Here in the NW, Alaska is practically in our backyard! Let us help you plan a trip of a lifetime to the “Last Frontier”… call or email us today and let’s get started!

No time for a longer vacation? We also specialize in weekend getaways to such exciting places like San Diego. Here is a short video to whet your appetite….then after you watch the video give one of our friendly Travel Advisors a call at 578.KING (5464) or 800.I.GO.KINGS (446.5464)

Switzerland is much more than Heidi and yummy chocolates! Almost makes me want to yodel

I am always looking for value to add to our many services we offer our clients. Here is the latest that I think will become a big hit with our travellers to Europe. It is called The Europe Travel Pass and it offers substantial discounts on local tours you can take throughout Europe. Although many of our clients prefer the ease and convenience of prebooking vacation packages that already include many of these tours; there are still those of you footloose and fancy free travelers that like to wait until they are in Europe to decide what they want to do…maybe its the weather, or their energy is low, or they run out of other ideas for what to do….with The Europe Travel Pass they can get additional discounts on hundreds of tours and activities!

And because we appreciate you more than we probably ever remember to tell you, we are giving then away FREE with any purchase of an International ticket from us. So not only will we find you the BEST available airfares available, we will throw in you very own FREE Travel Card that will be valid for 30 days from your first use. That should cover 99% of our clients heading to their ancestral homelands!

For complete information on the Pass, click HERE or on the link in the BLOGROLL section. We look forward to helping you in the near future!

Frank

We know how to get you the best values for your Tahitian Vacation. Give us a call today!
360.578.KING (5464) or 800.I.GO.KINGS (446.5464)

A special thanks to Steve Spurlock of Happy Vacations for an informative (and FUN!) FAM to the Big Island of Hawaii…December 7-13th, 2007

Now that the hustle and bustle of the Holidays is done, I have some time to recap my recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. After very pleasant and remarkably empty flights, I arrived in Kona to cloudy skies, high winds and the threat of rain, accompanied by 80+ degree temperatures. After a quick stop at Costco for provisions and gifts we checked in at the Royal Kona Resort for our two nights in Kona. The first night we attended the luau at the Royal Kona, and, being a Hawaii virgin, I was obligated to have my first taste (or lack thereof) of poi.

The high winds and rough seas caused the cancellation of the planned snorkel cruise the second morning, so I had free time to spend exploring the Kona area. If you are looking for a good Fish and Chips place, I heartily recommend Quinn’s, Almost by the Sea, across the street from the King Kamehameha Hotel. Dinner that night was at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort .

The third day was a travel day across the island to Hilo. Along the way we stopped at Kealakekau Bay to see the Captain Cook Memorial and the City of Refuge, a must see National Park. After a brief stop at the southernmost point of the United States and some conversation with the fishermen on the cliffs there, we continued on to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for lunch at the Volcano House hotel, overlooking the Kilauea Caldera. After lunch we stopped at the Visitor Center across the road from the Volcano House, continued around the Crater Rim Drive to the Jaggar Museum and then on to the Halema’uma’u Crater Overlook. It was a very surreal experience walking through a field of volcanic steam vents and realizing I was standing in the middle of an active volcano. Continuing again along the Crater Rim Drive, we stopped for a quick walk through the Thurston Lava Tube, our last stop in the park. Next was a quick stop at the Volcano Winery for a tasting, then on to Hilo and check-in at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel for our two night stay. Pizza lovers will want to check out Big Island Pizza in downtown Hilo and their 28″ Big Kahuna. That’s over 615 square inches of pizza!!!

Day Four started with a visit to the Naniloa Volcanoes Resort for a look at the ongoing renovations there. This property is definitely one to look forward to once the renovations are complete. We then had some time for sightseeing in the Hilo area, and there is a lot more to see and do than I expected. Scenic waterfalls are plentiful, and the Pacific Tsunami Museum in the old downtown area was very interesting. The Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Plantation and Factory is fun, but I recommend going later in the day, after the cruise ship tours are done. Three bus loads of people at a time pretty much fills up the gift shop.

Day Five was another travel day, this time back across the island to the Kohala Coast. Before leaving Hilo, we had breakfast at the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, near the campus of the University of Hawaii, Hilo. Imiloa has to be one of the best Astronomy/Planetarium centers I have visited, blending modern science with Hawaiian myths and traditions. It is the final home for the Smithsonian-created ‘Cosmic Questions’ traveling exhibit and has an excellent signature show in the planetarium, with the first ever 3-D planetarium shows starting in spring of 2008. We traveled the northern route around the island this time, with a brief stop at Waimea and the Parker Ranch Store, before a stop for lunch at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. We then continued to the Hilton Waikoloa Village for our last two nights on the island. After checking in and getting settled in our rooms, we traveled to the Kona Village Resort for Paniolo (Cowboy) Night and dinner; undoubtedly my favorite stop of the trip. The secluded feeling of the resort, the Petroglyphs, the sea turtles basking on the beach, the (finally) calm evening weather…all of it made for a great night. The food was excellent, too.

Day Six was our busy day, with breakfast at the Hilton and a tour of the expansive grounds, inspections of the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, Mauna Lani Point, Islands at Mauna Lani, and then lunch at the Fairmont Orchid. After a little free time for shopping at the King’s Shops, or working on tans by the pool, we had dinner that evening at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

Day Seven was a leisurely check-out in the morning, a quick stop at Costco again for any last minute gifts, then on to the airport for the flights home.

I learned quite a bit in that week, and was surprised at how much there really is to see and do on the Big Island. December may not be the best time of year to travel to the islands if you don’t like construction noise, as that is the time of year when a lot of the hotels do their upkeep and maintenance work. Of the properties we visited that had a sandy beach, most of them were taking the slower season to protect their beaches from erosion by building sand berms, or were importing sand from Maui to rebuild what had already been eroded. The Hilton was in the process of adding some new buildings around the Dolphin Lagoon, and the Royal Kona was cleaning, chipping, and repainting one of its towers. All of the work I noticed was being done during the day, away from occupied rooms where possible. The work that couldn’t be done away from occupied guest rooms was carried out with a minimum of noise, and the large equipment was well muffled to prevent unnecessary noise disturbance.

All in all, it was a great experience, and I will definitely be returning to the Big Island in the future.

Once again we were humbled when it was recently announced that we were voted as the #1 Best Travel Agency in Cowlitz County by YOU! This is the 3rd year in a row to win this award so we certainly have learned to treat you right!

Thank you all very much for your vote of confidence in us. We strive to make our relationships a personal one (you can’t get that on the internet!) and we watch over you during your travels like we would a family member. It is an honor to be serving you. Thank you for your business and your trust…..

Frank and the Staff