The 50th State - Let’s Explore!
After being pent up in the house for nearly a year and half because of COVID, it was time to get outdoors. We weren’t able to travel internationally, but we made do of the next best thing - Hawaii. Maui to be specific.
You can’t convince me otherwise. God lives in Hawaii. Check out the pictures for yourself.
Day 1
We didn’t do too much the first day (Easter). We caught a bite to eat at this cool restaurant called Zippy’s and took a sneak peak of Mokena Cove. We had a photoshoot at the cove later on in the week and just wanted to see where we needed to go the day of. We also visited the very windy Keawakapu Beach where I went boogey boarding. Afterwards, we headed back to our room to chill and prepare for the next day.
Day 2
We started our day with a quick Costco trip to get some groceries for the rest of the week. Afterwards, we visited Lahaina to see this big tree (that has actually sprouted 12 other trees). The whole tree system spanned an entire city block and a city park. We then got some shave ice in Lahaina. This is different than shaved ice that you are familiar with. Hawaiians call their icy treat shave ice (no D). So when in Hawaii, be like the Hawaiians. We returned back to our room before preparing for our photoshoot at Makena Cove we scoped out the day before. Wow! We caught a beautiful sunset during our photoshoot. Breathtaking. Afterwards, we headed to Coconuts restaurant for some dinner. And just like that, Day 2 was in the books.
Day 3
We were supposed to go on a Snorkeling trip to Molokini Crater today but unfortunately, it was cancelled because of the wind. The tour took us somewhere else instead, but there were like no aquatic wildlife at this replacement stop. This really sucked because the crater is teeming with fish. But we made lemonade out of our lemons.
The girls went swimming back at our condo before we embarked upon a trip to Haleakala. The sunset from the top of this mountain above the clouds was absolutely stunning. (Riding back down the mountain in total darkness was … interesting to say the least). I really don’t remember what we ate this day but it didn’t matter. The highlight, no doubt, were the stunning views on top Haleakala Mountain.
Day 4
We had breakfast in the condo today. Afterwards, we headed to Lahaina Bay to do some whale watching. Luckily, this was a success. Not only did we see whales but we also saw a pod of dolphins. We also went swimming at Ka’anapapa Beach near Lahaina where we were the day before. We tried to also make it to Baby Beach but it was more of a diving spot than a leisure beach.
Afterwards, we go some food from this place called Maui Poke. I believe it was at this place that I realized I ike my poke as a mix of tuna and salmon with all of the fixins. (Who knew raw fish could taste so good?) Afterwards, I watched a sunset at Whaler’s Village while the family retired to the car, utterly exhausted.
Day 5
This was the day. The Road to Hana. If you have a day in Maui, make sure you do this all day trip through the various terrains of Maui. It is an impressive drive. If you get motion sickness at all, prepare yourself prior to taking those mountain curves. (Luckily, I do not get motion sickness at all.). My explanations of the Road to Hana will not do it justice. But during my time there, I took a pic at the Halfway to Hana sign, went to Wai’napanapa State Park to see the black sand beach there, stopped in Hana to get some food from the food trucks, saw several different waterfalls from the road, continued to Haleakala State Park where I saw the seven pools of Ohio (waterfalls that drain into the Pacific Ocean), and hiked a third of the way on the Pipiwai trail to Falls at Makahiku, walked through the Keanae Arboretum where I saw colorful eucalyptus trees, and stopped at a surfing spot to see the sunset. This day was magical, I do declare.
Day 6
After that whirlwind day the day before, this day was set aside as a free day. We went to Kihei park just to see the views. We also went to a park across from 715 Kihei that had a shallow beach and turtles. We ate lunch at Maui Tacos and went souvenir shopping at Kihei Kalama Village.
We even went to an actual Baby Beach about 5 miles outside of our condo in Kihei where we caught another magnificent sunset. We finished the day with dinner at Nalu’s. It was at this point that we realized that our trip was coming to an end.
Day 7
On our last real day in Maui, we ate breakfast at Ohana-Kihei Café. We then watched a couple of surf lessons at the surf school across the street from this breakfast joint. Afterwards, we visited the UpCountry region of Maui so that we could get a deer burger. The deer burger we got from The Old Ulupalakua Ranch Store was actually quite good. We then stopped at Maui Mall (which was pretty much dead). We left UpCountry and then hung up at the more well-heeled Shops at Wailei until the time to go to the airport. But before leaving, we caught one more to-go meal from Zippy’s – an appropriate end to our vacation. Somehow, we started and finished this trip at Zippy’s… and what a trip it was.