Travel Dream to Vacation Reality

Posted on by Donna Casey

Hawaii is a place that’s close to my heart. It represents everything I could want in a destination and it is so perfect it seems unattainable. Besides the obvious sand, sun, ocean and perfect weather, I’ve always wondered about Hawaii because we almost moved there when I was a child instead of Kansas. I admit it, I’m jealous my sister can cross it off her bucket list and I can’t. Anyway I’m thinking, now that I’m an adult, why can’t I go to Hawaii?

Just to get a feel for what was out there, I surfed the internet and came up with several websites for first-time visitors to Hawaii that looked interesting. Hawaii Magazine had an article for first-time travelers including these candid statements –“Prepare to say’Wow!’ a lot.” “Plan a day to do nothing.” “Go hiking!” “Leave some time and space for the unanticipated.” “Wear sunscreen, lots of it.’” “Try poi.” Now I’m getting a picture of what to look for.

I’m starting to get really excited now and I need some colorful and detailed information to curl up with and pore over. Here’s where our Travel Neighborhood comes in. In addition to a Travel Bag full of information on Hawaii, I have these books and DVDs to choose from:

View complete list

Our website Travel page has a link to CNN Travel where I found an article on Hawaii with this practical advice:

  • Don’t try to see everything.
  • Do stick to one or two islands.
  • Do splurge on an adventure (kayak trip, helicopter ride, diving).
  • Do go in the off season.

Trip Advisor is another link from our Travel page that is jam-packed with information on Hawaii gleaned from other travelers’ experiences. Here I found articles about taking care with Hawaii’s ecosystems, how to best view wildlife like dolphins, and calculators and charts to help me plan my expenses. Of course before I decide anything, I will check other resources to verify.

I work in Circulation as a senior library associate. I love mysteries, traveling, gardens and libraries. My favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Peters, Patricia Cornwell and Harlan Coben, but I enjoy any well-plotted mystery.