The Hawaiian Islands

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!


 

OAHU, Hawaii --- a compilation of my 4 trips there: 1998; 2001; 2003; 2009

Our trips to Oahu:

Our very first trip to the Islands was to Oahu in 1998.  I found a great vacation package through TWA Getaway Vacations and surprisingly enough, Ken agreed to go.  So thus began our obsession with The Hawaiian Islands!

1998 Oahu---our first trip to the Islands:

2001 Oahu---3 nights around a Kauai vacation:

2003 Oahu---7 nights with Dad for Sean's reenlistment:

2009 Oahu---3 night solo trip:

If you want a place that's always bustling with activity and beauty, Oahu is the place to be.  It's not the laid back peaceful Hawaii most people think of when they've never been to Hawaii.  We don't often come to Oahu anymore since my husband usually wants to go to just one island and he prefers peace and quiet.  So we usually go to Kauai.  But I'm definitely not opposed to visiting Oahu again

2009—Feb. solo trip to Waikiki-then to Kauai

  This was a solo trip for me.  I hadn't planned to go off to Hawaii by myself, but an unfortunate circumstance resulted in this opportunity. I had picked up a week at the Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk for a friend and her cancer stricken husband, but he ended up too sick to take the trip. So it was lose the whole week and the money I paid, or go by myself and "try" to enjoy myself. The decision wasn't too difficult to make. Ken and I were scheduled to go to Kauai on award travel the following Sunday, so I was able to change my flight to go out on the previous Wed.  I didn't get the whole week there, but did have 4 nights on Waikiki.   Unfortunately hubby couldn't get off work for those extra days.
This was my 4th trip to Oahu, so I felt pretty comfortable wandering around Waikiki by myself. I liked that I could wander around the streets and beach without being accosted by poverty. Everything was clean and the people are helpful.  I even used The Bus enough during the past 3 trips that I felt comfortable using it by myself.
It was a bit cool this trip with temps only about 70 and the winds were pretty high. But it definitely beat the 20s and 30s back home. There were spritzes of rain and lots of clouds, but the clouds were the type that made for fabulous sunsets.

 2009-Feb. 18: STL-LAX-HON-LIH

2009-Feb. 19:Walking around Waikiki, Beach, and Sunset cruise

2009-Feb. 20: Foster Gardens, Waikiki Aquarium

2009-Feb. 21: Waikiki beach, Marina reflections

2009-Feb. 22: HON-LIH

It was a short stay in Oahu, but it turned out to be a really great one.  I've not taken a vacation by myself before, so was really hesitant to do it, but I really enjoyed myself!  Maybe I should do this more often!!!  And only 4 nights there wasn't bad since I had almost 2 weeks on Kauai to look forward to now.

For the rest of my 2009 Kauai blog, check out: 2009 Kauai

2003-Aug., Oahu for Sean’s reenlistment

 While my nephew, Sean, was stationed in Oahu, he was up for another reenlistment--- his 3rd (I believe).  Since his Grandpa (my Dad) had been a lifer in the Air Force, he asked my Dad to be his reenlisting officer.  Dad eagerly accepted, then asked me to go along with him and make a vacation out of it. I also eagerly accepted and flew to PDX on Aug. 8, 2003, to meet up with him so we could fly to Oahu together the next day.

As it turned out, the Navy didn’t have enough money to give Sean his reenlistment bonus if he did it at the originally scheduled time, so Dad didn’t end up being the reenlistment officer, but we did spend a few days visiting with Sean and playing tourist on Oahu. Sean did later reenlist, but Dad wasn’t able to make it back at that time.

Imperial Waikiki Resort---1 bedroom/2 bathroom unit:

8-9-2003---riding around Oahu with Sean and Waimea Park:

8-10-2003---Hanauma Bay snorkeling:

8-11-2003---walking around Waikiki:

8-12-2003---Diamond Head hike

8-13-2003---Dad's birthday celebration with a limo tour:

8-14-2003---submarine ride:

8-15-2003---the Arizona Memorial and Army Museum in Ft DeRussey:


It was another great father/daughter trip. Again we got to play tourist as well as visit family. It was a fun week in Oahu.