Kureiff's Maui Trip Report
Jun 6th, 2008, 08:22 AM
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Kureiff's Maui Trip Report
Dates: May 13th thru May 20th (originally) but it turned into May 13th through May 21st.
Who: Husband (N), myself, and our four year old daughter, K. My parents also joined us half way through our stay.
What: N and I didn't have plans to visit Maui. We were planning a trip to Kauai in September to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, but then I found a CLE in Maui.
If I attended the CLE, my employer would pay my airfare, most of our lodging, and for our rental car. We had enough miles for N and K to get tickets, so our anniversary trip for two to Kauai morphed into a family vacation to Maui.
Where we stayed: Kaanapali Royal condominiums. We rented a 2 bed/2 bath condo through VRBO.
Overall impression: This was our first real family vacation. We usually leave our daughter at home with her grandparents when we travel (please feel free to insert your bad parent comments here).
We visited the Big Island a few years ago, and we loved it. It's hard for me to compare Maui and the Big Island because our vacations were so different. We did a lot of driving and hiking and snorkelling and boogie boarding on the Big Island.
This time, we had our daughter along and she wanted to play on the beach and not drive and not hike and not snorkel and not boogie board. We couldn't move as quickly as wanted, and we had to make sure she was fed at regular intervals (what an inconvenience).
Also, I had to attend classes four of the mornings we were there.
Maui is beautiful. It's so green and lush. The beaches are plentiful and gorgeous. But we didn't get to snorkel or hike very much. Maui is more compact and there's a lot to do. I think I prefer the Big Island, or maybe I just prefer vacations without a four year old.
Go ahead, insert more bad parent comments. Also, I prefer vacations where I don't have to attend class in the mornings.
Who: Husband (N), myself, and our four year old daughter, K. My parents also joined us half way through our stay.
What: N and I didn't have plans to visit Maui. We were planning a trip to Kauai in September to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, but then I found a CLE in Maui.
If I attended the CLE, my employer would pay my airfare, most of our lodging, and for our rental car. We had enough miles for N and K to get tickets, so our anniversary trip for two to Kauai morphed into a family vacation to Maui.
Where we stayed: Kaanapali Royal condominiums. We rented a 2 bed/2 bath condo through VRBO.
Overall impression: This was our first real family vacation. We usually leave our daughter at home with her grandparents when we travel (please feel free to insert your bad parent comments here).
We visited the Big Island a few years ago, and we loved it. It's hard for me to compare Maui and the Big Island because our vacations were so different. We did a lot of driving and hiking and snorkelling and boogie boarding on the Big Island.
This time, we had our daughter along and she wanted to play on the beach and not drive and not hike and not snorkel and not boogie board. We couldn't move as quickly as wanted, and we had to make sure she was fed at regular intervals (what an inconvenience).
Also, I had to attend classes four of the mornings we were there. Maui is beautiful. It's so green and lush. The beaches are plentiful and gorgeous. But we didn't get to snorkel or hike very much. Maui is more compact and there's a lot to do. I think I prefer the Big Island, or maybe I just prefer vacations without a four year old.
Go ahead, insert more bad parent comments. Also, I prefer vacations where I don't have to attend class in the mornings.
Jun 6th, 2008, 08:38 AM
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It would be helpful if you would mention the restaurants where you ate, what you had that was good/bad, an estimate of the prices, the beaches you went to, etc. When planning for Hawaii, the more specifics, the better.
Jun 6th, 2008, 08:42 AM
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Day 1: We got up at 4 am to get to the airport 5 am for our 6 am flight. Flying out of MT sucks. To use our FF miles, we have to use an airport three hours from home, so we ended up staying with my in-laws who live an hour from this particular airport. They graciously drive us to the airport at 5 in the morning. And they watch our dog for the week.
Our flights are fine, and K is excited to fly on an airplane for about 30 minutes of our first flight. Then she goes to sleep. We change planes in Denver and LAX and then fly to OGG.
We arrive on time (4:30 pm), and Maui is so beautiful and green. I'm in awe of the green, green mountains around Kahalui. It's definitely a different experience than flying into Kona, isn't it?
