First let me say that like any new parent, I was nervous about traveling with a 6 month old on an airplane for the first time. Also I think I packed for just about any possible scenario - so off we went from LAX with 8 pieces of luggage in tow. Consequently Lily was an absolute angel, no problem with take off and landing - she was even passed around on the plane a bit. What a good girl she is. Travel to Maui was uneventful, thankfully. You know you are in for a great trip to Maui when your pilot's name is Captain Jack Johnson.
Upon arrival I got "lei'd", then we made an immediate pitstop at the Kahalui Kmart of all places, to pick up various & sundry sundries - including a baby bathtub and beach umbrella, "room drinks" , P>O>G juice and snacks for mommy & daddy - you get the idea. Then it was off to Wailea to check into our hotel - Wailea Marriott, absolutely gorgeous - and a brief rest up. Our room faced the Wailea beach and Grand Wailea resort, and looked right out over the Luau grounds. Little did we know we'd be attending the Luau every night . . Lily enjoyed it. Mom & Ray had a beautiful suite with THREE balconies looking out over the ocean. Heaven!
Nothing to report for our first dinner - too tired to dress up so a quick stroll to the nearest Cheeseburger in Paradise and we were sated for the evening. ZZZZZZZzzzzzz
Up at 5am! Luckily, there was a starbucks IN our hotel. Nothing like sipping a latte watching the sun come up over Wailea while Lily snoozes in her stroller. Breakfast at Longhi's - my first banana mac pancakes of the trip. Lily gets a lesson in tropical plants from daddy.
Off to Kihei to rent snorkel gear. What a funny little town that is. Surfers and tourists mostly. Lunch is Maui Tacos for the giant burritos, enjoyed on a picnic bench next to the beach. Then it's off to McKenna ( sp?) to find a little private snorkel beach. Weather NOT cooperating. Lily enjoys her first sand!! Hilarity ensues when Mike loses a fin in the strong undertow, then 20 minutes later when we'd all but given up I spot it bobbing in the surf and we both run Baywatch style to grab it. Mike risks life and limb to dive for it at the last second, and comes up victorious!!! Crisis averted.
Then it's a harrowing drive through the incredible Lava fields. This is like a mini version of the road to Hana. A quick pit stop and we spot a family of black lava goats frolicking amongst the rocks, almost camouflaged. So cute!
On the way back we stop at a little roadside stand offering ice cold coconuts and fresh cut pineapple. A very large , very Hawaiian woman uses her machete to pop the tops on two coconuts for us and then proceeds to dissect a pineapple in about 4 well placed cuts. Kind of creepy. Anyway, fresh coconut juice is amazing, as is the pineapple. She cuts the coconut meat up for us after we finish the drinking. Two coconuts & one pineapple - $30. As Ray says, you pay extra for the "experience" in Maui. I'm thinking of moving there and selling fruit.
Dinner that night is the award winning restaurant in our Hotel - Mala. Lily is lights out in her stroller before we even get drinks - as will be the trend all week long. Lot's of great locavore dishes. I forgot to take pictures, probably because I am exhausted, but I had the local kula beet & surfing goat farms goat cheese salad ( there is a version of this on every menu in maui ), and then mom & I share the Ahi Sashimi plate and the "Adult" Mac & cheese with maytag bleu. Everything was incredible! Also excited to enjoy our familiar favorite Grayson's Cellars Cab by the glass.
Next morning we are up by 5 again, this time on purpose. We've booked an amazing bluewater rafting excursion and we have to be at Kehei harbor by 6:30am. After a few unsuccessful attempts at knocking, grandma finally answers the door at 6am to take Lily for the day! Our mode of transportation for the day is a huge zodiac pontoon boat, capable of doing 75mph on open waters. We knew we were in for serious business as our captain gunned it outside of the bay to the full blast musical stylings of Ozzy singing Crazy Train - doing full speed figure eights. The lava caves and arches down below la perouse bay are absolutely breathtaking, and adventurous trip aside, not to be missed. Backing in to a fully enclosed lava cavern using wave power timed between blowhole explosions is not for the faint of heart.
Then it's a snorkel marathon. After getting our feet wet at la perouse we head to molokini, the infamous crater that's also a rare bird refuge. I'll make a long story short here - after some amazing snorkeling around the inner and outer rime of the crater ( which drops off to 300 feet on the other side ) we were about 1000 feet away from our boat when my husband sees a 6 foot grey reef shark hovering about 50 feet away from us on the reef shelf. Trying not to alarm me he motions that we should head back - quickly - and we did, because I could just tell by his eyes what was going on. Needless to say, we were back on that boat faster than you can say shark attack, and I am SUPER glad I didn't see that thing or we might have had a bad panic situation. Mike was pretty freaked out for a couple of days after that, let me tell you. But I have to give him credit because I was able to talk him into getting back into the water when we swung around the back side of Molokini which is an amazing and rare snorkel spot that we couldn't miss out on. It may have been the quickest snorkel ever - a "ninja snorkel"as they call it. On the way back to Kehei we see turtles and do more death defying rafting. By one pm we are safely back in harbor, limbs in tact.
