we headed back to our whale watching perch. There was a guy and woman there and this guy was smooth. It was Valentine's Day and this guy had a tiki torch on his truck, brought his woman out to watch whales at sunset, and then pulls out a bottle of wine. Good show, sir. Good show.

Anyway, I still didn't get any decent pictures of the whales, but I did get to watch an incredible sunset.

After that we headed back to the hotel so we could get some rest and catch the plane to Kauai in the morning. That night my wife and I spent Valentine's Day on our hotel bed, watching a movie and eating fresh pineapple, guava and papaya. Nothing amazingly romantic, except for the fact that we were in Hawaii.

 

[UnoMOTO]

We were flying Northwest Airlines.

So, that gave us 30 minutes in Minneapolis to go from Concourse A to Concourse G, nothing short of a mile run with luggage.

What the heck is it with that airport? I've had the samething happen to me up there.

Then getting on the huge 757-300 to Portland we find that we have had our seats reassigned and none of the six of us are seated together.

Thats too bad. I was thinking that NW did that to us on a fluke but now after hearing your story, maybe thats just the way they do it. Strike two NW.👎

How was the actual flight? Sounds like you did alot of planning for it. Did you have everything that you needed?

As you can see it was hazy, these were all the days when parts of Hawaii were getting flooding rains. That was in Hilo for the most part.

Was that normal for that time of the year?

The next morning we headed to Pearl Harbor.

You said before that you really didn't mind if you saw Peral Harbor. Now that you have was it worth it?

USS Arizona Anchor - That guy's shirt looks familiar.

I would have given you a head slap if we hadn't seen your championship trophy on display at some point during your trip.

Then, through Honolulu itself

Not much different then a city with a beach, really.

Then Chinaman's Hat

ER...thats Rabbit Island I think?! A Rabbit with it's ears folded down.

I thought this was Chinaman's Hat

So, we landed in Kona, where they have an open-air airport.

It's funny how some normal things to them are completely foriegn to us. How could a building not have doors or windows?

So, we ate their pizza and sampled the beer.

Sadly I don't think I ever had the local beer.

First major stop: Volcanoes National Park

I loved that part of the island. Such a barren wasteland in places.

Next up, Maui.

I haven't been there so I look forward to those pics the most.

 

[Alex.]

Brilliant photos, looks like you had an ace time. Makes you realise how accurate test drive unlimited actually is

 

[FoolKiller]

KAUAI
The final stop

So we have three days left in our trip at this point and I am gorram tired. So, my pictures aren't nearly as many, and I didn't bother with the giant cliffs as we flew into Kauai.

When we land we once again have to do stuff while we wait for our hotel rooms to be ready. Why do we keep taking such early flights? No worries, I will carry my carry-on on another bus tour of another island. Yep, I had gotten bitter.

Matters were not helped any when we stopped in this coconut grove to take a group picture. Thanks YMT, but I came with five others, I don't need to see all 73 of us in one picture, for an additional $20 no less.

It was pretty though.

Then we moved along to see a waterfall that was from Fantasy Island, but not the famous one from the opening, the other one...Opaekaa Falls

And just down from it was Kamokila Village, a replica tribal village, which was also used for the movie Outbreak.

From there it was on to a boat ride down the Wailua River on the Whitney K.

As we went down the river we were entertained by a musical act and a hula dancer.

Then our boat ride ended at Fern Grotto and we listened to the Hawaiian wedding song.

So after our boat ride we finally get to go to our hotel. My surly attitude immediately changed when I saw this right outside our hotel. An uncrowded beach.

And the room wasn't too shabby either. The bed was extremely comfortable and had down feather pillows, which I had to switch because I was allergic, but they were soft.

The view from my patio.

We had no other plans until the last night of our trip so we got another rental car and headed up to Waimea Canyon. By the way, can I just say that the Chrysler Pacifica is the worst six passenger vehicle ever?

This is about halfway up.

