Hawaii - How to decide which islands?!

[fleur-de-lis]

Thanks Blushingbride, but let''s be frank here-- you set the bar REALLY REALLY high with your shots!

JCrow, here''s another one that I think does a good job at capturing Kauai in a way that the more classic brochure shots would not (and is not part of any day-trip interisland tours, LOL). The following is part of a hidden, hard-to-find trail down through the jungle to go to "Secret Beach":

 

[jcrow]

see see see?! THIS is why i can''t decide!

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Date: 6/23/2008 4:29:48 PM
Author: jcrow
ok. day trip looks like THE solution! we can stay on maui and take a day trip to the big island and a day trip to kauai.

If you''re only going to do a daytrip to Kauai, probably the #! thing worth doing is a helicopter tour of the island; Napali really is spectacular at that elevation, and the colors are awe-inducing:

 

[fleur-de-lis]

(duplicate post, sorry)

 

[jcrow]

 

[fleur-de-lis]

From one of the few "crowded" places in Kauai; up the only navigable river in Hawaii, past the fern grotto, you can first climb up then jump off a 30 foot cliff to the fresh water below, re-board your kayak, and paddle over to the parking spot to walk through about 1/4 mile of jungle to a beautiful waterfall (with a deep swimming hole beneath). Though it lost a bit in the scan, there was a beauty in the casual assortment of bold-colored plastic boats under the green jungle canopy:

 

[LaurenThePartier]

JCrow, you don''t happen to be a LOST fan, do you?

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/23/2008 4:59:32 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis

Date: 6/23/2008 4:29:48 PM
Author: jcrow
ok. day trip looks like THE solution! we can stay on maui and take a day trip to the big island and a day trip to kauai.

If you're only going to do a daytrip to Kauai, probably the #! thing worth doing is a helicopter tour of the island; Napali really is spectacular at that elevation, and the colors are awe-inducing:

Ditto, but also do a boat ride of the Napali coast through Napali catamaran. We did a helicopter with Blue Hawaii and Jack Harter; I liked JH best, http://www.helicopters-kauai.com/ and http://www.napalicatamaran.com/ You will see the best portion of the Napali coast since the other catamarans are not allowed to leave Hanalei (only a few have permits) and Napali catamaran is one of them. eta: whichever island you decide on you will have a wonderful time, because they are all beautiful!!! I love them all

hehe

From the helicopter

 

[jcrow]

Date: 6/23/2008 5:11:29 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
JCrow, you don''t happen to be a LOST fan, do you?

no, i''v never watched it. why?

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hey Skippy, I can''t believe you posted those links! We''re headed back to Kauai in a couple of weeks, and I needed to look up the name of the only catamaran company out of Hanalei and book it today... and there you go posting a link. (Wow!) Lovely shots, BTW!

Since you liked the aerial shots JCrow, here''s one of the end of the Kalalau Valley. Kinda cool what a "couple of thousand" years of erosion can do to a volcanic island (and once again, I apologize for the poor scan causing a signif. loss of color and detail):

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 6/23/2008 5:18:33 PM
Author: jcrow

Date: 6/23/2008 5:11:29 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
JCrow, you don''t happen to be a LOST fan, do you?

no, i''v never watched it. why?

DH and I are huge Lost fans, so we had a blast on Oahu doing the Lost Virtual Tour. Very cool site that helps figure out where scenes are filmed all over the island.

It was fun for us because we''re huge Lost nerds, and North Shore was beautiful ( we did our TTD pics there.)

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hopefully this one''s so color-saturated that even a bad scan doesn''t dim it:

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Link to our TTD Pics on Oahu''s North Shore: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/laurenthepartiers-ttd-pics.71913/

This was so idyllic - and taken on the beach that now serves as the Losties main beach camp.

 

[jcrow]

oh wow.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Date: 6/23/2008 5:26:41 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
Link to our TTD Pics on Oahu''s North Shore: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/laurenthepartiers-ttd-pics.71913/


This was so idyllic - and taken on the beach that now serves as the Losties main beach camp.

Beach, gorgeous bridal gown, tender moment, AND a rainbow in the background?!?!?!??

Okay, I give up posting any more photos... LaurenThePartier has just thrown down the Trump Card!

 

[jcrow]

she has! and with that i feel the urge to have pictures taken. of us. in hawaii. oy.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 6/23/2008 5:40:53 PM
Author: jcrow
she has! and with that i feel the urge to have pictures taken. of us. in hawaii. oy.

It was a total blast - most fun I''ve had with my husband in front of a camera.

