Wowie Maui

Beware, this is a long one...

It seems we are the three day vacationers. When we camped it was for three days. Now we have just gotten back from Maui and I am still tired thinking about all we jammed into a three day vacation. We found a great deal on Expedia http://www.expedia.com/

for airfare, hotel, and rental car---all for the price of what one ticket to the mainland usually costs. Since Isom is on vacation and it was Gabe's last week of summer before starting first grade, we decided to go for it. The saying you get what you pay for is repeating over and over in my head. It never occurred to me that I had a favorite inter-island airline until we rode on Go! http://www.iflygo.com/

This trip was my first experience with the airline...there was some good but I was definitely outside of my Hawaiian Airline comfort zone. I knew we were on a budget airline when we had to walk onto the tarmac to board the plane. Did I mention it was a small plane? Not a fan. There were two seats on either side of the aisle so I found myself alone and by the window. I always enjoy a view. But the view I had was of a cracked airplane window, an ant crawling beside that crack, and dust inside that crack. Hmm. Is it too late to de-plane? If that was not a bad enough start, then I realize I am dripping sweat. Why? No air conditioning! Is this a typical practice? I look up and realize that the flight attendant (one for the entire plane) is fanning herself to cool off as well. And this is the start of our Maui adventure.

After what seemed to be the hottest twenty minute flight ever, we safely arrived in Kahalui. First stop, Krispy Kreme! After getting a beast of a rental car (I thought we ordered an economy car?) we needed a treat. We watched the hot, sugary delights cruise by on what I refer to as the belt of heaven. Now to make a decision. I chose blueberry. Isom chose chocolate. Gabe chose a maple bar. We walked out renewed in our faith that our Maui excursion would be great.

As we drove through Kahalui and on to our final destination at the Sheraton in Kaanapali http://www.sheraton-maui.com/, we observed that Maui was huge and very much like the mainland, well with a few exceptions. Despite this being my third trip to Maui, it still seemed unfamiliar to me. Isom, Gabe, and I shared in the newness of it all. Two hours later (I thought it was only 26 miles away!), we reached our hotel. Now we were faced with the difficult task of deciding what to do about dinner. The vague memory I had of Maui was dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe in Lahaina...next thing you know, we were in the beast, I mean car, headed back down the road we came in on. Thankfully it's a Thursday night, things won't be too crowded right? We park and take a stroll down Front Street---the Waikiki of Maui. We agree that seafood sounds delish and put our name on the list for The Fish Co. http://www.lahainafishcompany.com/

Our lovely hostess informs us that our wait will be 20 to 30 minutes. Fine, we'll stop in at the shops, enjoy the ocean view, and people watch. When our time is up we check back in with the hostess only to discover our 30 minute wait has turned into an hour! (possibly more...I stopped counting)

By the time we sat down and received our meals, Gabe had curled up into a ball on my lap. He was tired and so was I. I managed to scarf down my Halibut anyway and we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel.

Day two of Maui with the Majors started bright and early. We were up and driving by 7:00 a.m. (OMG!) Of course I had to grab a cup of joe at the Starbucks cart in the lobby.Imagine my surprise when the "barista", if he can even be called that, handed me my iced coffee in a hot beverage cup...hmm, I don't think that's what that goes in. So we head to a real

Starbucks for try number two. This time I bring in my personal Starbucks beverage cup (yay me) and proceed to order my second iced coffee in less than an hours time. As I grab my COLD BEVERAGE only cup, I am shocked at how HOT it is. What's going on here? Cold in the hot and hot in the cold. Thanks Isom for having them remake my coffee---I don't think we would have made it all the way to Haleakala without this important step.

We drove uneventfully from the Lahaina Starbucks past the Maui Aquarium and to the Sugar Museum...that was closed. We then drove from there to Upcountry where we stumbled onto Ulupalakua Ranch http://www.ulupalakuaranch.com/

and home of Tedeschi Vineyards--- and a 10 a.m. wine tasting. Yippee!

All of our Maui highlights involve food and beverages...

Since we had hit the road bright and early, and despite the two coffee mishaps, we arrived to the vineyards before they were officially open. So we passed the time reading tourist informational pamphlets about Maui, swatting the worlds largest mosquitoes, and watching the ranch cats sleep.

Once the store opened we were greeted with a somewhat grumpy store owner (coffee problems too?) but she soon perked up when Isom insisted on purchasing a $20 camouflage hat for Gabe. I knew I would be enjoying a taste or two of wine momentarily so I let it slide. After talking story with the wine lady (I'm sure there's a better name) and purchasing a souvenir bottle (didn't even make it back to Oahu before we consumed it) we headed to the main attraction for the day---Haleakala or House of the Sun.

There are shirts that say "I survived the road to Hana" but I did not see any claiming survival of the road to Haleakala...(new business idea?). After a thousand switchbacks, watching bikers of all ages careen down the hill, driving through clouds, and coming dangerously close to the edge of the road at over 9000 feet up in the air (no guard rails to be seen), we made it to the summit of Haleakala. It was breathtaking. It was beautiful. It should be named House of Heaven. If you are going to Maui, make this a part of your agenda. I have done the road to Hana (in a former college life) and now I have done the road to Haleakala. I'm so lucky.

So to recap---we got screwed up coffee, tasted wine, watched cats sleep, and viewed one of Hawaii's most breathtaking sights---all in the span of six hours. Now for lunch! We headed back to civilization and checked out the Kahalui mall where we enjoyed Maui Tacos www.mauitacos.com

in its home environment. Stuffed! We called it a day back at the hotel with a swim in the grotto pools and enjoyed a rum and coke while we watched the sunset and cliff diving from Black Rock. A quick walk through Whalers Village and one scallop appetizer later (literally one scallop on the plate but we won't get into that!) we were calling an end to day two of what I have just realized was a Griswold vacation moment. The Majors are the Griswolds! Well, minus one kid and Chevy Chase.

Even though everything seemed like an ordeal while we were in Maui, we really did enjoy ourselves. It was great being around different people, having my own bed (did I mention they screwed up on our hotel room and instead of a king we got two doubles?), and re-discovering the country part of Hawaii we don't get much of here on Oahu.

And I haven't even mentioned the part where we drove on a one lane road on the edge of a cliff, where the state highway ends, and no one is around except a 14 year old girl manning a smoothie shop on a school bus...maybe another time.

So the next time you watch "National Lampoon's Vacation" think of us!