How about some Hawaii Two-O. Yes, that is a bad play on Hawaii Five-O, which can only mean one thing. It’s time for our second (and final) post about our trip to Maui, Hawaii. In case you missed the first post last Thursday, check it out here to read about:
- where we stayed
- where we ate
- our “neighborhood”
- how we saved money
Oh and we talked about what it was like traveling with a toddler (and what worked/didn’t work) as well as getting Clara adjusted to the time difference here on Young House Life. Now as for this post, we’ll cover:
- all of the activities/adventures that we tackled while we were there (with a toddler in tow)
- the home-related purchase we made to remember the trip
- our vacation “tradition” that we continued in Hawaii
Our number one activity was going to the beach, since this trip was all about relaxing. We know lots of folks go to Hawaii with adventure on the brain – snorkeling, zip lines, dinner cruises – but that wasn’t what we were looking for (nor what we could really do with Clara by our side anyways). Nope, we were looking for some major decompressing and relaxing after three weeks of people in our house and no sleep thanks to shooting over 100 projects for our book. But beyond beaching it up (and chowing down), we did make time for some “adventures” of our own.
We also dedicated an entire day to driving the Road to Hana. Even after reading a few guidebooks, we weren’t totally sure what we were in for, but it just sounded like one of those things “you had to do” while in Maui. So we stocked the car with snacks, diapers, fuel and a guide CD (which we bought at the start of the highway in Paia) and headed towards the promise of beautiful vistas, iconic Hawaiian sights, and curvy roads.
Those promises were all kept. It was amazing. Before getting into the sights, let me say something about the highway itself. It was definitely nerve wracking. It was nearly non-stop curves, which was kinda fun at first. But after the third or fourth hour of it – as the curves became blinder and the road narrower (the yellow line frequently disappeared) – I was gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter.
But it was all worth it.
We didn’t make as many stops as the average Hana traveler might (hiking to waterfalls wasn’t so easy with Clara) but we did try to take in as much as possible from the road itself – like this waterfall visible from the highway.
And we did take some extended time to explore a couple of awesome spots, one being the Ke’anae Peninsula. There were awesome views of the sea violently splashing against the cliffs… and a delicious food stand called Aunt Sandy’s. Mmmm, still dreaming about the banana bread we bought there.
But even better than that was Waianapanapa State Park. There were such spectacular scenes – like a sea arch (in the distance there below), a blow hole (where water shot up from the middle of a rock when a big wave hit) and even a cave.
But of course the best part was the black sand beach, since it was unlike anything we had ever seen before.
The sand is actually made from lava rock, hence the black color. Clara thought it was majorly cool. As did we.
Two bummer things happened after this point. First, it got very overcast and dreary, which would’ve made our pictures worse. And I say “would’ve” because the second bummer thing was that our camera battery died. Oops. But we drove on to Hana, got lunch at a roadside BBQ called Braddha Hutt’s and continued around the island. Some people spend the night in Hana and some turn around, but we decided to drive the full loop to see as much as we could (plus Clara was napping, so we were happy to drive on). The rest of the loop still served up plenty of curves, but there were fewer cars coming the other way – hooray! We even got to drive on some unpaved roads. See – adventure! All in all, our full loop drve around Hana took us about eight hours with a bunch of stops along the way. And Clara was amazing in the car. I think those stops helped her stretch her legs and stay limber. Haha.
We even made it home and charged the camera in time to catch an awesome sunset back in Lahaina.
This is my “I thought the nice stranger taking our picture was zoomed in closer so I crouched down in order to be less tall but instead I just look like my midsection is collapsing in on itself” pose. Of as Sherry calls it, my “walker pose” (yes, its another Walking Dead reference).
Our other “big adventure” was going whale watching. After Sherry and I spotted some whales from shore (more on that in this post), we decided that actually getting on a boat so Clara might see some a bit closer would be fun (and hopefully worth the potential nightmare of being stuck at sea for two hours with a old 2 year old).
