Oahu, Kauai, The Big Island, Maui
Many years ago---around the year 1998--- Ken and I went to yet another timeshare presentation in St. Louis (for the entertainment and free stuff they gave us), but this time we ended up buying into it. This presentation was for Pahio Resorts (specifically Kauai Beach Villas---- one of the 4 Pahios on Kauai). We had never been to any of the Hawaiian islands and didn't really figure we'd go to the Pahio resort, but we were sold on the idea that we could bank the week into RCI and go anywhere, anytime, that we desired. We were so naive back then!!! So we bought a 1 bedroom/1 bath EOY (every other year) unit.
About the same time that we went to the presentation, I came across a great TWA Getaway Vacations to Oahu for $599/person which included airfare from St. Louis and 5 nights on Oahu ( at the Maile Sky Court Hotel which we extended to 7 nights for a couple hundred dollars more). With our first year at KBV set to be 1999, and we already had reservations for Oahu for Nov. of 1998, we banked the KBV week into RCI---and began to learn what "go anywhere, anytime you want" really means - go anywhere that is available, at the worst times of the year! That usually means somewhere over saturated with timeshares (like Orlando or Las Vegas); or where you really want to go (usually only available during off season) if you're lucky enough to catch it as soon as it's banked. Since we had a really good time on Oahu in 1998, when our next EOY week rolled around in 2001, we decided to go with the sure thing and see exactly what we bought into.
We never banked that week again. In fact, we bought more and more weeks at Pahio until we had 2 weeks every year (1 bedrooms in even years and 2 bedrooms in odd years). That worked so well, that when Wyndham took over as the management company, we eventually converted our weeks into Wyndham points by buying another EOY 1 bedroom unit at Bali Hai. With that purchase, all our Pahio weeks were converted into Wyndham points. Which ended up being a rather inexpensive way to become Platinum VIP in Wyndham (which has been great!). Part of what got us to convert, was we were told we'd be able to reserve ocean view rooms 13 months out. That did work for a couple years, then they "learned" that we could only reserve our original type units that far in advance. But it worked out. With lots of persistence and patience, we still got a lot of ocean view rooms in the 10 month Wyndham open reservation window and even often within the 60 day reservation time when our Platinum VIP privileges of 50% off the number of points non-VIPs pay and free upgrades takes place.
And this is my blog of my love affair with Hawaii!
1998 Oahu - first trip to the islands
2001 Kauai - first trip to Kauai
2nd trip to Oahu
2002 The Big Island
2003 Kauai with Dad (buy a 2 bedroom week)
2003 Oahu with Dad for Sean's reinlistment
2004 Kauai with Tim and Faith
2005 Kauai
2006 Kauai with Tim and Faith, then Dad
2006 Maui father/daughter trip - first trip to Maui
2007 Kauai
2008 Kauai
2009 Oahu by myself,
Kauai with Ken, Angie and Josh (and we convert to Wyndham)
2010 Kauai with Tim and Faith, again
2011 Kauai
2012 Kauai with Schneiderjans
2012 Maui sisters' trip
2013 Maui with Baileys
2014 Kauai
2015 Feb. 6-26
Kauai
Maui
2016 8/18 - 9/14 (2 weeks each place)
Maui
Kauai starting 8/31
2017 no Hawaiian islands!!!!
2018 Maui for 4 weeks with Fischers
2019 Kauai (with Carolyn) / Maui (solo!)
2020 Glioblastoma hit and COVID 19 pandemic---our 2 weeks at Maui Schooner and 2 at Kihei WM for March had to be cancelled.
2021 Ken still fighting Glioblastoma and COVID 19 pandemic still raging ---week at Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy and 2 weeks at Kihei WM canceled, again. (for April). Now I have WM reservations for March 2022.
2022 Ken STILL fighting Glioblastoma. Covid still going around, but people are beginning to ignore it. But had to cancell our reservations for Kihei in March, again. Now have reservations for Feb. 2023.
2023 Ken STILL fighting Glioblastoma---not doing well, but is a long term survivor now. Covid, not so bad. But had to cancel 2 weeks at Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy and 2 weeks at Kihei Worldmark on Maui. As of Jan. 2023, I have 1 week booked for Feb. 2024 on the Big Island.
With 20+ trips to the islands between 1998 and 2018, we obviously LOVE the islands! It feels like another home to us! Can't wait to go home again!
