Our Maui itinerary - critique away!
 

My parents will be meeting my husband and me on Maui. This is how our itinerary is looking so far:

<b>Dec 20</b> - Arrive San Diego 10:30am - Hotel - Manchester Grand Hyatt
<b>Dec 21</b> - Arrive Maui 12:30 pm-Hotel-Kaanapali Beach Hotel
<b>Dec 22</b> - Haleakala for sunrise. Tour upcountry
<b>Dec 23</b> - Whale watch with Trilogy at 1:30
<b>Dec 24</b> - Feast at Lele 5:30
<b>Dec 25</b> - I've made dinner reservations at Pacific 'O for 5:30. Also at Sonz at the Hyatt Swan Court for 7:15. Which would you choose?
<b>Dec 26</b> - Having family photos taken at 4:30, then off to see our wedding minister Wilmont, who married us on Maui in 2005. Such a nice man, can’t wait to see him again.
<b>Dec 27</b> - Day trip to Oahu-Leave 6:30 am, return, 7:30 pm. Tour Pearl Harbor, etc. and anything else we can fit into the day
<b>Dec 28</b> - Free day to snorkel, beach hop, then browse the galleries for art night in Lahaina
<b>Dec 29</b> - Golf at Wailea’s Emerald Course-tee time 10:50.
<b>Dec 30</b> - Road to Hana with parents
<b>Dec 31</b> - Dad’s Birthday and NYE. Have dinner res at the Plantation House-5:30pm
<b>Dec 1</b> - May return to explore more on the Road to Hana without parents, more hiking, etc. My husband would do this every day if we could. I think our next trip we will spend a few nights in Hana.
<b>Dec 2</b> - Free day
<b>Dec 3</b> - Return :( We will have one night in Vegas. Staying at the Monte Carlo
<b>Dec 4</b> - Back in Dallas!

With our free time we will do some snorkeling at Black Rock, visit different beaches, visit Iao Needle, and just RELAX. Basically, just do what ever appeals to our mood at the time.

Time is going by too fast already!

Any suggestions or recommendations are appreciated. Also, anyone know of a fun place to go for NYE night after dinner?

You sure are busy bees. We loved the feast at Lele.(they have a website).We loved Pearl Harbor.
We did not love the road to Hana.
have fun.

We loved the Road to Hana and Pearl Harbor. Attending a luau leaves us absolutely cold. I'm only saying you have to do what's of interest to you. When I go to Maui I spend a LOT more time on the beach than you are planning!

I would slow down a little. Maui is wonderful for just sightseeing at your own pace, enjoying the beach as the above post mention, and taking life a little slow.
If you overschedule and don't take time to just kick back and enjoy, you will miss what the island is all about.

MrsJenn, I think your schedule is a particularly good one, when I 'read between the lines.' Though you have things scheduled almost every day, you still have free time before or after that you can 'hang loose' on most of them. The Feast at Lele should be perfect for Christmas Eve, and I would probably choose &quot;Pacific 'O&quot; for Christmas dinner (because friends raved about it!) Have a super trip! (Be sure to take your hotel blanket and some coffee to stay warm on Haleakala!)

Thanks for the replies!
Yes, it does seem like there are tons of things scheduled, but like elsiemoo said, we really do have lots of free time if you &quot;read between the lines&quot;, like one day we just have a 2 hour whale watch, and most days we just have plans for dinner.
Of course, as with most vacations, things usually just happen based on how we feel that day.
Probably what is throwing most of you is the second day to Hana. I understand what you mean because I'd love to just lounge on the beach that day too. However, if hubby feels he didn't get enough of it while with my parents, I'm more than happy to do it again. So, I put that in the schedule just to show him he had the option :)

I think we probably will go to Pacific 'O for Christmas dinner. They said they were having an 'A La Carte' menu for that day. Anyone know what that means?

Thanks again for all the tips!
-Jenn

We just returned from Maui yesterday. As far as the whale watch, the whales are just starting to return from Alaska. Not too much to see while we were there. A local advised us on two things, first try to book the trip in the morning. The tradewinds fire up in the afternoon and it can get quite rough. Second, if you enjoy snorkeling, go with Pacific Whale Foundation to Molokini and Turtle Arches. The boats are staffed with marine biologists and they will make sure you see whales as well as turtles and interesting fish.

Thanks for the tip mceby. It is a good idea to combing whale watching with a snorkel trip. We have been on a snorkel trip with Pacific before, so I know the Molokini one should be good!

MrsJenn:
Not sure if at all interested in shopping (for souvenirs) if you are I found the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet to have just about every thing you find every where else for a fraction of the price and you can always deal with them (http://www.alohastadium.hawaii.gov/) I understand they are open Wednesday, Saturday &amp; Sunday not sure if due to the holidays they will be open day you are there, but it’s worth finding out. If you go 2nd day to Hana try going to the Red Sand Beach I found this place to be beautiful but, don’t try to go with your parents since there is a section that is not easy (it’s not hard, but some people find it a little scary). Almost forgot the Swap meet is really close to Pearl Harbor. Hope this helps and enjoy your time in Maui. I think your itinerary is great.
Gina