You're welcome on our futon whenever you like, Dave, seriously. There's a lot of England out there that's not just London, and it's fun to explore...and reasonably do-able by train, or car if you're a relatively fearless driver. London's also an awesome base for the low-cost airlines like Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) that fly to absolutely everywhere in Europe.

I guess the question is "what sort of vacation do you want?" -- art and culture? Clubbing? Sand and sea? Gastronomy? Interesting cities? Cold (snow?)? Hot? Speaking a non-English language? Irritating French people? Prostitutes? Expensive? Budget? Frequent Flyer miles destination?

I've been to both Maui and Kauai, and the level of tourism exposure has everything to do with what part of the island you stay/play at and what guidebook you use. Pick up one from this series and you're sure to have a wonderful time.