Since we took waaaaaaay too many pictures of our six night stay in Maui, we did our best to go through them all and majorly pare them down – but it still adds up to two posts (you know we like to over-share). We wish we could have taken you all with us in our suitcase, so I guess the next best thing is posting all about it. In this one, we’ll cover:
- where we stayed
- where we ate
- our “neighborhood”
- how we saved money
And in the next post we’ll detail:
- 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
Oh and over on Young house Life we just posted all about flying with a toddler and how we helped her adjust to the time difference.
So without further ado: where we stayed. We found our little condo at a resort called Aina Nalu in Lahaina (a fun walkable area on the West Coast of Maui) through HomeAway.com. This is definitely under the “how we saved money category too” since booking a room at the same resort through a travel agent or their main site could have cost a lot more (they’re billing a comparable room at $185/night right now, which adds up to $126 more over six nights), but we got it for less by going through HomeAway and working directly with the owner (who was so helpful to email directly with any questions we had)! Here in Richmond some basic hotel rooms are $150- $175 a night, so we figure that rate in paradise (for a two bedroom condo with two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a washer & dryer, no less) is a pretty great deal. And did we mention the beach was walkable along with tons of shops and restaurants? We really loved the area and the condo itself.
One of the coolest things about the condo owners was that they made the place completely kid-friendly. They even provided a pack n play, stroller, tons of beach toys that Clara adored, and safety features like outlet covers and cabinet door latches in the kitchen and bathroom. Some research about the location (we googled around for an area of HI that was ranked high for being child-friendly) and the the five star ratings on the HomeAway site definitely helped us pull the trigger – and we were very happy with our accommodations. Here’s the lobby of the Aina Nalu resort. Nice, huh?
And here’s the main bedroom and en-suite shower (we booked a two-bedroom over a one-bedroom because Clara sleeps much better without sharing a room with us, so it was definitely worth it to us).
Many of the rooms in the resort were treated like hotel rooms (so guests went in and out with a hotel key and there was housekeeping, etc) but ours was a residence, so we didn’t have housekeeping and used a regular key to get in and out. We’re a little crazy, but we actually liked feeling like it was our little private condo instead of a hotel room that would get regular visits from folks making the bed and refreshing the towels. There were definitely enough towels to keep us happy for the duration, and there was even a washer and dryer in our unit, so we did a load of laundry half-way through the trip, which was awesome for all of Clara’s ice-cream-and-sand-covered items.
Here’s a shot of Clara in front of our door (so you can kind of see how the grounds were laid out with pathways to different rooms/buildings…
… and there were also pathways to other areas like the lobby and the two pools on the premises.
Some days it got pretty busy (so we’d head off the to the beach, drive around the island, go out for food, look for whales, embark on some other adventure that we’ll share next week), but other days we had the whole pool to ourselves, so we’d go for a dip.
It was pretty sweet.
Not only were there plenty of seats for sunning, there were also these shaded little cabanas that we loved. They were like king sized beds twenty feet from the pool.
Here are two more random “accommodation” shots for ya. You can see the second pool in the left one below, and the view back at the rooms in the one on the right.
This is just a cute pic of my girl. Is she cute, or what? We each got one item of clothing to remember the trip, so John got the blue HI shirt that he’s wearing and I got a super soft t-shirt that says Maui and Clara got pink Crocs. She calls them her “rocks” and loves them. And they were definitely handy to have in all that sand and surf (waterproof + sandproof shoes = yay).
Now for more on Lahaina. It’s a great little area on the West Coast of Maui with sweet shops and restaurants that we could walk to from our condo.
There were even a few nearby beaches that were also walkable from our resort (don’t mind the rocks on this one, there were sandy ones too)…
We especially enjoyed one called “Baby Beach” thanks to the fact that coral reefs blocked any waves, creating a shallow little kid-friendly spot for splashing around. Sure there were some rocky coral spots, but kids could easily avoid them by staying closer to the ocean’s edge (Clara didn’t try to go beyond the boundaries we set for her, especially with all the fun beach toys that we brought to keep her entertained).
