Everyone would wants to come to Florida to vacate when you can get VIP treatment like this.

As I sat and listen to all these two local boys had to say, I had to put my two cents worth into the equation.

I started relating about the many practices I had seen myself with the tourism populace.  

For instance, let me give you an example I ran into not too many years ago regarding the tourism business in Hawai'i.

This is my cute little story to relay and I certainly do not mean any disrespect whatsoever with I'm I about to quote. In fact, I laugh about it on a regular basis.

It must have been or was just by pure luck-of-the-draw that back in 2003 I decided to go see "The Don Ho" show. When I was a kid, I use to love to watch his TV show and couldn't wait for "Tiny Bubbles" to start...it was his theme song.

I remember my Grandmother always humming the "Pearly Shells" tune.

It was a pleasant day in the early afternoon somewhere around late 2003. For several months I had been taking my usual Waikiki Jungle walk, which encompasses passing the Beachcomber Hotel where Don Ho's banner was still hanging outside.

On the banner was a picture of Mr. Ho, as I had remembered him in the 1960's when he had his TV series. So, in my minds-eye, that's how I still envisioned Don Ho - young, black hair and a very talented singer and actor.

I had stopped downstairs at the Beachcomber and asked some gentleman where I could purchase tickets to the Don Ho Show. He noted I would have to go upstairs to get them. So, I proceeded upstairs as instructed. On arrival, no one was standing outside at the time selling tickets, so I politely called out "Hello, is anyone here?"

An elderly gentleman stepped out from behind the wall and proceeded to help me make arrangements for my seating.

In Hawai'i you basically have two rates (or so most people think) - one being a Dinner Show rate which allow patrons in early, with better seating closer to the stage. The other being just the show only rate.

So, I told this gentleman that I would eat elsewhere and only wanted to see the Don Ho Show - I also noted I hadn't seen him since he was on TV in the 1960's. While I cannot remember the exact amount, he roughly quoted $30+ each for the tickets which was much to my surprise. I said Sir, I'm not a tourist, I live here.

He said: "You local boy, hu? I replied yes sir. "Let me see ya ID", he said. So, as instructed, I showed him my Hawaiian State ID and Drivers license both.

At this point, he must of sensed I was somewhat offended about the double dealing going on.  He politely said, "You local boy, give me $23 each for tickets." I'm thinking ok, he just playing with me and besides it's his job to get as much as he can for every ticket sold.

I left the scene to get a bite to eat only to return just before the show was starting. I took a seat at almost the very back, pretty much by myself. The pre-show was just getting underway at the time and a waitress brought me over a glass of Champaign, of which I did not order.

As she sat the drink down, she said Mr. Ho said to give you this. Much to my amazement, I said, "For what?". I don't know, he said to bring you the drink over here.

At this point, I'm seriously getting anxious wondering what in the world is transpiring. Where is Don Ho, I'm thinking and looking around. I don't see him anywhere.  Why is he sending me a glass of Champaign?

Finally, the pre-show was ending and the MC was leading into Don Ho's entrance. This older gentleman, with long, thin, blondish strawberry looking hair slowly works himself up on stage. Much to my surprise, it was the same person that sold me my tickets.

I remember feeling about as big as an ant. I remember thinking - I've waited 40 years to see Don Ho and I certainly made an outstanding first impression - arguing over the price of his tickets to the man himself.

After the show, I hung around to the very last to make an attempt to apologize. Mr. Ho would sit in the lobby signing autographs until the last person left. While standing at the back of the line, I picked up two CD's to get him to sign. As I approached him for the last signature of the night, he again uttered, "There's my local boy from Kunia."

I remember saying something to the affect of "Mr. Ho, you've got a clear head.....you could have told me that was you earlier." He laughed, and so did I. It was the way he laughed that made me feel more at ease and he said - "Ain't No Big Thing."

He signed my CD's and he invited me back down again. I would at times, just drop in every 6 months or so just to watch the show and say hello afterwards.

Over the years, I noticed that Mr. Ho had this special quality about him, that really attracted people to him. He was always kind, and generous -- and, I might add, very unpredictable. He may be playing with you one minute and have you on the stage singing "Tiny Bubbles" the next.

The last time I spoke with him, was in late 2006. I again attended his show. At the end, as always he was outside signing autographs and I said. Mr. Ho, I've always wanted to sing "Tiny Bubbles" on stage, just one time before I depart this world. I said, one of these days I'm going to do it - but give you full credit of course.

I still remember very well his remarks, he said: "the next time you come down to visit and I start to sing it, just get up and walk on stage and help me sing it." He said, "I love surprises like that. I promise you that you will not make me mad or bother me at all. So, if you don't do it, it's your own fault because the offer is in your lap now."

I made a comment, "don't be telling me things like that.....I'm the type that will get up and take over the whole show......" he replied  - "that will be just fine."

Before I departed, I remembering making the comment, "Mr. Ho, it will probably never happen....one of us will be dead before I get back down here again. But, if I do get back, I'm taking you up on the offer. So, don't get upset when I get up out of the audience and make an ass of myself....