When we got all the way to the top we learned how hard it is to sightsee in the wettest place on Earth: 400-600 inches a year average rainfall.

So much for the "Tropical Grand Canyon"

We laughed with another couple of guys up there and started pointing at nothing and talking about how beautiful the view was. I was polite enough however to warn off an old man with a cane starting up the stairs.

From there we went to the Kauai Coffee Plantation, because it would obviously be different from the Kona Coffee Plantation.

Nope, it wasn't

Well, they did have a wall-less maze

Next we went by Spouting Horn blowhole.

These look like intelligent young people

Anyway, Spouting Horn


When I turned around I witnessed exactly how the clouds form off the mountains of tropical islands.

Our next stop was what everyone thinks of when you mention the Fantasy Island Falls, Wailua Falls.

Did I mention chickens run wild on the islands? They keep complaining that they are pests, and I told them all they had to do was loosen their hunting laws and invite some Kentucky boys out and the problem would be gone in a week.

Then we returned to the hotel and I did exactly what I wanted to do all trip, I took 15 beers to the beach and just sat and drank. Finally a beach with no lifeguard and no one to tell me I wasn't allowed to do it. All I saw was a sign at the pool saying no beverages at the pool, but I figured that was ignored when the bar waitress came out to take orders.

After that I told my family not to wake me in the morning. I would get breakfast on my own. I slept in for the first time my whole trip.

That next day I swam in the pool all day until I had to get ready for the luau. Finally, Hawaii the way I wanted it.

Then the luau.

First we witnessed the Imu pit cooking.

Then they shipped us out to the beach where we had musical entertainment and unlimited Mai Tais (it is about time someone got the concept of open bar right in Hawaii). I had seven, but as you can see the glasses were small.

Then it was time for the dinner show where we had a buffet and open bar that made anything. I discovered the Tropical Itch: rum, bourbon, juice, and dark rum. Yes please!

The show

Uh, Dad? Must we?

Back to the more appealing womens

And the Samoan Slap Dance

And once you let a Samoan dance fire is sure to follow. We had to then go outside to witness the fire knife dance, but more up-close this time (no video, sorry).

And then, seven Mai Tais and three Tropical Itches later, I went to bed for my last night in Hawaii.

The next morning I got up early in hopes of off-setting jet lag. So, I grabbed some sunrise pictures.

ResortQuest, I recommend it. The Luau is part of the hotel.

The clouds hid the sunrise until just this instant.

And then...

And our plane didn't leave until 11:30 PM so ResortQuest gave all those in our group with late flights access to a hospitality room. But at 5:30, it was time to leave Hawaii and head home.

Hawaii was fun and relaxing. I enjoyed my trip. Next time I will just get a hotel on a beach, ResortQuest in Kauai if I can, and just sit.

I'll have snorkeling pictures once I get those developed and scanned.

Until then....

Sing it IZ!

 

[FoolKiller]

Great pics. It's a fantastic place to get away from people's problems. Have a friend who lives there on Oahu, although he told me many moons ago he had planned on moving back to the mainland because the salt ate everything.

I don't see why anyone lives there. It just isn't financially feasible. In the paper I saw a studio apartment for $1,800 a month or you could buy it for $180,000. That is a 1,500 sq foot house in Kentucky. And the best paying job offered in the paper was $12 an hour in construction.

What the heck is it with that airport? I've had the samething happen to me up there.

Thats too bad. I was thinking that NW did that to us on a fluke but now after hearing your story, maybe thats just the way they do it. Strike two NW.👎

Yeah, I won't fly Northwest ever again. We nearly had the same issue coming home but two calls from us and one from YMT got that straightened out real quick.

How was the actual flight? Sounds like you did alot of planning for it. Did you have everything that you needed?

It was good, ten movies and 8 games on my PSP, the headset in the seats take regular headphones now. The only bad part was from Minneapolis to Portland I spent 3 and a half hours by the window with a fat guy in the middle spreading taking up both armrests and sleeping. The guy on the outside was turned on his side trying to sleep comfortably he lost so much seat room.

