About: Maui Vacation 2019

I don't know how this happened, that I went almost a whole year without sharing our trip to Maui! I made the video and thought I'd shared it, but realized in my efforts this week to catch up on blog things and photo organization that I never had done that either! I remember now being worried about putting all of the pictures on the MacBook before backing everything up and needing an external hard drive, and one thing led to another, then I forgot about downloading the Maui pictures. So long story, short - I finally did it and here we are. 

We got a great flight in, or so it seemed until we realized that landing at 10:00 pm Maui time was landing at 2:00 am Idaho time - a few issues with the rental car made this a  s l o w  process - and by the time we drove around the island to our condo we were beyond tired. 

 

Um, so there's a story in between these two pictures, which probably everybody knows by now, but I'll drop it in here in a sec anyway. 

I had been waiting 2 years to have this breakfast again - brown sugar latte and fried rice with an egg. IT'S SO GOOD - it makes me want to cry.

Front Street in Lahaina before it heats up.

 

The Big Banyan Tree

Back to Polynesian Shores and ready to SWIM

This is the little sandy beach just a short walk away - we call it McConnel beach - because it's our favorite and we don't know another name for it. 

 

We bought the kids fish spotting cards and a new notebook to journal about the trip. 

Ok, so here's the picture... So - by the time we had arrived in the we hours of the Idaho morning (but it was like 11:30 Maui time), we finally get settled for bed, exhausted, and as we were just falling asleep we heard a noise from out in the living room where Liam was sleeping on the couch... it was a cough, but the kind that we have become very adept at telling apart from other coughs... it was a puke cough. By the time we had sprung out of bed Liam had stood up and sleep-puked all over the tile floor (soda and orange juice - thanks a lot airplane) - and Todd ran out first to help, slipped in the puke, literally flew into the air before he landed on his arm. It was THE loudest bang you ever heard. I don't know if we had downstairs neighbors at that point, but if we did then I don't know why they didn't call the police. So now Todd is rolling in puke, in pain on the floor, Liam is still sleep-puking everywhere, and Linda and I are just kind of frozen like-what-in-the-world-is-happening. Todd gets in the shower, Liam lays back down with a bowl, and Linda and I can't find a mop so we start cleaning the floor with paper towels and bath towels. Once we are finished and everyone is sort of settled, Todd's elbow is purple and his wrist is swollen. Liam is asleep - and will not remember any of this. Todd and I just lay awake in disbelief, trying to figure out if the trip is ruined, if we will be going to the ER in the morning... we look at the clock - 12:00 - Happy Birthday to Todd. 

On a much less important note, I kicked a rock on the beach and knocked my toe nail off, pretty sure I broke my toe because it was very painful for basically the whole trip and wearing shoes was not an option - at least it was Maui and wearing shoes IS optional. It certainly was not as bad as Todd's wrist was - we are pretty sure now that it was broken - it hurt him for probably 2 months, and at his annual check up that fall his doctor looked it over and declared it fine as long as it wasn't hurting him. We did go to a few quick cares nearby, but either the wait was too long, or they didn't take insurance, 

Liam was obsessed with rolling in the waves up to the shore... this was what his head looked like, the whole dang trip.. and for about a week after we got home. 

 

On one of our days we drove over to Kihei and upcountry to Kula - you cannot miss Wow Wow Lemonade if you go... it's no ka oi!

Those Kula views

And back down to Paia for lunch and to check out their beach.. we hadn't brought our swim stuff, which was fine because that sand was SO HOT and it was blowing and sandblasting us a little. It was the most beautiful color, but we didn't stay long - and nearly not too many other people were interested that day either. 

 

The next day, Kapalua Beach - typically rated one of the best beaches in the world... it's the beach we drive to more than any other. First thing in the morning it's quite open, and there is great snorkeling including turtles, and it's just the most beautiful view *sigh*.

There's a coastal trail up at the top of it which you can walk for a ways. 

Napili Coffee Store - Kahlua & Cream. We didn't have a bad coffee the whole time, but this was the best one. 

We also always have to snorkel early in the morning at Honolulu Bay - before the snorkel cruises come in and parking runs out. No dolphins or mantas this time, but I did see a decent sized whitetip reef shark. I kept my distance and my eye on him as I swam the other direction.

One of the best parts about Honolua is that you have to walk through the rainforest to get there, and swing on some vines while you're at it. 

Evening sun at our condo. 

Todd and I got out for a birthday date one evening - is there anything nicer than a sunset stroll on the beach?

  "McConnel Beach"

I wonder how many times we would trek down to our beach... at least twice I guess? We didn't often go down in the evening, but this was a perfect time. We were almost the only people on the whole beach. 

   

  Along with one very sleepy turtle. 

  

  

I still couldn't put on tennis shoes - but we didn't want to miss our chance to visit Iao Valley and go for a little hike. 

   That's the Iao needle ↑

Looking back towards the ocean ↓

If you didn't already believe in God, it feels like you would have to after being to a place like this. 

We should've made this our Christmas card!

One last look at the needle. 

We took a drive north up the west side of Maui as far as we could go before the roads get too windy. 

  

Evening at the condo...

  

Another Hawaiian breakfast, but on the beach. 

We took the kids to the Maui Ocean Center on a rainy/windy day and had such a good time. 

  

Island Cream Co. on the way home - I like a lot of ice cream, but I think this would be my A-1. 

Last day enjoying our beach, getting a little more snorkeling in. The snorkeling is a little more challenging here - you have a swim a bit farther out, and be careful of the waves crashing on the rocks - but that is where the turtles love to eat so you can almost always see several at any time. 

Handsome boy

  Such a beauty girl

Heart shaped coral - I mean!

 

Beach tradition

The kids and Papa really got into catching little crabs. 

We got the biggest, most perfect double rainbow on our last day!

  Last sunset

Aloha Maui

 

 

Aaaaand a collection of flora... everywhere you go, everything you see is absolutely stunning. 

 

Oh man, putting this one together hurts a little. I miss it so much - and I know no one is going to Maui this summer - but maybe I just need to quickly check on teaching jobs there...

We are SO thankful that Steve & Linda / Grandma & Papa took us along again (we think this was Liam's 4th trip in 10 years) We always have a dream of a time! Everything from the Costco to the shave ice, the papayas eaten on the porch to the drives along the shore line, to the sunsets and snorkeling and swims - it's wonderful. 

Maui Video