The story ends here, Mr. Ho past-on in April 2007. And, I never got to sing "Tiny Bubbles" to this date. I really miss that guy, even though I only knew him in a very small context, he was always fun and entertaining....and I never knew what he would do next. I assume that's where he got the title of being "The Wild And Unpredictable Don Ho".

The moral of the story is that there are different rates for everyone here in Hawai'i - practically at every establishments. It's been going on so long, it's like human nature to many vendors - especially the ones that were born and reared here. If you even look like a tourist, you're automatically given or charged a higher rate.

If these articles I type upsets local vendors and other people here. Well, it bothers me also. I'm simply of the opinion it's discriminatory in nature and needs to be abolished for the good of tourism in general.

But it's not just in Hawai'i...is all over in any tourist location just like Florida - which is also, like Hawai'i, a major tourist attraction.

It's not an effective way to market tourism or to get people to return for their vacation needs. People can sense when they are being taken. It leaves a bad taste in their mouths and an invitation to go elsewhere when they are planning their next vacations.

So, this is what this opening letter is all about. To give you the needed information you need to make good decisions on your visit to Florida or any other local you may have in mind for a vacation.

I recently took my Grandchildren to Disney. The entire vacation was a memorable time. There was only one incident that left a bad taste in my mouth that left me feeling like I was being hustled.

The date was Sunday, August 3, 2008. I know everyone is feeling the effects of fuel prices but there is no excuse for inappropriate behavior.

My flight back to Tennessee was on Allegiant Air. Our party of 9 flew down to Orlando without incident with very favorable service. The return flight however, was doomed from the time we stepped into Sanford Airport.

On encountering the Allegiant Air Ticketing Agent (Janice Brink), I knew we where in for trouble. According to Ms. Brink she was due to get off work when she called for the next person in line (us) which was a party of nine.

Ms. Brink voiced concerns aloud with other Agents that she was going to need help and that she was due to clock out in two minutes.

The next thing that transpired was the baggage. This is what I call asinine and bad customer relations.

As of Sunday, August 3, 2008 is was Allegiant Air Baggage Policy that first your bags cannot weigh more that 50 lbs and you are only allowed one bag per customer. Ok, fair enough....it's the same for most other airlines. However, if you would like to check a second bag the cost is a $15 charge for the additional bag per Allegiant Air Policy.

However, if your bag weighs 51 lbs the cost is an additional cost of $50 because you exceed your weight limit. However, you're allowed to open the bag at the ticket counter and remove a pair of shoes as Ms. Brink had my son doing, and now the bag weighs 49 lbs and he can carry the shoes aboard with him and there is no extra charge.

However, had he another bag to check he could have thrown the shoes in there and the cost would have been only $15 and still had room for another 48 lbs. But, because the weight was 51 lbs, the additional cost is now $50 or hold the line while the plane is departing until we decide if we are going to open the bag and carry the shoes onboard or shift them to another bag with a weight below 50 lbs. Asinine indeed - nothing but unintelligent and foolish practices to annoy customers.

This ordeal when on for nearly an hour with our party of nine. Needless to say she had the whole family in an uproar. When she finally got to my bag of 56 lbs I just laughed and said - "I'm not opening nothing and I'm not removing nothing - I'll pay the additional fee and write about it tomorrow." This is the written result.

After succeeding in making everyone ill, Ms. Brink noted that she needed to charge me an additional $150 when I witnessed at least 5 bags that where overweight. You figure - I lost it at the 51 lb bag. I have no idea what she charged me - I never got the receipt - my flight was within ten minutes of departure and I had not even cleared TSA or Airport Security.

If your flying to Orlando, travel via

My suggestion for Allegiant Air and others - use some COMMON SENSE when dealing with customers. An additional $1.00 per pound for being overweight will meet the requirement without customer uproar.

Further, if a couple is traveling together and they each have one bag, this is a combined weight of 100 lbs. If my bag weighs 56 lbs and my spouses bag weighs 24 lbs - should not this allow me another 20 lbs to work with instead of trying to hustle me out of another $50. Get real.

The moral of this story - if you do not want to be hassled at the airline ticket counter - carry yourself a portable scale when packing for trips.

I strive to give you information on many events, attractions and places to stay that are trying hard to please customers.

I visit these establishments on a regular basis. I fly around the visiting top vacation places just to visit establishments. I do, at times, introduce myself to Hotel managers  to see what prices they charge tourist and to see if it's reasonably priced. I want to know, with first hand knowledge, if my endorsement goes on it, it will be of value to my readers.

Can I stop the different pricing, not hardly at this point, but maybe someday. All I can do is keep exposing the bad and the ugly sides. But, what I can do is say, Mr. or Ms Hotel Manager, if recommend your establishment to my readers, are they going to be treated fairly.

I can plug along, day after day, writing little lines about different places to visit, to eat, places that provide living accommodations while here and host of other things that will improve your stay in Florida.

I expect and demand nothing less than to be treated fairly. I've had Hotel Managers call me personally or write emails asking for my endorsement. They've all ensured me that my customers will always get a favorable pricing and good service.

