Bob I 41 Loc: Indiana

years
I had the good fortune of living in Hawaii for 18 years. Both our daughters were born there & it didn't take daughter # 1 too long to figure out after we moved to Colorado just how special it was to have been born in Hawaii! I always like to suggest to folks going for the 1st time to fly into Honolulu & catch an Island cruise. I would suggest 3 to 5 days ahead so one can visit Oahu first. Then really relax aboard ship & see the other Islands. The 1st time I ever went to Hawaii was in my single days & the only thing I wanted to bring back to the Mainland was my pictures! The colors of Hawaii can't be beat.....even with my old cameras! Happy to say I've revisited a few times since & can hardly wait to take more photos!

If you want to see some of my pictures & storyline on Hawaii.....feel free to check out my list of "Topics" that will clearly mention Hawaii. If we still lived there....I would invite you to contact us & we would have been happy to share Oahu with you during your stay. We did it many times for others & have maintained some wonderful friendships because of it. I would say.....GO....go for the ALOHA! Bob

nikonuser750 Loc: Monroe, LA

To the OP. I normally read all the post but skipped them this time. I love Florida but I love visiting Hawaii more. Not sure what your likes and dislikes are but if you enjoyed the lower 48, seems to me that you'd like Hawaii as well. I even liked Honolulu, especially the Iolani Palace. As for driving I loved the tours. You learn so much about Hawaii that you won't know driving yourself. They stop at various locations to give you opportunities to take pictures. I agree about not staying in Waikiki. Everything there is way over priced. Check out the Waikiki Beach if you can. If you like fireworks take the Friday night dinner cruise so you can watch the Friday night fireworks from the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. On the North shore which is about an hours drive from Honolulu, is the Polynesian Village. We did drive there. Many say it's too commercialized but my wife and I loved it. We had VIP passes and had our own tour guide. The luau there is very nice. Definitely don't miss the theater production after the luau. I thought it was awesome. We could have spent more than one day there but had not allocated enough time. Unlike Disney World, you can return for another day on your original ticket without paying for another day. We took the 7 day cruise to the Big Island, Maui and Kauai. My only problem was the stay on each Island was too short. Our favorites were the Big Island and Kauai. We took several tours and had lots of photo opportunities I would not have had if I had driven on my on. Go and enjoy the the things you enjoy. Your travel agent can advise you I'm sure.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

That is essentially what I would say, plus Water Fall everywhere on the islands. I think Hawaii has more endemic species than even California with probably the largest diversity, indigenous and endemic species total. Texas must come in close to the top too as it has many both Eastern and Western species.

hcmcdole

Spent a week on the big island in 2014 and just got back from a week in Maui a week ago. Well worth the long flight. Just wished my GoPro set up hadn't failed when I went "snuba" diving but the pro photographer got lots of shots of all the passengers who went snorkeling or snuba diving. If you do the sunrise on top of Haleakala, do take adequate clothing (and gloves) as it was pretty cold. The Road to Hana is a long day but well worth it too - a little nerve wracking on the back side of the island. Guided tours are probably the best way to go despite not stopping at every "pretty" location along the route.


Go and have fun!

brianraub

4000-foot mountains meet beautiful beaches, perfect challenges for your 10-20mm lens. Plus amazing snorkeling (north shore, Kauai), surfers to watch (Sunset Beach, Oahu), snow in June at 13,800 feet (Big Island), to get started.

Jim70 Loc: Delaware

My Grandfather, wise old man, once told me that the worst thing in life was getting old and regretting all the things you didn't do. If you can afford it, I'd go. You never know what you might find. As others have noted, Hawaii is beautiful. I've been there a few times and would go back in a moment if I could.

brianraub

And then there is Costa Rica, with 6% of the world's biodiversity in a country the size of West Virginia. More bird species (900+) than all of North America... 1,400 species of orchids, cloud forests, rain forests, volcanoes, dozens of white and black Pacific and Atlantic beaches, 4 species of monkeys... getting started. Life is short; affordable opportunities should not be missed.

woodworkerman Loc: PA to FL

You are quite observant! I do need it. Thanks.

woodworkerman Loc: PA to FL

There have been so many encouraging and enlightening responses. Thank you all so much.

maxiu9

Great street photography. Honolulu is a very Asian city in some respects, and the vibe is (to me) closer to places like Taipei than San Francisco. I'd also say I was stunned by the flora, fauna, and water. It's unlike other destinations in the U.S. (and yep, I've spent a lot of time in Florida and it just isn't the same). So, if you have the money and the time, go check it out.

ricardo00

Much sage advice in the prior comments. Just to reiterate what has been already said, Hawaii and Alaska are truly unique and well worth it. That said, it is quite a ways from Florida. So depending on your health and finances, you might decide to go somewhere closer/cheaper? Any chance you can entice a child, grandchild, nephew/niece or even friend to accompany you? (who would turn down a free trip to Hawaii or Alaska?) I have been several times, mostly for family vacation, to almost every island, including Kauai, Maui, Ohau, the Big Island and even Molokai. Our daughter has even been lucky enough to go to a few Northwest Hawaiian Islands (Tern, Laysan, Midway). Each place has something unique to offer. A couple pics to tempt you:

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Haven't read the whole thread but the prettiest place I have been to in the 48 states is Lake Tahoe. Have you been there?

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

RE: "I live in Florida, why should I go to Hawaii, I have all the sandy beaches I need right here in Florida"

Highest point in Hawaii is about 14K ft. How high is Florida? Have you ever gone snow skiing in Florida? Does Florida have any active volcanoes? Ever visited a Coffee plantation in Florida? Those things spring to my feeble mind.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

As you can see, I'm way behind on the blog. I've been to Florida many times and Hawaii is very different. Without hesitation, my recommendation is to go there. We love Hawaii and go there at least every other year. Kauai is our favorite, as it is the most tropical and the name "the Garden Isle" is very fitting. If you go to Oahu, you should go to Waikiki for a day, but that's all (IMO); lunch at Duke's and be sure to have the Hula Pie. There is a lot to see on Oahu. You should reserve the Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial tour at least a couple of months in advance to make sure you can get there, as space is limited. Maui is also beautiful and the Road to Hana is a must. We can't wait to get back there in July (Oahu and Kauai). Before you go (and you must), I highly recommend the series of books on each major island by Andrew Doughty, published by Wizard Books.