Went to Hawaii, got a tattoo.

G-Mac said:
I just got back from the biggest trip of my life. My wife and I spent 10 days on the Big Island of Hawaii. What a great time! We did so many fun things. Our host took us out on a small 17' Zodiac inflatable boat to whale watch. We got really close to them about a mile off shore. We snorkeled with huge manta rays another day. We saw Kilauea Volcano erupting! Went to a Luau at the Kona Hilton. Rented a Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited for one day to tour the island. Went zip lining. Went to the beach a few times. Farmer's markets, shopping, etc. To top it off, I got my first tattoo at 65 years old the day before we left. I've been thinking about one for 45 years. You only live once!
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Yeah, but did you get to see the little grass shack?:D

Hawaii holds a special place in my heart. My Dad requested KMCAS as his final duty before retiring and I still have memories of living in Kailua when I was around 4 years old.

Then, when I was in the Navy, I was stationed at Pearl on a Frigate for most of my enlistment. I DEROSED at Pearl and lived out there for about a year and a half as a civilian after that. I've been to Hawai'i several times, once spending a couple of months building a refrigerated warehouse in Kona for the company I was working for so that liquor distributors could finally bring Coors beer out to the islands. I was only 23 at the time and had an adventurous spirit, so I did everything I possibly could in my down time. I really loved my time out there, but I really bet it has changed. I wouldn't even consider flying into Oah'u anymore, I think I've seen everything there a couple of times. I would like to see the M'MO, and I hear tell they built a bridge to Ford Island, but the congestion on Oah'u must be epic at this point.
 
tlawler said:
Yeah, but did you get to see the little grass shack?:D

Hawaii holds a special place in my heart. My Dad requested KMCAS as his final duty before retiring and I still have memories of living in Kailua when I was around 4 years old.

Then, when I was in the Navy, I was stationed at Pearl on a Frigate for most of my enlistment. I DEROSED at Pearl and lived out there for about a year and a half as a civilian after that. I've been to Hawai'i several times, once spending a couple of months building a refrigerated warehouse in Kona for the company I was working for so that liquor distributors could finally bring Coors beer out to the islands. I was only 23 at the time and had an adventurous spirit, so I did everything I possibly could in my down time. I really loved my time out there, but I really bet it has changed. I wouldn't even consider flying into Oah'u anymore, I think I've seen everything there a couple of times. I would like to see the M'MO, and I hear tell they built a bridge to Ford Island, but the congestion on Oah'u must be epic at this point.
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My Dad was a S1 on a DE in WWII. He served in the South Pacific. His Captain was a Businessman that enlisted in the reserves. Thus he had some clout.

They were hit by a kamikaze and they were ordered to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. His Captain said that his crew was not to stay in Barracks, so he booked rooms in the Royal Hawaiian.

My Dad was a Gunners Mate and a "sailmaker". (He sewed covers over his fallen comrades and put a brass case inside to weight them down). He never talked about his war experiences, but he had fond experiences in that old pink hotel.
 
Onomea said:
John, you are the first guy I've come across who made it to Hawaii by motorcycle!
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Well yes, indirectly. :D

Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki were very good to me.

But I don't want to slight Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Bombardier/Sea-Doo.

Those guys sent me to a lot of places also, just all in the contiguous U.S.

John
 
Been to Oauh and to Maui a couple of times, its one of the most awesome places in the world. If I was going again I'd like to go to Kauai but the road to Hana and the helicopter ride over the adjacent islands in Maui was like an out of body experience.
 
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Onomea said:
John, you are the first guy I've come across who made it to Hawaii by motorcycle!
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Thread drift for a joke...

Guy buys an old brass lamp at the thrift store, and while polishing it a genie appears.

"Master of the Lamp, I am yours to command for three wishes."

Guy thinks for a minute and says, "Put a billion dollars in an offshore account for me."

"It is done, Master. Here is your account number."

"Great, now give me fit body and restore my hair." Immediately, the guy nearly loses his pants and his shirt feels tight across the shoulders with muscle.

"Perfect! Now, I hate flying and I get seasick, so I'd like you to create a highway from the California coast to Hawaii."

The genie looks dubious and says, "Master, I'm sorry to say, but that's a big ask. I think that may be beyond me."

Guy sighs and says, "Yeah, I guess. OK, instead, give me the power to understand women."

The genie looks at him and says, "Do you want four lanes or six?"
 
