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Trip Report: Maui - Sunrises, Whales, and Flash Floods

Travelers - Me - 31, Husband - 37, my parents, Mom - 57, Dad - had his 70th birthday New Year's Eve! We had all been to Maui two years ago for our wedding.

We were on Maui for two glorious weeks 12/21 - 01/03

12/21 - Arrival
We flew Hawaiian Airlines
from San Diego to Maui. We loved this airline! Once we arrived we picked up our must have convertible from Avis and headed for Kaanapali. Our hotel for this trip was the Kaanapali Beach Hotel (KBH). We arrived about 1:30, but our room would not be available until 3:00. What to do? We made the short walk from our hotel to Whaler's Village to the barefoot bar at the Hula Grill of course! My first lava flow, my first taste of sweet pineapple, and our first gaze of the beautiful ocean. Life is good!
We then checked in to our room at KBH. This is not a fancy resort, but we fell in love with the hotel and its staff. The room is nothing special, but very clean and comfortable. We had a nice ocean view from the balcony where we could also see black rock. There is a small fridge to keep drinks and snacks handy. The daily breakfast that was included with our room kept us full until dinner time most days. Every evening by the tiki bar at 6:30 there is a live show with a hula dance and singing until a little after 9:00 pm. It's a very short walk to Whaler's Village where you'll find tons of shopping and restaurants. Black Rock is just down the beach with great snorkeling. Turn down service every evening with cookies! We really felt at home here and would not hesitate to stay again. The staff really made our Christmas special (more about that later!).
My parents arrived that evening and we walked back to Whaler's Village and had a nice dinner at The Rusty Harpoon. We called it an early night since DH and I were to rise early in the morning for the sunrise!

12/22-Sunrise at Haleakala
We decided to do this our first morning because we knew we would be getting up early due to the time change. We left the hotel at about 4:30 am and arrived at the summit at about 5:45. It didn't take us quite as long to get there as we expected!
Wow, was I ever glad I packed gloves and caps! I couldn't believe how cold it was. We dressed in several layers and brought a hotel blanket along with us. The wind just cut right through it all. It was still dark when we arrived, but with flash light in hand we had to get out and run around like a couple of kids. It was so cool to be standing in the clouds. There were not a ton of people there with us, everyone was able to take a seat on the fence and enjoy. We had a great time making jokes with everyone about how cold we all were. Once the sun started rising we picked a spot to watch the world come alive. I can't explain how beautiful it was to watch the sunrise from above the clouds. It was so moving.
Once the sun was up and we all were thankful for the added warmth (although it was still VERY cold), we walk around the summit a bit. There was a ridge opposite the summit that we walked along. What happened then was incredible to us. With the sunlight behind us, we could see our shadows in front of us on the clouds for what seemed like eternity. Then, right around our shadow formed a circular rainbow. My husband had read about this in our guide book the day before and said we were lucky to be getting to see that as it only happens with the right conditions. Here it is described more clearly:
"The phenomenon known as 'Specter of the Brocken', or as a glory, can sometimes be seen from this vantage point. A Brocken Specter happens when the clouds are low, just below you, and the sun is behind you at just the right angle, casting your shadow onto the clouds—the glory is official when your shadow is ringed by a rainbow. The Brocken Specter phenomenon is most often encountered near sunset, and there are only a few places in the world where it is likely to occur, Haleakala being one of them. It can also be seen in Scotland and Germany—where it derived its name, Brocken, from the tallest peak in the Harz Mountains. Another common way to see a glory is from an airplane, where the shadow of the plane is reflected onto clouds, surrounded by a circular rainbow—very cool!"
Lucky for us it occurred at sunrise! It definitely made us stop and take the view in for quite some time!
On the way down, we stopped for breakfast at Kula Lodge. Great food, great view, plus they had a fire going to defrost us! We relaxed around the hotel the rest of the afternoon.

