Who Wants to Meet Me on Oahu Next Week?

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golfmobile
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Who Wants to Meet Me on Oahu Next Week?

#1 Post by golfmobile »

Potentially our first unofficial Mini-Magnum-Mania convention?

With airlines cancelling flights all over, Larry and I don't know if we are going to be able even to GET to Hawaii next September. But he has four days off next week -- July 9-12. Not much time to get to Hawaii from the Atlanta area, but if I'm going to spend a full day flying somewhere and a full day back -- well, that would give us Thursday morning to do the helicopter flight over Robin's Nest and the afternoon to explore the tidal pool. And Friday morning to do some snorkeling at Hanauma Bay or wherever -- maybe even back to the tidal pool (is snorkeling there any good anyway?) Certainly I wouldn't be able, in a day and a half, to go to all the MPI locations I would like to find, but accommodations for a couple of days at a Best Western or Holiday Inn would be a lot more affordable than the ten days of rental property at Waimanalo Beach, Lanikai, or Kailua.

HOWEVER, as I said, Larry has to be back at work on Sunday, July 13. So he would have to fly out on the afternoon/evening of the 11th (Friday) to get back on Saturday, the 12th, so he can go to work on Sunday. I could stay for a couple of days more and fly back on Sunday, arriving Monday, returning to work on Tuesday. And without Larry there, Saturday and Sunday could be "find the MPI filiming location days." But it really wouldn't be much fun by myself.

Who can come meet me there for a couple of days? You could, of course, stay longer, just arranging your first few days after arrival to coordinate with my last couple of days there. But at least we would "understand" why we were searching together for the filming locations -- Walker Estate, Marks Estate, Byoto Temple, National Cemetery, etc.

If anyone wants to arrive by Thursday morning to go up in the helicopter with us (and has a spare $325 for same), you could fly with us over Robin's Nest.

Any other spontaneous folks here who need an "emergency vacation" to Oahu next week?

SelleckLover, where are you when I need you?

golf
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SelleckLover
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#2 Post by SelleckLover »

SelleckLover, where are you when I need you?
Sorry golf! My cardiologist won't let me travel yet. I just had another "cardiac event" on June 4th. (I had another stent placed. That make 6 stents so far!) I'm not even allowed to exercise yet. Sorry! :( I would love to meet you over there! But no can do...

SL

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J.J. Walters
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#3 Post by J.J. Walters »

You know life is good when you are seriously contemplating spur-of-the-moment, 4-day vacations to Oahu! :shock: But hey, if you can swing it, why not! :)

For me, it's a big deal to just set foot outside of this county, or even to just make it to happy hour with the guys from work.
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Carmen
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#4 Post by Carmen »

Oh this would be sooo good!! But having 4 children, 2 of them at school and 2 at kindergarten I can only dream about it....

Sellecklover, hope you feel better soon.
Sometimes I get so lucky, even I don`t believe it (TSM)

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#5 Post by IKnowWhatYoureThinking »

It would be nice, but I need to plan further ahead. Enoy your time there!

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SelleckLover
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#6 Post by SelleckLover »

Carmen wrote:
Sellecklover, hope you feel better soon.
Thanks Carmen. I actually haven't felt this good in years! All I have to do is deal with occasional chest pain now. I will be doing something called EECP in the near future to hopefully get rid of the chest pain. (EECP stands for External Enhanced Counter Pulsation.) I start Cardiac Rehab on Monday the 7th. Wish me luck! :D

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Doc Ibold
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#7 Post by Doc Ibold »

good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Steve
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#8 Post by Steve »

My wife and son are off to Phoenix and The Grand Canyon next weekend, so I was actually toying with flying out there for an official Magnum Mania Research Project. Checking airfares from Chicago though were utterly rediculous, in the $1,500.00 to $2,200.00 range for one person! This is why it is sad when carriers like ATA go under as it takes away competition. Anyway Golf, if you and your Husband like snorkeling, my wife, son and I discoverd a cool little spot on the North Shore called Sharks Cove. It is a naturally formed Tidal Pool with the waves crashing over the lava rocks looking like mini waterfalls........Here is a web site.......
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/beaches/sharks_cove.htm

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SelleckLover
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#9 Post by SelleckLover »

I just checked flights from Los Angeles, which about a year or so ago, you could get a RT ticket for under $300. Now, the cheapest I saw was about $600 to Honolulu. Outrageous! :o

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Carmen
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#10 Post by Carmen »

now that made me curious, and I checked what a flight would cost from Frankfurt to Honolulu and how long it would be. Tickets are available between 2000.-- and over 4.500.-- € and in only 19 to 25 hours I could be there :wink: talking about the impossible....
Sometimes I get so lucky, even I don`t believe it (TSM)

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#11 Post by IslandHopper »

Get well SL! :)
The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)

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#12 Post by SelleckLover »

Awww, ty IH!

