Call Me Crazy But.......

A couple years ago, I had a retired Navy pilot tell me the same thing about Walton vs Hawaii. His message was that if you had a piece of SoWal, that you would regret the day you sold it, because it was the nicest venue he had found for beach property stateside.

I have traveled and lived all over the world, especially in the Pacific, and believe me there are no other places as nice as South Walton...at least as nice as it used to be before we allowed so much development.

I would never want to live in Hawaii, but if I did, it would be on unspoiled Kauai, or maybe the Big Island.

I spent a long weekend in San Diego this summer, and I far preferred northwest Florida's beaches.

I have never traveled to Hawaii, but it is on my list of places to one day travel. I would not want to stay in the commercialized places, nor resort areas -- I am a rustic, rough it, hike-in, kind of guy. If I were to go to Hawaii today, where would you recommend I go for a little peace and serenity?

There are many places in the Caribbean I prefer to SoWal but for a total of a 5-6 hour trek (drive from ATL) this area can't be beat. Hell it takes 5 hours total just getting in and out of the airport if you fly these days. I agree the beaches here are superior to Hawaii but for the overall beauty of nature in many forms Maui is hard to beat ( Volcano, rainforest, black and white beaches, waterfalls and freshwater pools ). Add trip time to the equation and I'll take SoWal 9 times out of 10.

It appears the area we all love is changing drastically from what brought the majority of us here and what the locals love. Maybe only I see it this way, if so let me know. Natural beauty and unspoiled beaches don't mesh with rampant development, massive airports and illegal seawalls built by county commissioners.:(

Maybe the slow down of the real estate market will have some positive results in the area by stopping some of the aforementioned.

There are many places in the Caribbean I prefer to SoWal but for a total of a 5-6 hour trek (drive from ATL) this area can't be beat. Hell it takes 5 hours total just getting in and out of the airport if you fly these days. I agree the beaches here are superior to Hawaii but for the overall beauty of nature in many forms Maui is hard to beat ( Volcano, rainforest, black and white beaches, waterfalls and freshwater pools ). Add trip time to the equation and I'll take SoWal 9 times out of 10.

It appears the area we all love is changing drastically from what brought the majority of us here and what the locals love. Maybe only I see it this way, if so let me know. Natural beauty and unspoiled beaches don't mesh with rampant development, massive airports and illegal seawalls built by county commissioners.:(

Maybe the slow down of the real estate market will have some positive results in the area by stopping some of the aforementioned.

:clap_1::clap_1::clap_1:

I am in Kaanapali, Hawaii now, and I have to say that I think the " whole package " of South Walton is nicer. The beaches of Maui ( Makena, Wailea, Lahaina, Ka'anapali ) are fabulous and the water quality is the best...but there are no big dunes, even though the mountain views are glorious, and I haven't seen the white sand beaches that we have. It is beautiful here but too commercial....Waikiki being over the top commercial.

I don't think you're crazy at all. Almost 20 years ago a friend of mine went to Hawaii and she said the same thing--that it was gorgeous but all in all, SoWal was so much better. It's stuck in my mind all these years because this was a girl who always said it straight.

I spent some time in Hawaii in the 70s and again in the 90s; the difference between the two was like night and day (the same can be said for the Panhandle). It's difficult to put a positive spin on how places are "now" compared to how they "used to be" especially if the improvements over the years include shoehorning in more concrete towers, parking lots, and shopping malls.

In the 70s Waikiki was quirky and fun, driving around the island was a snap with stops now and again to take a quick swim on the beaches or the waterfalls and stopping to enjoy scenic overlooks; I used to keep snorkeling gear and a "beach setup" in the trunk of my car and pop out to Hanauma Bay from time-to-time (no parking problems, water crystal clear, with large populations of topical fish and sea turtles).
Maui's Kaanapali beach had only a few low-rise hotels and lots of beach and natural beauty, Lahaina was a great little town with lots of good food and drink overlooking the sea--no parking problems; Molokai was pretty much unknown and a place for quiet contemplation; Kauai was heaven on earth.

