Last Week to Win a Stay at a Military Resort

Just a reminder that the Great Getaways Vacation Sweepstakes in heading into its last week to win an all expense paid stay at any of the four Armed Forces Resorts.  Go to www.AFRCresorts.com to enter daily.  You could win a vacation for four to Shades of Green at Disneyworld or a vacation for two to Hale Koa in Waikiki, Dragon Hill lodge in Seoul, or Edelweiss in the Bavarian Alps.  Good luck and keep trying.

For those of you who want to go and don’t feel like betting everything on winning this contest, check out each resort and see what kind of deal you can get.  They are all really cheap for a four-star (IMHO) resort.  I know Hale Koa is advertising a fall special at www.halekoa.com.  Rooms as low as $91/ night for E1-E5 (or cadets).  They are also touting the Kilaeua Military Camp which has a special of stay 3 nights and get the fourth free.  You have to access reservations for that at a different site www.KMC-volcano.com even tough it is managed by the folks at Hale Koa.  While you are there, don’t forget to pick up your free military pass for all national parks.  I picked up mine at  Kipahulu National Park while on Maui last month and it has signature spaces for two of you.  So you can sign for yourself and then have you spouse or dependent also sign and they can borrow from you whenever they want to take a trip to a park.

BTW, hihgly recommend taking that trip to visit Kipahulu (technically part of Haleakala National Park even though the peak and the shore location are not connected by road) even though it is a long drive around Maui.  You will be able to see waterfalls, swim in streams and view Mauna Loa on the Big Island (which seems really close even though it is 40 miles away).  Stuff most tourists to Maui never see.  I would advise that you bring a four wheel drive vehicle though, the road is pretty rough in spots and watch for the one-lane-both-ways traffic!

Have fun if visiting Hawaii and remember that the Shaka is not a substitute for a salute!  True story – when the Hawaiian NG Brigade had guard over Victory Base in 2006 they tried that until some General told them that was a NO GO!