Pinch me... part 2

From the first moment we stepped off the plane, Eric and I kept telling each other, "We're in Maui, can you believe it?"  Then it was, "We're walking on the beach in Maui", or "We're sipping coffee in Maui", or  "We are putting on sunscreen in MAUI!!!".   I can't tell you how wonderful it was to reconnect with each other.  There were no distractions, no responsibilities.  We did however, really miss the kids.  Each time we discovered something, we'd think out loud {at the same time, mind you} "oh, the kids would love this."

DAY 6 

 Snorkeling
 

There is a whole other beautiful world under the water

humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa

This snorkel spot was at Black Rock and is a bit murkier due to the way the tide comes against the rock.

DAY 7

Sugar Cane Train and Beach Cruisers

We could hear the train whistle from out hotel.  You can read about its history here.

Uncle Albert played the ukulele and sang in addition to his lively narrative. 

We also rented beach cruisers and rode along the Lower Honoapiialani Hwy up to Kahana {about 8 miles}  We pulled into a park to rest a bit, and quite by accident, we found a treasure - Pohaku Park.

There isn't much of a sandy shore, but rather a lot of black volcanic rocks. It's a great place to snorkel, surf and see lots of sea turtles. 

Another amazing day in paradise.

DAY 8

Surf and sun

Our last full day, we decided to get in more surfing and just hanging at the beach.

I am such a dummy!  I thought I'd sit on the beach and take tons of photos of Eric surfing.  {Which happens to be one of my favorite things to do} I didn't realize it, but I had the camera on video - so I have lots of footage of my beach towel, you can hear my awful singing, {I was listening to my Zune} and each time I snapped a "picture" I actually stopped the video - so missed each wave that Eric caught.  Big bummer.

"I'm not getting surfing pictures of you in Maui!" 

BUT...

because we were there celebrating our anniversary, the hotel gave us a coupon for a free photo shoot with a free photo.   We ended up buying the whole disk because he got a lot of great shots of the two of us {and the ones we took are all selfies.}

Oh, how I love this man!

DAY 9

Heading home

Part of unplugging for me is the ability to sleep in.  We just wanted to wake up when we woke up.  Most mornings it seemed to be around 6:30.   For our last day, we decided to set the alarm for 5:30, put on our swim suits, swim in the warm ocean one last time, and watch the sunrise.

 

 

blurry - from the waves, but so.much.fun!

Some things we saw everyday...

 

A fun ride throughout all the Kaanapali resorts {and free}

 

Palm trees swaying in the warm breezes

 

Plumeria with its divine scent

 

Hibiscus

 

Bird of Paradise

 

Once last look from our room

{sweeping from left to right}

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting for the shuttle to the airport - so sad to leave, but so excited to see the children.

 

Aloha, Maui, we WILL be back!

 

Recommendations:

 

The Snorkel Store at the Fairway shops in Kaanapali rents snorkel gear {$10/day} and bikes{$20/day} They were so helpful and friendly.  {Top notch gear and no bait and switch!}

 

Duke's Beach House is a great place to eat dinner.  Great atmosphere at night.

{learn about who Duke is here.}

 

Village Coffee in Kahana ...where the locals go for a good cup o' joe.

There are so many things one could do on Maui -  take the winding road to Hana and the seven pools, snorkel at Molokini, take a dinner cruise.  We didn't do any of that.  It was rather nice NOT renting a car and wasting spending time navigating the unfamiliar roads and traffic.  {remember, we went to unplug}.   Renting bikes really lets you experience the area, the balmy air and breezes, and breathtaking scenery. 

Carry - on luggage ONLY -  I mean think about it - in 75-85 degree weather what do you really need?  A swim suit, shorts, t-shirts, sandals/flip flops.  If you get cold, buy a souvenir sweatshirt.
No stops at baggage claim make traveling simple and cheap.  {No $25 baggage fee}   

Don't pack sunscreen.  Buy it once you arrive.  You will use the whole 8 oz. bottle while you are there.  {can't pack that amount in a carry-on} We used SPF 8, but stayed in the sun for just a couple of hours at a time. {Believe it or not, the morning hours are the best ...9-11 am} - then we got out of the sun for a while, then later in the afternoon went back out to play in that absolutely gorgeous, salty water.
Of course, walking everywhere, you'll naturally work on your tan. :-)

Aloha nui loa

{fondest regards}