Went back in the 90s and was shocked 😱. Waikiki was stripped of it's charm and the main drag was lined with T-shirt salesmen, "upscale" shopping and street walkers (who used to relegated to Hotel St back in the 70s). Hanauma Bay was wall-to-wall people dumped there by tourist buses. They had to close the park once a week so the bay could flush itself of the oil slick (from suntan oil)--sea turtles were getting tumors from eating cigarette butts so they banned smoking on the beach (which was a good thing). It took hours and hours to get around the island--the North Shore was bumper to bumper traffic. Maui's Kaanapali beach was wall-to-wall high-rise condos and Lahaina was essentially a parking lot lined with chichi art studios and crowded restaurants serving overpriced food and drink. While on Maui, we started staying at a neat little mom-and-pop low-rise condo just up the road in Napili Bay. Kauai was recovering from being hit with a hurricane so the "garden isle" was looking pretty tattered, but it was clear that the high-rise hotels and condos were moving in to take advantage while they could. Molokai was still quiet (their beaches aren't the greatest) so it was a nice place to get away. Went to the Big Island for the first time and absolutely loved it! Stayed up in Volcano Nt'l park--the stars at night are like diamonds! Found a great hotel (Keauhou Beach Hotel) near an awesome snorkeling beach of black and white sand just down the road from Kona. Live Hawaiian music in an open lanai bar every night overlooking the ocean sunset--heaven on earth. Went back to the same place about a year later, snorkeling still great, but they moved the music from the bar to the dining room--bummer!

It's been over 10 years since we've been back to Hawaii. I shudder to think what this RE boom has done to that beautiful place. I'd still say seeing Oahu is OK--the view of Diamondhead from the beach, the surfers on the North Shore, Pearl Harbor and some great tourist watching are worth one's time. I would recommend the Big Island for a trip to Hawaii but I understand the RE boom hit that place too and they've carved out a bunch of land to throw up more condos, townhouses and such--so I don't know how much they've ruined the place in the last few years. If you're a golfer, take the clubs, there are some beautiful courses throughout the islands you'll be sure to enjoy.

Now that is informative sharing with a correspondingly neutral tone that is well worth the reading for sure!!! Gotta love it! Thanks! 😀

Smilin Jo and others. Maui is absolutely gorgeous. Different from SoWal--the beaches are not similar at all. However, sunrise on the crater and the road trip to Hana are experiences like nothing else on the planet...and the windsurfing just up the beach from Mama's Fish House restaurant...I have spent time on all the islands and now I will only return to Maui.

Found a great hotel (Keauhou Beach Hotel) near an awesome snorkeling beach of black and white sand just down the road from Kona.

This is where we stayed on the dry side of the island, and it is still nice there.
(Or it was 4 years ago.)
We really liked the volcano side, as well. We stayed at a B&B near Volcano National Park and loved it. Those tree ferns! We just liked the Big Island in general.
Kauai has been fighting development and has legislation in place to help it with its battle. I thought it was pretty unspoiled, esp compared to Maui.
We also love the British Virgin Islands (we like the BVI better than the American Virgin Islands.)
Growth and development have been happening for eons.
When we bought our first house in Denver, my mom wistfully mentioned that our new neighborhood had been open fields when she was a teen. As for Hawaii, when my mom visted there as a kid, I have a feeling that it was something *completely* different from what you knew, SHELLY.
I know, I saw the photos her mom took.
It's the same way all over the world. The southeastern Spain I knew as a twenty-something is nothing like the one I saw a couple years ago.
All a caring person can do is try to make what difference they can: make phone calls, vote, go to meetings, sit on architectural review committees.

It's the same way all over the world. The southeastern Spain I knew as a twenty-something is nothing like the one I saw a couple years ago.
All a caring person can do is try to make what difference they can: make phone calls, vote, go to meetings, sit on architectural review committees.

I encourage people to travel and see as much of this world as they can while they're still breathing. Last summer we took our first trip ever up to Maine. It was incredibly beautiful--but judging from some of the traffic we experienced and some comments made by the natives who knew I understood their feelings, I'm sure it had seen better days. I usually try to make it a point not to keep returning to the same place for vacations over and over (except for Vegas which just keeps getting so damn funn)--aside from the fact that there's so much in the world to see and so little time, I prefer to hold memories of the beautiful places I've visited "as they were."