Luckily, Clara was pretty good on the boat (minus one momentary meltdown)… and although she was a few years younger than the rest of the kids, we even attempted to let her participate in the “Young Naturalist” program that should’ve involved some quiet listening. But for Clara it involved some “Hey little girl, can I get all up in your business? No? How about this next little girl!?” Clearly we’re still getting the hang of this “age appropriate activity” thing. She literally crouched in every last kid’s face while aiming her butt at the sweet lady talking about whales.
So once we stopped Clara from distracting the older kids, we got back to whale watching duty. Clara even found her own “perch.”
And here’s the good news – we saw whales!
Sadly none came very close (the boats have to turn off their motors when they get within 100 feet) and there weren’t any dramatic jumps into the air or gigantic splashes, but the frequent blows and occasional tail sitings were still pretty cool.
But for the most part, it was just fun to be out on the water. And yes my wife did take this picture by hanging over the railing like Leo and aiming the camera back at us.
We got a gorgeous day for it and the views back to Maui were stunning.
And oh yeah, we think it was Clara’s first official boat trip! We’re not sure that she really noticed very many of the whales – though she did get some laughs from fellow passengers when, at a completely quiet and whale-free moment, she yelled “I see whales!”
But not all of our sightseeing was by car and by boat. We did plenty on foot as well since our condo was super close to everything in Lahaina. One of our favorite spots to eat ice cream was Banyan Tree Park, which features one of the world’s largest banyan trees. It almost looks like your everyday tree-filled park. Until you realize it’s just one giant tree that drops roots from the branches in other areas (so what appear to be many trees is all just one big tree). It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
The roots grow down from the tree and when they reach the ground they build new trunks, like this one that Clara and I were playing a bit of peekaboo around.
There was also a little artisan fair / flea market thing under there over the weekend, but we waited to get these pictures when it was a little less crowded so you could really see how amazing the tree is.
One of our favorite ways to explore was by taking long morning walks (which usually involved a stop for breakfast along the way). It was a cool way to discover some planned destinations and also resulted in us stumbling upon a few unexpected things as well.
One of those unplanned discoveries was the Lahaina Jodo Mission. It was crazy to just turn the corner and suddenly see a Japanese temple and a giant Buddha statue.
It was kinda cool to get a little taste of Japan without having to endure another transoceanic flight.
We also got a chance to check out an abundance of something that Clara is obsessed with: animals. So you may think a Hyatt is a weird destination when looking for feathered and fuzzy things. But look what we found right there on the premises:
We had heard that the Hyatt Regency at Kaanapali had some animal sights to see, so we were not disappointed to find flamingos, black swans, and even African penguins (tropical penguins – who knew!?) roaming the property. Not to mention a pretty envy-inducing pool:
We also got a nice oceanfront walk in along the resort grounds. Raise your hand if you’re having a good time!
One place we knew we’d find animals was the Maui Ocean Center. And unlike the whales, we’re certain she spotted these aquatic creatures. And a few might’ve spotted her in return.
The absolute coolest part of the aquarium was the underwater tunnel that put you in the position of having fish, sharks, and even gigantic sting rays swim around you…. and over you.
Just call it our much drier, Clara-friendlier version of snorkeling.
The Maui Ocean Center was our very last stop before leaving the island. Since our flight left late one evening but our hotel check-out was in the morning, it was a great way to spend the afternoon before having to hop on an airplane.
As much as these posts we’re writing are to share our trip with you – they’re also to document it for ourselves a little bit. But to make sure we keep a more detailed and chronological journal of our trip, we’ve continued our vacation tradition of writing postcards to ourselves.
We don’t actually mail them in most cases since we usually end up using all of the space on the back to write out what we did each day – though we mostly hit the highlights of where we ate, what we saw, and any funny anecdotes (like Clara’s not-so-successful dinner at the hibachi restaurant that we mentioned here).
And look what else we brought home from Hawaii…
It’s a historic map of Maui printed on canvas that we got for $20. We figured we needed a map that represented our trip to Hawaii since the US map that we put pins in to mark all of our trips only shows the 48 continental states. This guy is too pretty to put a pin in, but we’re looking forward to getting some Maui mapiness up in our house. PS: Doesn’t Maui kinda look like a limb-less lady leaning over (like it’s closely examining the words “MAUI” above)?
