Going to Maui for the first time over Thaksgiving. Staying @ Maui ElDorado, have 2 16yr old daughters, hubby are I have both been working long hours so we're looking for relaxation and fun- here is a tenative itinerary, please give suggestions:
Day 1 - Arrive @3:00pm. Pick up car, go to WalMart for groceries, beach stuff, check into condo, dinner @ Whalers Village
Day 2- Kaanapali beach. Teens want to take surfing lessons, my husband and I might parasail. Afternoon/evening shop in Lahaina, dinner in Lahaina.
Day 3 - Road to Hana, planning on driving all the way around, dinner @ Mama's Fish House (maybe if there is time)
Day 4- Drive to Wailea area, snorkle @ Ulna beach, dinner in Kihei
Day 5 - Hubby and I are doing the Haleakala bike ride, teens don't want to get up that early. No plans yet for afternoon or evening. (We are coming from the west coast so Hawaii is only 2 hrs ahead).
Day 6 - Snorkle cruise? It's Thanksgiving, don't where to eat for dinner. This is complicated by the fact that my husband is vegan. Girls would like to do a luau, but I can't see spending the $$--we've been to one before.
Day 7 - Last day but our flight doesn't leave until 10:00 pm. Thought we would probably go back to Kaanapali Beach.
Critique, suggestions, anything!

First, kudos to you for doing the bike trip! I am planning a triking trip which my husband has no interest in. Point being, do the things you want to do, while not interupting the flow of the trip. Life is short, sometimes toooooo short, so aloha, mahalo, let others spend time the way they wish, but don't allow them to mess with your mojo, adventures. My fave onto the airport place is Halliemaile General Store....or a return to Mama's. Just hang and have a wonderful time, with no rules...if someone needs to surf, then they should surf....if someone needs to.............then let them/.///////////

Sounds like a great trip!
I would recommend picking up an entertainment book for some of your activities. We used a coupon for UFO parasail and had a great time (take the highest flight offered it costs a little more but worth it. They also have surfing coupons as well. With those two coupons you paid for the book and then some.
Have you seen Warren and Annebelles?
Its most likely too late for reservations but you might give it a shot...its really a great show the whole family would enjoy.
Other than...unwind,relax, and dont eat the NENE on Thanksgiving!

One more thought...pick up Maui revealed if you havent already...Road to Hana wouldnt be the same without it.
(personally wouldnt bother with the CD tour available on the island...just my opinion though)ALOHA!

We did the entire road trip to Hana (all the way around) in a day and ate at Mama's at 7 pm - (be sure to make reservations for dinner (NOW). We started out from Kanaapali at 6 am and stopped at the gas station for the CD and free cooler of ice (I agree this is not necessary if you have the Maui revealed book (which we followed) the CD was just kind of an extra info and it sometimes confused us. We stopped in Hana for lunch - just a hot dog/ hamburger and soda. If I were to do it again, I would like to have spent a little time in Paia (the town in which Mama's is located). All the shops were closed there when we passed thru (too early in the morning at 6 am and too late by 7 pm). It almost might be a consideration to check it out when you arrive (since you'll already be near the airport). Also, find a place that has a bathroom in which to freshen up before dinner at Mama's - you'll want bathing suit attire for your trip along the road - stops at beaches and waterfalls - swimming in the waterfall pools (brrr they were cold). I took a sundress that I could slip on in the car (but I kinda felt like I needed a shower before "fine dining". Take your video camera if you have one - lots of nice sights and memories for your daughters. Yes, the back road is worth the trip (ONCE)- the sights were awesome. There is a Tommy Bahama store in Wailea w/ a restaurant that's worth having lunch or dinner in. We loved Duke's in Whaler's village - food was good and they have the best mai tai on four islands (in our opinion). Your girls will love shopping in Lahaina - beware! I'd recommend your last day that you spend some time in the town of Paia (again, near the airport). Have a great time!

What would anybody do in Paia? It is a little (very little ramshackle town that appears to be populated with hippie rejects from the 60's. Do people actually make a point of going there, and if so what do they do there ?

What do they do?

They eat bfast at Charlie's, stroll the shops and some worthy galleries and watch, if they are lucky, some world class wind and kite surfing, and we are talking holy xxx did you see that guy do that kinda stuff.!!!! If you're lucky enough to see some of the really talented ones, it is a treat and free!

FYI - We're 2 hours BEHIND the West coast, not ahead of it. So if it's 4pm in CA, it's 2pm in HI.

You could also watch some awesome windersufers do their stuff at Hookipa Beach. Jaws (a little further past Hookipa)is a major surf spot for the big wave surfers. On that note, make sure your daughters take surf lessons from a reputable company......the waves during the winter months are much different than during the summer when it's the ideal time for beginners to learn.
Besides Paia, you could explore Makawao, a little town in upcountry Maui wih quaint little shops and galleries. Make sure to stop at Kamoda's Bakery and get some goodies. They're famous for their cream puffs but they're usually sold out very early. They've got great long johns and malasada's too!

Kolohegirl,
You're absolutley right, about the time, I mispoke myself. Any recommendations on surfing lessons? I was thinking of Maui Ocean Activities only because they give a discount with my AOA gold card.

>What would anybody do in Paia?

*What* you ask? I just spent 7 days in Paia and it was not long enough! We surfed Pai'a, we shopped, we had lomi-lomis on the beach in front of our cottage, we surfed Ho'okipa, we lied on the beach, we explored tide pools in the rocks, we sat in a hot tub, and checked out the Buddhist temple. We ate at The Fish Market, at Milgros, at Charlies, and at Cafe Mambos. We took an early morning sunrise yoga class at the beach park. Every night we partied at the Sandbar and/or at Charlies, with live music--all within walking distance of our cottage.

What would anybody do in Paia? ha!

The reference was to the town of Paia itself. It appears that some or most of what you did was near Paia (like Ho'okipa) but not in the little town itself, or it was something that you could do anywhere on Maui (like eat and drink, shop, and sit in a hot tub). Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that it would take about five minutes to walk the length of the main street in Paia and you could visit every store in the town in an hour or less. That part of Maui is different and interesting but what is IN PAIA that would justify someone making a special visit there from say Kaanapali?

Just wanted to reiterate that you MUST ge the Maui Revealed book. That would be the first thing I would bring. It made our most recent trip to Maui the best by far. PS -- don't miss the Olivine Pools on your way around the island.

Actually, everything I said was done in Paia, except surfing Ho'okipa, which we would have done at 6 am if we were staying on the other side. Why go to Paia? Why go to Lahaina or Kaanapali? We spent 15 days on maui last trip and had no reason to go to either of those towns. We love Paia. We would have bought there if we could have found anything when we were house hunting. It's got aloha. It's got Charlie's! Where else you can find Wille Nelson jamming on a random Monday night? It's slower than the resort areas, but not as sleepy as Hana. Great food, affordable shopping and lots of aloha.

Aloha Rusty,

Just goes to show that bigger is not always better... personally, I like the small quaint hippy artsy one street towns... no crowds and pleasant to leisurely browse...

To each his own... much aloha to you Cindyrella... have a lovely trip!