N goes to retrieve the rental car (an ugly, ugly minivan I pricelined for $19/day through Alamo), and K and I wait to get our bags. While we're waiting, I keep smelling rum. I look at the people standing around us and wonder how many mai tais they consumed on the plane. I also notice that people keep glancing at me. *shrug*
K and I grab the bags (well, mostly I do the carrying since K's four years old and all, but she manages her backpack and bear). I can still smell rum. We load the bags and head to Kaanapali, our mini van smells like rum. And K wants to know when we're going to get to the condo. She's worn out.
We get to our condo at about 6 pm, and it's beautiful. We rented through VRBO. The condo has two bedrooms, both with king beds and a each bedroom has its own bathroom. The kitchen was recently redone with granite countertops and new cabinets. The living room and dining areas have also been redone, with new carpet, tile floors, big screen plasma t.v., new furniture, etc. The condo is very nice. There's a large lanai with a gas grill. The ocean is visible from the lanai. The condo complex is quiet, and our unit is on the 16th fairway looking out toward Kaanapali beach. We paid $250/night (tax included).
We start unpacking, and I discover the source of the rum odor. I had ordered a mai tai on the plane, but didn't add much rum to my drink. I stuck the mini rum bottle in my backpack, and it leaked all over the backpack. I'm sure everyone at the baggage carousel was super-impressed with the mom that reaked of rum.
quot;>
Our flights are fine, and K is excited to fly on an airplane for about 30 minutes of our first flight. Then she goes to sleep. We change planes in Denver and LAX and then fly to OGG.
We arrive on time (4:30 pm), and Maui is so beautiful and green. I'm in awe of the green, green mountains around Kahalui. It's definitely a different experience than flying into Kona, isn't it?
N goes to retrieve the rental car (an ugly, ugly minivan I pricelined for $19/day through Alamo), and K and I wait to get our bags. While we're waiting, I keep smelling rum. I look at the people standing around us and wonder how many mai tais they consumed on the plane. I also notice that people keep glancing at me. *shrug*
K and I grab the bags (well, mostly I do the carrying since K's four years old and all, but she manages her backpack and bear). I can still smell rum. We load the bags and head to Kaanapali, our mini van smells like rum. And K wants to know when we're going to get to the condo. She's worn out.
We get to our condo at about 6 pm, and it's beautiful. We rented through VRBO. The condo has two bedrooms, both with king beds and a each bedroom has its own bathroom. The kitchen was recently redone with granite countertops and new cabinets. The living room and dining areas have also been redone, with new carpet, tile floors, big screen plasma t.v., new furniture, etc. The condo is very nice. There's a large lanai with a gas grill. The ocean is visible from the lanai. The condo complex is quiet, and our unit is on the 16th fairway looking out toward Kaanapali beach. We paid $250/night (tax included).
We start unpacking, and I discover the source of the rum odor. I had ordered a mai tai on the plane, but didn't add much rum to my drink. I stuck the mini rum bottle in my backpack, and it leaked all over the backpack. I'm sure everyone at the baggage carousel was super-impressed with the mom that reaked of rum.
quot;>
Jun 6th, 2008, 08:51 AM
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We decided on the Hula Grill for dinner (thanks to all of your recommendations). We hurried down to Whaler's Village, and we waited 40 minutes for a table in the bar/grill area.
The Hula Grill has a great location right on Kaanapali Beach. The bar/grill area is in the sand looking out on the ocean. Honestly, we were so tired, the atmosphere was a little lost on us. We ordered a pizza, mahi mahi fish sticks, and some fries, plus a beer, glass of wine, and some milk for around $60. The food wasn't great, but the view is certainly spectacular.
Then we went home and went to bed.
The Hula Grill has a great location right on Kaanapali Beach. The bar/grill area is in the sand looking out on the ocean. Honestly, we were so tired, the atmosphere was a little lost on us. We ordered a pizza, mahi mahi fish sticks, and some fries, plus a beer, glass of wine, and some milk for around $60. The food wasn't great, but the view is certainly spectacular.
Then we went home and went to bed.
Jun 6th, 2008, 08:52 AM
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"I'm sure everyone at the baggage carousel was super-impressed with the mom that reaked of rum."
