Aloha!
Russ, Jo, and
Cheryl are also looking forward to meeting all of you (or seeing you
again!)
To help you
with your plans and packing, here are some items that I hope will be
useful:
1) The
temperature in Hawaii
is very steady year around – you should expect between 75 and 85
degrees Fahrenheit (I think that translates to around 25-30 degrees
Celsius). While the leeward side of Oahu
is the dry side, it is technically “winter” in Hawaii and you
should expect some rain – usually in the form of an occasional
afternoon shower (so warm you could pretend your playing in the
sprinklers!)
2) The dress
for the conference is Hawaiian casual (in other words, relax and
enjoy, in what you are comfortable wearing). This will apply to the
Luau and Aloha Dinner as well (more about these soon).
3) Wi-Fi
Internet is available in the lobby areas of the hotel and dial-up is
available in your rooms. (Rooms are being refurbished and
there may be internet in them by the time of this conference). There
are no computers available to guests – laptops are required.
4) The Resort
has a wonderful, world class golf course for those of you who are
interested, and an Olympic size swimming pool. There is also a golf
shop, pool table, beauty salon, and snack bar.
5) Regarding
meals: The resort offers breakfasts that include unlimited fruit,
juice, and bread/rolls from their buffet – maybe $5-10 range as well
as a full breakfast menu. Lunch and dinners range around $7-$25
(maybe $30 for special items). In Waianae, there are the usual
restaurants and fast food places, as well as supermarkets – all
within a short drive, bus or shuttle ride. Attendees often make
cooperative “town runs,” and many attendees have a rented car for
the week. There is also a small refrigerator in each room so you can
keep food items on hand.
5) There are
brochures available in the lobby of the resort with information on
just about everything happening on the Island, and the concierge in
the lobby will be able to help you arrange any tours or activities
you would like, even day trips to other islands!
6) The
world-famous Makaha Surfing Beach is just a couple of miles from the
resort – walkable for the hearty, but an easy bus ride for those
without a car. (The City Bus loops around the resort and the last
accessible beaches on the leeward side, before returning to
Honolulu). Of course, it is an easy, short drive.
7) There is a
shop right across from the beach, at the corner of Farrington Hwy
(93) and Makaha Valley Rd. just 2 miles from the resort (see map
below), that rents kayaks, boogie boards, and the like, for the
adventurous and the young.
8) Several
vendors regularly bring Hawaiian specialty items that are very
reasonably priced to the lobby of the resort. I bought a beautiful,
six-strand, hand-strung shell necklace last year for $15. I almost
felt like it was given to me!
)
To find your way from the airport to the Makaha Resort if you are
renting a car and driving:
Proceed
westbound (towards Pearl Harbor and Ewa, both of which you will
pass – Do Not head east towards Waikiki)
on the H1 Freeway; H1 will merge into Farrington
Highway (93). It is roughly 40 miles from the airport to
Makaha Valley Rd. Take the right turn onto Makaha Valley Road (by
the 7-Eleven store) and continue up into the valley (about 2 miles)
until you reach a fork in the road. (My distances are “questaments”).
Bear left and then left again in just a few hundred yards, into the
Makaha Resort & Golf Club.
The address of
the Makaha Resort is: 84-626 Makaha Valley Rd. Waianae, HI 96792
The map below
(from the Makaha Website) will help you orient yourself. The road
shown making a big loop just above the airport on the map is H1. It
is a freeway and it runs right by the airport – just follow the exit
signs out of the airport to H1 westbound. The red dot is the
Makaha, and the road leading to it is Makaha Valley Rd.
