If you dream of retiring in a private little paradise – a quiet community with no crime, where you can have your cottage by the bay, where you know everybody in town and people still wave as you pass each other in your pickup, well Hawaii is the best place for you.
In Hawaii, even if you’re broke, you can live off of fresh fish, coconuts and pineapples and you can sleep on the beach and bath in the 79 degree crystal clear ocean. Hawaii has top-notch health care, loads of culture and lots of green space, truly one of the best places in the world to retire.The State of Hawaii is a state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Hawaii’s capital is Honolulu, but you should know that from grade school. It was from this point out that Hawaii become one of the best places to live in one of the best countries in the world – the USA.
Only Hawaii and Alaska are outside the contiguous United States and do not share a border with any other U.S. state. This state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiin Island Chain, which is made up of hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). The climate of Hawaii is typical for a tropical area, although temperatures and humidity tend to be a bit less extreme than other tropical locales due to the constant trade winds blowing from the east. That’s perfect for a human beings and a host of animals and plants that we humans enjoy.
There are beaches from white to black. Some are miles long, others hide in tiny coves. Long, beautiful water falls cascade down high cliffs and slip quietly into the sea. The place is an exotic, tropical paradis due to the beautiful beaches and the very friendly and hospitable people that live in Hawaii.And it’s a nice fact to know that people live longer in Hawaii than in any other state in the US. This makes it one of the retirement best places.
It’s rare for a visitor to have a bad experience involving crime on the Big Island and like the rest of the country, call 911 in an emergency. If a visitor does have a bad experience, the Visitor Aloha Society Hawaii may be able to lend assistance.
Hawaii is an awesome place for hiking, with trails ranging from short, easy loops to demanding backcountry treks suitable only for experienced, well-equipped hikers. Hikers should carry plenty of water, sun protection and a cell phone. It’s best to always hike with a buddy and tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Many visitors are drawn to the natural beauty found at higher elevations on Hawaii Island, such as on Kilauea, Mauna Loa or Mauna Kea volcanoes
Hawaii is also rich in culture and traditions. The hula is a beautiful flowing Hawaiian dance that tells a story. Mele or repetitive chants make up the music. The hula dance began as a form of worship back in ancient times. The musical instruments were often made of gourds, coconuts, or logs covered with shark-skin membrane – and of course, the ukelele. The hand and leg movement combined with facial expressions and the dance itself tell the story of the hula. The hula survives today through study, competitions, shows, and the dances for the visitors enjoyment.
The Luau is known as the Hawaiian barbecue – for good reason. It is normally a large party where the main course is Kalua pig. You will also find pupus (hawaiian appetizers), laulaus (meat, normally pork, cooked inside ti leaves), limu (seaweed), lomi-lomi salmon (salmon cooked with tomato and onion), and haupia (coconut and pineapple pudding).
It is also popular for Lei-giving. Leis have many meanings and uses; the maile lei is the traditional offering to Laka, goddess of the dance, which is one of the reasons the hula dancers are so adorned with them. Leis are given to people arriving and leaving Hawaii meaning love, or friendship.
A notable (and much-discussed) aspect of Hawaiian government and economy is its health care system, which insures over 95% of residents. Under the state’s plan, all businesses are required to provide employees who work more than twenty hours per week with health care. Heavy regulation of insurance companies helps keep the cost to employers down. If you want health insurance, Hawaii is one of the best retirement locations for it.
In addition, due in part to the system’s emphasis on preventive care, Hawaiians require hospital treatment less frequently than their counterparts in the rest of the United States, while total health care expenses (measured as a percentage of state GDP) are substantially lower. Given these achievements, proponents of universal health care elsewhere in the U.S. have sometimes used Hawaii as a model for proposed federal and state health care plans.
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