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One last question (I promise Maui is hands down more beautiful and has better beaches, correct?
Correct? No.
I can live on any island I want. I chose Hawaii Island. I have lived on Maui, and I still chose Hawaii Island. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN EVERYONE feels the same way. I am sure that some others feel that Maui is the best choice for them. We cannot choose for you. You'll have to experience them for yourself, to find which is better for you and your family. I'll not even give a comparison of why I like the Big Island better for myself and my family, because it is personal preferences, and you'll have your own personal preferences. For example, my idea of a perfect beach is here. Your idea of a perfect beach might be ... on Maui, or not.
The sort of online advice that is "safe" to believe on an anonymous online forum is advice on how to do research for yourself - Leads to websites, and referrals, etc. Things to think about and watch out for, in general, such as "never buy or rent long term sight unseen". But we'll not be able to tell you which place is better for your family, nor explain the nuances of where your children will be happiest.
Good luck with your research. Don't forget (for the umteeth time) to really consider schooling as a priority in your decision making.
Last edited by CyberCity; 10-25-2012 at 01:00 AM..
Location: not sure, but there's a hell of a lot of water around here!
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"my idea of a perfect beach is here", on the Big Island????????? You mean the one with all the rocks, the one you can't get to, or the other one? ONLY JOKING!! The Big Island sucks!!!!!! I mean blows!!! You know what I mean.............
Aloha and okoledakine,,,, 3 homers, are you kidding???
Thanks again. One last question........Maui has better beaches, correct?
Gosh - I would think if there is one question one could agree upon on this forum would be beaches - Maui vs Big Island - Maui is the place to be for beaches - plentiful and close drives.
I just meant that we like to spend every possible free Sat & Sun at the beach. So if Maui has more safe swimmable kid-friendly beaches to choose from (we prefer sand beaches to rocky beaches) and we don't have to keep going to the same one or two over and over, or drive a long ways to get there, that would be preferable.
I also want to be on the island (with the exception of crowded Oahu) that has the most activities for kids. I'm assuming Maui has more things to do with kids, despite that the Big Island or Kauai might have more things to do out in nature and taking in views and exploring canyons, waterfalls, hiking, volcanoes, etc.
I guess what I'm looking for is a place that will have free outdoor festivals/community events for kids, soccer leagues for kids, somewhere they can take a piano lesson or an art lesson, get involved with a youth group at a church or a church camp, a town with a good library (that has programs for kids), community/neighborhood playgrounds, a movie theater, maybe a place that once in awhile has a little art fair or street carnival, an affordable pizza joint, things to keep us entertained every weekend.
Not as concerned with schooling because I can always homeschool. I attended a horrible high school and have done well for myself in life because my parents worked with me in the evenings at home, etc. Parental involvement is the key in my opinion.
My son that is in a high performing (top 5% in the nation) school struggles because they push him so hard (4 hours a night of homework in upper elementary) and all they care about is getting high standardized test scores so they can have more per pupil funding...he doesn't really have the luxury of just enjoying being a kid and coming home after school and playing with Legos or his brothers and enjoying a little break, because he works his tail off to keep up, in spite of having ADD. So honestly, I wouldn't mind lowering my standards a little if it meant it saved his self-esteem and could enjoy his childhood. Coming home after being in school all day, then doing homework all night until 10 pm, eating, grabbing a shower and then going to bed to be back up at 6 am to do it all over again...? That sucks - it's like he's living like an adult instead of a kid. Don't get me wrong, education is very important to me, I'm not dismissing your comments.
I have just realized that our life here in Michigan (it's dark when we get up for work/school and dark when we get home, blizzards from November until sometimes May - we had to look for Easter eggs in the snow last year) is very depressing and no way to live. It's just an endless cycle of work-eat-sleep and nothing else because of the lack of sunshine. I'm sick of risking my life and my childrens' lives on backroads that aren't plowed in the winter and it taking 2 hours to drive 10 miles because of a white-out snowstorm. The weeks of beach weather we have here means we are there: every. single. day. Our kids can play there all day long and jump in the waves and that is when we are the happiest as a family. Those are the moments I treasure in life, the memories we are making. So yes, the beaches ARE
Thank you, thank you, thank you for EVERYONE'S advice, even those who obviously think I have my head in the clouds I promise I am not discounting your advice, I am taking detailed notes and paying attention. Thank you.
Gosh - I would think if there is one question one could agree upon on this forum would be beaches - Maui vs Big Island - Maui is the place to be for beaches - plentiful and close drives.
Depends on what you are looking for, and who you are trying to bring along (young children who want to splash not bodysurf?), and if the beach(es) you "like" are nearby or if housing prices will put you on the other side of the island. Parking? Crowds? Lifeguard? Showers/bathrooms? Blowing sand in the afternoon ok or not? A surfer's dream might be a mother's nightmare. WHICH IS WHY I SAID IT IS PERSONAL PREFERENCE, that what is the choice of one might not be the choice of someone else.
I prefer mild, safe waves, sand beaches, great views, turquoise waters, palm trees. Don't care if there is a bathroom or a lifeguard. Hate crowds. Easy access without much of a hike. How many beaches (total) would you guess fit that description on Maui? What about Kauai or the BI?
I think I will visit those 3 islands on my scouting trip. Kona area on the BI...any suggestions for a specific area on Maui or Kauai that fits the description of the type of town I'm looking for? We shop at Walmart/Target/Kmart quite a bit, so I'd like to be within 30 mins of those....
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Maui is hands down more beautiful and has better beaches, correct?
