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Post by ams417 on Mar 26, 2016 0:13:47 GMT -5
Finally done with the "business" part of the trip a couple days ago. Fancy schmancy resorts are not my forte. I won an award at my conference that came with a check for $2000, and we got a gift card for $650 to cover incidentals, plus my boss lets us expense a lot of beer so I'm not complaining, I'm actual really surprised, and very appreciative. They covered all the airfare, resort ($650 a night for a room at this place, what the f right?) but I'm on my own dime for the next 10 days. Posted up now in a one bedroom condo in Kihei Maui for $100 a night with a $20 a day 2005 Ford Taurus from Kimo's rent a beater. I'm used to traveling low budget so this is more comfortable and familiar to me. Maui is cool, but I've traveled to Mexico so many times I can't help but compare them. It's expensive here, like 1.5-2x's mainland prices at least, sometimes more, a lot more. Which equates to 2-4x's Mexican prices or more. For example, a beer here is like $5-$7 bucks in a bar, at home it's $2-$3, in Mexico it's $1. If you can't tell, I like beer, when I'm not driving. It's a different vibe too. I'm trying hard to like it but it's not really my place. We did a road trip today and had a lot of fun but somethings missing. I can't explain it, but maybe I expected too much. Looking at maybe doing a heli tour and taking a day trip over to Pearl Harbor in the next few days. We had saved up a decent bankroll for this trip, but I'm a tight ass, so I'm looking for deals. Having a rental car here is a must, unlike Mexico with plentiful cheap cabs and buses. This is really putting a kink in my beer drinking, you know since I have to drive and stuff. Probably for the better, I'm an occasional, or recreational drinker when I'm at home, but have a tendency to get reasonably shit faced when I'm on vacation or near beaches and large bodies of water, or if it's a weekend, you know, only on occasion. Never stumbling drunk, I'm relatively responsible even when left to my own devices.
On on a side note, we got our doors blown of by a modified Dio today. He had to be doing over 60mph easy. I've seen a ton of Kimco's here too and the odd TaoTao style scooters that are so common on the mainland. They rust so bad here with the salt air it's pitiful. Still trying to talk the wife into renting one but it's rained some everyday so far so she's not committing. I'll work on her.
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Post by spaz12 on Mar 26, 2016 1:36:00 GMT -5
Had I been to Hawaii when I was younger, I would have moved there just to raise my kids. It's a totally different lifestyle.
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Post by gsx600racer on Mar 26, 2016 1:42:13 GMT -5
Finally done with the "business" part of the trip a couple days ago. Fancy schmancy resorts are not my forte. I won an award at my conference that came with a check for $2000, and we got a gift card for $650 to cover incidentals, plus my boss lets us expense a lot of beer so I'm not complaining, I'm actual really surprised, and very appreciative. They covered all the airfare, resort ($650 a night for a room at this place, what the f right?) but I'm on my own dime for the next 10 days. Posted up now in a one bedroom condo in Kihei Maui for $100 a night with a $20 a day 2005 Ford Taurus from Kimo's rent a beater. I'm used to traveling low budget so this is more comfortable and familiar to me. Maui is cool, but I've traveled to Mexico so many times I can't help but compare them. It's expensive here, like 1.5-2x's mainland prices at least, sometimes more, a lot more. Which equates to 2-4x's Mexican prices or more. For example, a beer here is like $5-$7 bucks in a bar, at home it's $2-$3, in Mexico it's $1. If you can't tell, I like beer, when I'm not driving. It's a different vibe too. I'm trying hard to like it but it's not really my place. We did a road trip today and had a lot of fun but somethings missing. I can't explain it, but maybe I expected too much. Looking at maybe doing a heli tour and taking a day trip over to Pearl Harbor in the next few days. We had saved up a decent bankroll for this trip, but I'm a tight ass, so I'm looking for deals. Having a rental car here is a must, unlike Mexico with plentiful cheap cabs and buses. This is really putting a kink in my beer drinking, you know since I have to drive and stuff. Probably for the better, I'm an occasional, or recreational drinker when I'm at home, but have a tendency to get reasonably shit faced when I'm on vacation or near beaches and large bodies of water, or if it's a weekend, you know, only on occasion. Never stumbling drunk, I'm relatively responsible even when left to my own devices. On on a side note, we got our doors blown of by a modified Dio today. He had to be doing over 60mph easy. I've seen a ton of Kimco's here too and the odd TaoTao style scooters that are so common on the mainland. They rust so bad here with the salt air it's pitiful. Still trying to talk the wife into renting one but it's rained some everyday so far so she's not committing. I'll work on her. Lets just say the people there know how to make 2t's go. The utube vids are insane to watch. Enjoy while you can and bring us back some tuning secrets. lol |
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Post by ams417 on Mar 26, 2016 1:45:43 GMT -5
If I could make good money I'd be someplace tropical too. It's just a leap of faith I never could make. I've enjoyed security in the same place for so long I grew roots. I still love to travel though. I sacrifice a lot of things to be able to afford it. I've been pretty fortunate to be able to see and do so pretty cool shit so far. I've been working one of my vendors for a trip to Korea to see a manufacturing facility. I think that would be pretty awesome.