Was that normal for that time of the year?

Rain, yes. Flash flooding, no. It is the wet season though. In a couple of weeks is when the pineapple express storms are expected. Honolulu, being on the dry side just got a mist all the time.

You said before that you really didn't mind if you saw Pearl Harbor. Now that you have was it worth it?

It was nice, and probably would be better if you weren't being rushed around by the military. I spent more time waiting to get in to the visitors center than I did in the memorial. It kind of takes away from the whole emotional aspect.

I would have given you a head slap if we hadn't seen your championship trophy on display at some point during your trip.

I wore it purposely on Pearl Harbor day knowing my pic would be taken and that it would have the most exposure to a crowd, just in case another GTPer was around.

Not much different then a city with a beach, really.

Yep.

ER...thats Rabbit Island I think?! A Rabbit with it's ears folded down.

I thought this was Chinaman's Hat

Hey, I was just taking cues from Tour Guide Dad at that point. Who am I to question a guy that wears the same gray tank top every single day?

I would guess you are right, because I asked and he said we were just at an odd angle.

It's funny how some normal things to them are completely foriegn to us. How could a building not have doors or windows?

I am curious about health codes with the birds just flying in to swoop down on abandoned plates.

Sadly I don't think I ever had the local beer.

Somehow they have managed to get rid of that odd microbrew aftertaste.

I haven't been there so I look forward to those pics the most.

Well, all my pics are up now.

Really, Maui is the tourist's island for those that don't want the big city mixed in. A ton of shopping and whale watching and snorkeling. Big Island is the place for natural wonders, especially rainforest to wasteland in an instant and 11 different climate zones.

I think Kauai is the island with the best tropical island "hang loose" style.

 

[UnoMOTO]

I can see why you were plenty tired and ready to go home by the end of the trip. It sounded like the tours became a bit repetitive. More exploring on your own with your own time limits might make it more relaxing?!

 

[McLaren]

I don't see why anyone lives there. It just isn't financially feasible. In the paper I saw a studio apartment for $1,800 a month or you could buy it for $180,000. That is a 1,500 sq foot house in Kentucky. And the best paying job offered in the paper was $12 an hour in construction.

I can agree with that. Homes there valued at $1 million are probably not worth anywhere near that here in the US. I haven't talked to said friend in months, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had moved back to the mainland.

 

[Pako]

Thanks for the flashbacks. Growing up in Hawaii (the Big Island and Oahu) these pictures made me a bit home sick. Looks like you had a great time!!!

 

[FoolKiller]

I can see why you were plenty tired and ready to go home by the end of the trip. It sounded like the tours became a bit repetitive. More exploring on your own with your own time limits might make it more relaxing?!

Maybe if my dad hadn't booked us on the agricultural tour. Or better yet, not had my dad on all the leisure days. Because he had been twice he thought for sure he knew better than even our tour director. If we had a free day it meant we were in a rental car. When I said I wanted to sleep in I got a call at 8:00 AM, "We're going to breakfast, are you up yet?" "I am now." My pregnant sister-in-law made a comment about how she wanted to get to bed early and sleep in every day possible and my dad's girlfriend said, "Who worries about getting rest on vacation?" Of course, this is the same woman who asked me why Japanese would visit Pearl Harbor and that she wouldn't have let us get on the helicopter if she knew the pilot was a woman, so....

I think the company you keep on a trip can make or break your enjoyment and this would have been much better had I been with friends, like the guys I went to Mid-Ohio with. Despite the annoyances of the people around me I still had a blast, so that says a lot about how great the trip to Hawaii really was. If I go back it will just be with my wife.

I think the next tropical island I go to will be Samoa though. Samoans just seem to enjoy life and I want to visit the island that puts out what Robert Louis Stevenson called "The Happy People."