Okay, so that’s the end of our trip recap. It’s making us miss being on vacation, but we’re mostly just so grateful that we had the chance to get away and enjoy some relaxing family time with our traveling pal Clara (and yes, we missed Burger every single second, and even woke up one night because we thought he was walking around the bed but it must have been his ghost). Do you guys have any trips or vacations coming up? Tell us all about them.
Kathi says
Thanks for sharing all about your trip – it brought back great memories of our honeymoon in Maui in 2003 – we stayed at the Hyatt in Ka’anapali and loved it. They fed the penguins every morning and it was so fun to watch!
Allyn says
Those pictures along the Road to Hana are surrealy gorgeous. I mean, I would have been pinching myself the whole way.
And seriously, could Clara be any cuter?! Makes my heart melt!
Brandi @ His Shabby Her Chic says
Looks like you guys had an awesome time! Hawaii seems so gorgeous!
I went on vacation to the Southwest and have been sharing my adventures.
http://hisshabbyherchic.com/2012/03/12/vacation-day-4antelope-canyon/
YoungHouseLove says
Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Whitney Dupuis says
Ok, so I know it sounds crazy, but I have never had the desire to visit Hawaii. Maybe it is my fair skin that means I can’t stay out in the sun very long, or the fact that I have lived on the Gulf Coast for most of my life, but beaches in general just don’t do it for me. However, after seeing these photos (and really getting a taste of how much there is to see besides the beach), I am really interested in going! It is such a beautiful place with so many interesting pieces to it. Thanks for sharing! Maybe I will be adding this to my “bucket list”.
Lindsey d. says
Whitney,
I’m a Gulf Coast girl too and let me tell you that Hawaii is worth it! It is so different from the gulf. The culture and food alone will make you love it! Also, there is so much to see. On the Big Island, hit Volcano National Park (bring a sweater) and on Maui go to Haleakala Crater (again, a sweater) to see how our world was created. Amazing history in Honolulu (Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace, the gold statue of King Kamehameha). Hike and kayak in the rainforest on Kauai or relax with a local brewed beer, there is so much to do in Hawaii!
Criss says
Whitney – We went to HI for the first time last year. There is so much history and culture to see and experience: food, music, architecture,language… It’s like going to another country without the hassles of another country (currency exchange, electricity difference, passports…)
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
LOVED your recap! We’re going back in May (we go to Hawaii every year but Maui isn’t an every year thing). All of your pics brought back great memories and I’m always interested to see people’s take on the Hana Highway. The Mr drives it like a local and I have to tell him to slow down because his whipping around corners makes me car sick. We’ll be there 2 1/2 weeks and see Maui, Lanai and home to Big Island. (We have a place there waiting to be built on) We’re already planning our 16 days to Kauai next year which is by far our favorite island. If you get the chance, go there when Clara is a little older (it’s kind of boring for kids) or if you’re going to do a couples trip.
Mahalo for sharing your pics!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds amazing!
xo,
s
Randa says
Ooooh, I second the Kauai motion! :) :)
Renee says
Oooh we’re going to Kauai in November for our honeymoon! What do you recommend?
nikki says
I love that map that you bought! Looks like yall had a blast and couldnt have been more well deserved! Well I’m off to dream away looking at all your gorgeous pics of Hawaii:)
Ashley @ Any Lovely Thing says
Looks like an amazing trip, you 3! My boyfriend and I are 2 and a half weeks from a week-long visit to London and Paris. We are brimming over with excitement and may “borrow” your idea of purchasing postcards and documenting our day to day adventures while there.
Aloha!
Ashley
anylovelything.blogspot.com
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds awesome! Have so much fun!
xo,
s
Jessi says
After years of saving, we’re headed to Ireland in May. No munchkins in tow. But we do hope it will be our last solo trip for a while. We’re looking forward to starting our family this year. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, have so much fun!
xo,
s
Suni says
First off I just seriously laughed out loud and had co-workers turn around and look at me while I read the mentioning of Maui looking like a limb-less lady… so funny, and yes it does look like that.