Farmer17 said:
Been to Oauh and to Maui a couple of times, its one of them most awesome places in the world. If I was going again I'd like to go to Kauai but the road to Hana and the helicopter ride over the adjacent islands in Maui was like an out of body experience.
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Did you get to drive around the south side of Maui? I always wondered if they improved the road enough for cars. I drove all the way around a couple times back in the 80's, then again when I took the Mrs. over there in 2000. The road was a little better, but the rental car companies told you you were on your own if you go around that way. It doesn't have the hairpin turns that the Hana road has, but there are still treacherous places. There is one long stretch with a switchback turn just after a small rise so you don't know it's there if you happen to ignore the signs. If I remember, the edge of the cliff is about 10 feet from the roadway and no guard rail. If you look over the edge, there are still several rusted and derelict cars that have met their end down there.
 
tlawler said:
Did you get to drive around the south side of Maui? I always wondered if they improved the road enough for cars. I drove all the way around a couple times back in the 80's, then again when I took the Mrs. over there in 2000. The road was a little better, but the rental car companies told you you were on your own if you go around that way. It doesn't have the hairpin turns that the Hana road has, but there are still treacherous places. There is one long stretch with a switchback turn just after a small rise so you don't know it's there if you happen to ignore the signs. If I remember, the edge of the cliff is about 10 feet from the roadway and no guard rail. If you look over the edge, there are still several rusted and derelict cars that have met their end down there.
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I was there in 2015, and the road was as bad as ever, if not worse. The local authority clearly have no intention of making a good road all around the island. I think they want to prevent it becoming a racing circuit.

More egregious is the way the Maui council allowed a road from the summit to be closed so a golf course could be built just inland from Wailea. Now if you are staying in Wailea or Kihei, you have to go all the way back to Kahului with the airport traffic to go up the mountain.
 
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LVSteve said:
...More egregious is the way the Maui council allowed a road from the summit to be closed so a golf course could be built just inland from Wailea. Now if you are staying in Wailea or Kihei, you have to go all the way back to Kahului with the airport traffic to go up the mountain.
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Local politics in Hawaii... A lot of under the table bucks, personal and family connections, etc. Just the way it is over there. (Not for the faint of heart — good luck breakin' in if you are an outsider. Other than marriage, maybe, I kinda doubt it is possible...)
 
JohnHL said:
Well yes, indirectly. :D

Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki were very good to me.

But I don't want to slight Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Bombardier/Sea-Doo.

Those guys sent me to a lot of places also, just all in the contiguous U.S.

John
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Now I know why motorcycles are so expensive.
 
If you think all the Hawaii stuff was fun, just wait until you visit Disneyworld! :rolleyes:
 
The tat brought a smile to my face. Did your wife know you were getting it? Or did you just show up and say "Surprise" :D
I did the same thing for my 60th birthday only it was in Key West and it was a pierced ear done under the influence after being "coerced" by a buxom young lady behind the counter at Neptune Jewelers on Duval St. Wife rolled her eyes. ;)
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
The tat brought a smile to my face. Did your wife know you were getting it? Or did you just show up and say "Surprise" :D
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Caje, she knew that I was getting it and was fine with it. I'd been talking about a tattoo for years. We were staying at an off-grid retreat center at about 3,000 feet above sea level with some other couples that we knew. When I scheduled the tattoo, my wife and two of the other ladies decided to go into the small town of Honaka'a with me, in the rental car, to do some shopping. The three of them stopped in, briefly, to see the progress while it was being done. She even bought some turtle earrings and a turtle coffee cup. All is good! :)
 
Good for you, glad you had a great time. I've got a son and grandkids on the big island, he is down on the Kona side near Captain Cook Inlet. I've never met him in person, he is fifty-five years old and contacted me through 23 & Me that my wife and I had joined quite a few years ago on a lark to see about our DNA and where it came from.
I've vowed to never fly again over ten years ago after having to share a seat with bodybuilding firefighter, he was decent but thats it....I paid for my seat not to have to share it with someone else. I may have to pay for a first class ticket and fly over to meet him we have been emailing and Facebooking as well as Face-Time on the cell phone.
 
glenwolde said:
I graduated from High School on the North Shore of Oahu...I left in 1978 and haven't been back since. At this point I'm afraid I might be disappointed.
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That is not unusual. A lot of people born and raised there get "Island Fever".

We go every two or three years. I love it and the biggest problem is tourists.
 
Onomea said:
Local politics in Hawaii... A lot of under the table bucks, personal and family connections, etc. Just the way it is over there. (Not for the faint of heart — good luck breakin' in if you are an outsider. Other than marriage, maybe, I kinda doubt it is possible...)
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Same thing in CONUS.

You cannot move to another state and become a boss or open a business. Is anyplace really "outsider" friendly?
 
G-Mac said:
I just got back from the biggest trip of my life. My wife and I spent 10 days on the Big Island of Hawaii.
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G-Mac said:
To top it off, I got my first tattoo at 65 years old the day before we left. I've been thinking about one for 45 years. You only live once!
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I like the Big Island but I love Waikiki as a Senior Citizen. Honorable Mentions to Kauai and Maui.

That is a fine tattoo. May I ask how much? I have several related to either military service or my wife (she likes attention). Now I'm thinking of getting my granddaughters recognize.
 
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