My husband and I got the chance to go to Maui, Hawaii for our first year anniversary and we couldn't be more excited! Most vacations we go on, we plan, plan plan... and this one we decided to just relax and not be rushed. With that being said we did plan a few things, including some "must see" places and those excursions that were booked for us. Here are some ideas for your next trip to Hawaii!
Hawaii Day #1
We had an early flight out of Portland with a short layover in Seattle and then off to Kapalua Airport in Maui, Hawaii. After hours of travel, we finally arrived in Maui and were off to start our adventure.
We grabbed our rental car and set off for our hotel. We stayed at the wonderful Kaanapali Resort and even got upgraded to a Junior Suite with a Kitchen.
We went exploring around the hotel and chilled by the pool just in time for Happy Hour with $4.50 Mai Tais!
That night, we enjoyed the beautiful sunset while lounging by the pool and relaxing drinking our Mai Tais.
Hawaii Day #2
We woke up ready for the day, thinking it was at least 10am and realizing it was actually 5am. The 3 hour difference from Oregon affected us more than we thought. Neither of us could go back to sleep so we got up and got ready to go out to breakfast.
We kept hearing about this place, Slappy Cakes, where you could make your own pancakes right at your table. It was delicious and we definitely enjoyed making our own pancake designs...
...including Mickey Mouse!
We quickly realized if we wanted to stick to our budget, we couldn't eat out for breakfast everyday and buy every drink. So we went to the local grocery store to stock up and then headed back to the Resort to, once again, relax at the pool but not without enjoying the scenery along the way.
That night we decided to head out on the town and do a Tipsy Wine Paint night. We have been wanting to do one forever and figured what better a place to do our first one, than Maui.
We had a blast painting palm trees on the beach at Sunset and it was cool to see all the different styles. This was my painting that turned out alright but then again I am perfectionist when it comes to painting.
This is what my husband decided to paint since he wanted to be different and it turned out awesome!
Hawaii Day #3
Today was adventure day with the Road to Hana. There is so much to do on the Road to Hana that it deserves it's own post (link here) but some of the picture highlights can be found below:
Twin Falls
Gorgeous hangout complete with black sand
View from Hana
Wailua Falls - an 80 foot waterfall
After the Road to Hana we met up with some friends and had sushi. We were told we can't come all the way to Hawaii and not have some fresh sushi. I am not a fan of raw fish or even fish to begin with but I found one that I actually liked!
Hawaii Day #4
After waking up, still early, we made a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, pigs in a blanket with Portuguese Sausage and, of course, Mimosas we headed to the pool to relax. We enjoyed the sun and the heat, which coming out of the winter in Oregon was great!
Our gorgeous view by the pool!
That night we went out with the whole gang to a local brewery for some beers and dinner. After dinner we were sitting around the table enjoying our drinks when we decided to play a game, none other than ring of fire. We quickly realized that is not the best game to play in a restaurant without racking a huge tab. So we paid and went back to the resort to finish our game with our own alcohol and just chill in the hot tub.
Hawaii Day #5
We got up early to head to our Snorkeling trip. Once checked in, we boarded the boat and enjoyed the yummy breakfast buffet complete with some island juice. We headed out to the first snorkel spot which was located at Molokini Crater. We saw tons of fish, 2 eels, a reef shark and this long pointy looking fish. On the way to the next stop we enjoyed a lunch BBQ buffet, complete with burgers and salad. The next stop was home of the Turtles. We were told not to touch the Seaturtles or come within 10 feet. We saw a few hiding under rocks and eventually when they came up to surface.
After getting back on the boat, the bar was officially open and Mai Tais were passed around. They also passed around delicious homemade Macademia Nut Cookies.
Once getting back to the dock we headed back to the resort but not before stopping at Jamba Juice, my fav!
Once back at the resort, we headed to the pool to do some relaxing and create a game of beer pong. Beer ping was a little hard since all the resort had were round tables but we created our own version in the pool on rocks and a fountain.
We called it Volcano Pong!
Hawaii Day #6
After days in the sun, we decided to explore and just drive around to see what there was. We passed gorgeous beaches and mountains.
We even passed a whole mall which was completely open to the air, very different from what you think a mall would be like.
That night we went to a Luau. When we walked in we were handed a drink and got "Lei'ed". We had awesome seats right in the front with a cushion on the ground to sit on. We took a walk around to enjoy the view.
We even saw the pig being lifted out of the sand pit oven.
Awesome tiki wood carving
We headed back to our seats for dinner and the show to begin.
Dinner Buffet
My delicious plate full of food
Then the show began...
The girls...
...and the guys!
Hawaii Day #7
We got up at 2am and headed to Haleakalā Crater to watch the beautiful sunrise.
The very top of the Crater is 10,000 feet and you can definitely tell when your ears constantly pop as you drive up the windy mountain. The long drive and early hours is worth the view!
Sadly, our trip had to come to our end as we made our way to the airport and said goodbye to the fun times in Hawaii.
What have you done in Hawaii?
