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Well... I did some math, scratched my head, double-checked it ... Then did a crude, rounded out experiment.
I took a piece of paper and folded it length-wise. (Come on... grab a piece of paper and follow along...)
I then folded it again, length-wise. Then, again length-wise, I folded in thirds. This gave me 12 folded 'columns'.
I then turned the page and repeated, to obtain 24 small folded areas.
The full page roughly represents the total area of the state of Oregon.
One small folded rectangle roughly represents Big Island.
2 1/4 rectangles (roughly) represents all of Hawaii.
2 3/4 rectangles (roughly) represents the greater Portland metropolitan area, including Vancouver, Wa.!!
I think I now better understand the concept of 'island fever', which had been confusing me. I'm still coming!
RC
(note... This is using 'total area', including 'water'. I have not yet done the experiment w just 'land area'.)
Last year, in Portland, Ore., there were 1648 recreational fatalities due to accidental drowning... They just fell off thier bikes......
People in Oregon don't tan.... they rust....
Portlanders this month reported a UFO... Unidentified Frying Object... (the sun)
Don't like the weather in Portland? Just wait a few minutes... it will change...
They go on and on..... Every place has it's perks and drawbacks.... Pick one you like.
Last year, in Portland, Ore., there were 1648 recreational fatalities due to accidental drowning... They just fell off thier bikes......
People in Oregon don't tan.... they rust....
Portlanders this month reported a UFO... Unidentified Frying Object... (the sun)
Don't like the weather in Portland? Just wait a few minutes... it will change...
They go on and on..... Every place has it's perks and drawbacks.... Pick one you like.
RC
You forgot at least one: Oregon--20,000 gallons of water with nowhere to go on a Saturday night :-). Aloha from my home state (Oregon) to the one I came within 2 months of being born on (Hawaii) .
p.s. Most of Oregon (approximately 2/3rds of the state) is actually very dry. It's only places west of the Cascade Range that that can have a fair amount of rain. The coast itself actually gets more rain than any other part of the state, unsurprisingly.
And the irony of this thread is that Hawaii has two of the wettest places on earth (Mt Wai'ale'ale on Kauai, which was recently surpassed by Puu Kukui on Maui), just that no one lives in those zones. Though I'm sure plenty of people live in parts of Hawaii that are wetter than the average wet side of Oregon. But I do understand the rain patterns and temps are different and that makes one more bearable than the other.
As for island fever, I don't think you can do a direct comparison by surface area. You should compare the number of whatever-it-is-that-you're-interested-in. So, count how many road trips you went on and what you did there, and see if there are enough comparables in Hawaii. Say you went 5 times a pretty town, and then enjoyed your time in biker bars or outlet malls or something. Well, you'd have trouble finding enough good ones of those in Hawaii. But if you went to the coast 5 times and visited 10 beaches, I think you'd last 20 years in Hawaii.
Another thing: lots of Oregon and the mainland is self-similar. Miles and miles of forested mountains, pastures, deserts, etc., which makes for a long road-trips punctuated by a few sights and destinations. Hawaii is smaller, but more compact and more diverse. You can drive for an hour and see 4 different landscapes and be at your destination. Of course if you just want to sit behind the wheel and drive long monotonous distances, you'll have to take up boating in Hawaii.
Personally, I really enjoy exploring more in depth in Hawaii, than in breadth on the mainland. For example, going to a beach, swimming for a while, snorkeling of over the reef, then walking to the end of the beach and over the rocks looking for another beach--there often is one. Neither is better than the other, I just find them equally satisfying, though in different ways. If you've never tried it, give it a try. If you have tried it, or just the thought of it turns you off, then maybe you would get island fever.
