I want to start out by saying that it was thrilling to go to Hawaii because it was my 50th state. I had spent time in all of the other 49 so this trip was special for me and my daughter Sara as it was her 50th also.
I also want to state that there are some beautiful sights to see in Hawaii that you won’t see in any of the other states. The people were very warm and friendly. Sadly, the cost of living in this beautiful state is off the charts. In fact a new report from the federal government showed that Hawaii has the lowest bang for a buck in the Nation. A dollar is only worth 84 cents. New York it is 86 cents, California, 87 cents and the District of Columbia 86 cents. Please note these are some of the most liberal states in the United States and they have the highest homelessness, residents leaving the state as well as all kinds of benefits for illegal immigrants. In my state, Georgia, a dollar is worth $1.09. That is a big difference when you start to figure the difference on a hundred thousand dollars.
However, the Department of Tourism and television shows do not show the real Hawaii. You see the real Hawaii is much more depressing than I ever imagined. Instead of paying over $200.00 a person to be carted around some of the cities we rented a car and went on our own. GPS is awesome!! This meant we were able to go off the established routes that were given to us and see the real Hawaii. There were miles of roads with the most abject housing you can imagine. Some of it looked third world level. In fact, areas that had been hit by the lava from the eruption last year were obliterated. When I asked a gentleman if all this raised the price of homeowners insurance, such as what happened in Florida after the hurricanes, he said no. I was surprised and he explained to me that most of the houses were built without permits and as such didn’t qualify for insurance. I was dumbfounded. He said that a lot of people live in unpermitted houses. It raised the fire concern but since they don’t qualify for insurance it doesn’t affect everyone else. I guess the neighbors and first responders don’t count. We were stunned at this fact. I never saw these sections of Hawaii while watching Hawaii 5 O. Guess they don’t want to share those areas with their TV audience.
The number of homeless people shocked us. I know this is a serious problem in numerous cities throughout the country but for some reason didn’t expect to see the number I did in Hawaii. I was told that some are homeless because of cut backs in benefits and options for the mentally ill but that in a lot of cases it is because of drugs and the high cost of housing which has forced many to the streets. As a Conservative I feel compelled to point out that Hawaii, like Los Angeles and most other cities with these same issues is run by Liberals.
I am curious if the state has a Board of Health. Restaurants only show passed or failed on their certificates. I can’t help but wonder if they passed by a hair or was their place squeaky clean? Bathrooms everywhere were filthy and I mean everywhere. Even nicer restaurants had you thinking of the worse truck stop you had ever been to in your life.
Speaking of restaurants we were stunned at the cost of eating out. Eating a lunch at an establishment on par with, say, Applebee’s or Chili’s was off the charts. Lunch for three easily came in at $80 to $100 by the time you added drinks and taxes. A burger meal at a fast food establishment that would cost you roughly $7.00 on the main land can cost you $10.00 or more in Hawaii. Speaking of the high cost of living; I understand that everything has to be carted in but the added taxes are ridiculous and make everything extremely high priced.
If you and a mate or significant other are thinking about moving to Hawaii, think again. If you make seventy five thousand dollars on the mainland that same amount of money will have you living in what people on the mainland refer to as slum conditions. Most people work two or even three jobs just to make ends meet and they will never own their own home.
Now, please understand that I would love to see an industrial use for old plastic bags. Since no one has come up with one I am all for eliminating them, however, in Hawaii this is a major concern and I mean major. Not, the homeless, the high cost of living, people living in fire traps etc. but the plastic bags is their top priority. Due to this concern you can not get plastic or paper bags. They will, however, sell you canvas bags for anywhere from $3.99 to $7.99 unless you bring one with you.
Was the cruise to Hawaii worth it? Yes, the sights are beautiful. However, keep an open mind regarding what they will tell you is paradise. Avoid most of the side trips from the cruise. Rent a car for excursions that are basically a bus trip that will cost you dearly per person. In places where there are several sights being shown use the Hop On Hop Off option. These are buses that cost $20 a day per person and go to the same places the $200 or more person cruise bus is going to stop at. You won’t mind as much the high cost of many of the water activities if you haven’t paid through your teeth just to get to the location. Try to eat as often as possible on the ship. When you are gone for the day you will see people handing out coupons for specials or buy one get one meals at very nice places. When signing up for the cruise ask the cruise line if they are offering any specials that include free air fare from California to Hawaii and back as well as free nights in hotels in Hawaii.
If you or a loved one is confined to a wheel chair you will find the islands are not very wheel chair accessible. This is mainly because the islands are made of volcanic material and roads and sidewalks are very rocky.
If I won a contest and it was a week cruise and I had to choose between Alaska and Hawaii my choice would be Alaska hands down. That said I would like to go back to Oahu for a couple of days as I didn’t get to go to Pearl Harbor or some of the other sites on that Island. Then back to the main land as I sure can’t afford “paradise” as the local’s keep calling their state.