I can agree with that. Homes there valued at $1 million are probably not worth anywhere near that here in the US.

Yeah, we had a tour bus driver point out $1 million homes and they were what I would call a shack. Of course one did have a brand new 351i sitting in the driveway.

I haven't talked to said friend in months, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had moved back to the mainland.

I had a coworker that tried moving there and he came back after six months. It is not cost effective and I am surprised that they have a functional economy left, especially after all the factories have moved out.

Thanks for the flashbacks. Growing up in Hawaii (the Big Island and Oahu) these pictures made me a bit home sick. Looks like you had a great time!!!

Since you lived both places I have a question.

Is it just Kona or does The Big Island have a higher poverty/crime problem than everywhere else? Oahu was very big city lifestyle with the tourist trap section in Waikiki (not to mention ABC Stores). Basically what you expect from any large city with a tourism industry. Maui seemed to have the tourist trap thing down real well and Kauai seemed to really get the relaxing island lifestyle going on, still with tourist trap stuff though.

But in Kona we were told to avoid certain places at night while in Oahu we were directed to go down the alley behind the hotel (the one with the hostels) to find the nearest ABC Store. And at one point in Kona I saw this one woman yell "whore!" at another woman and then justified it to us by explaining the woman had stolen her babies' daddy (not husband, mind you). There were tons of tattoo parlors with big pit bulls out front and seedy looking shops just off the main strip. Really, Kona felt like the bad parts of Kentucky, with a beach. To me it was just a sign that white trash exists everywhere, but my wife said the only time she didn't feel safe the whole trip was when we were out at night in Kona. We didn't spend enough time in Hilo to see if it is just Kona or the island as a whole.

 

[Pako]

@Foolkiller,

Wow, sounds like Kona's changed quite a bit. I lived in Kona from the age of 5-8. When we left the island to move to Oahu, Kona just got their first stop light installed in the middle of town. It was the first one on the whole island. I don't have any scary memories of Kona at all, Hilo the same way. My mom used to commute from Kona to Hilo daily, following the sugarcane trucks most the way. The island was layed back, casual, and about 20 years behind everyone else. Oahu was a different story. There were part of Oahu that you better have someone that knows everyone with you. It's good to hear that you guys felt safe in downtown Honolulu. Most the business' know that tourism is the #1 industry and bread winner for their businesses so it's in their best interest to protect their asset, the tourist. I think you would find other parts of the island where tourism didn't help the day to day worker, there would a different reaction to mainlanders. Typically haola's (non-native's) are treated very poorly and discriminated against pretty badly. Sadly, most of the 'natives' causing the problems barely had any Hawaiian ancestry if any. Most of the actual Hawaiians I knew were very kind and loving.

 

[FoolKiller]

Well in Honolulu, as long as you stayed in the Waikiki and business districts you were fine, but we were warned that crime does exist and if you go in the areas where it is bad that, as a mainlander, you will get targeted. But as for the touristy areas we would walk a couple of miles at night going down several corners to find different places to eat and whatnot. The only sign Waikiki had that all was not peachy was the homeless people sleeping on the beach. But as homeless go they just looked to be down on their luck. In fact, I saw one guy working the next day. I'm aware the homeless rate is higher than the unemployment rate, so I imagine this was a case of having a job but it doesn't pay enough.

Kona was a bit awkward in that a block from the beach and you were at a mall, but take a back alley off of Ali'i Drive, along the beach front, and you felt like you were seconds from getting robbed. Kona was also the only place where I heard any anti-mainlander comments, but that was a drunk, possibly homeless grizzled old white guy yelling randomly about the tourists. He even stopped to talk to a Tiki at one point.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Is it just Kona or does The Big Island have a higher poverty/crime problem than everywhere else?

It's funny how we have two completely different impressions of the Kona. Our family loved Kona and the surrounding area. It sounds like that mostly would have to do with where our hotel was. We stayed way down in the area of the Kona country club which I think was eight or so miles from downtown. I must have missed the area that you mention as the bad area.