My husaband, two year old daughter Calla and I are headed to Cocoa Beach, Florida this coming Saturday… can’t wait to put your post card idea to use, so that I don’t forget any details of this trip, also got a lot of great ideas from your toddler traveling post, even though we have flown before, you had ideas I hadn’t heard before, so thanks for that!! Here’s to decompressing soon, it’s needed!!
Angie says
What a beautiful and memorable trip!
Erin C says
Love the post! I totally see the woman on the Maui map. Creepy!! ;)
Katie @ Lovebird Productions says
The road to Hana scared me so bad! Not to mention I get car sick so our van load of family let me ride in the front seat. It was so fun going up but coming down was tough! Regardless of motion sickness and the full day event it was 100% worth it! Swimming in the caves is one of my favorite memories! We also stopped to climb a handful of waterfalls! I love this post and may revisit it daily just to see pictures of Hawaii. Oh how I miss thee!
Rebecca says
Sounds (and looks) like your trip was great! I’m heading to Seoul for a few weeks this summer… and hopefully taking a trip either over to Tokyo or Shanghai while over that side of the globe. Extremely excited!
Jamie R says
Now I’m itching to go to Hawaii!! Just out of curiosity- did you guys get recognized by any readers/fans while you were there?
YoungHouseLove says
We did- actually at the Hyatt of all places! We met the sweetest girl who was there with her kids/hubby.
xo,
s
Ainhoa@ALittleBite says
I love the map you bought!
We’re trying to decide our honeymoon destination (right now Maui and a west coast road trip are the top contenders) so this recap is great!
Kristen says
I live on the east coast too (PA), so a trip to Hawaii is like a once if you’re lucky kind of trip :) Luckily- my husband and I are due with #2 in September and are taking a babymoon to Kauai in May! We’re actually going with another couple who are close friends and live in Richmond. Craziness. Looking at your recaps have gotten me even more excited to see Hawaii and hang out on the beach!
ps- I LOVE the map. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll have something similar in Kauai :)
Jessi says
Thanks for sharing, btw!
Urban Wife says
So the penguins from the Madagascar movie DO exist?!
Awesome! That means we could potentially have a pet penguin in Florida and not have to worry about keeping him/her in an icebox.
Love that historic map. It looks vintagey and I can’t wait to see how you frame it.
Anne says
YAY! I’m glad you did that Road to Hana and had a guide. There were definitely a lot of places that we would have missed without our guide book.
Did you see any mongooses? (Mongeese?)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, we didn’t – but it sounds awesome!
xo,
s
Lisa says
Awww, great photos. I visited Maui in high school with my family, and we also did the Road to Hana and Banyan Tree, among other things. We stayed at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, but we did visit Lahaina. Thanks for stirring up some great memories :) I really hope to take my kids there someday!
Debbie says
I love that you drove past Hana around the island. Too bad you didn’t get photos because the desert landscape on that side of the island is so beautiful and different than the tropical rainforest along the road to Hana.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- it’s like a totally different island!
xo,
s
Melanie @ Mailbox Journey says
It’s absolutely gorgeous there! The map is awesome & I love the postcard idea.
Shelley says
I loved reading about your Hawaiian adventures! It really brought back memories of our honeymoon! The day we took the Road to Hana trip happened to be the last day of the US Open golf tournament and my husband had our hotel record the Open for us while we spent the day out… (golf freak). When we got back to the hotel we avoided all human contact so we wouldn’t know the outcome of the Open and then went back to our room and watched the whole thing that evening. It was at the end of our trip so it was nice to just lay around watching TV. So every year when the US Open is on, we are reminded of the Road to Hana!
-Shelley
Shannon @ Bungalow960 says
Oh my gosh the Jodo Mission is so beautiful, it’s probably one of my favorite places on Maui. I’m so glad you got to see it! I saw the Buddha from far away one day and decided to trek back there to see what it was, and it was the Mission. Definitely nothing something I would ever see here in Nebraska.
