Maui slideshow

If I could hop in my car and drive to Hawaii right now, I would. I just saw a slideshow of pictures from this stunning island and I want to be there! It looks like such a peaceful, mystical place, filled with a rich tribal history that is still so very much alive. Even the picture at the spa makes me want to go, and I’m not really such a spa person. So there are 11 slides and I just wanted to look up a bit about each of the places that are highlighted. You need to go to this slideshow and check out these pictures! I’ve cut and pasted the tag lines—the slideshow goes pretty fast and you may not get a chance to read them.

1. Far-flung Maui has long been revered as a pure and pristine getaway.
2. The pool at the Hotel Hana
3. Pineapple growing on the side of the scenic Hana Highway
4. Wind chimes at a fruit stand along the road to Hana
5. A view of the Pacific Ocean from Kihei
6. Local leis and headdresses in Lahaina
7. The Misty ‘Iao Valley
8. Carving a totem at the Old Lahaina Luau
9. Snorkeling in La Perouse Bay in South Maui
10. The Spa at the Grand Wailea
11. An Old Lahaina Luau member sounding the conch

I think what appeals to me most about Hawaii (and I haven’t given this much thought before coming across these pictures, so just hear me out) is the combo of the old and the new, of tradition and modernity. Obviously there’s a lot of cheesiness going on in Hawaii with the tourist industry and all, but at the same time, native life has been brewing in Hawaii untouched by corporate America and such for longer than in most other places in the country. There’s still so much in Hawaii that is wild and rustic—the volcanoes, for example. I mean there’s only so much taming and commercializing you can do to a still active volcano, right? Anyways, my point is that I want to go. I want to walk around in a bikini and sip milk from a coconut on the beach. Is that too much to ask?

Places to go when you just can’t pay for gas anymore!

I just read an article in USA Today that will definitely appeal to everybody: about great car-free places to visit. CAN YOU BELIEVE GAS PRICES?! It’s to the point of unbearable where I don’t even know if I’ll ever make it back to Massachusetts with any money left in my bank account! So the clincher, of course, is that you have to GET to these places; but at least once you’re there you can park your car and make good use of your feet for a couple of days. Here’s where they recommend going:

• Mackinac Island, Michigan
• Fire Island, New York
• Little St. Simons Island, Georgia
• Avalon, California (Santa Catalina Island)
• Aspen, Colorado
• St. Augustine, Florida
• Monhegan Island, Maine
• Nags Head, North Carolina (Outer Banks)
• Nantucket, Massachusetts
• South Padre Island, Texas

Enjoy!