12/23 - Whale Watching
We had all morning to relax before our Whale Watch with Trilogy at 1:30. The trilogy loads from the beach right in front of our hotel, so it was very handy. We had a great time out on the water. We saw several whales, but none were breaching. We were about 20 yards from two whales that were blowing and floating along the top of the water. They hung out for a while before diving back down. We got some great photos of their tails before they went under water. My husband and I enjoyed hanging out on the trampoline area of the catamaran. Being out on the water was a lot of fun, but getting to see those whales was fantastic. I was worried we wouldn't see any at all! In the two hours we saw about 6 whales, and lots of "blows" out in the distance. We really enjoyed Trilogy. The crew was a lot of fun and very knowledgable.
That evening we had dinner at Leilani's. I have just two words for you...Hula Pie! YUMMMYY! That has to be the best stuff out there. The four of us ate it in record time. If you bring your receipt with you on your next visit you get a Hula Pie for free with two entrees! We couldn't refuse that offer!
My DH and I then went to Whaler's Village to do some window shopping. He found a map store that he just fell in love with. The lady who worked there knew everything there is to know about Texas history and it's maps. DH bought two and they arrived in the mail today.

12/24 - Snorkeling and Luau
Today was a day of relaxation for DH and me. My parents played golf at the Plantation Course, so my DH and I went snorkeling. We walked down the beach to Black Rock and as we were walking into the water DH saw something black at the bottom. He put his goggles on and saw that it was a sea urchin! He came really close to stepping on it, so watch out for them! He went up and told the guys putting out beach chairs at the Sheraton about it. They got a shovel and dug it up so nobody would step on it.
As soon as we put our snorkel gear on and started our under water viewing we spotted a turtle! How exciting! He floated around with the two of us for about 30 minutes. It was so fun to be the only two hanging out with him. We really enjoyed snorkeling at Black Rock. There were tons of fish all around us. We saw blow fish, sea cucumbers, and all kinds of things that I obviously don't know the names of.

We heard the surf was up at Honolua Bay, so we decided to go check out the surfers. They were right, great waves and tons of surfers to watch. We drove down the dirt road to where they all park and walked down a steep trail to watch them from an overlook. We stayed there for over an hour watching. They make it look so easy, but I know it's not. DH got some great photos.

That evening we went to The Feast at Lele. This is a great luau. It is a smaller crowd, table service, lots of great food, and as many drinks as you want (or can take). The show is excellent. They take you on a tour of the polynesian islands. It was a great way to spend Christmas Eve.

Up next, Christmas Carols, Golf, and Oahu....

Great report (so far). We've been to that map store -- it's a fun place to explore!

Ii am thrilled reading your adventures. I've heard KBH is a great choice. Sometimes less is better!

On with the show!

OK - you have me curious about what the hotel did on Christmas. Enjoying your post!

wow. great great trip report so far. Also very descriptive. please post more!

Thanks for the replies!
I see this is becoming a short novel, but I'm also going to use it to make an album that includes our journal with photos. That is why I'm am using bold print for things I feel others may be interested in so that you may skim through if you wish!
Back to our story...

12/25 - Christmas Day!
While getting dressed Christmas morning I could hear singing out in the courtyard. I figured the hotel was playing Christmas music for everyone to enjoy. Well, much to our delight, it turned out that the hotel staff was Christmas caroling! They made stops along each wing of the hotel and sang up to the balconies. When we noticed what they were doing we just had to wait until they came to our balcony. It was the sweetest moment. They were all smiling big and really enjoying singing to everyone. There was also a Santa, which really made the children happy. They sang about 3 songs each time they stopped. Where else would a hotel staff sing Christmas carols? They clinched our thoughts on KBH. We fell in love with the place.
After the caroling was over, we put on our Santa hats and joined my parents for breakfast. I little boy at the table next to us looked at us wide eyed and asked "Are you Santa's Elves?" My DH said "Of course we are! Did you like what Santa brought you this year?" The little boy was so excited and said "YES! I was a good boy!" When he asked why we were not still with Santa we told him we worked the "Maui branch" for Santa and he totally believed us. How cute is that?
After breakfast we decided to head towards the Iao Needle. On the way there we passed by the The King Kamehameha Golf Course. There is a back story to this... The club house here is a Frank Lloyd Wright design. My husband is a huge Wright fan and will do almost anything to explore one of his homes. On our last trip to Maui we tried to visit the club house, but it was being remodeled. To make a long story short, my husband and I had climbed the stairs to the roof just before we were run off by a man in a chef's hat and several others. They were not happy with us!
This time, the club house was open. My husband got to happily explore the place from top to bottom. Well, he was not suppose to go up to the roof, as the gate was locked, but as I walked outside looking for him he was walking towards me with a huge smile on his face and I knew what he had done. I promise, no harm was done in the taking of any photos on that roof.
Okay, back on the road to the Iao Needle. This place is just amazing to me. It's so lush, and the history of that area is very interesting to read. We always recommend others to visit this area. If you aren't able to do it during your stay, it's a great way to kill some time before catching a late flight back home after you check out of your hotel.
For Christmas dinner we had reservations at Pacific 'O at 5:30, and at Son'z Maui at the Hyatt Swan Court at 7:15. Well, we were not going to be able to make it to our 5:30 reservation, so we cancelled it and had dinner at the Hyatt. This was probably the only disappointment of our whole trip. We were not seated until almost 8:00, and the service was extremely slow. We did not get out of there until after 10:00 pm. The food wasn't all that great either. Sorry, but I can not recommend this place to anyone.

