Maui photos and a mini-trip report
Apr 6th, 2007, 01:49 PM
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Maui photos and a mini-trip report
I spent a few nice, but very low key days on Maui last week with my daughter and my mother. I wasn't planning to write a trip report--we didn't do a whole lot and we certainly didn't have the drama of last year's very close encounter with a pod of whales or our very chilly hike into Haleakala.
But, seeing as it's about 32 degrees here in Chicago today, I can't get my mind off of walking on the beach. I've been playing with some of the photos today, and I've resolved to write a mini trip report. The report will come in the next day or so. In the meantime, here are some photos...especially for anyone else who is freezing today like I am.
http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/558395425sGPQXn
But, seeing as it's about 32 degrees here in Chicago today, I can't get my mind off of walking on the beach. I've been playing with some of the photos today, and I've resolved to write a mini trip report. The report will come in the next day or so. In the meantime, here are some photos...especially for anyone else who is freezing today like I am.
http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/558395425sGPQXn
Apr 6th, 2007, 05:04 PM
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I have been to Maui 5 times in the past, ging for my 6th next Feb. I can't think of anything else. I go to bed dreaming of it. I am constantly on Fodor's and Tripadvisor looking for any information. I hate to wish my life away, but I sure wish it was Feb 12 2008!!!!
Apr 7th, 2007, 05:20 AM
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Aloha ms_go!! No kidding this Chicago cold is brutal! Hawaii take me away!
Mahalo mahalo mahalo for the lovely photo show... truly inspiring... now I want to go organize all my own photos! This was a great way to start the day. I'm looking so forward to your report!
Much aloha!!
Lisa
Mahalo mahalo mahalo for the lovely photo show... truly inspiring... now I want to go organize all my own photos! This was a great way to start the day. I'm looking so forward to your report!
Much aloha!!
Lisa
Apr 7th, 2007, 12:38 PM
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Hi everyone--thank you all for the kind comments. I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. I have a lot more and will try to add some others to the album.
OSB--the jellyfish were in a tank at the Ocean Center, so nothing too exotic there. It was pretty dark in the room; that was the main challenge.
makai1--isn't this weather awful? I felt so bad looking at my poor daffodils this morning, all curled up and resting on the ground
So, here's part of the report. I'll try to finish up later today or tomorrow...
My daughter (now 14) and I went to Maui last year for spring break. I'd spent weeks building up this "sunny paradise," only to encounter....lots of clouds and rain. I think we had about five hours of sun in five days. Seriously. So this year, I wasn't taking any chances. I booked tickets to London.
In February, I came to find out that my mother's spring break was the same week as ours. That almost never happens. She was keen to do something with us, but she probably wasn't up for the long trip from the west coast to London for only four days. Long story short, I booked new reservations for the three of us from Phoenix (where mom lives) to Maui at a pretty resonable price, given that it was now less than two months away. I really wanted to go to either Kauai or the Big Island, but the flights to Maui were both cheaper and offered more reasonable flight schedules. I then cancelled our London reservation and applied the remaining credit to the cost of getting to Phoenix--not an inexpensive proposition, as the flights from Chicago to Phoenix cost more than either the original trip from Chicago-London or the new trip from Phoenix-Maui. Go figure.
I admit I was a little worried about getting out of Chicago, as several days before it was so foggy I could barely see the house across the street. Our flight to Phoenix was right on time, as were the following flights to LA and then to Maui. What more can you ask. The only notable thing about getting there was winning third place in the Halfway to Hawaii game, missing the mark by just 29 seconds on the 5.5 hour flight from LA to Maui. There were definitely some calculations (on the beverage service napkin) involved in my estimate. I wish I could tell you how, exactly, I was trying calculate it--I have no idea, but whatever I did, it worked. This, however, meant that I'd have to make a stop at Hilo Hattie's to pick up my prize, a box of mac nut candy.
OSB--the jellyfish were in a tank at the Ocean Center, so nothing too exotic there. It was pretty dark in the room; that was the main challenge.
makai1--isn't this weather awful? I felt so bad looking at my poor daffodils this morning, all curled up and resting on the ground
So, here's part of the report. I'll try to finish up later today or tomorrow...