The one thing I don't do is announce myself while visiting restaurants and other facilities. I just blend in with the tourist to see how the service, shows, food, products or whatever is. I want to see if it's of value for recommendation to my subscribers or bad enough to make my black list of places of not to visit.

I'm one that does not take kindly to paying good money for bad service or a bad product. When, it happens, I do eventually get around to identifying it.

One of the best moments for me comes when I pay the bill, especially at restaurants. I printed 5000 or so cards which says:

I put the card in with my credit card when paying the tab. The best part is the look on their faces when they come back to the table for my autograph.

They know what kind of service or product they delivered. Based on their own actions or service, they can pretty much figure where the rating is at, along with about what will be said in the write-up.

These are my opinions and my opinions alone. I will say, I do everything humanly possible to be as fair as I can without showing favoritisms. And everything in print is as factual as I can make it and still make it interesting to read for informational purposes.

My whole objective to expose the bad and the ugly, identify the good, and provide you honest, straightforward information regarding the places to visit, which I think, you will enjoy based on your wants or needs.

In my opinion, Florida is the most beautiful place in the world to visit on the planet. There are so many things to do, there is no way anyone can begin to see it all in a two week vacation.

Most people have never been here. It's their first trip, and I want to ensure they have the information they need to make the most of it while they're here.

Let me give you another example that may help you if you're planning on a trip here.

Let's say you're planning on visiting Orlando for two weeks within the next 3 months. While here, you would love to visit Daytona or other locations but you're not sure if it's within your budget.

Another service we offer is keeping you informed of cheap airfares, hotel specials, and car rentals, et cetera.

Within the last year alone, there have been numerous airfare price wars that I read about daily. Some rates, on many occasions, have been $19 one-way.

The problem is that when they price wars are announced, they are only good for approximately 1 to 2 days and must be used within a specified time frame, usually a 3 month or so window.

What we do is notify our subscribers immediately that a major drop in airfare has occurred. So, you get the notification, sign-on to the vendor, and purchase your ticket. All areas within Florida are approximately a 30 minute flight from one another.

So, for approximately $40 each you could get round-trip airfares to other places from your Florida vacation destination during your stay here if you know they exist. However, you have to be quick with your responses.

To reiterate, the sales are very short when they occur. Leaving out early one morning, touring these other locations, and returning late that evening on the last flight back.

However, you also have to calculate the cost of a vehicle into the budget is my suggestion, or else take a tour bus or guide.

Normally, for approximately $40 per day, you can get a very nice vehicle depending on what your standards are. 

So, it's very feasible and inexpensive, with the right planning, to visit several or even multiple locations during a two week stay in Florida.

Personally, back on the subject of Hawai'i and Don Ho, I cannot think of Hawai'i without automatically thinking of Mr. Ho. As someone put it the other day, and I do not remember who it was that said, "Don Ho is the Ambassador of Aloha". He's gone, but certainly will never be forgotten here Hawai'i.

There is some talk of changing the name of the Honolulu International Airport to the Don Ho International Airport. Whomever the decision makers are, they certainly have my endorsement of this endeavor.

As for myself, I am a Certified State Of Hawai'i Destination Specialist and a World Travel Consult. What that means is just that I've taken several in-depth courses on each of the Hawaiian Islands with satisfactory results. In turn, I was given the certification and a nice certificate to hang on my wall that says the same.  I also have two Master Degree's, a Bachelors, and two Associate Degrees.

I've spent more than the last 30 years in information systems with over half that time with the United States Air Force. I've love writing and developing websites and I love Hawai'i and to travel and visit all States.

I do have over 200 website's running, some I've not looked at in a couple years or so.

I like to put things together and educate people in how to get more value for their money. I spent many years with the Air Force writing programs and putting lesson plans together and then teaching personnel how things work in a formal classroom environment.

I also have an extensive background in medicine with an emphasis in Cardiothoracic Surgery. I've worked in some of the top hospital in the country, and I try to help the sick and disabled, buy also teaching them to live better by applying and practicing more efficient  life-sustaining techniques to their health.

As of January 11, 2009, I'll be 54 years young. Black hair, blue eyes, and a huge Elvis Presley fan. I have been on stage a time or two in the past myself, and I was not kidding when I told Don Ho I would not leave the stage if I ever got up there.

I plan to keep on keeping on and to do my rocking the stage.

My middle name is really Joe and I do live on the Island of O'ahu and that's how the name Hawaiian Joe, Inc came about.  I registered it, Incorporated it, and Trademarked it.

I take exception to what, in my opinion, is wrong doing. I'm very opinionated as you may have already figured out.

It frustrates me to no end to see people being taken advantage of. It frustrates me even more when people try to take advantage of me personally. I have had my shares of misfortune just like everyone.

 I've been lied to, stolen from on numerous occasions, been in several wars, bled severely twice, but never ran from nothing. The Good Lord always gave the the ability to adapt and overcome.

So, I keep on keeping on.

For those that do not share my opinions, that's certainly your right. I do however, wish you the best in your endeavors.

Best regards

Florida Joe

Florida's Rolls-Royce Destination Consultant & Copywriter