12/26 - Nakalele Blowhole and Family Photos
My husband and I did a tour of North Maui. We were not able to go "over the top", since we had to make sure we were back at the hotel by a certain time.
We stopped at the Dragon's Teeth at Makalua-puna Point in Kapalua. This area was created by one of the last lava flows on Maui. It's different though because the wind had caused the lava to harden in a way to make it look like "teeth", and the salt spray from the waves has whitened it.
Our next major stop was at the Nakalele Blowhole. It was certainly blowing this day! The north side is a great place to see the fury of the ocean. It can be almost frightening to sit and watch it's power. We didn't take the trail all the way down to the blow hole, as the waves were really huge, and we had a great view of it from where we stopped.
We drove further north and stopped at the Mushroom Rock It started to rain at this point, so we decided to head back to the hotel. We had made other stops along the way, but I try to block some of those memories of my husband standing on the edge of cliffs. He told me he wasn't on the edge, but his photos prove otherwise. I know he does that just to irritate me!
That evening we had made plans with a local photographer to take some family photos. We had a great time doing this. He had us meet him at the Hyatt, which has beautiful landscaping for the photos.

Again, sorry this is so long.
I will get to Oahu and Golf at Wailea next....

12/27 - Oahu
I must say, the alarm clock sounds even more annoying at 3:30 in the morning. We woke early to catch our 6:30 flight to Oahu. It was a very short flight on Hawaiian. We picked up our Avis car and was at Pearl Harbor by 7:30am.
We could not believe the line we saw. There seemed to be a thousand people in line already. I knew we had to get there early due to it being Christmas season with lots of crowds. No bags aloud, so don't even try to bring them. We put ours in the trunk of our car before leaving the airport.
We were in group 9, so we had plenty of time to explore the museum and the grounds and read the history of Pearl Harbor. When it was time for our group, we watched the film then boarded the boat that takes you out to the Arizona Memorial. What I found to be really odd were the people that once we arrived to the memorial, immediately got back in line for the next boat back. Why on earth would you wait all that time to see something then just go and stand back in line again without really viewing anything? There are some odd people out there.
On our way out at 11:30, we noticed that there was already a sign up stating that all the programs were sold out. The lady we spoke with said that happened at 10:30 in the morning! So, just beware. If you are on Oahu during a busy season, it pays to get there early or you may be out of luck!
We then headed for Honolulu and Waikiki. We were really hungry, so once we saw Senor Frogs, we decided to stop and eat. The food was pretty good, but the service was really slow. After we were energized once again, we checked out Waikiki. My husband then wanted to check out the North Shore to see what the surf was like. He was greatly disappointed though, the waves were much higher on Maui. I think he was expecting to see some of what you see on t.v., but it just wasn't happening that day. We visited all the famous beaches, and stopped for a bit in Haleiwa for some yummy shaved ice.
It had been rainy most of the day, and it was soon time to get back to Maui, so we drove back to the airport and was at our hotel by 9:30 that evening.

12/28 - Day at the Beach
This was a day of total relaxation. We snorkeled Black Rock that morning, saw more sea turtles, then lounged on the beach until lunch time. I was so proud I didn't get a sunburn this entire trip. That 50 spf works wonders!
We split a burger at Leilani's for lunch, then lounged around at the hotel the rest of the afternoon. That evening we walked around Front Street, window shopping all the stores and galleries. It was very nice to have a quite day after rushing around the day before.

