{"id":5806,"date":"2012-01-08T06:00:38","date_gmt":"2012-01-08T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nerdseyeview.com\/blog\/?p=5806"},"modified":"2014-10-31T07:44:10","modified_gmt":"2014-10-31T14:44:10","slug":"guest-post-not-just-another-pretty-palm-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nerdseyeview.com\/blog\/2012\/01\/08\/guest-post-not-just-another-pretty-palm-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: Is Hawaii Worth It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nImagine yourself in Hawaii. Images of sun, surf and sand will arise and a sigh may escape your lips \u2013 even if you have never visited the islands. But these same images can connect with coastal areas of the U.S. mainland, as well as other countries and tropical islands. Is Hawaii any different? If not, it is hard to justify the time and expense it takes to get here, much less the cost of eating and driving around. I want to make a startling proposal: Hawaii may not be worth it.<\/p>\n

I fell in love at first sight with Hawaii and have lived here several years now. But I have also talked with and heard from many, many visitors during that time. I have also come to know locals, both Hawaiian and kama\u2018aina (long time local residents). It has taken me awhile to figure out why the very same visitors who seem unhappiest are the ones who irritate locals the most. My breakthrough came via Twitter.<\/p>\n

“If people want to know about Hawaii, they’re welcome. But if they just want a palm tree and tropical drink, they should go to Florida.” This came in an interview with locals who work in the Hawaii visitor (tourism) industry. A little harsh? Maybe. I’m not sure I came to Hawaii the first time for a history or culture lesson. I’m pretty sure I was interested in palm trees and I KNOW I took a picture of a Mai Tai with a little umbrella in it to send to my sister by phone. Later, I read a series of Tweets from a first-time Hawaii visitor. She was at first excited to be here; gloating to mainland co-workers. Then she was dismayed at the cost of groceries, lamenting $5 for a gallon of milk. Finally, she confided: “Hawaii is over-rated. Go to Florida or Mexico and you’ll get a better deal.”<\/p>\n

Hmmmmm. Did the two sides of the looking glass just meet? Maybe. But as with most mirrors, there’s more than meets the eye.<\/p>\n

While Hawaii has beautiful scenery, it is more than a movie set; it is a real place that people call home. Those of us who live here pay the same high prices for food and gasoline as visitors and the plane trip back to the mainland is just as long and expensive when we visit family. But we love it here, and want the people who visit to see why we realize we are lucky to live in Hawaii.<\/p>\n

It is as though I invite you to a party at my house. When you arrive, your first comment is \u201cWow, this place is really hard to find!.\u201d Then, \u201cThis is pretty small for what you pay, isn\u2019t it? How much is your rent?\u201d Later, \u201cHave you thought about remodeling? That carpet is pretty dated. I think there\u2019s a stain over there.\u201d Finally, \u201cI could have gone to two parties in town in the amount of time it took me to get here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those might be comments you would make to a realtor showing you an empty open house but not<\/em> to your host. I am aware my house is not perfect, but I have invited you to share it with me. Similarly, locals want visitors to be aware that they are in a particular place, not \u201cGeneric tropical beach #3.\u201d It only takes a slight change in attitude. For example, you might say, \u201cI\u2019m trying to save money on food, where do you shop? What do you eat for breakfast? How do you save money on lunch?\u201d Locals LOVE to share insider tips, even if they frequently disagree with one another.<\/p>\n

My guests who have enjoyed Hawaii the most have either wanted to visit specific Hawaii locations, such as Pearl Harbor, or just wanted to see what Hawaii is all about with no particular expectations. The unhappiest visitor has to be the woman who thought she would be welcomed by local natives still living in grass huts who would be happy to serve up an authentic family luau in her honor. Boy, was SHE surprised. And pretty disappointed. Other less happy visitors didn\u2019t really see any value to traveling this far just to get to a warm beach.<\/p>\n

Another example:\u00a0 Suppose you tell me, \u201cI\u2019d really like to see a Broadway play but New York is so far and so expensive, it\u2019s just not worth it. I can go to a play in any major city.\u201d You may want to see a play, but you don\u2019t want to see a Broadway play and you certainly don\u2019t value the experience of going to the play in New York. For your trip to be a good one, you need to realize that the play\u2019s the thing, not the setting. For another visitor, just walking down Broadway looking at all the theaters is an enriching experience even if tickets are prohibitive. That person\u2019s value is in experiencing New York rather than Chicago or Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

To return to our unhappy Twitter-ers: \u201cyou\u2019ll get a better deal\u201d on WHAT? If Mexico and Florida are alternatives, you really want a deal on a tropical vacation, but not on a trip to Hawaii. If you don\u2019t see the value of visiting these particular islands, the locals would prefer that you not bother. It is a waste of your time and money if you don\u2019t care which pool you sit beside with an umbrella drink.<\/p>\n

For potential visitors, Hawaii is not worth the trip if:<\/p>\n