I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai three times in the last few years, and I have to say, it’s quite possibly my favorite resort to visit on the planet. There’s no doubt it’s one of the best resorts in Hawaii, and it’s easy to see why. This 5 star property features everything from 7 pools and 5 restaurants to an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course set on a volcanic landscape. For our trip, we left at the end of January, which is high season for the Big Island as people try to escape the cold. It’s also the perfect season for whale watching, and if you’re lucky, you can see them right from the beach at the resort. Leaving Austin for this January/February trip was the perfect way to escape the cold fronts that had rolled into Texas, and the weather in Hawaii was perfect. “Winter” on the Big Island tends to be in the 70s/80s with lows in the 60s, so while you’ll want to pack a sweater, it’s much more mild than most other destinations.