12/29 - Golf at Wailea
My Dad loves golf. When we asked where he wanted to play golf for his 70th birthday, he said "Where you got married". Well, we were married at the Seawatch, which is the club house for the Gold and Emerald Golf courses in Wailea. We had no problem agreeing to return. He played the Plantation course Christmas eve, and was ready for more golf by now.
The Emerald Course is beautiful. I don't play golf, but from what I saw of my husband's and dad's game that day, the greens are tough. Mom and I enjoyed taking in the scenery and laughing at the guys while they played.
After their game, we had a late lunch at the Seawatch. That place has such fantastic views, and it was great to be able to visit the location we were married (awwwww).
That evening, DH and I walked around Whaler's Village. He bought me a beautiful topaz pendant that matched the ring he had bought me on Maui before our wedding. Yes, he's a very sweet man!

Up Next - The Road to Hana, and what goes through your mind during a Flash Flood

I am not a bit sorry that this is so long. :^)

woohooo!!!!! there's more!!!!!!!

This report is great. I think it's time that my husband and I go back to Maui.

Do you have pictures of your room at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel? We've never stayed there. My parents stayed there a few years ago and enjoyed it a lot.

Samsaf -
I do have pictures of the room, but we still need to sort through them all. I'll let you know when I come across some and I can either email them to you or post them online somewhere!
The hotel makes you feel at home. It's nothing fancy, like I said, but the location and the staff more than make up for it. :)

I'll post more about the trip a bit later today.

My wife and I have stayed at KBH twice and it is really a great place. The nightly Hula show is a tradition for us. We were on Maui this year from Dec 27-Jan 4 and did some of the same things as have already been described.

I'm not a good snorkler so I had a rough time with that but Black Rock is very convenient. The Hula Grill is a fun place, as is Leilani's. We love Bubba Gump's, down on Front Street.

Speaking of powerful surf, we went up to Ho'okipa beach on the north shore, where they hold the world championships of wind surfing. Good lord it's scary. We saw some guy on a surfboard using a canoe paddle! Mama's Fish House is right next door and has fantastic food and atmosphere, although pricey.

Even though we love Kaanapali Beach Hotel, we stayed at the Polynesian Shores Condominiums, just north in Kahana. The condo just had a little more convenience for us.