My daughter (now 14) and I went to Maui last year for spring break. I'd spent weeks building up this "sunny paradise," only to encounter....lots of clouds and rain. I think we had about five hours of sun in five days. Seriously. So this year, I wasn't taking any chances. I booked tickets to London.
In February, I came to find out that my mother's spring break was the same week as ours. That almost never happens. She was keen to do something with us, but she probably wasn't up for the long trip from the west coast to London for only four days. Long story short, I booked new reservations for the three of us from Phoenix (where mom lives) to Maui at a pretty resonable price, given that it was now less than two months away. I really wanted to go to either Kauai or the Big Island, but the flights to Maui were both cheaper and offered more reasonable flight schedules. I then cancelled our London reservation and applied the remaining credit to the cost of getting to Phoenix--not an inexpensive proposition, as the flights from Chicago to Phoenix cost more than either the original trip from Chicago-London or the new trip from Phoenix-Maui. Go figure.
I admit I was a little worried about getting out of Chicago, as several days before it was so foggy I could barely see the house across the street. Our flight to Phoenix was right on time, as were the following flights to LA and then to Maui. What more can you ask. The only notable thing about getting there was winning third place in the Halfway to Hawaii game, missing the mark by just 29 seconds on the 5.5 hour flight from LA to Maui. There were definitely some calculations (on the beverage service napkin) involved in my estimate. I wish I could tell you how, exactly, I was trying calculate it--I have no idea, but whatever I did, it worked. This, however, meant that I'd have to make a stop at Hilo Hattie's to pick up my prize, a box of mac nut candy.
Apr 7th, 2007, 12:44 PM
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The Maui Prince
I booked the Maui Prince in Makena again this year. We stayed there last year and really liked it--and we were just as happy this time around. My description last year was "dated but not shabby" and I'll still go with that. The room decor is a bit tired, but the rooms are decent sized, clean and comfortable. Of note, every room has a private lanai and at least some view of the ocean. We had an "ocean view" room; we were close enough that we could leave the lanai door open (with screen closed) at night and listen to the waves. Very nice.
Service was great and very friendly throughout the resort. Parking (valet and regular) is free, and there are no resort fees. The lobby and common areas are not spectacular like some resorts, but they are still spacious and tasteful, with plenty of foliage, running water, noisy birds, etc.
The pool itself isn't particularly notable, but what was notable was the relatively quiet and relaxed feeling around the pool. We walked around plenty of resorts (on this and past trips) and were put off by the wall-to-wall people on lounge chairs filling the pool decks, grassy areas, etc. Even on a really nice afternoon, the pool area at the Prince was only moderately populated. The beach is, IMHO, unbeatable.
We didn't sample the higher end restaurants, but the pool bar serves decent fare (grilled pool-side and better than I recall from last year), and there is a cafe/snack bar with a variety of options for breakfast. Its location in Makena, away from the major resorts, contributes to the quiet feel, but it it is just a five minute drive from everything at Wailea. And, of course, it is about half the price of the higher end-resorts, while still offering many of the same amenities. I would certainly stay here again.
Food
We aren't big eaters (particularly my mother), so I can't offer much here. I did manage to get my fill of fish tacos and fruity drinks over the course of 4+ days. We ate at the hotel at least half of the time. Meals out included:
-Kula Lodge--a repeat visit for us on our drive up-country. We lucked out with a table at the window again, although there were more clouds (and less view) this time.
-Rusty Harpoon in Ka'anapali--the best part was a seat (at lunch) at the rail with a view of the beach and some distant whale activity
-Matteo's--a casual Italian restaurant that has moved into the former Chart House space in Wailea. Recommended by one of the bellmen at the hotel. Inexpensive and decent pizza.
-Old Lahaina Luau, which I'll cover later under activities.
Activities to come later....
I booked the Maui Prince in Makena again this year. We stayed there last year and really liked it--and we were just as happy this time around. My description last year was "dated but not shabby" and I'll still go with that. The room decor is a bit tired, but the rooms are decent sized, clean and comfortable. Of note, every room has a private lanai and at least some view of the ocean. We had an "ocean view" room; we were close enough that we could leave the lanai door open (with screen closed) at night and listen to the waves. Very nice.
