Maui, Part 1

When James said I could pick a destination anywhere in the world for our 10th anniversary I don't think he thought Hawaii would be my first choice--oh, but it was! I had never been to Hawaii before and had always wanted to go, plus the girls still weren't sleeping AT ALL when we began the planning process and I wanted nothing more out of this vacation than endless naps, late wake-up calls, a beach, a book and a fruity little drink.

We chose Maui because it didn't rain as much as Kauai but wasn't as populated as Oahu and also because it came highly recommended by my parents and so many friends. It was also where James' late Papa and KK liked to vacation so it felt extra sentimental for our special celebration. I can't think of anywhere in the world I would have rather been for the last week in April, Maui was the perfect spot and our vacation was one for the books.

And speaking of books, prepare yourself for the novel that is coming your way. I split our Maui pictures into two posts and it still is a little overwhelming. What I learned during this trip is that you can pack a lot of adventures and a lot of relaxation into such a short amount of time when there are just two go-with-the-flow and down-with-anything travelers as opposed to the whine-fest that usually follows us. They cute, but they naughty! Everything about this vacation was easy and exciting and we have vowed not to wait another ten years (or even another five) to go away together. Shoot, I'm already planning year 11!

I spent the six hour flight from LAX to OGG reading a novel from cover to cover and if I had gotten right back on an airplane and flown home after that experience it would have been vacation enough for me! Oh to read with no interruptions, I had forgotten about that luxury. I ended up reading four books during our week away and it was the best.

  

I thought that everyone was welcomed with a lei as they stepped off the airplane in Maui but the day before we left for Hawaii I learned that was only in the movies. I was pretty bummed and even tried to call a few flower delivery services to no avail, but ultimately decided that we could just pick one up from a florist when we got there. I can't tell you how shocked I was to step off of the plane only to see the most beautiful Hawaiian woman in existence with a lei in one hand and a sign wishing me a Happy Anniversary in the other. James had always known my fairytale vision of Hawaii and had set this up long before my mini freak out session the day before we left California! I started sobbing, straight up sobbing! It was just the greatest welcome to our dream vacation.

First stop, Geste Shrimp. This was one of the few places that warranted a mandatory return visit because it was SO DELICIOUS! We thought maybe we were just excited about Hawaii and that's why it tasted so good, but at the end of the week it was equally delicious so if you're going to Maui, hit them up. We're seriously trying to figure out how to get them to come to Los Angeles.

We spent more time in Iao Valley on a Sunday hike, but the mountains call James like the ocean calls me so we decided to make a little pitstop on our way to the sunny side of the island. This area reminded me so much of Taiwan it was uncanny and made me trunky for that place I called home so long ago.

There was a random and ginormous field of sunflowers on the side of the road and I just couldn't help myself! I yelled at James to STOP THE CAR and then I frolicked in them for a few long and joyous minutes.

We decided to go with a condo instead of a resort because it was 1/3 of the price and was a good jumping off point for the many adventures we wanted to take. Our rental ended up exceeding my expectations in every way and was one of the best decisions of our trip. We were literally a stones throw from the ocean and slept to the sound of crashing waves each night. We had a kitchen, a washing machine and dryer and were able to have the ocean-view room I desired. Second on my must-haves was the options of fruity drinks by the pool and although Valley Isle couldn't provide that luxury, the Westin right up the street sells resort day passes and as James told me, we could have gone every day and still not have come close to the difference in cost of one night! I have already told so many people that they should absolutely stay in this place and who knows, maybe we'll be back in those walls sometime soon!

Papa and KK's old condo.

Not only did we go to Warren and Anabelle's magic show, but we were chosen to sit in the front row and be part of the show. It was incredible! Magic is always awesome, but seeing it inches from your face is astounding. There were so many tricks that absolutely BLEW MY MIND and weeks later I'm still scratching my head as to how they were even possible. The pictures above are when James was asked to secure this magician in a straight-jacket that he could escape from...it was hilarious! The magician told me to get out my camera because he'd give me blackmail for daaaaaayyyyys. Hahaha, I just couldn't resist posting them now! This was a gift from my mom and dad for our anniversary, and we loved it.

Not a bad first morning view, huh?