ttt - sorry, it seems to be adding posts when I hit "preview", so just testing

okay, guess it's just during the preview it looks funky - ON WITH THE STORY! -

12/30 - Road to Hana, and the Rage of Waimoku
This was may husband's favorite day of the trip, and probably my most memorable. We had done the Road to Hana on our last trip, stopping as many places as possible. This time, my husband wanted to do a little hiking. He did some research and decided he wanted to hike the Pipiwai Trail. It is a 4 mile hike, roundtrip. I'm not much for hiking, but I knew he really wanted to do this, plus, we would be getting to see the 400 foot Waimoku Falls.
We left our hotel at 5:00 am. The plan was to get down to the trail early, to beat the rush of tourist, then make stops on the Road back to our hotel. It started to get light before we got to Hana, where we stopped for a bathroom break and to stretch our legs a bit.
Shortly after Hana, we reached what I believe is called the Paihi Falls. We pulled over after the bridge and noticed there was what looked like a local also stopped there. Well, he was throwing food out to a wild boar! We got out of the car since he seemed to be occupied and was a good distance away. The other car took off, and we were so happy to have the whole place to ourselves (not counting the boar lurking in the distance). We got some great photos of the fall, then noticed the boar was walking towards our car. We were on one side, with "little piggy", as I called him, on the other. He wasn't exactly small though, ha! My husband was getting ready to through me up on top of the car, but he distracted the boar so that I could make a run for the car door. He seemed tame enough since people have been feeding him, but do we really want to risk it? Nah! So, off we went towards the trail.
We shortly arrived at Oheo Gulch or also called the Seven Sacred Pools. There weren't really "pools" at this time though, it was mostly a raging river. Beautiful still, but there would be no taking a dip in this "pool". We arrived at the Kipahulu Ranger Station and showed them our receipt from Haleakala. Make sure you keep your receipt from which ever place you visit first so that you may have free parking at the next spot. He told us that of course we could not swim in the pools, but the hike to the waterfall was open. It was about 9:00 at this time, but since we had been up so long it was lunch time for us, so we ate our picnic lunch before we started the hike.
The Pipiwai Trail was a very muddy hike. We found bamboo walking sticks at the beginning that other hikers had left behind. We were glad to have them. It's very slippery, sticky mud. It is not a hard trail, but certainly not clean.
About a half mile in, we reached the Makahiku Falls overlook. It was beautiful! The falls rush over a very lush cliff down to the valley below. Back on the trail you soon have to pass through a gate. Not sure what the purpose of this is, maybe they lock it when they don't want people hiking any further? Shortly after we came across a huge banyan tree. The banyan tree on front street is amazing, but to see one this huge in a natural setting was really exciting to see.
We took a few side trails along the way and saw another beautiful fall that was in a lagoon like setting.
Further up we crossed over two bridges that went over the streams. The water was really rushing and it is a really pretty area with all the lush vegetation surrounding it. After the bridges starts a trail with steps that lead you into the Bamboo Forest
The bamboo forest was amazing. It towers over you, and if it wasn't for there being a trail cut through it I don't know if there would have been much light. We walked back into it a bit just so we could look around and see nothing but the bamboo. I would hate to get lost in that stuff! Soon after you enter the forest a boardwalk starts. I was glad to see this since underneath it was nothing but a muddy slope through the bamboo.
We finally made it to our destination, the Waimoku Falls. We crossed over two streams. They had a bit of water flowing, but only a little over ankle deep. Once we reached the other side we could take in the glory of the entire falls. It was just breath taking! The sight of the water falling 400 feet over a sheer cliff was just incredible. While there we talked with another group that was there (husband, wife, 2 teens and their mother). They had been before and said they make the hike every time they go to Maui. We could see why because it was definitely worth the effort of getting there.
What happened next none of us were expecting. My husband saw a small trail leading up a hill to the right of the falls, so he wanted to go up and get some photos. Of course I followed along like the good wife that I am. On the way, I started getting nervous as it was very steep and slippery. We stopped for a second to regroup (or really so I could tell him how much I wanted to go back down). A woman's intuition perhaps?
Then it happened. I have never heard such a sound in my life. It was as if a 747 jet was flying just above our heads. We look up at the falls and a huge gush of water began rushing over. I thought the whole world was crashing down (well, it certainly sounded like it at that exact moment). It happened so quickly, and we froze for a second just trying to figure out what happened. My husband was very calm and said "okay, let's go up hill". The wind from the falls was so strong, and the mist that it was creating made it difficult to see. At this point there was no more trail, just vegetation and slippery slopes on a steep incline. We couldn't see the other people that were with us earlier, so we thought we were the only ones on the waterfall side of the stream. A few minutes go by of me telling my husband "get me the h*ll out of here", and him being calm of course saying "we have to see what the stream is like, we may have to wait a bit". I'm of course freaking out, because as I look up at the cliff above us, there are lots of little tiny streams of water that come over the sides (you've all seen these, normally you wouldn't think twice about them unless you are in a situation you've obviously never been in). Of course there was really nothing to be worried about there, but my nerves were still in shock just from the sound that water had made when it all come crashing down. My husband reassured me, and we started to go over our options.
My husband then yelled out to see if anyone was near us. Turns out, the group we had been talking with was just down the hill below us. Once we spotted them we worked our way towards them. We had to climb down backwards, holding on to branches, etc to get to their point.
Once we reached them, my DH discussed with the other guy what the stream was like, since we had not been able to see it. He told us that it would be too dangerous to cross, and we would just have to wait it out. I'm thinking, okay, but what if it just keeps raining up hill, how long would that be? The good thing was that the other guy's wife had gone back across the stream before this happened, so at least someone knew where we were.
My husband decided to check out how high the stream was, and see if we would be able to cross. About 45 minutes had gone by at this point. While he was making his way down, I see some men near the stream that had just crossed and pointed them out to my husband. I thought "what are these crazy people doing coming towards all this?" Turns out, the wife of the guy with us had told other hikers what had happened and they had come over to help us get back across.
The men all made a human chain across the stream until everyone was across safely. At this point the water was above my knees (was just ankle deep earlier), and rushing very quickly. We got across both streams the same way. I was never so thankful to see strangers before in my life.
Once out of the streams, the guy with us raced ahead to reach his wife so that nobody would be bothered at the ranger station (where she was headed). Turned out that there was another couple as well, making it 8 of us in all.
I was never happier to walk in mud after that! It was very scary in the moment, but we were all safe. As my husband says, "I had a flash light, food, and water with us, we'd have been fine for a few hours" But, it would have been miserable, and people would have been concerned about us.
It just goes to show how quickly things can change. I'm one who never stands under waterfalls for fear that a rock may fall along with the water. We weren't even that close to the fall when it happened. We just weren't able to get across the stream before it was affected. You also never know how much it is raining on top of a mountain, which will cause such a thing to happen.
I'm really glad I have such a level headed, calm husband! Of course now I never have to go on another hike with him after that, ha! I really enjoyed everything I got to see, but mother nature is a not a force to be reckoned with. She will let things explode whenever she wants, regardless if you are in an area deemed "safe" by others. I'm good at seeing things from a distance, at least for now. :)
After we returned to our car (soaking wet and muddy), we changed clothes and made our way back. We stopped along the way whenever we wanted, taking our time.
On the way to the hotel, we stopped and had dinner at the Paia Fish Market. This is a great stop, with picnic style tables so everyone sits together. The food is fantastic. Lost of it at a low price.
Once back at the hotel we told my parents of our eventful day. I did not mention earlier that my husband took video of the falls while we were waiting, deciding what to do. So, my parents got to see the falls before and after what I like to call the "Rage of Waimoku". My mother was not to happy to hear this story, and said we were not allowed to hike the rest of the trip. I agreed, lol.
My husband said I did not sleep too well that night. He told me I kept "twitching" in my sleep, and that he would whisper peaceful things to me to relax me. LOL! I can only imagine I kept hearing that sound in my sleep, I'll never forget it!