Sometimes she sat about waist-high in the water and splashed around or poured buckets of water on her head (after counting to three as if to warn herself it was coming). But other times she just sat where the water met the sand and played for hours.
Of course we loaded our pasty selves up with SPF, but other than that we had no responsibilities. Cell phones were off, we only checked the blog for about 30 minutes a day, I didn’t wear makeup all week, it was glorious.
When we got hot we all took a dip.
And watched the water (beyond the reef that kept the waves out) for whales. We never saw any at this spot, but we saw a ton of them on some other beaches (more on that soon).
Since this entire beach up to that area waaaaay in the background (where you see one wave breaking) was essentially a huge sandbar, you could walk all the way out and it was only about waist deep. The view back at Lahaina – and of the island beyond – was awesome from way out there.
By comparison, Clara’s favorite view was probably this kayak that randomly floated by. She stared at it, completely speechless until it passed, and then shouted “little girl and doggy on on on on on a boat! Hi doggy! Hi little girl! Hi boat! Hi man!” She only repeats words when she’s super excited. Haha.
Other than keeping an eye out for the dog kayak, Clara had a good time covering herself with wet sand. You think I’m joking.
So now that we’ve covered the accommodations and the neighborhood beaches, we’d be remiss not to mention all the amazing grub that we enjoyed. I mean look at it. It’s like a rainbow of deliciousness.
The top left photo is the fried rice breakfast from Lahaina Coolers (we loved sitting outside and watching people and dogs go by – oh and splitting entrees when we could, since HI food can be pretty pricey). The top right photo is Loco Moco (John got a hamburger on top and I got an egg on top) from Aloha Mixed Plate (so reasonable and such a great view if you get lucky and snag a table by the beach). The bottom left are burgers from Cool Cat Cafe, which was rated the best burger in Maui (so good!), and the bottom right is a giant slice of Hula Pie from Kimo’s (another great beachfront restaurant that we enjoyed). Oh and for those with kiddos, Lahaina Coolers and Kimo’s have crayons, which always earns a little extra credit with folks like us who are desperate to keep the bean happy while we chow down (although she had her fair share of the Hula Pie to keep her happy!).
This is Lahaina Pizza Company. They had great pizza and an awesome view from their upstairs balcony (not only of the folks walking by on the street below, but of the ocean and all the cruise ships and whale watching boats that jet in and out). That look in John’s eyes is bliss, btw. Oh and I had a cold angel hair pasta salad and it was awesome.
This is a funny story. We took Clara to hibachi and only realized once the first giant fireball blazed that she was terrified. She literally screamed and then kept repeating “fire is hot!!!” while bawling. Poor girl! Apparently when kids are younger they don’t get it and when they’re older they can rationalize that it’s safe and ok, but around two seems to be the sweet spot to be terrified. We felt awful, so I stood outside with Clara (who muttered “it’s ok Clara, it’s ok” to calm herself) while John waited inside for them to make our whole meal so we could get it to go. Then we ended up chowing down on one of the cabanas near the pool back at our resort. It was kind of disastrous and hilarious all at the same time. Definitely one of those things we’ll remember for years to come when we think back on our big Hawaii trip.
Thankfully Clara was great when it came to all of the other places that we ate. If they didn’t involve flames shooting up to the ceiling, she was a-ok. Here she is with John at The Mixed Plate (which we mentioned in that food mash-up photo above).
She enjoyed a lot of the local fare (especially snow cones, ice cream, bagels, and french fries, haha) but sometimes she wasn’t into whatever we ordered so we kept a steady stock of crackers, fruit, veggies and other snacks on hand to keep her smiling. Oh and see that “Aloha” sign behind us? Clara has been learning her letters so she was saying “Das a A, das a L, das a O, das a H, das a A” and one of the waitresses was so impressed that she gave her a flower. So cute. Clara was so proud she kept sticking it against her nose and mouth and exhaling (she thinks that’s how you stop and smell the flowers, by heavy breathing on them). Wish we had a picture of that.