We meet for drinks on one of Mom & Ray's balconies with some friends that are also visiting, and the hotel sends up some of the best Maitais we've ever had. Sunset is exquisite in Maui, especially with drink in hand and good company.
A casual dinner at Matteo's, a great little Italian restaurant in Wailea. In order to forge the hill with the stroller we had to push it up train style with Mom & I bringing up the rear and Mike steering. Ray watches us from above and is NO help! Fresh pizzas and pastas, a great wine list and very reasonable prices. Camera left in hotel room.
The next morning is spent at the beach next door to our hotel, and Lily goes in the ocean for the first time with Mommy & Grandma while daddy catches Sunday football that starts at 7am. Then Ray babysits while the two of us girls snorkel. No sharks to be found, but lots of sightings of the Hawaiian state fish and our favorite thing to say - Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. Try saying that through a snorkel.
That afternoon is spent in the pool, and Mike & Mom enjoy the waterslides while Lily discovers salt water pools taste delicious.
For dinner we trek next door to one of our favorite hotel, the Grand. Mom & Ray were "maui'd" in the gorgeous chapel there, as were my sister and her husband so it's a special spot for us. Dinner is at Humuhumu, of course short for the fish we chased around all morning. Spectacular views and a very authentic Hawaiian ambiance have me saying "ok now I really feel like we're in Hawaii". Dinner is excellent, I have the sea salt smoked ribs to start , and the tasmanian salmon with bok choy and a wasabi cream sauce. Mike gets surf and turf - gorgeous, and Mom & Ray both enjoyed the short ribs. I am on a mission to get seafood every night or I'd have gone with the short ribs too. Check out the amazing photo my husband took of the sun setting over the dolphin pool.
On Monday we pile into the big car for a daylong trip Upcountry. Let me just say that I was totally surprised by the unspoiled beauty of the Maui countryside, and that if I were to ever live on the island you can bet it would be under the shady pines of an upcountry Forrest, looking out over the islands bounty. Our first stop was the infamous Surfing Goat Dairy - a must do since it seems every chef in Maui is infatuated with their cheese. After enjoying some time with Lily's new buddies, the goats, we do a cheese tasting in their casual patio. Seven samples include a lavender flavor, one with jalapeno and cilantro, and even a smoked barbecue flavor. My favorite are the oil cured "ping pong balls", a stash of which I smuggled back with me for cork & fork next week. Their also know for their feta . . .da feta mo' betta, as they say.
Eventually we find ourselves at the Tadeschi winery, Maui's only winery located on the beautiful and immense Ulupalakua ranch. They grow a bunch of varietals, including cab, merlot, carignon, syrah and chard. Also they do a brut rose sparkling made from pinot that is nice. We pick up a few bottles of red, including the "Mele" blend that is our favorite, to take home. This provides me with another check mark in my quest to try wine from every state in the union. Unfortunately, I can't say that I recommend the pineapple wines. Not good. While on property we have a quick snack at the Ulupalukua ranch deli - had to try the famous beef tri tip.
Then we wind our way to the Hai'leMaile General store, a Maui institution helmed by arguably the island's most heralded chef, Bev Gannon. It's unpretentious and locally driven menu is known to be one oh the best in Hawaii. The sashimi napolean and lilikoi creme brulee were showstoppers. Chef Bev, who also owns Gannon's and Joe's in Wailea, joined us for a lovely lunch, and then stole my baby for a while. That's Maui for you.
After lunch we checked out the windsurfers and visited a cool little cowboy town that starts with a p and is followed by a bunch of vowels. Back at the hotel we are pooped and stay in for dinner and watch the Luau in it's entirety form our balcony. It's our last night in Wailea, and we have had an amazing week so far.
Breakfast on the balcony and a brief packing stint and we're off to the other side of the island. Friends Micah & Trisha are leaving today and gift us with their leftover gallon of bacardi! Our midpoint stop is lunch at Beachbums followed by a very enjoyable trip to the Maui Ocean Center Aquarium, where Lily encounters sealife of all sorts for the firat time, and Mike has a run in or two with his friend the shark.
Afterwards we chick into our new digs, the Ritz Carlton at Kapalua. Mike and I honeymooned in Kapulua so we are very excited to return "home". We get lei'd again, then settle into our new rooms. The grounds, service and hospitality at the Ritz are exceptional. It doesn't feel quite as "Hawaiian" as the Marriott, and Ray is mad because there are no palm trees.
