Majestic Maui

You know that feeling when you see something for the first time? The awe of a new sight or the wonder of a new experience? As the plane approached Maui and the majestic mountains, the amazement hit all of us....as it did on Oahu and the Big Island...but each island has provided a unique sense of admiration.

We arrived on Saturday and have had a good balance of relaxing and exploring! The Fairmont Kea Lani is an impressive hotel, with many activities for the kids, including a huge water slide, snorkels, boogie boards, and a kids club. That last one may be more for Mom & Dad, actually. The hotel is huge and there are a lot of people, but we have been good at finding our own little area to sit and relax. As most people choose to lounge by the different pools, we choose the massive Pacific Ocean as our view. “You can’t see that in Richmond”, Cabell likes to say.

After a full day of enjoying the hotel and its amenities, we were ready to venture out. On Monday, the kids went to the Keiki Lani (Kids Club) for the afternoon and Cabell and I had a day date. We went to the famous Mama’s Fish House and savored a most amazing experience. This institution of a restaurant is situated right on the water, with incredible views of the waves, palm trees swaying and a sandy beach. We shared a summer salad, salmon from New Zealand, and local Mahi Mahi... and Cabell enjoyed fried kanpachi collar (cheek). It was an unforgettable afternoon and such a special treat!

The next morning, we got up at 6:30 am, dressed with bathing suits under our clothes, packed our PBJ’s and headed out for the Road to Hana. We had read all about this, but really didn’t have much of a plan. (That seems to be our normal...right, Slump?) The legendary Hana Highway (HI-360) has 620 curves and 59 bridges. The road lead us through flourishing rainforests, flowing waterfalls, and dramatic seascapes. If anyone knows my husband and his driving skills, you will understand that this typical adventure was even more of one for us that day.

Highlights from the Road to Hana:
•windy roads that overlooked the ocean
•rainbow eucalyptus trees
•cascading waterfalls
•1 lane bridges
•fruit stands along the way
•old town of Ke’anae where the ocean sprayed over the rocks, we saw a miniature horse, and an old church built in 1860
•local woman making baskets out of banana palm leaves
•the freezing cold pool at the base of a waterfall—everyone got in except for me...until we drove back by it and I decided to join in. There is no proof from a picture, but let’s just say that my kids won’t forget me getting in that water.
•Coconut Glen’s—hippie van on the side of the road that made homemade vegan ice cream, made with fresh coconut milk. Yum. $7 a cup. Yikes.
•picnic lunch at Wai’anapanapa State Park where there was a black sand beach and incredible cliffs falling into the water
•kids jumping off of a rock above a waterfall and splashing into the pool below—it was raining and we wouldn’t let Luke jump since it was so high—the cry fest was pretty miserable. Safety first!
•feeling carsick
•valleys and peaks of lush green all along the road with blue ocean on the other side

Lawson & Lilly jumping!

On the way back to the hotel, we took off on a dirt road that led to “Jaws Lookout”, which is the massive wave spot that only professional surfers dare to surf in the winter time. We took this road that ended up putting our Chevy Equinox to the test!! It was a rough ride, full of laughs, especially seeing our confident Cabell questioning himself and being afraid of getting stuck on the road! We finally “arrived” at a dirt landing where you could look down over the cliff and see where these enormous waves emerge, only about 8 days of the year. It was pretty cool to see.

We then stopped at Hookipa Beach, which is known for windsurfers and sea turtles. That is no joke! It was one of the most amazing sights I’ve ever seen—dozens of Hawaiian green sea turtles came out of the ocean, crawled onto the beach, and laid there to sleep. It looked like a bunch of rocks! It was an incredible sight to watch and I could have stayed there for hours! The kids swam in the water and would look down and see a turtle swimming right by...ready to take a break and bask in the sun.

We finished the day off with dinner at Nalu South Shore Grill in Kiehe and had delicious fish sandwiches. It was a day to remember. God continues to amaze us with His beautiful creation and we are so grateful for the opportunity to witness it here in Hawaii!