Maui - I Miss You Already

What an amazing honeymoon! I feel so relaxed, rejuvenated and refreshed. It was the vacation of a lifetime.

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Westin Maui, which I highly recommend. The lobby had a waterfall and little pond filled with koi, flamingos and a black swan. Parrots were perched in the trees. It had five swimming pools and a delicious breakfast buffet you could eat overlooking the ocean.

Our view actually looked like the photo!

On our first night, they brought us a bucket of champagne and we sipped it on our balcony while listening to the Hawaiian musician who performed every night.

It was breathtaking!

What We Did (the G-Rated Version - tee hee!)

• First night - Our flight was 8 hours - and American Airlines doesn't feed you. We paid $10 for a can of Pringles. When we got in, we were starving so we went for dinner at Leilani's on the Beach, which was right next door. We drank mai tais and had a delicious seafood dinner overlooking the ocean. After we got back to the room, we relaxed on our balcony for a little bit and were asleep by 7 p.m.
  
  
• Day two - We needed some R&R so we spent most of the day by the pool and on the beach. People bring you drinks when you sit by the pool - we had mai tais and lava flows (strawberry daiquiri/pina colada mix). For dinner, we went to Bubba Gump's. It's a chain restaurant, but kind of fun.
  
  
• Day three - Simon's family booked a snorkeling/boating excursion for us through Trilogy. We took a catamaran boat to a nearby island, Lanai. We snorkeled for the first time in our life. It was like Finding Nemo - all sorts of colorful, tropical fish swimming around the coral reef. Afterward, we relaxed on the beach and hiked up some rocks. The crew grilled a fabulous chicken dinner for us and served us pog (yum!) - pineapple, orange, guava juice. On the trip back, we saw a flying fish and a pod of spinner dolphins on the hunt for some tuna. When we got back to the room, we got a piece of Hula Pie and ate it on our balcony (Macademia nut ice cream on a brownie crust with fudge, caramel and whipped cream).
  
  
• Day four - We got up early and drove the road to Hana. It's a three hour drive to a tiny town. We actually didn't make it to the town, but we got really close. It's a scenic coastal drive with lots of one-lane bridges and hairpin turns. You can pull your car off the side of road and hike trails, visit beaches or swim in waterfalls. Simon climbed down a scary hill to swim in a waterfall and we both swam in a cave. It was a relaxing, gorgeous day. We ate lunch at the Paia Fish Market in Pa'ia - so delicious. We were too full for dinner, so we went to the bar instead. I had a mai tai, lava flow and some sort of banana drink. Too much for my wussy self - I practically passed out on our bed when we got back!
  
  
• Day five - Another relaxing day by the ocean - we went to one of the northern beaches and snorkeled/sun bathed. Simon's family booked a luau for us at night - the Feast at LeLe. We were looking forward to it because every time we mentioned it to anyone they got extremely excited. It was phenomenal - they served five course including dessert and each course had three dishes. The foods were from Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa and Tahiti. Plus, it had an open bar. In between courses, a group of very attractive men and women performed traditional dance from each region. Amazing! I practically needed to be rolled home.
  
  
• Day six -We decided to hit the road at 3 a.m. so we could watch the sunrise from the Halakekala Crater (a dormant volcano). It's 10,000 feet high and a phenomenal view. The sunrise was beautiful and everything, but it was freezing ass cold. It was only 36 - back in Ohio, we don't stand outside in 36 degree weather. My teeth were chattering and I was shaking. Poor Simon had to pee - and there were no bathrooms. He had to use a cup from the car, filling it up twice.
  
  Our original plan was to hike around the volcano, but it was way too cold for that. Instead we had breakfast at a hole in a wall dinner, Cafe 808. Afterward, we went to the Teldeschi Winery, where we sampled pineapple wine and bought six bottles to take home. We also visited the Surfing Goat Dairy, where we fed goats and sampled goat cheese. We decided to splurge on a fancy dinner on our last night, so we had dinner at Merriman's. We sat at an ocean view table, watching the sunset. I had a combo of ahi tuna and lobster. For dessert, we had a molten chocolate cake. It was one of the best meals I've ever eaten!
  
  
• Day seven - We checked out of the hotel and headed to the Maui Ocean Center (the aquarium). It was cool - they had hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, tropical fish and reef sharks. Afterward, we drove along the coast and enjoyed the ocean. We had fabulous fish tacos at Las Pinatas. I didn't think you could get good Mexican food in Hawaii, but I was wrong. Afterward, we checked in and made the trek home.

Great vacation - and no more wedding planning! Woo hoo!