<p>“Hmmm. Is Bermuda out of their budget range?”</p>
<p>Bermuda has the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. It’s quite pricey though - and June is considered high season. The water is extremely clear, too. </p>
<p>If you decide on FL, especially Key West, I will look back for my many posts on B& Bs. </p>
<p>When we went to Maui, we chose the Sheraton, which has great pools and the black rocks, which son and other young people would climb and jump. It was only $11 less a day than the Westin, but it didn’t have a floor of shops, and Sheraton had better beach and pools. </p>
<p>Banana hostel in Maui- D went there at about 21 and loved it. She and her college friends hitchhiked around getting rides from soccer mom’s. They did snorkeling from the equipment there for free. Been a few years since she went.</p>
<p>For HI, many condos have kitchens, so you can cook a bit or have leftovers in the microwave. This can really help stretch the budget. Ethnic foods and plate lunches and takeout are very reasonable in HI. </p>
<p>$6,000 will buy a luxurious HI trip from Bay Area, all things included - I guarantee this! </p>
<p>D and her friend went to HNL for one of their spring breaks. Airfare was subsidized via Alaska miles, and they were able to find a reasonably priced downtown hotel (not a beachfront, but kids could walk just fine a couple of blocks to the beach). Food-wise, they were ok, because they did not eat at chichi places, and there are plenty of cheap options downtown. Neither could rent a car (under 21), so they took buses and used a guided tour once. Snorkeled in the Hanauma Bay and thought it was a blast! Hiked the Diamondhead, went to a nightclub, etc. I think the total was well under $2000 for this trip. </p>
<p>Here’s an unusual suggestion: Ecuador. Great beaches, inexpensive (once you get there; lowest price for flight from LA could be around $700 rt) and you have the choice of mountains, old cities, the beach – or (for a real splurge) the Galapagos. </p>
<p>I’m loving all the great info on Hawaii. My D is planning her destination wedding for March of 2016 there. I can’t wait!</p>
<p>Our travel to and from Hawaii the last two Octobers from Tennessee was so awful we are really not interested in going back- and we are very experienced travelers. Different story from the west coast, although it is still a long flight. </p>
<p>I can totally see why, MOfWC! From SEA or SJC, my usual departure spots, all HI islands are just a 5 hr flight away. The time zone difference works great for us, west coast dwellers: we can get up early, but not too early to enjoy sunrise and the beach before the sun becomes too powerful and go to bed at a reasonable time without breaking our internal clocks. With a 5 hr time difference it can be an issue. </p>
<p>We’re bringing the wedding from Boston. Long flight to Hawaii…</p>
<p>The nonstop flights between HNL and other places are so much nicer than if there is a layover and delayed connection. </p>
<p>One caveat when planning a June trip. Hurricane potential. That’s a reason the rates are lower than in the winter-spring seasons for many places. </p>
<p>Hawaii would be a great place to visit, especially from the west coast. Florida is another place with numerous great beaches and is a lot cheaper. There is heat and humidity. Clearwater is a great place to be for the beach. So are the barrier islands a bit further south near Sarasota. One reason we chose Tampa for retirement. The 25 year old could rent a car and they could visit theme parks in Orlando, The Kennedy Space Center (with a shuttle on display) and Cocoa Beach for the Atlantic for day trips. Sanibel and Marco islands for shelling. Many places to veg out as well. Plus- flexibility if Hurricane ABC… decides 9 years was long enough between Florida hits- next summer will be the 10th with any further luck. Years ago we did several Florida vacations (as well as going beyond Orlando after H’s meetings there). So many passive/veg out and active things to do in the peninsula.</p>
<p>There is a direct flight now from Seattle to Tampa now- 5 or 6 hours depending on the direction. A similar flight time from Seattle gets you to Hawaii- no wonder west coasters go there instead of FL.</p>
<p>Bunsenburner- they have nowhere near $6000.
I think $1800 is what they have unless we pay her portion. Which we will. I think a reasonable budget should be $2300-2500.
They are realizing their budget doesn’t go far. They are also looking at cruises out of LA. I am not a cruise person.
A road trip might be what they can afford.</p>
<p>If Hawaii is of interest, I’d look at the package deals offered by airlines for hotel and lodging package deals. I just looked at the deals for June trip to the Big Island. Airfare from West Coast with seven-nights’ stay at the Fairmont Orchid is $3000 TOTAL for two on the United website. I just saw that is above your daughter’s budget but there are plenty of lower-priced places available. Even if you end up booking the airfare and hotel separately to take advantage of other deals, it is a good way to get a quick sense of what airfare and lodging for two will run at various properties. June is a great time a year for Hawaii (albeit potentially crowded). </p>
<p>I thought our lodging in Kona (big island) was very reasonable even during Ironman week. There were also reasonable places to eat. You need a car to get to the best beaches, though.</p>
<p>Oh, I was just using xiggi’s example - $6000 is way too much for a week in HI unless one likes to stay at really fancy places and dine out. Agree that package deals are a way to save sometimes. Check United, Hawaiian and Alaska for some options. Also, Costco travel sometimes has nice deals, especially on rental cars. If one of them is over 25, then renting is not an issue. </p>
<p>i gotta quit posting on my phone.</p>
<p>BB, I used that 3,000 pp as an example for destinations that should be well above the announced budget. I did not think that HI, BVI, and Europe would be feasible at 1,000 pp. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the great ideas. D has been to BVI. She would love to do a bareboat charter with her BF one day but for that she needs to convince her parents that we need to go to. As sailors we know that summer is the start of hurricane season and a risk plus super hot on a boat. Airfare and time eliminates a lot of places.
Another new idea is driving to Idaho, Wyoming or Colorado and doing a multi day river rafting trip. A drive trip is not a bad idea since her BF doesn’t yet know where he will end up working after graduation.
Can you tell my D is done with her finals and all her friends and BF still have exams all week.
Her plan for now is to firm up the budget and watch airfares. If they can get to $3000 I think they could manage Hawaii. The packages all include airfare, lodging and the car so they would just need to allow for food.
My D says it sure is a bummer when you get to the age of funding your own vacations.</p>
<p>I would think they can do 5 days, 4 nights on the $3000 in Hawaii for sure. There may be a $25 fee per night tacked onto the lodging price, btw.</p>
<p>If they mosey on north sometime they could do a H*llgate jet boat excursion in Grants Pass, but I’d think of that as a stop along the way, not a destination. Ashland is fun for Shakespeare or Oregon Cabaret Theatre. There are also shows in Talent at Camelot Theatre and Medford at The Craterian. Another idea would be venturing out to Crater Lake, which I have yet to do. Have they been to the San Juan Islands in WA? I’ve not even mentioned Portland or Seattle, lol. </p>
<p>There is fun to be had!</p>