It seems impossible to ever repeat a vacation. Things just change. I went to Mal Pais in Costa Rico a couple of years ago and had one of my best vacations ever. We tried to repeat the trip and it just was not the same. Shelly is right so much to see and so little time. BTW SoWAl is hard to beat! If we only had more surf I would never need to go anywhere....😀

Wow! Did I just agree with Shelly?

Wow! Did I just agree with Shelly?

😱 Put down the J&B and Tonic and back away from the keyboard....

Go Shelly -
I totally agree with you on this one. Seeing (experiencing) new places is a wonderful thing... you are actually upbeat and downright inspiring and motivating this morning!

The thing I like best about going to new places (aside from the differences in the beauty and wonder of the glory of the flora and fauna there) is the fact that you always end up meeting new people!!! The best thing about that is the realization that there are truly some excellent people wandering around on this little planet with whom we can share parts of ourselves for the brief time we are here. Now, I know there are some doozies out there as well - but for the most part, the people make the journey well worth the ride. That said, I must admit I am a homebody at heart though. The amazing thing is that there are just some places you constantly want to return to - like they have been imbedded into your heart and psyche - the SoWal area of Florida is such a place for me. Eveytime we come there I hate to leave and everytime we leave, I can't wait to come back again. Those of you who live there are a blessed lot indeed.

I encourage people to travel and see as much of this world as they can while they're still breathing.

Agree.

there's so much in the world to see and so little time, I prefer to hold memories of the beautiful places I've visited "as they were."

This is why I am mostly finished with stadium concerts. ;-)
Mick Jagger will just have to soldier on without me.

OTOH
It depends what you do and where you go on a repeat trip.
There is always another trip to London or Paris in me--always more I have not yet seen in places I've already been.
If/when we leave Gulf County, I hope to return at some point.
I grew up going to Maine, Vermont and Nantucket during the summer. I know it has changed. However, I like to think that those hellacious New England winters will stave off the kind of rampant over-development that has taken over Maui.

The best thing about that is the realization that there are truly some excellent people wandering around on this little planet with whom we can share parts of ourselves for the brief time we are here.

Well said, NMosely.
We are many; we need to try to make it into as positive experience as we possibly can--sometimes this is easier said than done.

SHELLY said...FUNN!!!! :clap_1:

As for Hawaii, we went to Waikiki last summer and enjoyed it because we were there for a week and it was fun to see. Clear blue water and lively and we enjoyed our family time together. But it was crowded with big hotels, lots of people, and the beach was unsafe at night (we had a balcony overlooking the beach and there were some strange looking people on the beach late at night and early in the morning before it got light -- I certainly wouldn't have felt safe on the beach at those times). Safety, in general, seemed to be a concern. We went to Kauai and the Big Island about 18 years ago and they were lovely. I'm sure they are more developed now, but I can't imagine every place on those islands is developed. So, Hawaii is fun to visit, but I'll take SoWal as my home away from home any day. Though I have friends who bought a condo in Waikiki and absolutely love it and go back every chance they get with their two young children and they would definitely live there if they could. They adore Hawaii, including Waikiki.

As for never going back to the same place twice, I like a mix of new travels, but I mostly enjoy returning to the places I love because I get used to the sights, sounds, smells, routines -- and equally, maybe more, important is that I get used to being part of the community and enjoy having friends in places I go to, being a familiar face to the local businesses, etc. I wouldn't trade my regular visits to SoWal or the old town in Italy for any new place where I'm just passing through. I like to long and pine for and whine to go back to places I love -- to get emotionally attached.

That said, as long as I have my regular places to love and go to, then I'm very happy to branch out to new places as well. I'd love to see Greece (thanks to Allifunn), Alaska, Australia, and take a trip throughout the American West. I'd also like to travel throughout the difference beaches around the world. But if I had to choose between travelling to those places and going back to SoWal and my little town in Italy, I'd definitely choose the latter places because for me "the people make the place" and it takes time to get to know the people and feel part of a community and to help the children build their own memories of special places and people. And, frankly, it will take me 30 years before I really see and savor all of SoWal and the little town in Italy.