Hello DWDQs,
Well I am missing Maui, but I also kind of like the fall weather...It was very sunny and nice here today, in the 70s.
But the trees are getting colorful and the mornings are getting that crisp feel in the air...the only thing I don't like about fall is that winter is right around the corner...
I have my TR done, but am still working on my pictures..I have sooo many
...
Here is the report we did for our trip....
Enjoy!
Sep 18, 2009 Friday.
We woke up at 3:00am to get ready for our 6:00am flight. Both of us were a little anxious as nether had been on a plane in a long time. Betsys last flight was Feb 1989; Mikes was Dec 1975. The trip went surprisingly well; we were a little worried about having only 40 minutes in Washington to change planes, but did it with several minutes to spare. We arrived at 5:30PM after a long flight, thank God. Alamo did not have any compact cars available, so they were willing to upgrade us to pretty much any class of car we wanted. We turned down a van, a Lincoln continental, a Jeep convertible, and settled on a sporty Mitsubishi eclipse; so far so good (at least we thought). The last leg of todays journey was the ride from Kahului to the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. On the way, Betsy started feeling a little ill and Mike realized it was almost impossible to see out of the left rear passenger window. We finally made it to the hotel, checked in and were ready to start our vacation. Alas, Betsy got sick and had to stay in bed. Mike checked out the hotel grounds, got a Pina Colada from the Tiki bar, which was pretty bad, had better luck with a Corona. Mike talked for a while with James and Gwen (a nice, newlywed couple, from Texas), Betsy felt a little better and came down to join in. We walked down to the beach, and then went back to the room to get some sleep.
Sep 19, 2009 Saturday.
Probably the same as most vacationers from the eastern US, we woke up somewhere between 3 to 4am. We couldnt sleep any longer, so decided to just get up and walk around a bit. The plan for today was to snorkel with a friend Betsy had communicated with for quite some time on Trip Advisor; Sue (Barefootin) from Arkansas, and her husband Wes. We met at Airport Beach, but the water there wasnt great for entering as it was low tide. We had not yet rented fins, so they guided us to the Maui Dive Shop. A little advice: dont rent fins at the hotel; renting at the Dive Shop, we paid less than half what it would have cost us from the hotel. We snorkeled at 2 places, ???? and ????. We saw awesome HUGE turtles, an eel, a weird worm thing that none of us had ever seen, and lots of colorful fish. We each had a fish sandwich for lunch, 2 for 1 as Sue gave us her card, like a subway card (Thanks Sue). We parted company after lunch. We had a very good time with our new friends and appreciate them taking time out of their vacation to help us get started; thanks again! We went back to the hotel, later we took the short walk to Whalers Village. After checking out the stores, we had dinner at LeiLannis; the food was very good. There were 2 guys playing guitar and singing along to recorded music; it was a kind of like karaoke with guitars, and actually a little bit funny. The music sounded OK, but we couldnt tell what was recorded and what was live. Mike ate for two (his and a good portion of Betsys), we went back to KBH and bed.
Sep 20, 2009 Sunday.
We got up early again today, though not as early as yesterday. We snorkeled black rock, which was not nearly as good as when we were with Sue and Wes. We did both the front and back sides of black rock and saw quite a few fish; but no turtles. Maybe we were not there at the right time. We then ate at the KBH champagne brunch (yum). We were able to use our breakfast vouchers as partial payment towards the brunch ($20 off, each, I think). This is advertised as the best brunch on Maui, and it quite possible is. There is a really good variety of everything; and pretty much everything we tried was delicious. We hung out at the hotel for a while, then rented a cabana and relaxed on the beach. We walked back to Whalers Village for a light dinner (after the huge brunch we didnt want to eat too much). We had a fruit plate at the Hula Grill. It was actually pretty good. There was a musician there singing and playing the guitar; he was OK, but at least it was him and not a recording.
Sep 21, 2009 Monday.