Who cares, you'll never see them again, right?!
Enjoying your report so far, Kureiff. Looking forward to more!
Who cares, you'll never see them again, right?!
Enjoying your report so far, Kureiff. Looking forward to more!
Jun 6th, 2008, 09:04 AM
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Day 2:
K is up at 5:30 am. You've gotta love that time change. We hang out on the lanai and drink coffee (well, I do) while N runs to Safeway in Lahaina for breakfast food.
We hit Kaanapali Beach at 7 am. We're close enough to walk; it's about a mile to the beach from our condo, but we drive and park in the Sheraton beach parking lot. We spend three hours at the beach playing in the water and digging in the sand. K is not quite sure how to comprehend the size of the ocean, and she tells us that it's a very big river. The beach offers unlimited sand, digging, and waves; K is in heaven.
After three hours, we hose K off and then head back to Kahalui for groceries. We like the drive between Kaanapali and Kahalui, the ocean views are amazing.
We drive up to Paia, and we have lunch at the Paia Fish Market. It's a great place for lunch: small, friendly, and good food. I have the ono burger. N has mahi mahi fish chips. K has fries. K adores fries almost as much as she adores digging in the sand. I also have a CoCoNut Porter, and I decide I adore it as much as K adores sand and fries. N has some wine. Total bill: $35.
We walk around Paia for a while. It's a great town, and it reminds us a lot of Missoula, MT, except, you know, Missoula's colder and there isn't an ocean nearby. We stop for gelato across the street from the Paia Fish Market. Three gelato's for $12. We also stop at the wine store, for some CoCoNut Porter and wine. I'm a little shocked at the prices, so we don't buy anything.
We stop at a beach between Paia and Kahalui, and we play in the sand some more.
Then we do the Costco and Walmart runs. I hate to grocery shop, and we're all a little cranky by the time we're done. But we're well stocked in wine, fish, and food (and CoCoNut Porter) for the week.
We head back to Kaanapali, and we grill ono for dinner. We walk down to the beach and watch the sunset. K gets in a little more digging in the sand, too.
K is up at 5:30 am. You've gotta love that time change. We hang out on the lanai and drink coffee (well, I do) while N runs to Safeway in Lahaina for breakfast food.
We hit Kaanapali Beach at 7 am. We're close enough to walk; it's about a mile to the beach from our condo, but we drive and park in the Sheraton beach parking lot. We spend three hours at the beach playing in the water and digging in the sand. K is not quite sure how to comprehend the size of the ocean, and she tells us that it's a very big river. The beach offers unlimited sand, digging, and waves; K is in heaven.
After three hours, we hose K off and then head back to Kahalui for groceries. We like the drive between Kaanapali and Kahalui, the ocean views are amazing.
We drive up to Paia, and we have lunch at the Paia Fish Market. It's a great place for lunch: small, friendly, and good food. I have the ono burger. N has mahi mahi fish chips. K has fries. K adores fries almost as much as she adores digging in the sand. I also have a CoCoNut Porter, and I decide I adore it as much as K adores sand and fries. N has some wine. Total bill: $35.
We walk around Paia for a while. It's a great town, and it reminds us a lot of Missoula, MT, except, you know, Missoula's colder and there isn't an ocean nearby. We stop for gelato across the street from the Paia Fish Market. Three gelato's for $12. We also stop at the wine store, for some CoCoNut Porter and wine. I'm a little shocked at the prices, so we don't buy anything.
We stop at a beach between Paia and Kahalui, and we play in the sand some more.
Then we do the Costco and Walmart runs. I hate to grocery shop, and we're all a little cranky by the time we're done. But we're well stocked in wine, fish, and food (and CoCoNut Porter) for the week.
We head back to Kaanapali, and we grill ono for dinner. We walk down to the beach and watch the sunset. K gets in a little more digging in the sand, too.
Jun 6th, 2008, 09:25 AM
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Day 3
I have to get up early for class. My classes are at the Hyatt. It's a beautiful hotel at the south end of Kaanapali Beach. However, the beach in front of the hotel isn't very nice: steep, rocks, and seaweed. The Sheraton at the north end of the beach has the nicest beach; it's wide, not steep, no rocks, and it has great snorkelling, too.