Mike & I insist on going to Sansei for our dinner - it was one of our favorite restaurants when we stayed there in 2005. Although it has moved down the road, the food was every bit as amazing as we remembered. The 1 hour wait was well worth it, as our plates and drinks flew out of the kitchen once we began to order. Ray devoured an amazing porkchop dish with upcountry mushrooms, mom loved her requisite seared ahi, and Mike & I ordered a bunch of small plates including a misoyaki butterfish, panko prawns, udon noodles with shitake broth and kula tomatoes and filet with pecorino cheese, plus my favorite shrimpcakes with chili lime buerre blanc. One of the best meals we had all week, hands down, and one of the least expensive - that place is fabulous.
We spend the next day in Lahaina, where Lily learns the art of power shopping from Grandma, Daddy finally gets his shark tooth necklace on, and daytime drinking ensues on a patio jutting out over the deep blue sea. Lily gets to have here first taste of passionfruit gelato - sour face followed quickly by yummy face.
Then we head to Kapalua bay for more snorkel time in the little cove affectionately known in our family as "Mike's Happy Place". Murky shorebreak waters give way to clear reef snorkeling and some of the coolest fish we've seen thus far. Lot's of humuhumunukunukuapua'a sightings, while Lily naps peacefully on the beach. Mom is convinced she sees a shark fin circling the whole time mike and I are out there - which turns out to be a boat mooring bobbing in the surf. Crisis averted, again.
Pre-dinner drinks on the lobby lanai with live music and a happy but sleepy baby. Then it's a quick drive to kahana to Roy's for an outstanding meal at one of our favorite restaurants. Service, food and wine are all terrific. Mike orders a beef rib / grilled shrimp plate that practically comes out in a trough. Mom declares it the best seared Ahi she's had all week. We chat with the general manager for a long time. Everyone who lives here just seems so damn happy . . .
After a great night's sleep ( thank you, Lily) we head to my happy place - the Gazebo restaurant. I'm a breakfast kind of a girl, and this place has the best breakfast I've ever had. We brave the 1 hour wait, in the rain no less, for a picture perfect table overlooking Napili Bay. Lily sleeps through the meal, of course. I warn the waitress that I've been thinking about this meal for five years and that I plan to order two breakfasts, and I do. The fried rice is loaded with portuguese sausage , bacon, green onions, and thinly sliced egg "noodles". A-mazing. My banana mac pancakes are loaded with freshly whipped cream and coconut syrup. Have you ever thought about something for as long as you can remember and then you actually have it or do it and it doesn't live up to your expectations? yeah, this was not like that. I am in a blissful food coma.
Time to walk it off at Kaanapali beach. We use to stay here when I was growing up, before it became all touristy and supercrowded. Shopping at the cannery, strolling down the beach walk, brings back memories of very fun childhood summers. We are skipping lunch, and with good reason. I'm still full.
Back at the hotel we have a pool cabana afternoon. The pool staff fawn all over Lily, who is dissapointed that the pool doesn't have yummy salt in it. Is it really our last night in Maui? Let's not think about it, and order some pool drinks instead.
Shower and shave and we're off to our final supper, Merriman's in Kapalua, just down the road. What a beautiful restaurant. Great great live music. The food is good, but not worth the prices. by far the most expensive meal, and not anywhere near the best. My wine flight, however, is excellent, especially the red french blend from the languedoc. Ray's "taro mignon" with roasted tomato salsa is easily the best dish. back to the room, we make a final dent in that bacardi bottle. You can't take it with you.
Last day in Maui. Packing, packing and more packing. What a trip it has been. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt it's my favorite place on earth. Gets more and more expensive every year though. If mom has anything to do with it - perhaps we'll end up there one day, and enjoy the Kaima'aina prices.
Our trip back is a day long process, including a stopover in Honolulu. Nothing like the approach into the airport there, right over Pearl Harbor and Diamondhead. So cool. During our layover mom keeps reminding us that we are still in Hawaii. Sorry for the rant, but the trip form Oahu to lax is a nightmare. Probably the oldest crustiest rudest flight crew on the earth. These dinosaurs have forgotten what airtravel was like in the days of elegance and service expectations in the air. They don't know what kind of food they are serving, or what drinks they have, and are annoyed that we would ask them. One of the front bathrooms is broken, and they are pissed because everyone is in the asile trying to go to the back bathrooms. They tell us the wrong inflight movie, starring the wrong person, and bang into my childs head with their cart every chance they have. One of them runs full force into me with the drink cart, knocking me over, and gives me a dirty look because I am in her way. Also they think it's funny to wake up my baby, the only one that is sleeping peacefully, by dumping ice into a silver bowl next to us. "Soooo sorry" she laughs, sarcasticaly. Um hello bitter old ladies, you are getting paid to fly back and forth to Hawaii twice a month, get over yourselves. But I digress.
And now we're back home, a little tanner, a little fatter, with life put into perspective and ready to get back to life as usual and of course, work work work. Time away in paradise was certainly great while it lasted. Until next year . . .
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