If you do, check out www.davemiyamoto.com . . . he''s an amazing photographer, and he only charged us ~$400/hr. and we ended up with all of the raw unedited images - I think there were like 500 or something pictures on 2 discs. We did two rolls of underwater pics, and those were on a separate disc.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 6/23/2008 5:50:06 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 6/23/2008 5:40:53 PM
Author: jcrow
she has! and with that i feel the urge to have pictures taken. of us. in hawaii. oy.

It was a total blast - most fun I''ve had with my husband in front of a camera.

If you do, check out www.davemiyamoto.com . . . he''s an amazing photographer, and he only charged us ~$400/hr. and we ended up with all of the raw unedited images - I think there were like 500 or something pictures on 2 discs. We did two rolls of underwater pics, and those were on a separate disc.

wow! really?!

will look into it. thanks.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 6/23/2008 7:04:37 PM
Author: jcrow

Date: 6/23/2008 5:50:06 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Date: 6/23/2008 5:40:53 PM
Author: jcrow
she has! and with that i feel the urge to have pictures taken. of us. in hawaii. oy.

It was a total blast - most fun I've had with my husband in front of a camera.

If you do, check out www.davemiyamoto.com . . . he's an amazing photographer, and he only charged us ~$400/hr. and we ended up with all of the raw unedited images - I think there were like 500 or something pictures on 2 discs. We did two rolls of underwater pics, and those were on a separate disc.

wow! really?!

will look into it. thanks.

He's on Oahu, but I believe he travels to different islands for heavy work.

Tell him Lauren from Dallas, TX sent you. He was giddy for about 5 weeks before we got there because he was so excited to do the underwater work. The pics turned out amazing!

 

[luvmyhalo]

Hey JCrow! I''ve been to Maui but not the other islands so I don''t have anything to campare it to but it was FANTASTIC! I highly recommend the Four Seasons in Wailea. Great hotel and a great location. If you''re going to rent a car, it''s worth the drive up the coast to Lahaina for the Old Lahaina Luau. Seats on the ground up front are definitely the way to go, although I believe they require a reservation way in advance. http://www.oldlahainaluau.com/oll_menuAlohaMixedPlate.html

What a fabulous way to spend an anniversary! Have a wonderful time!!!!!

 

[Fly Girl]

O.K., I have to admit, I picked the island we visited based on where I could rent a plane to fly. Here is the view of South Point while flying the Cessna 172. It is the southern most point in the US. Note the lava flows just beyond South Point.

 

[Fly Girl]

Hiking the lava flows. This used to be a road.

Big Island is the newest and rawest island. But, you just can''t go wrong in Hawaii. The place truly is paradise.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 6/23/2008 11:45:17 PM
Author: Fly Girl
O.K., I have to admit, I picked the island we visited based on where I could rent a plane to fly. Here is the view of South Point while flying the Cessna 172. It is the southern most point in the US. Note the lava flows just beyond South Point.

ok. so this is beyond creepy. hubs was just saying TODAY that he wanted to fly a plane. AND he even asked if our airport has cessna''s to fly. i admit i had never heard of them. and then you go and post this! what are the freakin odds??!

 

[jcrow]

Date: 6/23/2008 11:47:22 PM
Author: Fly Girl
Hiking the lava flows. This used to be a road.

Big Island is the newest and rawest island. But, you just can''t go wrong in Hawaii. The place truly is paradise.

see this is what i think of when i think hawaii. black sand beaches. lava.

 

[Fly Girl]

Flight instructor, Ebi, along with the Cessna 172 I checked out in. You can also hire the pilot along with the plane. I decided to get checked out, then fly myself. This is at Kona Airport. Link

 

[Rosebud8506]

Hawaii is truly paradise and is everything that you hope it will be!! it is unbelievable!! i am so jealous you guys are going!!!!

all those pics on the road to hana I remember, thanks for posting those, I like reliving it

 

[LAJennifer]

I love, love, love, love, love, love, love the Big Island!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/24/2008 6:16:14 PM
Author: LAJennifer
I love, love, love, love, love, love, love the Big Island!

The Big Island is cool because it is so diverse!!! Also, it has a small feel to it even though it is so big!

 

[jcrow]

wow! again, with the beautiful pictures! thank you.

 

[blondie23]

Ok i wanna play...we just got back from kauai for our honeymoon and it was AMAZING...I never wanted to leave. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt and it was breathtaking!!!

Activities we did:
1. North shore hike
2. Helicopter tour
3. Snorkel tour
4. Waimea canyon tour
5. Swam with sea turtles
6. LOTS OF BEACHES