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#13 Post by golfmobile »

SL,

I'm so sorry your cardiologist won't let you fly! Someday we gotta meet there! And, unfortunately, our flight won't be coming through LAX, or I'd say come to the airport and meet us inthe parking lot when we go out to smoke a cigarette (our layover will be in SLC this time). Now that would be rather interesting, wouldn't it? But the most important thing is to take care of your health now, so you can get to Hawaii sooner or later. With our taking this trip (still not ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY definite, but I'm lobbying hard!), I'm not sure we'll make the September trip, as I said. But if we do, maybe you'll be healthy enough by then.

Steve, don't know where you're checking for flights, but I found these via www.sidestep.com on the exactly correct dates, but you could try directly to the United site:

Image

I kept you over for a Sunday return, so I don't know if that has anything to do with the cost, and those aren't direct flights -- there is a layover in LAX (hey, SL can meet YOU!) on the way over, but it's only one hour, which isn't a bad layover. The return trip is the direct flight.

As for Shark's Cove, that sounds great, and I'd love to do it. However, again, with this short a stay, I don't know if we'll get that far north, when we can snorkel at Hanauma Bay on the way to Robin's Nest. I still haven't heard from anyone whether it's worth snorkeling in the tidal pool -- I'm assuming not, because it's never mentioned as a "draw" for the tidal pool (even though TM supposedly taught that lady to snorkel there, that might have just been (1) for the photo op and (2) just to learn the equipment so she could actually snorkel elsewhere). I suppose the "manmade" rock border of the pool hasn't been there long enough (I would think 200+ years would be long enough, though) to get acclimated enough to become a reef to attract the fish. I'd be willing to try snorkeling outside the pool along the rock wall, though. Has anyone done that?

Just for cost incentives for this trip, I found us a convertible rental car for $35 per day and smoking rooms (for those few of us smoking criminals here) at the Holiday Inn on Ala Moana Blvd. (not very glamorous but adequate for two nights only) (at least these were available yesterday, better go check and see if I can still get them reserved!) However, I HAVEN'T heard from the helicopter company, and if we can't do the flight over RN, then we're not going. THAT is the purpose of this short trip. Without that, no trip this time.
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#14 Post by Icepick »

golf - I do spontaneous missions like the one you're contemplating too. Hopefully you'll be able to go. Unfortunately I can't this summer due to my course commitments. I'm tempted though! I'd also rather go when the weather is cold here. My brother told me yesterday that he and his lot are going to Hawaii for 2 weeks in January so I think that's when I will go, but only for 5 days or something. If I go sooner, it might be for a quick visit in the Autumn. I'd even go for 3 days. It's only like 4 hours from me so it's quick.

As for Hanauma Bay. I had a great time there and got to see some cool fish and swam with a giant sea turtle....just don't touch them! I would suggest making a visit. It's a bit busy but that's what you get. Remember that Tuesdays are closed. As for the smoking thing. I'm surprised you found anything that has smoking rooms 'cause it's non-smoking everywhere but on the street. I had to go to the corner where my hotel was and hang out with other travellers. We looked ridiculous...LOL.

We should plan a Magnum Mania meet in Hawaii with lots of advance warning, like 2 years from now and then everyone could plan accordingly. It would really be something to look forward to eh?!
Icepick - Does it ever occur to you that you are always having to bail your friend Magnum out of trouble?

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#15 Post by golfmobile »

Icepick --

What a good idea -- to call this a "mission." We've always referred to them as "emergency vacations," but I like your terminology better. Okay, I am now working on Operation Robin's Nest . . . .

I can certainly understand wanting to go to Hawaii when it's cold "at home" -- gosh knows a lot of folks do. Our first trip was in December '02. What we found a little frustrating -- for OUR purposes -- was that it's technically winter there too, so you might not get the cold weather, but you get the same fewer number of hours of daylight. It was dusk at about 5 p.m. and full dark by 6 p.m. Since we like to play golf in the afternoons, this messed us up. As for most folks, daylight hours still allow beach time and most daylight activities, so who cares if it dark when you go to the luau or to dinner? But that was enough to somewhat modify the times when we would thereafter choose to go -- not full summer with all the out-of-school families, but more around the April-May/September time frame. This trip is an exception, purely because Larry got four days off in a row, and that just never happens for him.

Yes, I've read that Hanauma Bay is usually crowded, and drat, we ARE going to be there during primary vacation time next week. Hmm, maybe we will have to go find Steve's Shark's Cove. But that's not such a bad idea after all. We like to explore so we can drive all the way around the east edge of the island, hit Robin's Nest, go farther north and around to Shark's Cove, and come back by driving back down to Kailua and cutting cross-island via the Pali Highway, which should take us past the Walker Estate, at least. Not much time for sightseeing this trip.

Anyone have anything to say about the Queen Kapiolani Hotel? It's only $85/night. It gets mixed reviews on TripAdvisor and other review sites.

P.S. Never mind the Queen K. I think we like the Ilima Hotel better, around the same price, plus free parking (apparently important in the Waikiki area), free wireless internet, a full kitchen, and some smoking rooms -- for a $95/night rate. Plus a lot more positive reviews at TripAdvisor, Frommer's, and Fodors.

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