It's all down hill from here, I'll try to finish up on the next post.

I loved reading about your hiking adventure. It reminded me of an adventure my husband and I had hiking out of Haleakala during a rain storm.

What a fantastic story teller you are! hawaiinfanatic I am sure would love to post this on the surviving paradise website!

Thrilled with the happy ending! Oh and Paia Fish - love that place and all the locals! Time to start searching the rental pool in Hana!!!

Mahalo for sharing your grand adventures.

What a story -- was there a "Hikers Stranded at Falls" story on the news that night?? (P.S. We ate at Paia Fish Market for the first time last summer and thought it was great!)

Thank you all for reading!

We did feel like we survived paradise that day :)

No, there was no "hikers stranded" story on the news that night. Lol. That was something we REALLY did not want to happen! Oh my gosh, my parents would have freaked out.

I'll post more today....

12/31 - Snorkeling, Dad's 70th Birthday
It was my Dad's 70th birthday, as well as it being New Year's Eve, so we wanted it to be a fun day for all.
The four of us were up early this morning to catch the Trilogy snorkel to Molokini that left out of Maalaea Harbor.
It was raining, so we were concerned the trip may be cancelled, but the captain assured us we would still have a great time. It continued to rain on our way to Molokini, but when we arrived it was trying to clear up.
We really enjoyed snorkeling here, the coral is beautiful. We saw an eel and tons of different fish. It rained off and on while we snorkeled, but we couldn't tell, we were in the water!
Trilogy then took us over to Turtle Town. We did see a few turtles, but were more interested in watching on octopus we'd found.
Back on the boat they were serving lunch, so we put away our snorkel gear. We were surprised at what a great lunch they served us. It was teriyaki BBQ chicken and rice, very good after all that snorkeling!
On the way back to the harbor we did some whale watching We were fortunate enough to see about 4 whales in a short span of time. We were in awe everytime we saw one. The sun was out at this point, so the captain had the crew raise the sails. They served us yummy sundaes on the sail back. The crew was fantastic, and we would recommend a trip with Trilogy to everyone.
When we got back to the harbor, the rain had returned, so we made a dash for the car and back to the hotel.
That afternoon, DH and I relaxed at the hotel, then did some birthday shopping for my Dad at Whaler's Village.
For dinner that evening, I had made reservations at the Plantation House. This was a great choice! It is located at the Plantation Golf Course in Kapalua. We had a fabulous view of the sunset. Dinner and the company was really great. We enjoyed every part of the meal, from the wine, the salad, entrees and dessert! My Dad got excited when he noticed professional golfer Fred Funk was having dinner next to us. On our way out, the valet guy played his ukulele and sang to my Dad to help celebrate his birthday. It was a great evening, but still not over!
Back at our hotel, they had live entertainment, so we grabbed a table and settled in. It was chilly out, so we had run to the room to put on some warmer clothes. They handed out New Year's eve party favors to everyone. The band played a great mix of music, and everyone enjoyed dancing and singing along. My Dad was having a terrific birthday, and we couldn't have been happier about that.
They were not suppose to play much past 9:30, but each time they'd say "just one more song", there would always be another. The manager finally had to shut things down well after 10:00 as to not disturb hotel guests that were in their rooms trying to sleep (whoever that was on New Year's Eve, lol)
My parents called it an evening, and DH and I grabbed some drinks and went to the beach. People were setting off fireworks all up and down the beach. We drug a lounge chair closer to the water and enjoyed sitting there together, waiting to ring in the new year. I loved looking up at the stars with my honey, listening to the waves as they shot up the fireworks at midnight.

