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Generally the folks around here just don't drive very far if they can help it. "Too far" is anywhere from ten miles to fifty miles away. I suspect it has to do with avoiding noticing that we are on a rock 2,500 miles away from the nearest continent. If you are the type of person who likes to get in a car and drive, the islands are probably not a place you will be comfortable. You can circle Oahu easily (if the traffic allows it) within half a day. The Big Island takes longer but it is very desolate in quite a few areas. Maui and Kauai have sort of semi-circle paths, they don't have a complete circle to go on.
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
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I am a driver. I did WA to South Dakota to Alaska in the last year and half with winter in Hawaii. I love to see new areas. I also live in a small town base of Mt Rainier. /Going to town is harder than going to another state for me. The Big Island has soo much to offer and bigger range of climates I am completely ok by it. But I am a part timer.
I would find it fine even though I like to drive. Again the climate change in a couple of miles is incredibile. I can't stay on the islands year round because of lakes and rivers for fishing and horseback ride. I can not give up the amazing islands for a huge river with salmon running up it or a alpine lake for fishing. That is the only part missing for me. No Rock fever but water fever LOL too funny in the land of water.
...you can just fly to the Big Island and drive around - there is a lot of driving to be done there.
Yes and no.
If you are there for long, you eventually get to the point that you sometimes feel boxed in. After all, if you are going to try very far, there are only two routes (ignoring for the moment the spurs to Hawi or Waipio) -- you can either go around the island on the Belt Highway, or you can go across it on Saddle Road.
If you drive to/from the same places very often you begin longing for some alternative way to go.
When that happened, I had to get to the mainland, in the southwest, and get in the car and drive through the desert for 4 or 5 hours and not be back where I started
We visit HI once a year for two months and absolutely love it. We've been doing that for many years. But...after two months we do get island fever. We miss family, friends, change of seasons, traveling to various states (we actually travel quite a bit in our RV, including cross country, south for a month in the winter, etc.). We did consider a permanent move there, but found it wasn't for us. We love the climate, the people, the beauty and culture of HI, so once a year we get our fix.
we're moving to Honolulu from Miami and I've been thinking about this island fever thing ... I know for sure Honolulu is going to be great because I love big cities, but that's the ONLY big city in the island and I'm scared I'll feel trapped ... flying out is not exactly an option since we have to fork out more for housing expenses than in Miami, so much more, but our income remains almost the same. I don't think we will have enough money to just fly out every few months. Once a year, maybe.
we're moving to Honolulu from Miami and I've been thinking about this island fever thing ... I know for sure Honolulu is going to be great because I love big cities, but that's the ONLY big city in the island and I'm scared I'll feel trapped ... flying out is not exactly an option since we have to fork out more for housing expenses than in Miami, so much more, but our income remains almost the same. I don't think we will have enough money to just fly out every few months. Once a year, maybe.
For most island fever is more about missing friends and relatives on the mainland and less about driving around in circles.
Also on the outer islands it can be about missing your favorite stores, restaurants and foods.
Oh about missing friends and family will not be a big deal, I am sure *my* home in Hawaii will be their favorite vacation spot
I'm more scared of not being able to afford trips. Living expenses already much higher than FL, in Florida I can take weekend trips by car to Orlando, key West, Tallahassee etc, the gas costs the same if I travel alone or with the whole family, but flying is always more expensive and going through airport security is really time consuming especially when you have a kid, the booster seat, the stroller ...
Oh about missing friends and family will not be a big deal, I am sure *my* home in Hawaii will be their favorite vacation spot
Don't be so sure. People are all 'gung ho' when you first move ("Oh, I can't wait to come visit you!"), but it is difficult and expensive, so many will talk about it but never actually make it out here. We've been here 17 months (I know, not long), and of the 6 or 7 people who said they "couldn't wait" to visit, none have, and most have stopped talking about it. The only mainland friends I've seen in person are one friend I met in Las Vegas when I went to a conference there, and another friend who had a timeshare here on Kauai before we even moved here - she came and used her timeshare this year aroung Christmas time.
I have two friends who MIGHT actually make it in the next five years, but who knows?
I wouldn't count on people showing up in droves, unless you travel among a 'jet set' who already take expensive vacations on a regular basis (or maybe it's different if you're from the left coast, it is a bit less costly to come from there).
Well, since I've been living in Miami, I had to put a stop to pouring visitors from other states and Europe (mostly from Germany where I come from), I had to limit to only one weekend or one single week in a month because I really need my space and I am pretty tired entertaining.
My friends who travel are single, those Europeans got pretty good job, and lots of mileage with the airlines from business trips, and also 6 weeks vacation a year!
But yea maybe you're right, it's only $600 from Germany to Miami return, flying to Hawaii definitely more expensive, so we will see. But I never get homesick, I can always make new friends, and family to me is my husband and my son.
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Island fever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