I walk to class; it's about a mile and a quarter from our condo. I love all the flowers. I want to move to Hawaii, just so I can smell the flowers in the air all the time.
N & K spend more time playing on Kaanapali beach, and then they go to Napili and check out the beaches there. K gets some good digging in while I spend the morning at class.
We meet at the condo at noon, have some lunch, and then we drive to Kihei and Wailea and Makena after a stop in Lahaina to get a view finder boogie board for K.
The resorts around Wailea are huge! The beaches are nice, too. We'd like to spend more time looking around, but K is ready for more beach time. We stop at a small beach in Makena near the Maui Prince and we park by a beautiful stone church.
N gets K on her boogie board and takes her out to see a sea turtle. K is impressed, but not as impressed as she is with digging in the sand and hauling water. She returns to the beach, and N and I take turns digging in the sand with K and snorkelling.
Back to the condo for dinner (sushi from FoodMart this time) and wine. We all go to bed early.
I have to get up early for class. My classes are at the Hyatt. It's a beautiful hotel at the south end of Kaanapali Beach. However, the beach in front of the hotel isn't very nice: steep, rocks, and seaweed. The Sheraton at the north end of the beach has the nicest beach; it's wide, not steep, no rocks, and it has great snorkelling, too.
I walk to class; it's about a mile and a quarter from our condo. I love all the flowers. I want to move to Hawaii, just so I can smell the flowers in the air all the time.
N & K spend more time playing on Kaanapali beach, and then they go to Napili and check out the beaches there. K gets some good digging in while I spend the morning at class.
We meet at the condo at noon, have some lunch, and then we drive to Kihei and Wailea and Makena after a stop in Lahaina to get a view finder boogie board for K.
The resorts around Wailea are huge! The beaches are nice, too. We'd like to spend more time looking around, but K is ready for more beach time. We stop at a small beach in Makena near the Maui Prince and we park by a beautiful stone church.
N gets K on her boogie board and takes her out to see a sea turtle. K is impressed, but not as impressed as she is with digging in the sand and hauling water. She returns to the beach, and N and I take turns digging in the sand with K and snorkelling.
Back to the condo for dinner (sushi from FoodMart this time) and wine. We all go to bed early.
Jun 6th, 2008, 09:33 AM
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You really are a terrible mother!!!!!
Don't you know that your precious dear could get carpal tunnel fingers from all that digging in the sand?!!!
Not even ganna mention the rum soaked landing lush mama.......
Very good writing!
Don't you know that your precious dear could get carpal tunnel fingers from all that digging in the sand?!!!
Not even ganna mention the rum soaked landing lush mama.......
Very good writing!
Jun 6th, 2008, 09:41 AM
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Day 4
I get up early and run a couple miles along the golf course and the beach on the north side of Black Rock. Then I walk to class.
N and K walk to Kaanapali Beach and spend the morning playing. After I'm done with class, I take the beach walk and find them near the Sheraton. They've constructed giant lawn chairs out of sand in the three hours that I've been in class.
We eat lunch at the condo, and then we drive to Lahaina. We spend some time playing at the Banyan Tree park. The tree is amazing, and covers an entire park with it's root systems.
We spend some time walking around Lahaina, and we fuel up on Lappert's Ice Cream ($8 for three cones).
My parents have been on the Big Island for five days, and they're flying into Maui today to spend four days with us. We call them, and they've just arrived at the condo, so we head back to meet them.
We walk down to Kaanapali beach, play in the sand, and we take turns snorkelling. We see five giant sea turtles munching on algae. It's amazing, and I'm so glad that I'm able to see these turtles swimming around, eating, and bobbing in the surf.
We head back to the condo for dinner: grilled steaks, grilled portobello mushrooms, and grilled mahi mahi and lots of wine for dinner. We watch the sunset from our lanai.
K wants to know if we can live here forever. I wish we could.
I get up early and run a couple miles along the golf course and the beach on the north side of Black Rock. Then I walk to class.
N and K walk to Kaanapali Beach and spend the morning playing. After I'm done with class, I take the beach walk and find them near the Sheraton. They've constructed giant lawn chairs out of sand in the three hours that I've been in class.
