I have seen on the weather recently just how cold it is in Chicago. Last night on the news it said the forecast is 2 degrees F to 6 degrees F. Those numbers make me feel cold just thinking about them. It is no surprise that Barack Obama and his family are escaping the winter chill with a vacation in Hawaii.

The President-elect headed to Hawaii by charter flight on Saturday for a two-week Christmas vacation. It has been reported that the Obamas will be staying at a Kailua beachfront location. Kailua is a 30-minute drive from downtown Honolulu.

You don’t have to be the President-elect to escape the winter chill. You could take your own Hawaii vacation and enjoy the warmth of a tropical breeze. There is plenty to do in Hawaii.

You may think that Hawaii only offers sun and surf, if you do you couldn’t be more wrong. There is much more for a family to do on the islands of Hawaii, including taking advantage some world-class skiing! Yes that’s right, skiiing.

Hawaii is home to Mauna Kea, which when measured from its undersea base to its 13,000-foot summit, is the tallest mountain in the world!  If you are visiting Hawaii in the winter, you can actually ski on Mauna Kea!

So there you go a Hawaiian vacation can give you everything from the beaches to the snow.

Also for something different in Hawaii you could vist the famous volcanoes.  The town of Volcano, Hawaii, is one of the best locations to visit some of the lesser known, and therefore less crowded, volcanoes on the islands. Start with a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where you can see actual flowing lava.

If surfing is more your thing winter in Hawaii is a great time to visit as it is the big wave season. Kelly Slater just won his sixth Pipeline Masters at Sunset Beach. This year the waves are big so surfing on those breaks may be best left to the pros. It does however make some great viewing. Sunset beach and Waimea Bay are the places to go.

So there you have it. Hawaii is one great destination for a winter vacation. Why not make your bookings now?