1/1 - Mercedes Championship Golf and South Maui Beaches

This morning we decided to go see the pros during their practice round at the Mercedes Championship at the Plantation Course. We were there just a couple of hours, but we saw tons of pros (Vijay Singh, Stephen Ames, Rory Sabatinni, Steve Stricker, Justin Leonard, and several others).
We left my parents watching golf and headed to Wailea.
We took an all afternoon beach tour of South Maui, stopping at most of the beaches along the way. Of them all, I'd have to say Big Beach is the prettiest, and as it's name says, it's huge.
My husband just had to check out Little Beach so we climbed the rocks that separated the big and little beach.
Let me tell you, I was shocked at how many people really were nude over there. I thought it would be pretty much empty, or most people would have on their suits, but no, it's definitely a nude beach. LOL!
Don't let them see you have a camera though. We had our cameras to take photos of big beach, so they were hanging over our shoulders. Well, we were standing there, still up on the small cliff, not actually down on the beach, when a man confronted us. He said "Get out of here with your cameras, these people don't want their pictures taken!" My husband did not hear this, but I sure did. I told him that he had absolutely no worries, as I had no plans to take photos of any of these people! I mean really, it was like they say, attractive people don't go nude at these beaches. HA! I don't know why he was picking on me, I must have stood out because I had so many clothes on! Well, my husband caught on to what the man was saying, and said "Don't worry, we'll blur your face. Give us your name and we'll put it on the caption when we post it on-line". He was joking of course, as we were not taking photos. I was just glad that the man who confronted us had at least a speedo on. I think if he had come up to us in the buff I would have been laughing too hard to say anything. What really surprised me was how many children were there. It must just be a totally different way of thinking. I don't understand it, but hey, everyone has the right to their own opinion. Needless to say, we didn't stay there very long.
When we crossed back to big beach, we walked down to see that there was a monk seal on the beach. They had the area taped off with a volunteer watching so that nobody would disturb her while she rested. We were told she had been there since 7:30 that morning (it was now 4:30), and was getting a much needed rest. I didn't realize there were seals around Hawaii, so it was a great suprise to come across her.

1/2 - Our last full day on Maui
Since this was the last day of our vacation on Maui, DH and I decided to stay at the beach as long as possible. We rented a couple of chairs and an umbrella and made time go by as slowly as possible. The waves were up today, so we had a blast body surfing.
We went back to the room and changed quickly so that we could catch the sunset. The four of us watched the sunset on the beach, and it was beautiful! We then had dinner at Leilani's. How could we leave without having one more Hula Pie? I was going to take a picture of it this time, but again, it was eaten up before I even thought about it. We went back to the room and packed and the day was over before we knew it.

1/3 - Trip home
Our last morning, we went to the KBH's farewell ceremony. They present everyone with a nut lei that you bring back when you return. They will restring and replace one of the nuts with a white one to show you have been there before. They really do try to make you feel like part of a family here.
We had a nice flight to Vegas on Hawaiian Airlines. Again, we really loved this Airline. From Vegas we flew Southwest into Dallas.

What a fantastic time we had. We did everything we wanted to do, and will always want to return to Maui. There are always more adventures to be had, and you can never spend to much time relaxing on one of it's beautiful beaches.

Mahalo to everyone that's ever posted about Maui, since I think I have read them all and received lots of ideas for our trip.

:)
Jenn