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Issue link: http://ranchandcoast.uberflip.com/i/1500168
T HE 737 MAX 8 IS PRISTINE. IT STILL has that new airplane smell. I'm absentmindedly stowing my carry-on bag in the space under the seat in front of me. Likewise, other groggy passengers are readying for an 8am takeoff from San Diego bound for arrival at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. A Southwest flight attendant's upbeat demeanor invades my pre-flight trance. "Smile, you're going to Hawaii!" she chirps to an unsuspecting middle-aged couple in the aisle, scanning for two seats together. ose passengers smile. As do I. It's been more than a decade since I last traveled to America's most popular Pacific Island vacation destination. Well before the pandemic, it was a different story. I logged a dozen trips to lush Kauai, adventure- filled Maui, and the volcanic Big Island. And yes, Oahu, the most cosmopolitan of the exotic isles. Oahu is today's destination. Two upscale resorts in very different settings have my wife and me on their reservation lists. First stop: e historic and recently renovated Halekulani, the premier luxury oceanfront property in bustling Waikiki. en, we're booked at HALEKULANI: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HALEKULANI FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA It's back to Oahu for upscale wellness, dining, and other suite stuff at the Halekulani and Four Seasons resorts BY RON DONOHO detour destinations "Smile, You're Going to Hawaii!" ranchandcoast.com 78 JUNE 2023 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE Halekulani Hotel