According to "Sperling's Best Places" website, our little central Oregon coast town gets "98 inches of rain per year.... The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 193." That's fine by me. I LOVE it here in any weather. I don't know how that precip total compares to the east half of the Big Island, but if it's at all close, I'm sure I'd be happy enough :-). In the winter, here, it's sunnier far more often than people might think, and the temps are far more mild than they are anywhere inland. The storms rolling in off the ocean are magnificent! In the summer, the average temps are around 70F., and after mid July, you can pretty much count on mostly sunny days through October, and sometimes into the first part of November. We live a block from the beach, and 2 blocks from access to miles of sand and surf. Plants grow profusely if you plant ones that can take the wind and sandy soil, and some flowers, at least, are in bloom all year. I am at peace, here, and desire nothing more than the sand and sea, with my husband for company. It's nice to occasionally see my grown children for a day or 2, but if I have to go to them, I'm ALWAYS ready to go home on the same day.
I, for one, know for certainty that I wouldn't suffer from Island Fever. I never have any desire to travel more than a few miles from our sweet little beach cottage, here, and I think it would be the same, there--only with better weather, more gardening options, plenty of beauty to photograph (like here), and warmer water. I could--and would--live happily on the Big Island for the rest of my life, if only my husband could telecommute full time. As it is, they only allow it 2x/week, so except for vacations, we won't be doing any island living any time soon (he's from Scotland, where the totality of the UK is only the size of Oregon--but the population is 10x greater), unfortunately :-).
I am an Oregon Native as well, via the valley where it rains the most. What I found between the two places is that the rain is simply more tolerable in Hawaii. This is specifically due to the fact that when the sun breaks in Pahoa (where my house is), it is instantly warm and wonderful. So having many hours straight of rain isn't so bothersome. Furthermore, in the event I need sun, I drive... and voila, I find sun. It is rare that every spot on the island is rainy. It happens, but not that common. However, being Oregon born, I can handle days and days of rain, and its of course more tolerable in Hawaii. The rain in Hawaii doesn't stop me from enjoying activities. Whether it is hiking (which rain is welcomed and refreshing), or playing on the beach with my kids. It is very different than Oregon, that is for sure.
I have found, based on comparing PDX/Salem area vs Pahoa.. the only real difference for me is accessibility to services and the length of drive involved. Pahoa like the Willamette Valley... you drive. You want a beach.. drive an hour to an hour and a half, same thing for a mountain or a good lake to swim in. Big Island has so much to offer, different climates so on... that I have yet to find myself board with it. Surely the day may come. But again, for me.. my love is the culture and people. The general way of life. I don't need much to be happy, or entertainment. I am happy just being, enjoying nature, listening to those blasted frog (which I actually love hearing.. yes I might be crazy).. appreciating the beauty that surrounds me.
I am an Oregon Native as well, via the valley where it rains the most. What I found between the two places is that the rain is simply more tolerable in Hawaii. This is specifically due to the fact that when the sun breaks in Pahoa (where my house is), it is instantly warm and wonderful. So having many hours straight of rain isn't so bothersome. Furthermore, in the event I need sun, I drive... and voila, I find sun. It is rare that every spot on the island is rainy. It happens, but not that common. However, being Oregon born, I can handle days and days of rain, and its of course more tolerable in Hawaii. The rain in Hawaii doesn't stop me from enjoying activities. Whether it is hiking (which rain is welcomed and refreshing), or playing on the beach with my kids. It is very different than Oregon, that is for sure.
I have found, based on comparing PDX/Salem area vs Pahoa.. the only real difference for me is accessibility to services and the length of drive involved. Pahoa like the Willamette Valley... you drive. You want a beach.. drive an hour to an hour and a half, same thing for a mountain or a good lake to swim in. Big Island has so much to offer, different climates so on... that I have yet to find myself board with it. Surely the day may come. But again, for me.. my love is the culture and people. The general way of life. I don't need much to be happy, or entertainment. I am happy just being, enjoying nature, listening to those blasted frog (which I actually love hearing.. yes I might be crazy).. appreciating the beauty that surrounds me.
