Maui -
Also another thing I can't believe is over - the honeymoon! Jay and I just had the best time in Maui. We relaxed, got to have some great meals, saw the sites, were adventurous (just ask about our snorkle trip- haha). We had a great time!
The first night we arrived, Jay and I grocery shopped, unpacked, quickly made a cocktail and relaxed to watch the sunset. We walked to Whaler's Village, "Picked a Pearl" - "Say goodbye to the clam and hello to your pearl - Aloha!", Jay had a beautiful ring made for me (which later turned into a necklace, long story), and enjoyed a walk on the beach. We also enjoyed a delicious fruit and cheese plate with champagne that was sent to the room by Jay's family. What a great first night!
The second day, we were picked up at 2:15 am for our Volcano Sunrise bike tour. I had been a little nervous about this, but was excited once we began. We went to a little shack, got our "beautiful" bright blue and yellow jumpsuits, and loaded into a van. We were then driven to the top of Haleakala - 10,000 feet - to watch the sunrise. SO very cold! As the ranger said "Let today be the first day of the rest of your lives". It was truly amazing - all these people gathered on the side of a volcano to watch the sun pop out over the clouds - everyone cheered (as if it might not have happened). haha Jay and I have watched many sunsets together, but never a sunrise, neither separate or together, so it was a great experience. We were then driven to 7,000 feet where we mounted our bikes. The girls go in the front and guys in the back of a long line, and a van trails you with all of your bags, personal items, to do that, but mostly to block traffic from passing you. It was such a great experience! You never had to turn to look behind you, and of the 30 miles, you pedaled twice - my kind of bike ride! Our leader stopped every 2,000 feet to take a break, peel off some layers of clothes, etc. He also told us a LOT about Maui along the way as he has been doing the trail for 16 years. "Pops" was awesome! Along the way, we rode through farms of cattle, eucalyptus, lavender, sugar cane, pineapple. It was amazing the smells! We were back to the hotel by 10:00 am, tired, but so glad we did it! We gladly spent the rest of the day laying by the pool! The bike ride was our favorite part and we highly recommend it!!
The third day, Jay and I had a little "independent" snorkeling adventure, after purchasing our own snorkle gear, (one that involves a verbal story and visuals) and then enjoyed a luau at night with our friends, Justin and Lisa. I work with Justin at Athletico. Lisa and Justin got married the same day as us, so we could not go to each other's weddings, and when we realized we were both going to Maui for our honeymoons, we decided to do a luau together. We were actually amazed on the tiny island it was all we saw of them all week. The luau was a fun experience - Jay and I were not crazy about the food, but the dancing was spectacular! We returned to our room to a delicious chocolate covered strawberry plate and champagne sent to us by my family - what a great nightcap!
The fourth day, we did the Road to Hana, which is a 30 mile road to leads to a small town, Hana, where really nothing too fabulous exists, but it is all about the drive. Jay and I stopped the car, got out and saw many waterfalls, had Aunty Sandy's famous banana bread, and enjoyed a picnic lunch at a black sand beach packed for us in Paia (a little town you pass through before you get on the Hana Highway). We "got in" a natural pool - I say that because I fell in, Jay actually voluntarily got in, and then almost lost his wedding band 6 days in. haha I have the bruises to prove the fall, and luckily Jay saved the ring by the tip of his distal phalanx! haha It was a VERY long, but fun day as well.
The fifth day, Jay and I did a Ziplining tour through the West Maui mountains. This is something Jay and I discovered we enjoyed last year in Cabo San Lucas. This particular tour in Maui was much more scenic, and probably a little safer than Mexico! haha We did 8 zips through the mountains - Jay has a great video. That evening, we went to Mama's Fish house - someplace EVERYONE on the island recommends, but everyone follows that with "but, it is expensive." This place was AMAZING! The fish is so fresh that they print the menu twice per day, and only 30 minutes prior to dinner or lunch service, as the menu lists the fish specials and the fisherman that caught it that day. Jay had a great grilled Ono and I had lobster and crab stuffed Mahi Mahi that was crusted in Macadamia nuts - yum! Of course, we enjoyed seared Ahi as an appetizer (which we had at EVERY restaurant) and we enjoyed it at Mama's the best. Yum!
The sixth day, we did a catamaran/ snorkle tour. This was with Trilogy, which our guidebook recommended. Again, the service was incredible - they served us breakfast and lunch. Literally served you, once you found a comfy spot, you never had to move. We went to two snorkle stops - Molokini and "Turtle town" off the bottom tip of Maui. In turtle town, Jay took a little 10 foot dive down to get up close and personal with a HUGE sea turtle. They were amazing to see just floating around. They were so beautiful! That evening, we enjoyed "date night" which included a "broadway/cirque de solei" type show, U'laleina and dinner at Ruth's Chris in Lahaina. The show and dinner were both fantastic - again, more seared Ahi, but Mama's still won!
The seventh day, burnt after the catamaran tour ( by this time I "seared" my own ahi) we decided to skip our scheduled massages (tip: get a massage at the BEGINNING of your trip) and lay around. We stayed in most of the day as it was very hot out, but did a little shopping in Lahaina in the afternoon. We went for sushi for dinner - YEAH! Our first real sushi of the week and Sansei hit it right on - DELICIOUS! We got to watch our last sunset on the beach of our hotel while playing in the ocean. It was a great end to the trip!
By the last day, we were sad to leave, but also glad to be returning to our new life together (and ohana), and very happy to see Kozmo! It took us a few days to adjust to the time, but we did it! I will share just one pic for now (as I have a ton) - this is from our Luau at the Old Lahaina Luau. Aloha!!
7 comments - Posted by Kristen at 11:22 PM - Categories: Family