POG (passion fruit orange guava juice) at every breakfast!

James and I spent our Sunday afternoon hiking the Waihee Ridge Trail. It is approximately 5 miles--2 1/2 straight up and then 2 1/2 back down again. It was breathtakingly beautiful at every turn and we're so glad we did it, but it was definitely harder than I expected and I'm so glad I brought water and wore good shoes. I saw people in flip flops trudging through the mud and there was just no way for them to make it all the way. I'm also glad that it was just the two of us. It probably would have been too hard (and ridiculously miserable) with the little ones and besides, there were steep drop-offs that I knew would have been a bad idea. I saw people with kids, but mostly worn in packs. Anyway, we loved it and were so grateful for the beautiful views all along the trail.

Hei-Hei's were everywhere!

I needed a reward for hiking on vacation!

This is the view from our table at Hula Grill. To be honest I thought the food was mostly just OK but that view--THAT VIEW!!! This was Papa and KK's favorite restaurant and their ashes are spread right off the coast.

Happy Anniversary in Hawaiian. Or maybe it was congratulations?!

We sat on the beach in silence almost every night until the sun set behind the horizon. There is something so beautiful and spiritual and relaxing about watching the sun bid our view adieu, and something miraculous about knowing that in another part of the world, my shift to darkness is theirs to daylight. I love the sunset, and watching it on the beach is just heaven.

This seriously never got old.

808 Grindz was one of our top breakfasts in Maui, and that's big because I am OBSESSED with breakfast. They're a local dive in a strip mall but what they lack in ocean view they make up for in charm and the best dang food EVER. Those mac-nut pancakes were so good that we bought a jar of their syrup to bring home to the kids and James' loco moco was so good that I kept stealing bites.

We spent all day Monday lounging by the pool and swimming in the ocean at the Westin. I ordered drinks to my heart's content and those pulled pork nachos were a total A+. This was the relaxing day I envisioned when we were planning our trip...and it was also the only completely sunny day we had in Maui so it was pure luck and perfection.

We spent many-a-day chasing rainbows.

Different day, same view, but still so gorgeous and the colors so different that I had to get a pic!

Stick donuts at Komoda bakery in Macawao were good, but their butter rolls were UNFORGETTABLE. James and I gobbled six in mere seconds as we drove the road to Hana and they were so good that we made a MAJOR detour on our way to the airport and bought two dozen to bring home.

 

Our road to Hana experience was anything but ideal, what with the surprise rainstorms, flash flood warnings, road closures and abandoned road-side stops, but we made the most of it. We were really exciting for some serious hiking but instead we were given extra hours in the car to talk about life and enjoy each other's company. We saw incredible waterfalls and the rainbow eucalyptus trees, and we even made it to the black sand beach (although we were drenched after that short jaunt, as seen in the picture above). We had planned this adventure for our actual anniversary because we thought it would be great to be in such beautiful surroundings on our big day (and I was especially excited to visit The Garden of Eden and swim in waterfalls) but just like life and marriage and so many other things, this day didn't go quite as expected. It was still good, just different than we had planned.

It was crazy because as soon as we got off the road to Hana and landed on Ho'okipa Beach the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly. Figures! It was great to see the dozens of giant turtles, drink milk from a fresh coconut and enjoy the sunshine (I LOVE the sunshine!)

We almost cancelled our reservations to Mama's Fish House after such a crazy morning in Hana and I'm SO GLAD we didn't because we would have missed one of the most extravagant, delicious and memorable meals and moments of our trip. This place is really expensive and I'm anything but a big spender, especially on food, but I would do this again in a heartbeat! From start to finish they made our anniversary unforgettable. They prepared a window table overlooking the ocean and left a card wishing us a happy anniversary on our table. The manager brought me the most gorgeous and fragrant lei for James to gift me at the dinner table. And then of course there was the food--oh the food! Every last thing we ate was the best thing I've ever eaten in my life, especially the tenderloin papaya appetizer and my stuffed fish entree. The menu changes on the daily depending on what the fisherman catch and at the end of our evening they gifted us a menu with our anniversary date written on the top. I have never felt more pampered and I'm so grateful for everyone at Mama's for making our evening so special.