Today was our only planned tour, the Maui Eco Tour (snorkel/kayak). We didnt have time to go to breakfast, so we used our voucher for a box breakfast, and then left the hotel to go on the tour. The tour started at 7:00am, at DT Fleming State Park. We paddled out to Honoloa Bay (about 1.2 miles), then to their secret spot, which is on the way back to the starting location. We did see quite a few fish and turtles, but honestly, it was not as good as the snorkeling we did with Sue and Wes. Betsy got sea sick after the first bay; luckily, this was the best and longest part of the tour. When we got back to DT Fleming State Park, we ate the lunch that is part of the tour. This lunch is very small; you really should bring something else, or plan on going out afterwards. We heard about the small lunch and were glad for the box breakfast from the hotel (though Betsy was not quite ready to eat yet). On the way back, we stopped at the local Alamo and exchanged our sporty car for a Hundai Accent. This was a cheaper car, but was so much easier to drive; it actually has windows you can see out of. The car change was very fortunate for us; especially considering what was in store for us on Tuesday (Sep22). In the afternoon, we went to Lahaina and did the self walking tour (banyan tree, courthouse, jailhouse). We tried a ukulele, and had a Shaved Ice at Annies (good). On our way out of Lahaina, we were looking for a place to eat. When we saw the Aloha Mixed Plate, and remembered all the good reviews, we decided to eat there. What a disappointment, yuck, the food was not good at all. We got water, and they provided brown chunks of crud in both of them (we noticed that people that got water got paper cups without straws; paid drinks got glasses with straws. Is this significant?). We left there hungry and went back to the hotel. After a little while, we walked over to the Sheraton and had a strong drink (Betsy had to get a little more fruit juice added); then we ate a yummy surf/turf (shrimp/beef) burger and our first Longboard beer. This meal was so much better than what we had at the Aloha Mixed Plate. We watched the torch lighting ceremony. The torch lighter seemed like a nice guy, he let little kids light torches if they wanted to. At the end, he dives off of black rock. This was neat to watch.
Sep 22, 2009 Tuesday.
We finally got to use a breakfast voucher for the normal breakfast at the KBH. The food was OK, not the best. I guess its good enough, considering the voucher is payment in full. We took off to see the famous blowhole, missed it, and ended up driving all the way around West Maui (Kahekili hwy). The road was pretty dangerous in many places (barely one lane on a cliff and few places to move over for oncoming traffic), but the views were very beautiful! We were glad we did it, but probably wont do it again. We made the best of it and took the opportunity to visit the IAO needle. Its fortunate that we didnt make a special trip to see the needle; it really doesnt take that long. All in all, what started out as a miss, ended up as pretty enjoyable experience. We made our way back to the KBH and played in the surf there. For dinner, we went back to the Sheraton and had our only expensive meal on the west side, at least for our budget. We each had a salad. Betsy had ½ Lobster tail and steak two ways (Black Angus sirloin and Filet Mignon) which was really delicious. Mike had a steak which was good, but Betsys was better; so he helped Betsy finish hers.
Sep 23, 2009 Wednesday.
This was our last morning on West Maui. Having been unimpressed with the normal breakfast at KBH, we used our breakfast voucher for a $14 credit at the KBHs Tiki Terrace. This is another buffet. It was a little better than the other one, but not great. The best part was an omelet, that the server made to order, it was very good. After the farewell ceremony at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel, we were on the way to Hana. There are almost no stores in Hana (and the prices are quite high), so we planned to stock up for the next 5 days in Kahului. That was a good idea, but the execution left a little to be desired. We easily found
WalMart, but as the store is relocating, there was not a lot there. We spent about 2 hours getting directions to Safeway, then driving around, getting more directions, etc., until we finally found it. We finished shopping and were finally on the road to Hana. We passed Paia, saw some wind surfers, then realized we didnt get the Road to Hana cd, so had to turn back and bought one at the Shell gas station in Paia. We finally made it to the Hana Sunrise House at around 4:30PM. We made hamburgers and zucchini for dinner. The view from our house was wonderful. Its a little up a mountain; you can see the ocean (Hamoa and Koki beach area); as well as the island that can be seen from Koki beach. There are lots of cows in a huge field between the house and the ocean. There are also several types of fruit trees in the yard. Free wireless internet access is provided as well. We will spend lots of time on the big screened porch, overlooking a really beautiful view. This was a very nice end to our day.
Sep 24, 2009 Thursday.
We saw a great sunrise, hooked up the MagicJack and made some calls home. After a little breakfast, we drove to Koki beach. Its very nice, but the surf is pretty strong. If you want to snorkel, do it on West Maui; although its very beautiful, the surf was too strong for enjoyable snorkeling on every beach we saw on the east; but the east is more fun for playing in the surf. We went to Wainapapa State Park, saw the caves (some kids jumped in and swam out of sight, really neat). We walked the trail and went to the Black Sand Beach, which is cool, but with bare feet, just back from the finer black sand, the black pebbles felt like glass (so we had to put our shoes back on). Saw and went into the lava tube on the side of the black beach, for a spectacular view of the ocean. It started to rain so we returned home. We ate our second home cooked meal of the trip, nachos with cheese and jalapenos.
Sep 25, 2009 Friday.