Service was great and very friendly throughout the resort. Parking (valet and regular) is free, and there are no resort fees. The lobby and common areas are not spectacular like some resorts, but they are still spacious and tasteful, with plenty of foliage, running water, noisy birds, etc.
The pool itself isn't particularly notable, but what was notable was the relatively quiet and relaxed feeling around the pool. We walked around plenty of resorts (on this and past trips) and were put off by the wall-to-wall people on lounge chairs filling the pool decks, grassy areas, etc. Even on a really nice afternoon, the pool area at the Prince was only moderately populated. The beach is, IMHO, unbeatable.
We didn't sample the higher end restaurants, but the pool bar serves decent fare (grilled pool-side and better than I recall from last year), and there is a cafe/snack bar with a variety of options for breakfast. Its location in Makena, away from the major resorts, contributes to the quiet feel, but it it is just a five minute drive from everything at Wailea. And, of course, it is about half the price of the higher end-resorts, while still offering many of the same amenities. I would certainly stay here again.
Food
We aren't big eaters (particularly my mother), so I can't offer much here. I did manage to get my fill of fish tacos and fruity drinks over the course of 4+ days. We ate at the hotel at least half of the time. Meals out included:
-Kula Lodge--a repeat visit for us on our drive up-country. We lucked out with a table at the window again, although there were more clouds (and less view) this time.
-Rusty Harpoon in Ka'anapali--the best part was a seat (at lunch) at the rail with a view of the beach and some distant whale activity
-Matteo's--a casual Italian restaurant that has moved into the former Chart House space in Wailea. Recommended by one of the bellmen at the hotel. Inexpensive and decent pizza.
-Old Lahaina Luau, which I'll cover later under activities.
Activities to come later....
Apr 8th, 2007, 06:01 AM
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Here's the rest of the report...
What we didn't do....the road to Hana. It's, of course, a lovely drive with some great places to stop, but each of the four times I've done it, I've done all of the driving--including the time when the fuel pump went out in the rental car, stranding us hours from nowhere (in the age before mobile phones). With a 14-year-old who tends toward car sickness and my mother (in her 70s), this wouldn't have been any different. I've sworn that the next time I take that drive, I will be in the passenger's seat. We also didn't go all the way up to the crater. I've done that the last two times (and, again, all the driving). Last year, DD and I walked a couple of miles in on Sliding Sands, which was amazing...well, until the clouds rolled over the edge and began pelting us with sleet and reducing visibility to mere feet on the way out (an occurrence for which we really weren't properly dressed). And we didn't do any major hikes or adventure-type activities, as my mother probably wouldn't have been able to handle those.
What we did do....
Sit by the pool or on the lanai reading (or doing some work in my case), enjoying the sights, sounds and smells--and, of course, the mai tais.
Take leisurely walks along the Wailea and Ka'anapali paths, with some rest stops in the various resorts and a little light resort shopping--mostly for mom. Our celebrity moment came toward the end of the trip, at the ABC Store in the Shops at Wailea, when DD turned around while standing in line and found herself face-to-face with Mike Myers. Yeah, baby!
The Old Lahaina Luau. DD and I had reservations for this last year, and it was rained out. This year, the weather couldn't have been more beautiful--although I wouldn't say we had a stellar sunset that evening. The setting is lovely and everything is tastefully done. I reserved about six weeks in advance, and we had decent table seats in the second level (above the mat seating) directly on one side of the stage. I've previously been to a few luaus, plus the Feast at Lele. I thought this was very nice--entertainment, food, service, etc. Food was better than others I've been to, with the exception of the Feast. I particularly liked the ahi poke; could have made an entire meal out of that. I watched a bit of the luau at the Prince (which is held most nights, with several nights a week reserved for bus-loads of people from the cruise ships) from a nearby sidewalk. This was definitely much nicer. Anyway, the whole purpose of going was so DD could experience a luau, and she said she enjoyed it.