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Post by aeroxbud on Mar 26, 2016 11:33:57 GMT -5
Not everywhere you visit make you want to go back. Just enjoy it and make the most of it you might not get the chance again.  |
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liftit
Scoot Enthusiast
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Post by liftit on Mar 28, 2016 13:09:19 GMT -5
I live over in Honolulu and love going over to Maui. We usually stay in a condo in Kihei. You're right, it is much more expensive. That's what happens when you live on an island in the middle of the ocean, rich people buy all the property and drive up prices, and you have to actually pay your workers, unlike mexico. We usually walked down to Life's a Beach and drank pretty cheap. There's a BBQ place near there that's pretty good and an Irish bar too. Maui is meant to be calmly and relaxing enjoyed, not adventured to death. Checkout a sunrise at Haleakala, buy a couple six packs of local craft beer and drink at the pool. A Molikini snorkel tour is pretty fun too, and then it turns into a booze cruise when you're done.
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Post by FrankenMech on Mar 28, 2016 22:15:26 GMT -5
The rain forests and volcanoes would be fun for me. Babes on beaches would probably give me a heart attack.
The USS Missouri is supposed to be at Pearl. Visiting her in Seattle and standing over that deck plaque brought tears to my eyes. I know the memorial over the USS Arizona would do the same thing to me. War is too high a price to pay for the 'little people'. Politicians, the 0.1%, and corporate board members that cause wars don't get killed or wounded, -just the everyday Joe etc, with a weapon in hand, gets killed or wounded.
2x prices just mean you have to make 2x more...
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Post by ams417 on Mar 28, 2016 22:15:31 GMT -5
I live over in Honolulu and love going over to Maui. We usually stay in a condo in Kihei. You're right, it is much more expensive. That's what happens when you live on an island in the middle of the ocean, rich people buy all the property and drive up prices, and you have to actually pay your workers, unlike mexico. We usually walked down to Life's a Beach and drank pretty cheap. There's a BBQ place near there that's pretty good and an Irish bar too. Maui is meant to be calmly and relaxing enjoyed, not adventured to death. Checkout a sunrise at Haleakala, buy a couple six packs of local craft beer and drink at the pool. A Molikini snorkel tour is pretty fun too, and then it turns into a booze cruise when you're done. I'm figuring most of this out. Going to Pearl Harbor tomorrow, Molikini Thursday, home Friday night. Went to Maui brewing for a tour and some beers, drove literally all the way around the islands perimeter over two days and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. Got sucked into a timeshare presentation for a tour discount, but saved $700 on tours. I'd never done one before, it was comical. Did a 7:30am helicopter tour of the Hana and volcano side of the island. Spent some time laying on the beach. I expected it to be more expensive due to the location but dude, the wealth here is insane, and the poverty. I'm from one of the lowest income / cost of living areas in the US. My perspective is off because of this I know, but I still find some things a little shocking. I guess it's all based on what you're used to. I don't know how the locals survive here, there must be a huge gap in social class, and I bet it's browning larger. I hear this is the last year for sugar harvesting on Maui. Over 140 years and they can't make a profit anymore. It's been an experience, I'm glad I was able to visit. |
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Post by ams417 on Mar 28, 2016 22:26:08 GMT -5
The rain forests and volcanoes would be fun for me. Babes on beaches would probably give me a heart attack. The USS Missouri is supposed to be at Pearl. Visiting her in Seattle and standing over that deck plaque brought tears to my eyes. I know the memorial over the USS Arizona would do the same thing to me. War is too high a price to pay for the 'little people'. Politicians and corporate board members that cause wars don't get killed or wounded, -just the everyday Joe etc, with a weapon in hand, gets killed or wounded. The Missouri is certainly in Pearl Harbor. Being from Missouri, I'll probably be overwhelmed with patriotic pride when I see that name written down the bow of that historic fighting ship. I was able to confirm tickets to the Arizona Memorial, part of how I was wrangled into the timeshare presentation. I could get tickets confirmed on my own and couldn't afford to do the trip without the timeshare discount. It was pretty expensive to me. My fault for procrastinating. My sons car got totaled by an elderly woman yesterday too. He's uninjured, but I've got to find him some wheels asap. |
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Post by FrankenMech on Mar 29, 2016 0:29:55 GMT -5
See if you can go aboard the Missouri. Seeing that bronze plaque in the deck where the surrender took place is worth it. I hope they have tours and some history museum stuff on it now. When I was aboard the deck was about the only place to go except for a small history exhibit. They were supposed to expand the museum and open up a lot more of the ship when it reached Pearl. How they got it there would be a story to see or hear also.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be on any navy ship under fire.
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liftit
Scoot Enthusiast
Posts: 264
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Post by liftit on Mar 29, 2016 14:06:59 GMT -5
I haven't been to Pearl Harbor in several years, but I believe there is a tour on the deck and inside the Missouri. There's also the Bowfin submarine and the Pacific Aviation Museum too, I think.
The income disparity is ridiculous. A lot of the locals live with extended family all crammed in a single home.Or they inherit homes from parents that bought them before the property prices skyrocketed.
My brother lives in Missouri and its ridiculous that he can have a home and two kids while his wife doesn't work, and all he does is work as a dealership auto tech. But then I have to remind myself that he lives in Missouri (no offense) and I live in Hawaii.
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Post by ams417 on Mar 29, 2016 21:24:01 GMT -5
See if you can go aboard the Missouri. Seeing that bronze plaque in the deck where the surrender took place is worth it. I hope they have tours and some history museum stuff on it now. When I was aboard the deck was about the only place to go except for a small history exhibit. They were supposed to expand the museum and open up a lot more of the ship when it reached Pearl. How they got it there would be a story to see or hear also. I can't imagine what it would be like to be on any navy ship under fire. Did the whole Pearl Harbor tour today. I'll try to post more pics later. I'm eating a late lunch on Waikiki now and have one bar signal. An emotional day for sure. The Arizona memorial was beautiful. Seeing the Missouri and hearing her stories was incredible. I'm very lucky to have gotten this opportunity.  |
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