Shannon says
Hawaii is the most amazing place I’ve ever been. I have a pain in my heart while looking at your photos. i was there on my honeymoon almost 7 years ago and think of the trip daily, no joke. We stood where you stood at the Banyon Tree. We weren’t allowed at the black sand beach but we have a photo of a pregnant seal sun bathing there, right about where you had your photo taken. we did do the hiking and waterfall hunting on the road to Hana. We stayed at the Hyatt and loved it. It was magical, all of it. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- a pregnant seal sun bathing = amazing!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Beautiful, gorgeous pictures you got! I’m hoping I’ll be able to go in my lifetime. Oh, and I LOL-ed at work when John mentioned the “collapsing midsection” in the stranger-taken photo op. I am guilty of doing this too when we took a trip to Graceland. Unfortunately, I ruined a perfectly good pic of the 9 of us by looking like I had to really go pee. Ugh!
Melanie says
Wow, nice pics! I wanna go to Maui! :)
The BF and I are headed to New Orleans in a few weeks! Ready for some jazz, beignets, and the French Quarter!
Michelle says
So fun! Puts a smile on my face to see others enjoying my favorite vacation place!
We took our 18mo old last fall and we bummed we didn’t plan better to fit in 2 trips in before he turned 2 — now that we need a 3rd ticket the vacation price just went up quite a bit, hah (although not enough to deter us from going again next year).
We thought the aquarium was just “ok” — maybe because we have a pretty good one in our hometown, and at this point he is just as happy looking at golfish and feeding the Koi at the hotel. We always stay at the Hyatt, so the birds were definitely his favorite. At check-in they gave him a coloring book with resort scenes and he calls it his Owie Birdie book makes us read it.
Kind of related, anyone that thinks family vacations are pointless until you can be assured the child can “remember it” doesn’t know what they are talking about. Ok, he might not remember it when he’s an adult, but right now we can tell he built some wonderful memories that he still recalls months later.
Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says
Yes, that map totally looks like a limbless leaning lady. Sounds like a great trip…the pic of Clara gettin’ in the other girl’s face is classic. I know adults who do that, so you’ve got lots of time to teach the whole personal space concept. :)
Karah
Maria says
Ha – love the Walking Dead reference. The husband and I are obsessed and I usually hate zombie shows.
Thanks for sharing the photos! I have some of the exact same shots from my trip to Maui a couple summers ago. Hana banana bread – there is not else like it.
Dannette Klein says
Absolutely gorgeous photos. I especially enjoyed the aquarium with it’s deep, rich blues. By the way…you have a beautifual family, thanks for sharing.
kate says
Thank you so much for sharing your trip. We had the trip of a life time from home in the UK to California and then on to Maui over Christmas and New Year 6years ago. We stayed near Lahaina and did many of the things that you did. The photos brought back so many happy memories. The pictures of blue skies and sunshine are a welcome change from drizzly demo England. We had quite wet weather when we were there (very unusually so the locals told us) but we didn’t care it was lovely warm rain and completely different to British rain LOL.
Wendy says
Love it!
My husband spent a few years in HI, living the Navy Brat life (a better placement than some of my Navy Brat stops perhaps).
Our summer is pure travel: driving from Nova to Lubbock, TX so he can race Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3, a trip to the Bahamas, a visit to Pittsburgh for some once-upon-a-home love (including Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob), and hopefully some time in FL visiting family.
All before we drive back across the country to Utah, so good man can attend grad school.
Most of those trips include planning adventures for a 13 year old who isn’t quite used to long car drives, but is an amazing young man.
Jolleen Fahner says
Oh I am jealous. We did Maui for our wedding & honeymoon in 2007. AMAZING. Can not wait to go back once the kids are a little older. The Road to Hana was just awesome. We drove as far as we could past Hana (made it all of the way to Charles Lindburgh’s grave), but the road and unpaved trails were washed out and in need of repair, so there were authorities there that wouldn’t let us go further. So bummed because I really wanted to see the dessert side of the island. Funny, our camera battery died on the way too, so most of it is just a memory. The black sand beach was my fav, and the red sans right past Hana was my hubby’s fav.