We eat lunch at the condo, and then we drive to Lahaina. We spend some time playing at the Banyan Tree park. The tree is amazing, and covers an entire park with it's root systems.
We spend some time walking around Lahaina, and we fuel up on Lappert's Ice Cream ($8 for three cones).
My parents have been on the Big Island for five days, and they're flying into Maui today to spend four days with us. We call them, and they've just arrived at the condo, so we head back to meet them.
We walk down to Kaanapali beach, play in the sand, and we take turns snorkelling. We see five giant sea turtles munching on algae. It's amazing, and I'm so glad that I'm able to see these turtles swimming around, eating, and bobbing in the surf.
We head back to the condo for dinner: grilled steaks, grilled portobello mushrooms, and grilled mahi mahi and lots of wine for dinner. We watch the sunset from our lanai.
K wants to know if we can live here forever. I wish we could.
Jun 6th, 2008, 11:58 AM
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Day 5
I get up early and run 2.5 miles. When I walk back in the condo, my parents are on the phone. They had just received a call saying my little brother was being taken to the hospital for a concussion. He's a goalie, and he was kicked in the head. It turns out that his jaw was broken and had to be wired shut, but the concussion wasn't too bad.
My parents plan on flying home that day, but they get calls from my sisters who are taking care of everything and family friends saying to stay, everything is under control. After talking to my brother later in the day, they decide to stay in Hawaii rather than fly home early.
It was a stressful morning, especially for my mom. And we're so thankful for family and for friends that are like family. Everything worked out fine.
So, anyway, more class for me in the morning. N, K, and my parents spend most of the morning in the condo and on the phone. Once my brother is home and settled in for the evening (time change again), they take a drive north of Napili but still south of Kapalua and stop at a beach to do some boogie boarding. The boogie boarding is very good on this beach: good waves, long rides, but you don't get slammed into the sand.
We meet for lunch and beers at the condo, and then we all head north (in the ugly minivan). We stop at the blowhole. It's very impressive, and shoots spray 30 feet in the air. Wow, just like Old Faithful, but it happens more than once an hour.
We continue north and stop at the Olivine Pools. The surf is pretty calm, and we walk down to the pools. K, N, and my dad go for a swim in one of the pools.
The ocean is stunning on the north shore of the island. It's so powerful and so blue. The vog has cleared and we can see quite a ways out.
My parents offer to babysit that evening, so we get reservations at I'O in Lahaina.
K and my parents walk to Whaler's Village to have dinner at McDonald's; K is thrilled to eat a hamburger and more fries. They also catch a hula show at the Whaler's Village, and K is riveted. She's very taken with the hula dancing.
N and I get showered and head to I'O. It's in the south end of Lahaina and right on the beach. We get there just as the sun is setting; this was our first nice sunset. The Vog had been terrible the first few days we were in Maui, and it had just started to clear up this afternoon.
We eat outside overlooking the harbor. We share an appetizer (can't remember what -- maybe calamari?). I had seared ahi encrusted with mac nuts. It was perfect, melt in your mouth ahi. Just like what you get in MT, in my dreams. N had a trio of mahi mahi, osso buco and filet mignon. The osso buco was excellent, and the mahi mahi came with a mushroom risotto that was also excellent. We shared a bottle of French rose, and we shared a chocolate dessert. Total came to around $160.
I'O is a great place to eat, and it's right next to the Feast at Lele luau. We were able to watch the dancers get ready and practice routines before going on stage right next door. And the music was great, too.
I get up early and run 2.5 miles. When I walk back in the condo, my parents are on the phone. They had just received a call saying my little brother was being taken to the hospital for a concussion. He's a goalie, and he was kicked in the head. It turns out that his jaw was broken and had to be wired shut, but the concussion wasn't too bad.
My parents plan on flying home that day, but they get calls from my sisters who are taking care of everything and family friends saying to stay, everything is under control. After talking to my brother later in the day, they decide to stay in Hawaii rather than fly home early.
It was a stressful morning, especially for my mom. And we're so thankful for family and for friends that are like family. Everything worked out fine.