We went to the Haleakala National Park entrance at Kipahulu. We saw the sacred pools, but the water was too high and they didnt allow swimming there, couldnt even go down to them. Then we made a 2 mile hike (each way) along the Pipiwai Trail, through fruit trees, the bamboo forest, to the magnificent Waimoku waterfall (400 ft drop). Mike got to walk about an extra mile as he had to go back to the car for the video camera. It started to rain just as we were finishing the hike. Happily, there were not many bugs along the trail. We then drove to Koki Beach and had champagne, pineapple, cheese and crackers on the beach. Mike went out too far into the surf and got tumbled around a bit; Betsy was smarter and just walked in a little. Came back home and ate a rice/chicken dinner with a side of spinach and yellow squash. It poured this night; the stream by the house was running for the first time since we arrived.
Sep 26, 2009 Saturday.
We went to Hamoa Beach early this morning. There were only a few people there because we arrived before all the day trippers from West Maui. The surf was impressive and we only ventured out a little from shore. At around noon, we went to the Hotel Hana Maui for lunch. It was a little expensive, but the food was OK. We went back to Hamoa Beach with the cameras and then to church at St. Marys in Hana for 5pm mass. The people there were very nice and welcoming. Before mass started, an older gentleman asked us to write our names, where we were from, and asked us if this was a special occasion. We wrote and told him what he wanted. When mass was over, they announced us to the congregation. Everyone welcomed us, and then sang Happy Anniversary to us. It was a little embarrassing, but one of the nicest things that anyone did for us during our stay. After that, we went back to the Hana Maui Hotel for a few drinks and to listen to a guitar/cello band. During one of the first songs, one of the guitar strings broke; so it became a ukulele/cello band. They were OK. We got back to home (the Hana Sunrise House) at around 8PM.
Sep 27, 2009 Sunday.
We wanted to take it easy, so we spent a good part of the day relaxing at Hamoa beach. We both went out into the surf farther than before, and had a great time. We drove to the Keanae peninsula, which we had skipped on the way to Hana. We ate a picnic lunch on the way back, at the Wailua overlook. We went back to the house and packed up most of our stuff. We had burgers for dinner and relaxed, for the last time of the trip, in this beautiful house. We both think that the Hana Sunrise House was the best accommodation we had and would not hesitate to stay here again.
Sep 28, 2009 Monday.
This, sadly, was our last day on Maui. Our flight didnt leave until 9:45pm, and we didnt have to return the car until 7:30pm, so we planned a trip along the southern route of East Maui, up Haleakala, then back to Kahului. The road was interesting; some parts were a little bumpy and dirt; but not nearly as bad as the back road along the west (Kahekili hwy). It was odd to see the incredible difference between the rain forest on northern Hana and the extremely arid southern Hana. It really is worth the trip, with lots of picture spots; although there are very few stores/restaurants. We stopped at Tedeschis winery, which was very nice. We tasted some interesting wine; unfortunately, we couldnt ship wine to our home state, and only had carry-on luggage, so we couldnt buy any. Oh Well. This was the only time it would have been beneficial for us to have checked luggage; we were able to pack everything we needed in Betsys small carry-on suitcase, and Mikes backpack. No waiting at baggage pick up areas, etc.; for us, carry-on was the way to go! We went up Haleakala, unfortunately, our 3 day pass from the 25th expired on the 27th, so we had to get another one. We should have planned that better. It was cloudy on the way up the volcano, but at the top it wasnt. The views were great, and we thought it was interesting that so long after the last eruption it still smelled a little like cinders. We made our way to Paia, for our final dinner on Maui, at Mamas Fish House. It was pretty expensive, but the food and atmosphere were worth it. We would like to go there again someday. We returned our car, and got to the airport a couple of hours before departure. We took off, pretty much on time, and headed out into the darkness over the Pacific. We would not arrive in San Francisco until the next morning.
Sep 29, 2009 Tuesday.
We arrived in San Francisco, on time, with a 2 hour layover. We got a little to eat, the food was way over priced, as usual for an airport. We got to our gate early, only to find what would be over 2 hours of confusion and non-communication from the airline personnel. Apparently, our plane was out of commission, so they replaced it with the same type of plane that was configured with 80 fewer seats. They wanted volunteers to change flights. We needed to get a connection in Washington, which would be the last flight of the day into our small home airport. Eventually, we did get on the plane and instead of having 2 hours to get our next flight, in a different concourse, we had about 30 minutes. We did make the connection, and arrived home just a little after 7:15pm. We grabbed a quick bite to eat, went home, and slept well. This was a wonderful trip, well worth the cost (even with our limited funds). We already miss Hawaii and hope we will be able to return some day.
She had about 30 kids over for a bonfire and an outdoor movie on Saturday night... then a family birthday party last nite. Colby is even exhausted!
T G I Friday !!!!! 