Allisen says
So happy the road to Hana was a blast for you guys. I was only a couple years older than Clara when we took it, but I STILL remember it as the car sick ride I’ve ever taken! By the way, did you take Clara’s car seat with you or how did that work out?
YoungHouseLove says
We rented a car with a car seat for the bean! Worked well!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
So glad you got to drive the road to Hana! My husband and I stayed at the Hana Hotel for part of our honeymoon 3 years ago – it was incredible. So quiet and peaceful – we visited the black sand beach, too! One of my favorite things that we did was when we got up at 2am, drove to Haleakala National Park, went up the volcano to watch the sunrise, and then rode bikes down the mountain together. Absoloutly amazing!
bria says
wowsa! looks amazing and has me so excited for our first ever family of 3 vacation coming up in May!!
My daughter will be 9 months when we rent an RV and slowly trek from Baltimore to Nashville, TN. we have lots of fun stops along the way but oh boy am i nervous about traveling with such a tiny kiddo!!
Sarah says
It looks you guys had awesome trips to Portland and Hawaii! So glad you got some R&R — the book shoot sounded exhausting! In the last week, I’ve booked two flights, one from Raleigh to St. Louis and the other from Wilmington, NC to Orlando. My cousin’s graduating from high school in Florida and I found a round-trip ticket for $81 (including taxes), so I couldn’t pass that one up! Then, my family is getting together in Hollister, Missouri, close to Branson and the Ozarks, for a sort of family reunion in July. I’m flying into St. Louis to do some exploring and I’m excited to be going to Missouri for the first time and to be able to add another pin to my own map!
P.S., if you guys want to do some more local whale watching, there are some great opportunities in the Virginia Beach area with some really good chances of spotting whales — we went several times when I was younger and always saw at least some!
YoungHouseLove says
Really?! Who knew?
xo,
s
Emily says
I will second that! I’m a local and they have dolphin and whale-watching every year! There’s the beach, an aquarium, museums, historical stuff…and of course, the main attraction, Mount Trashmore! It’s a landfill made into a park :) A lot more fun that it sounds, I promise.
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo
s
Jessica J. says
Didn’t you guys used to collect little jars of sand from your travels? I’m sad to see there is no jar of Hawaii sand now gracing a shelf or mantle at Casa Petersik.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we brought stuff back (black sand!)! Not to worry!
xo,
s
Lori @ Lighten Up! says
Whew! That’s what I came to ask, as well! I love that tradition.
Amy says
I’m glad you took the entire Hana “loop,” aren’t you? The second half of the Road to Hana is so vastly different from the first half. It’s very dry and desolate in some places. In other places, there are beaches made up of black rocks…that was one of our favorite stops. It was fun to hear the waves rush into the rocks and then “thud” back out to the ocean.
We also had a great adrenaline rush when our little rental car came face to face with a construction truck on that unpaved part of the road. We screamed like teenage girls and laughed so hard as both we and the truck tried to navigate around each other on the road.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, the second half of the loop is like a totally different island!
xo,
s
Whitney says
My mom and sister and I going to Maui next week! I think we are staying right around the area where you stayed. I am getting really excited now that I have seen your pictures…and I really want to see those little penguins! We are also planning on driving the road to Hana. A few years ago we went on a whale-watching boat trip in Santa Barbara, CA and two teenage humpback whales came right up to the boat. They swam under it and around it for about an hour and kept surfacing next to the side of the boat. It was an amazing experience and the boat captain told everyone that we should go buy a lottery ticket, because it was our lucky day and they rarely get that close. Glad you had a great trip! Thanks for sharing!