Snorkeling. We could have just done this off the beach at the Prince. Since this was just DD's second snorkeling experience and I want to get our snorkeling form sorted out before taking on the Great Barrier Reef in June, I decided instead to take an organized trip--the morning express trip with Kai Kanani out to Molokini. We wanted a quick trip so that mom, who isn't the snorkeling type, didn't have to wait too long for us. The nice thing about this trip is that it leaves directly from the beach at the Prince and gets out to Molokini before any of the other boats. We had 30+ minutes at the crater all to ourselves--just the 20 or so people on our boat. I've seen more abundant fish elsewhere (including right off Napili), but we did see quite a variety. The second stop is near "Turtle Town," just off the beach at the Prince. This was a real highlight for DD, being able to see 6-8 giant sea turtles swimming nearby. I was going to bring the waterproof case for the Canon A80 and test it out, but at the last minute I left it out of the bag. Darn!
This is a nice trip out--it leaves at 6:15am and is back by 8:45, so it doesn't really cut into the day at all. In addition to having the benefit of being at the crater before the crowds, I also think this is a fun operator to go out with. We did a couple of excursions with them last year, including one amazing whale watch trip. I think I posted about it here, somewhere, but basically, we were advised that we may not see whales do to it being late in the season (same time of year--late March). Well, unbeknownst to the crew at first, a female swam from somewhere and positioned herself immediately below the catamaran while the boat was stopped--presumably, uh, using it to shield herself from six or seven males who were in hot pursuit. For the next hour, we didn't move, watching in awe as all the males circled the boat, coming at times within inches of it. I thought about going out on the trip again this year but figured we'd never be able to top last year's experience.
Maui Ocean Center. This was my first time here. It's a bit on the pricey side ($60+ for the three of us), but we enjoyed it very much and DD got a lot out of the exhibits--again, probably a good learning experience about reef life before setting off for Australia. This would be a great place to take younger kids, too.
For the trip home, we did something that I would not recommend for anyone but the hardiest of road warriors: two red-eye flights in two nights, in economy (oh okay, Economy Plus)! We had a three-segment flight back to Phoenix, leaving Friday night and flying Maui-Honolulu on Aloha, then a red-eye United flight to San Francisco and a Ted flight to Phoenix--all of them right on time. The bonus was our take-off from SFO on Saturday morning, which produced stunning view of the city as we basically followed the coastline of the peninsula at low altitude. I was not in the window seat and didn't have my camera out, unfortunately. The second bonus was having enough time (and energy) in Scottsdale on Saturday afternoon to get a pizza at Patsy Grimaldi's, before heading to the airport for our second red-eye back to Chicago. Needless to say, I've been a little tired all week.
I think that's about it. I hope some of this might be helpful to future travelers. Like I said, not a tremendously action-packed trip, but a nice, quick getaway.
What we didn't do....the road to Hana. It's, of course, a lovely drive with some great places to stop, but each of the four times I've done it, I've done all of the driving--including the time when the fuel pump went out in the rental car, stranding us hours from nowhere (in the age before mobile phones). With a 14-year-old who tends toward car sickness and my mother (in her 70s), this wouldn't have been any different. I've sworn that the next time I take that drive, I will be in the passenger's seat. We also didn't go all the way up to the crater. I've done that the last two times (and, again, all the driving). Last year, DD and I walked a couple of miles in on Sliding Sands, which was amazing...well, until the clouds rolled over the edge and began pelting us with sleet and reducing visibility to mere feet on the way out (an occurrence for which we really weren't properly dressed). And we didn't do any major hikes or adventure-type activities, as my mother probably wouldn't have been able to handle those.
What we did do....
Sit by the pool or on the lanai reading (or doing some work in my case), enjoying the sights, sounds and smells--and, of course, the mai tais.
Take leisurely walks along the Wailea and Ka'anapali paths, with some rest stops in the various resorts and a little light resort shopping--mostly for mom. Our celebrity moment came toward the end of the trip, at the ABC Store in the Shops at Wailea, when DD turned around while standing in line and found herself face-to-face with Mike Myers. Yeah, baby!