So, anyway, more class for me in the morning. N, K, and my parents spend most of the morning in the condo and on the phone. Once my brother is home and settled in for the evening (time change again), they take a drive north of Napili but still south of Kapalua and stop at a beach to do some boogie boarding. The boogie boarding is very good on this beach: good waves, long rides, but you don't get slammed into the sand.
We meet for lunch and beers at the condo, and then we all head north (in the ugly minivan). We stop at the blowhole. It's very impressive, and shoots spray 30 feet in the air. Wow, just like Old Faithful, but it happens more than once an hour.
We continue north and stop at the Olivine Pools. The surf is pretty calm, and we walk down to the pools. K, N, and my dad go for a swim in one of the pools.
The ocean is stunning on the north shore of the island. It's so powerful and so blue. The vog has cleared and we can see quite a ways out.
My parents offer to babysit that evening, so we get reservations at I'O in Lahaina.
K and my parents walk to Whaler's Village to have dinner at McDonald's; K is thrilled to eat a hamburger and more fries. They also catch a hula show at the Whaler's Village, and K is riveted. She's very taken with the hula dancing.
N and I get showered and head to I'O. It's in the south end of Lahaina and right on the beach. We get there just as the sun is setting; this was our first nice sunset. The Vog had been terrible the first few days we were in Maui, and it had just started to clear up this afternoon.
We eat outside overlooking the harbor. We share an appetizer (can't remember what -- maybe calamari?). I had seared ahi encrusted with mac nuts. It was perfect, melt in your mouth ahi. Just like what you get in MT, in my dreams.
N had a trio of mahi mahi, osso buco and filet mignon. The osso buco was excellent, and the mahi mahi came with a mushroom risotto that was also excellent. We shared a bottle of French rose, and we shared a chocolate dessert. Total came to around $160. I'O is a great place to eat, and it's right next to the Feast at Lele luau. We were able to watch the dancers get ready and practice routines before going on stage right next door. And the music was great, too.
Jun 6th, 2008, 02:11 PM
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Day 6
I skip class, and we decide to drive the Road to Hana. We leave Kaanapali around 7 am, and we stop in Paia for gas.
So...the Road to Hana. It's beautiful. It's green. The ocean is so blue. It's truly breathtaking.
But it also takes a long time to drive to Hana. The road has many twists and turns, one lane bridges, and there are lots of other people driving to Hana, too.
I think, for us, it maybe wasn't a worthwhile drive. We can drive narrow, one lane mountain roads all the time at home; we were comfortable with the driving and roads like that are not a novelty to us. Of course, the view is different. But we were a little tired of all the people and all the cars; we're not used to that.
Also, it hadn't rained in several days, so the waterfalls were tiny or non-existent. I had spent most of my mornings sitting in class, and I really didn't feel like sitting in the car all day, either.
K also wasn't quite sure why we were riding in the car and not doing something fun...like digging in the sand.
We stop several times, buy some banana bread, and we stop at the black sand beach and have a picnic lunch. K plays in the sand for a while, and then we turn around and head to Paia again.
It truly is a beautiful drive. I just think between K, class, and all the people, it just wasn't what we wanted to do that day. I would have enjoyed the drive if it would've been just me and N and a convertible rather than a minivan.
Back in Paia, we get gelato and ice cream. We drive to Kaanapali, and reapply some sunscreen and head north to the boogie boarding beach between Napili and Kapalua. My parents decide to meet us there.
K plays in the sand. N and I take turns boogie boarding. My parents show up, and my mom plays with K in the sand while the rest of us boogie board. K swims for a while, too, and we watch a sea turtle float in the surf.
It's dinner time, and mom and dad stop at a grocery store on our way home. They find some striped mahi mahi and some ahi, so we grill the fish, a couple of steaks, some shrimp, and have a few bottles of wine on the lanai while we watch the sun go down.
Every night, we can hear the dinner show at the Sheraton. It's great to listen to the music from our lanai and watch the stars come out.
I skip class, and we decide to drive the Road to Hana. We leave Kaanapali around 7 am, and we stop in Paia for gas.
So...the Road to Hana. It's beautiful. It's green. The ocean is so blue. It's truly breathtaking.