Whitney says
Oh this brings back such great memories! My husband and I went to Maui when we were first dating and then back to Kauai for our honeymoon. I remember the road to Hana…getting there was beautiful but I think I almost enjoyed the road past Hana even more…we went all the way around too and there was definitely some adventure involved (I think we drove on some roads that maybe we weren’t supposed to drive on, whoops!) I can’t remember if it was before or after Hana but did you see the beautiful little white church down by the water? The doors were unlocked so we went in and looked around…it was so old and just stunning sitting right on the water. We have a trip to Uganda and Kenya coming up in June that I absolutely can’t wait to go on. This will be my third time back to Africa but the first time my husband and I have gone together so we’re really looking forward to it!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we did see that church! So charming!
xo,
s
Katie says
Looks like it was a great trip! We are heading to Kauaii with our 15 month old in May…thanks for the inspiration for sights to see, and for sharing your airplane experiences!!
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Ah so happy you did the Road to Hana! We had the Maui Revealed book that gave all of the secrets at each mile marker so we hiked to some amazing things that most people drove past. The black sand beach was awesome and there’s also a red sand one in Hana, but it’s pretty secluded, involved a trek down a rope and…. is a nude beach. Not really Clara friendly :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we heard about that one but didn’t get a chance to check it out!
xo,
s
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
It was seriously amazing… this link brings you directly to a picture we took so you don’t have to scroll through the whole post… http://thelilhousethatcould.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_6996_x500.jpg
You can see a little of the red sand through the water but uhh… we had to crop the picture to exclude the 70 year old naked man. The rocks broke the waves so it was a lot more calm than the black sand beach!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s amazing!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I’m in love with the map!
Do you remember where you bought it? We are going in about 2 months and I would LOVE to get one for our home :)
The banyan tree is one of my favorite places. I have pictures of myself as a toddler there and can’t wait to get some picture of my little dude there.
Clara’s whale outburst is hilarious!
YoungHouseLove says
I wish I remembered! Just a print and map place along the water in the downtown shopping area of Lahaina.
xo,
s
Stephanie says
that helps a lot!! We will be having out in Lahaina during our trip, I’m sure I can find it! Thanks :)
Stephanie says
hanging not having.
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo
s
Meghan says
I think the shop is in Whaler’s Village. I got a couple too when I went a few years ago. I think this might be it:
http://www.printsellers.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that could be it!
xo,
s
adria says
we honeymooned in maui and i’ve wanted to return ever since!
hana was amazeballs, as was the rest of the island…in a way that can’t really be described to people who haven’t been.
and i adore your postcard idea (and might just have to borrow it for future family vacations!).
Gwen says
Beautiful pictures that you got!
Your post makes me miss Maui. We went 5 years ago and had the most amazing time! And we did so many of the things that you just posted about, it brought back lots of memories! Thanks!
Lindsey d. says
I’m headed to Cleveland in May to meet my boyfriend’s brother and wife! Only a little scary, haha.
You are making miss Hawaii so much. I was there for ten days last June and loved every second of it. We did a 7-day cruise, which I don’t recommend, because we didn’t get nearly enough island time. I want what you got, slow walks in the mornings and watching every sunset. I went on the most amazing snorkel trip in Maui to Molokini Crater. AMAZING!
Lowlight of Maui was definitely having the rental car break down on us halfway up Haleakala Crater and being stuck on the mountain for four hours until they could bring us a new car.
If I get a chance to go back to Hawaii I want to revisit parts of Oahu (loved Chinatown and the history of Honolulu) and then spend the rest of the trip on Kauai. So beautiful!
Rebekah says
We did Hawaii for our honeymoon and we have some of the same photographs on the road to Hana. I would love to go back with our daughter sometime.
We are taking our daughter to Disney in 2 months. We’ve been before, and even though we aren’t Disney buffs, it is the most fun for our kiddo! My husband always likes to remind people “it’s not a vacation for the parents.” And so it isn’t. Though we have lots of tips to share!
Jordin says
We went on the road to Hana and it was one those “I will only do once” things. It was gorgeous but definitely nerve wracking! We have the same pictures on the black sand beach. The road was closed at the top so we had to go back down the way we came! Looks like y’all had a great trip!