Favorite Destinations ~ Pick 1 (Part 2)

Favorite Destinations Pick # 1 (Part 2)

Oahu ~ Hawaii

I would encourage anyone who has a bucket list (you know, the list of things you must do before you kick the bucket!) to add Oahu, Hawaii to that list!

I have visited Oahu six times, the last being in 2005, and I can't wait to get back! I have also been to Maui, which is absolutely beautiful, but Oahu is where I truly love to be.

I could write about Oahu all day, but I won't. However, should you add Oahu to your bucket list I would recommend, first and foremost, visiting Pearl Harbor. It's an incredibly somber place, but you walk away with a feeling of peace and appreciation for our military! I have never made a trip to Oahu without paying my respects to those that lost their lives in paradise.

The list of things to do and see in Oahu are endless, but I will share a few. Visit the Rain Forest, North Shore, and hike to the top of Diamond Head! I never imagined that I could or would do that, but once I reached the summit I was overwhelmed by the beauty of what lie below, and felt a sense of personal accomplishment!

I hope you enjoy the photo's that I have posted today. All were shot in 2005, during my last visit.

Photo's published in "Burning Daylight"
Copyright 2009

Favorite Destinations ~ Pick # 1 (part 1)

Favorite Destinations Pick # 1 ~ Part 1

Aruba!

I have two picks for the number one position on my list of favorite destinations. I love both equally and there is absolutely no way to choose one over the other. My first trip to Aruba was in 1995 and since then I have returned 5 more times!

Aruba is located in the heart of the Southern Caribbean, 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Aruba is a very small island, only 19.6 miles long and 6 miles across at its widest point.

Although small in size, Aruba packs a punch! Breathtaking scenery, constant trade winds, and every imaginable activity available for your pleasure. Aruba is referred to as "One Happy Island" and lives up to that statement!

Naturally, one cannot mention Aruba without mentioning Natalee Holloway; especially if you live in the state of Alabama. What happened to Natalee was nothing short of tragic and should never have happened. Natalee went to Aruba on her Senior class trip and was never seen or heard from again. To this day her disappearance has gone unsolved and the person or persons responsible have yet to be brought to justice.

There was a boycott against Aruba for a long time following Natalee's disappearance and that too is sad. Aruba was prosecuted for a crime that it did not commit and they suffered terribly. I have no doubt that Natalee's disappearance could have been solved and those responsible could have and should have been prosecuted and convicted. Unfortunately, as in many other countries, including the United States, sometimes it's who you know and your political status that will not only keep you free, but set you free. In the end, Aruba remains one of the safest places in the world. Their crime rate is extremely low, and when you consider the number of homicide's and disappearances in one U.S. city on a monthly basis, compared to the number Aruba has in any given decade, the chances that anything will happen to you in Aruba are virtually zero.

Now when I visit Aruba I make a point to look out across the water and remember Natalee. A young woman with her entire life ahead of her, now a memory to all that knew her and all that did not.