But it also takes a long time to drive to Hana. The road has many twists and turns, one lane bridges, and there are lots of other people driving to Hana, too.
I think, for us, it maybe wasn't a worthwhile drive. We can drive narrow, one lane mountain roads all the time at home; we were comfortable with the driving and roads like that are not a novelty to us. Of course, the view is different. But we were a little tired of all the people and all the cars; we're not used to that.
Also, it hadn't rained in several days, so the waterfalls were tiny or non-existent. I had spent most of my mornings sitting in class, and I really didn't feel like sitting in the car all day, either.
K also wasn't quite sure why we were riding in the car and not doing something fun...like digging in the sand.
We stop several times, buy some banana bread, and we stop at the black sand beach and have a picnic lunch. K plays in the sand for a while, and then we turn around and head to Paia again.
It truly is a beautiful drive. I just think between K, class, and all the people, it just wasn't what we wanted to do that day. I would have enjoyed the drive if it would've been just me and N and a convertible rather than a minivan.
Back in Paia, we get gelato and ice cream. We drive to Kaanapali, and reapply some sunscreen and head north to the boogie boarding beach between Napili and Kapalua. My parents decide to meet us there.
K plays in the sand. N and I take turns boogie boarding. My parents show up, and my mom plays with K in the sand while the rest of us boogie board. K swims for a while, too, and we watch a sea turtle float in the surf.
It's dinner time, and mom and dad stop at a grocery store on our way home. They find some striped mahi mahi and some ahi, so we grill the fish, a couple of steaks, some shrimp, and have a few bottles of wine on the lanai while we watch the sun go down.
Every night, we can hear the dinner show at the Sheraton. It's great to listen to the music from our lanai and watch the stars come out.
Jun 6th, 2008, 07:05 PM
#15
This is such a wonderful report. I've LOLed at every "digging in the sand" reference. I completely agree about the Road to Hana. And, I LOVED this one -
"It was perfect, melt in your mouth ahi. Just like what you get in MT, in my dreams."
Hey, if you go back and need a honorary Fodors grandmother for baby-sitting, just give a shout
I agree Maui is green, but I still like the Big Island best.
"It was perfect, melt in your mouth ahi. Just like what you get in MT, in my dreams."
Hey, if you go back and need a honorary Fodors grandmother for baby-sitting, just give a shout
I agree Maui is green, but I still like the Big Island best.
Jun 7th, 2008, 08:29 AM
#16
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I'm really enjoying your report. We always go to the BI which is our favorite but are thinking of going back to Maui next time (it has been about 20 years) just to do something different.
You mentioned that you like the beach at the Maui Prince, but what do you think of the hotel? Would you stay there?
You mentioned that you like the beach at the Maui Prince, but what do you think of the hotel? Would you stay there?
Jun 13th, 2008, 11:30 AM
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The Maui Prince should be nicer than it is. The building and location are really good, but the pool is not that great. The Jacuzzi's are pretty pathetic. You have this billion dollar building a location and then a couple 1000 dollar stand up hot tubs. Pretty sad.
Feb 17th, 2011, 07:47 AM
#20
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Topping for Mommytravel.
I never got around to finishing my trip report. We ended up getting to stay an extra day in Maui because there was a car wreck between Lahaina and Kahalui that stopped traffic for three hours, and we missed our plane. My parents had the condo for an extra night since they were leaving the day after us, and I had messed up the dates on our Priceline reservation for the minivan, so we had it an extra day. Dumb luck.
We spent the extra time digging in the sand, visiting the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua (where we paid $12 for fries for K), and doing some extra snorkeling around Black Rock before heading to the airport (again) to fly home.
I never got around to finishing my trip report. We ended up getting to stay an extra day in Maui because there was a car wreck between Lahaina and Kahalui that stopped traffic for three hours, and we missed our plane. My parents had the condo for an extra night since they were leaving the day after us, and I had messed up the dates on our Priceline reservation for the minivan, so we had it an extra day. Dumb luck.
We spent the extra time digging in the sand, visiting the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua (where we paid $12 for fries for K), and doing some extra snorkeling around Black Rock before heading to the airport (again) to fly home.
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