The Old Lahaina Luau. DD and I had reservations for this last year, and it was rained out. This year, the weather couldn't have been more beautiful--although I wouldn't say we had a stellar sunset that evening. The setting is lovely and everything is tastefully done. I reserved about six weeks in advance, and we had decent table seats in the second level (above the mat seating) directly on one side of the stage. I've previously been to a few luaus, plus the Feast at Lele. I thought this was very nice--entertainment, food, service, etc. Food was better than others I've been to, with the exception of the Feast. I particularly liked the ahi poke; could have made an entire meal out of that. I watched a bit of the luau at the Prince (which is held most nights, with several nights a week reserved for bus-loads of people from the cruise ships) from a nearby sidewalk. This was definitely much nicer. Anyway, the whole purpose of going was so DD could experience a luau, and she said she enjoyed it.
Snorkeling. We could have just done this off the beach at the Prince. Since this was just DD's second snorkeling experience and I want to get our snorkeling form sorted out before taking on the Great Barrier Reef in June, I decided instead to take an organized trip--the morning express trip with Kai Kanani out to Molokini. We wanted a quick trip so that mom, who isn't the snorkeling type, didn't have to wait too long for us. The nice thing about this trip is that it leaves directly from the beach at the Prince and gets out to Molokini before any of the other boats. We had 30+ minutes at the crater all to ourselves--just the 20 or so people on our boat. I've seen more abundant fish elsewhere (including right off Napili), but we did see quite a variety. The second stop is near "Turtle Town," just off the beach at the Prince. This was a real highlight for DD, being able to see 6-8 giant sea turtles swimming nearby. I was going to bring the waterproof case for the Canon A80 and test it out, but at the last minute I left it out of the bag. Darn!
This is a nice trip out--it leaves at 6:15am and is back by 8:45, so it doesn't really cut into the day at all. In addition to having the benefit of being at the crater before the crowds, I also think this is a fun operator to go out with. We did a couple of excursions with them last year, including one amazing whale watch trip. I think I posted about it here, somewhere, but basically, we were advised that we may not see whales do to it being late in the season (same time of year--late March). Well, unbeknownst to the crew at first, a female swam from somewhere and positioned herself immediately below the catamaran while the boat was stopped--presumably, uh, using it to shield herself from six or seven males who were in hot pursuit. For the next hour, we didn't move, watching in awe as all the males circled the boat, coming at times within inches of it. I thought about going out on the trip again this year but figured we'd never be able to top last year's experience.
Maui Ocean Center. This was my first time here. It's a bit on the pricey side ($60+ for the three of us), but we enjoyed it very much and DD got a lot out of the exhibits--again, probably a good learning experience about reef life before setting off for Australia. This would be a great place to take younger kids, too.
For the trip home, we did something that I would not recommend for anyone but the hardiest of road warriors: two red-eye flights in two nights, in economy (oh okay, Economy Plus)! We had a three-segment flight back to Phoenix, leaving Friday night and flying Maui-Honolulu on Aloha, then a red-eye United flight to San Francisco and a Ted flight to Phoenix--all of them right on time. The bonus was our take-off from SFO on Saturday morning, which produced stunning view of the city as we basically followed the coastline of the peninsula at low altitude. I was not in the window seat and didn't have my camera out, unfortunately. The second bonus was having enough time (and energy) in Scottsdale on Saturday afternoon to get a pizza at Patsy Grimaldi's, before heading to the airport for our second red-eye back to Chicago. Needless to say, I've been a little tired all week.
I think that's about it. I hope some of this might be helpful to future travelers. Like I said, not a tremendously action-packed trip, but a nice, quick getaway.
Apr 8th, 2007, 06:32 AM
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Thanks ms. We were in Maui in late February and stayed just up the street from the Maui Prince in a rental house. Love that beach! We'd walk down every morning and drink our coffee on the beach. We went snorkeling early one morning around the rocks to the left side of the beach and saw several turtles too. One was the largest I have ever seen. I was impressed with the snorkeling in that area. We walked around the Prince a bit and liked it too. We are not hotel people generally, but we'd stay there as it was low-key enough and the beach was spectacular. I'm glad that you avoided the rain this time!
Bill
Bill