I still remember the best fish I have ever tasted was at a resturant off the main drag along the beach.

 

[FoolKiller]

It's funny how we have two completely different impressions of the Kona. Our family loved Kona and the surrounding area. It sounds like that mostly would have to do with where our hotel was. We stayed way down in the area of the Kona country club which I think was eight or so miles from downtown. I must have missed the area that you mention as the bad area.

Here's a map.

Red is my hotel

Blue are where I ran into crazy people

And Green is the Kona Brewing Co. (in case you ever go back).

I still remember the best fish I have ever tasted was at a resturant off the main drag along the beach.

Gee, I wish I could remember all the local fish places I went to eat. My add and his girlfriend hit Bubba Gump and Cheeseburger in Paradise as many times as possible so the rest of us would go find some hole in the wall fish shack. The only time I didn't like Mahi Mahi was when it was done tempura.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Well...I defiantly went through that area many times. I guess even in paradise you have bad apples.

I just looked up that area on Google and they have a very detailed satellite view of Kona. I was gonna compare where our hotels were from each other and post a picture, but then I suddenly became lazy.

 

[Prosthetic]

I remember going to Hawaii to visit my uncle who has a bitchin' nice house on Oahu. And we stayed in downtown Honallulu on the 35th story of a 36 story building overlooking waikiki beach. I remember walking around the city and there being a ABC Store on every corner.

Hawaii is brutal on your skin though, even as a coasty californian, I was getting insane sunburn and rashes from surfing all day. But it's a lot of fun there, and the food is good. I remember eating at a burger place call Chees Burger in Paradice, or somthing along those lines.

Damn I miss Hawaii

 

[FoolKiller]

I remember going to Hawaii to visit my uncle who has a bitchin' nice house on Oahu. And we stayed in downtown Honallulu on the 35th story of a 36 story building overlooking waikiki beach.

Now that sounds pretty sweet.

I remember walking around the city and there being a ABC Store on every corner.

There are something like 32 ABC stores in Waikiki alone.
ABC - All Blocks Covered.

Hawaii is brutal on your skin though, even as a coasty californian, I was getting insane sunburn and rashes from surfing all day.

Yeah, we went through like three things of sunscreen and I still got burned.

I remember eating at a burger place call Chees Burger in Paradice, or somthing along those lines.

Cheeseburger in Paradise. I ate there for dinner one night and it was good, but it is a chain that just hangs around warm vacation spots, same as Bubba Gump's. Good drinks and a darned good Teriyaki Hawaiian burger.

 

[vr6gti72]

Nice pics. I cant wait to go later this year. Im not doing the tourist thing though. Im staying with family in Hilo and relaxing the whole time.

 

[FoolKiller]

Nice pics. I cant wait to go later this year. Im not doing the tourist thing though. Im staying with family in Hilo and relaxing the whole time.

Enjoy Hilo as we had roughly 12 hours there. YMT basically gave it a big pass.

 

[Touring Mars]

Fantastic photojournal, FK 👍 Some amazing sights to behold - not least your Dad dancing

 

[FoolKiller]

not least your Dad dancing

The scary thing is, I am pretty sure he was sober. At least he wasn't hunting down the guy with the pitcher of Mai Tai, like I was, so I know I had more to drink.

 

[Slick Rick]

Whenever I hear Hawaii all I can think of is Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Some great pics there Foolkiller

 

[FoolKiller]

Whenever I hear Hawaii all I can think of is Dog the Bounty Hunter.

One of our tour bus drivers pointed out the office building his offices are in and then followed it up with a diatribe about hsi racial comments.

One thing I noticed is that all tour bus drivers like to bring up all the controversial issues and then never offer their own opinion.

For instance teh guy that pointed out the relatively new Wal*Mart and Best Buy and mentioned how a lot peopel were angry because they lost jobs when their local places shut down and then followed it up with, "But I guess that's just how business works."