As you turn your focus to your holiday gift list, consider giving a timeshare rental vacation to Hawaii. Specifically, Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii – the spectacular Garden Island of Kauai.
The movie Blue Hawaii premiered in Kauai 50 years ago. Much of the famous movie was filmed on Kauai, which celebrated this landmark 50th Anniversary with an event “Kauai Remembers Blue Hawaii.”
The celebration featured a live performance by an Elvis Presley tribute artist, a screening of the movie, and a tribute to the late Grace Guslander, the beloved hotelier who ran Coco Palms Resort where the movie’s most memorable scene took place – Elvis’s Hawaiian-themed wedding on the resort’s lagoon.
With more than 600 in attendance, the Kauai Marriott ballroom was filled with Elvis fans rocking to classic songs including “Rock-a-Hula Baby,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” and “Blue Hawaii.”
Enjoy the Blue Hawaii trailer:
The movie’s approximate final 20 minutes was filmed on Kauai at or near Coco Palms Resort, culminating in the lagoon wedding scene in which Elvis and his fiancé are carried to the chapel in a double-hulled canoe filled beautiful tropical flowers.
“Fifty years ago Blue Hawaii was extremely valuable to Kauai’s image as a visitor destination, with the movie coming out as air travel was becoming more and more accessible for visitors to the Hawaiian Islands.” Kauai Visitors Bureau executive director, Sue Kanoho, said.
With few exceptions, filmmakers had used Kauai’s lush natural beauty to portray a place other than the island of Kauai. With Blue Hawaii Kauai was itself in all its glory.
“Elvis Presley fans everywhere were suddenly aware of this beautiful paradise and they wanted to come and see Kauai for themselves. To this day, we have visitors still wanting to see the lagoon where Elvis got married,” Kanoho said.
There are many Kauai budget-friendly timeshare rentals available. For example, give a gift of a stay at the Point at Poipu resort in Koloa, nestled in 22 acres of lush tropical gardens overlooking Keneloa Bay, for just $86/night.
In Princeville, a timeshare rental at the world-famous luxurious Hanalei Bay Resort is just $96/night.
Photo Credit: elvistribute.us
Photo Credit: coco-palms.com