Bare_Truth wrote:I do not have a trip report to give for the moment but there is a possibility I might have one in the future...... With a little help from my friends.
Circa April 2016 my wife and I will encounter our 50th Anniversary. We are agreed that we would like to do a good job of celebrating it. We have for instance considered a cruise, however being the landlubbers that we are and not liking being in densely populated situations that is not likely a good choice. However I broached the possibility of going to some sort of SPA where we can be pampered and she seemed interest in the possibility. Now of course I am thinking of clothing optional
Since it will be April, the weather will be an issue. and my first thought was that to be warm enough we should be thinking somewhere between Florida and the south western U.S. or possibly Hawaii So to that end I thought I would ask for suggestions.
The Sonoran Desert of Arizona, the Mojave in southern California and the southern coast near San Diego is a pleasant place to be in early April.
Spa:
Living Waters Spa in Desert Hot Springs, CA would be great for you two! Christian-run and seeker friendly.
As big as Los Angeles is, California is far bigger and far more diverse in every way. Los Angeles is
not a synonym for California.
You might like visiting
Olive Dell Ranch on the far eastern desert fringes of the LA metro area.
Bare_Truth wrote:Bearing in mind that we know very little of what the weather is like in many such locations. We have 5 granddaughters in Florida but given that the mother of 4 of them is estranged from us because she is in a cult, we might only get to visit with one in the Tampa Florida, plus her brother (in poor health) and his wife are inland in the north end of the peninsula there would be some visiting possibilities there.
Northern Florida may be cool and rainy in early April depending on passing weather fronts. Southern Florida offers a better chance of good weather, in fact far better weather than you will experience in mid-summer, warm enough for nudity, but without the extreme humidity that develops in May. (although this is by Florida standards).
Bare_Truth wrote:In south Texas we have friends in a church congregation we used to attend in the San Antonio area and over towards Brazoria, as well as I taught in north east Texas at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Tornados rip through central and east Texas that time of year spawned by strong weather fronts that are problematic enough for travelers and vacationers. [/quote]
Corpus might be pleasant in April, though. Brownsville/Harlingen area is as far south as Miami, much more tropical, but I haven't researched nudist venues there.
Bare_Truth wrote:In the South West we have talked about visiting the Grand Canyon before. I cannot imagine that getting into California would be of any interest to us as that over urbanized madness is anathema to us.
Again, LA is NOT a synonym for California. You can avoid the city easily enough and see much that is natural and beautiful.
The problem with April is that from San Francisco north it is still the chilly rainy season and the Sierras are still in the deep freeze.
Bare_Truth wrote:Hawaii of course would require air or sea travel and caution would be required to keep us from being sort of stuck on the wrong Island.
Hawaii has limited naturist resort opportunities, but there is one place on the Big Island you might want to investigate:
Hangin' Loose, a small rustic clothing optional place.
And there are a couple unofficial nude beaches, one on the Big Island and there's one on Maui. I also found a place to skinny dip on Kauai, but not the best beach ever.
The four main islands all offer flights to the US Mainland as well as a handful of international destinations, and flying time is five hours from anywhere on the west coast. To hop between the islands you will need to take a commuter airline (Hawaiian, Go!, Island Air, or Mokulele) on flights which range from 20-50 minutes. In addition to commercial airlines there are a handful of private companies which arrange inter-island tours.
Molokai and Lanai can be reached by ferry from neighboring Maui, although getting there by from any other island will require a short flight. There are no ferries running between any of the other islands. These islands are more like the old Hawaii and I want to spend a lot of time on each of them.
Kahoolawe (due south of Maui) is recovering from environmental disaster and is only open to volunteer laborers. One day its beauty may be restored.
Niihau is privately owned and only native Hawaiians live there, but day trips by helicopter from nearby Kauai are possible. Famous for their shell necklaces and bracelets, this island also is the most purely Hawaiian culturally.
There is a small island, a sunken crater, off the coast of Maui named
Molokiniand you can charter a tour to go diving in the offshore reefs.
The higher elevations in Hawaii, Kauai and Maui might still be a bit cool and rainy in April (their climate mimics the temperate zone at those altitudes). But the southwest side of any island is almost always sunny and a visual feast of flowers in the cooler months.
Honolulu dominates southern Oahu, but the Bishop Museum, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and Manoa Valley might be interesting. The north shore of Oahu is much more open, much more like the outer islands. Well worth a visit to that side of the island.
Kauai and Maui have some badly overdeveloped areas, but much of each island is still rural and beautiful. See for yourself. Kauai: Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Spouting Horn, remote beaches in the western shore; on the north shore is the 11-mile Kalalau Trail (best left to trail-hardened backpackers).
Bare_Truth wrote:I am thinking that Florida might prove to be the best of options but I do not have a lot of experience with any of the areas. On the down side of Florida there is the matter that it is a major SPRING BREAK destination and the kind of excess that entails is not something that would resonate well with our moral outlook. Plus so much stuff would probably be booked up and prices at the maximum.
Spring break focuses on a few beach towns and Disney World. I would not let that stop me. I have been to Florida that time of year and avoided crowds easily.
Bare_Truth wrote:So with all that being said, I would appreciate it if any of you have specific suggestions that might help us investigate our options. I suppose that perhaps I should have asked about off shore Carribean options. Our new Passports should arrive in another few weeks. I hate flying however so that is always a factor but Hawaii has that problem too but an overnight boat ride might be a viable alternative.
(All that crap at the airports is odious.)
Boating to Hawaii is not easily accomplished. Last time I checked, you would have to sail from Vancouver Canada or from Mexico's west coast. There are no US ports to sail from. Sorry, 2,000 miles of high seas between California and Hawaii cannot be traversed by ship overnight.