You sound like a person after my own heart :-). I'm all about beauty, nature, interesting cultures and architecture, and a laid-back lifestyle. Besides my family (clothed, furred or feathered), about the only thing I need to be truly happy, besides the basics (food, shelter, and indoor plumbing ), is my camera.
Is Pahoa really an hour and a half drive from the beach? I have friends who live in Orchidlands, and I was told by the wife that it's only a few minutes from the beach. Or are you meaning the drive from the Willamette Valley to the beach (if we go to PDX, it's actually a 2 hour drive from our house, which is about 90 miles from the "big city")? I may have been misreading what you were trying to say. In fact, looking at a map of the BI, I would HOPE that it doesn't take nearly so long to get to the beach from Pahoa!
BTW, are you worried by the lava? I hear that Pahoa is pretty much in the path of the current lava flow....
You sound like a person after my own heart :-). I'm all about beauty, nature, interesting cultures and architecture, and a laid-back lifestyle. Besides my family (clothed, furred or feathered), about the only thing I need to be truly happy, besides the basics (food, shelter, and indoor plumbing ), is my camera.
Is Pahoa really an hour and a half drive from the beach? I have friends who live in Orchidlands, and I was told by the wife that it's only a few minutes from the beach. Or are you meaning the drive from the Willamette Valley to the beach (if we go to PDX, it's actually a 2 hour drive from our house, which is about 90 miles from the "big city")? I may have been misreading what you were trying to say. In fact, looking at a map of the BI, I would HOPE that it doesn't take nearly so long to get to the beach from Pahoa!
BTW, are you worried by the lava? I hear that Pahoa is pretty much in the path of the current lava flow....
Sorry, yes I meant from the Valley. Not Pahoa. It's about 20 min from my place to Kapoho for swimming. If we want to go to the beach we go over to Puako usually. Which is about a 90 min drive without traffic. I'm not sure for Puna what beaches they're talking about. Shipmans is sorta in HPP. But that's about a 45 min hike once you get to the parking. Hilo has the small Reeds Bay Beach and Bayfront. But there are not many beaches to speak of on the east side. Kehena and the black sand beach by Uncle Roberts. That's probably still 20+ min away. Then the walk/hike. Punalu'u is roughly an hour. But if they're talking about a place that is called a beach but lacks sand.. Sure there are places. Still 20+ min from Orchidland. But I could be missing out on some hidden gem.
Culture be nature is everything for me! The valley lacks culture and with so much city... Not that great of nature either. You can't just walk outside and feel like you're in paradise. I had lived in the country.. Still not the same!
Oh, I believe you! I love Oregon, but according to my (now deceased) parents who lived on Oahu for a couple of years while my father was in the service, Hawaii (not sure if they ever visited any other island besides Oahu) is absolutely paradise if you like the lifestyle and can afford to move and live there! I can't wait to find out, personally. I KNOW I'll love it, because the lifestyle suits me. It remains to be seen what my husband will think of it, since he was born in Glasgow and raised in Edinburgh--both fairly large Scottish cities. I've heard him make fun of La Grande (northeastern Oregon), saying "it's closed on weekends", while loving it here in Lincoln City, which is 5,000 people smaller than LG. Both places have slow lifestyles, with radically different but still lovely places to go/explore/enjoy/photograph. We shall see :-).
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), is my camera.
Sorry, yes I meant from the Valley. Not Pahoa. It's about 20 min from my place to Kapoho for swimming. If we want to go to the beach we go over to Puako usually. Which is about a 90 min drive without traffic. I'm not sure for Puna what beaches they're talking about. Shipmans is sorta in HPP. But that's about a 45 min hike once you get to the parking. Hilo has the small Reeds Bay Beach and Bayfront. But there are not many beaches to speak of on the east side. Kehena and the black sand beach by Uncle Roberts. That's probably still 20+ min away. Then the walk/hike. Punalu'u is roughly an hour. But if they're talking about a place that is called a beach but lacks sand.. Sure there are places. Still 20+ min from Orchidland. But I could be missing out on some hidden gem.