Oh and we mentioned that we saw some whales at a few other beaches, so here’s one diving right out of the water while we ate at Aloha Mixed Plate. Is that a sight to see, or what?
The way you notice whales at first is usually by catching a big white splash like this out of the corner of your eye. Then you hold your breath, clutch your camera with a death grip, and hope that he or she comes diving back out (which is when we got the shot above). It really is amazing to see, and even after spying a bunch of them it never got old. The fifteenth whale spotting is just as exciting as the first one.
As for other places that we ate but didn’t snap any photos, here’s that list:
- Take Home Maui (a yummy deli with delicious fresh pineapple)
- Sunrise Cafe (a really reasonable breakfast joint that locals recommended)
- Bradda Hutts (an amaaaazing BBQ stand outside of Hana – just split a chicken platter and bask in the glory)
- Auntie Sandy’s (this was a stand that we stopped at at the Ke’anae Peninsula for fresh baked banana bread)
- Sure Thing Burgers (a fun local/organic burger stand in Lahaina)
- Moose Mcgillycuddy’s (a sports-bar-ish place that we were lukewarm about)
- Cheeseburger in Paradise (not associated with the Jimmy Buffet restaurants – it was right on the water and awesome)
- Fred’s (a fun Mexican restaurant in Kihei that ended up being great – we had actually tried to go to 808 Deli but it was closed)
Ok, and John would kill me if I didn’t mention Ululani’s. He visited another part of Hawaii about 7 years ago (Oahu) which is where he learned from a friend-turned-Hawaii-native that there’s “generic” shave ice (which is made with really course chipped ice, like you’d find here in the lower 48 states) but there’s also Hawaiian shave ice that’s super super fine. Literally, it’s like snow. And that’s the good stuff. It’s like butter. But sweet and soft and divine. Yes, I just said divine. It’s official, I’m turning into my mother. Oh and here’s a quick tip about Ululani’s – they’ll add more syrup to your shave ice if you’re halfway through it and it’s tasting more icey than favorful. They’re cool like that.
Oh and although we already touched on a few ways that we saved money, here’s the whole list for ya:
- Our last big trip was five years ago (our Honeymoon to Alaska) so we had a nice long time to save up.
- We learned that flights are typically most expensive if you book them on a weekend and least expensive when you book them on a Tues night/Wed morning (we definitely noticed it was true for HI tickets). They can also get super pricey if you wait too long (about 2.5 – 3 months out seemed to be the sweet spot for us, but it probably depends on the destination).
- We used HomeAway.com to find a two bedroom, two bathroom condo with a washer & dryer and a full kitchen for $164 a night. And it was an amazing place with two pools that was walking distance from the beach (fully equipped with and a pack and play and stroller for Clara, so we didn’t have to bring them).
- We carried on our luggage instead of checking it (we packed light knowing we’d have access to a washer & dryer in our room and saved any worries of lost luggage while dodging bag checking fees).
- We bought some basic groceries like cereal and snacks for Clara to supplement eating every meal out (because when a plain bagel is five bucks at a restaurant, you do what you can to avoid that). We also cooked a few low key meals in our condo since we had a full kitchen to offset the costs of eating out.
- We split meals a bunch of times. Instant fifty percent off. Haha. And almost every restaurant served giant portions so we didn’t go hungry. We did occasionally splurge for two entrees, but often were so full that we carried half of them home in a bag (which meant free lunch the next day).
- We booked excursions/adventures online or through special vendors (there was an Expedia agent with a booth at our resort who offered a lot of discounted rates on things like whale watching tours – and the aquarium that we visited offered 10% off for booking online).
So that’s Part 1 of our little Hawaiian adventure. We’ll be back with the second half of the goods next week sometime (where we’ll detail all the adventures/excursions/activities we enjoyed, the house-related purchase we made, and the vacay tradition that we carried on in HI). Until then, feel free to chime in on this post with favorite restaurants, activities, and other things to do while in Maui or just HI in general. We’d love for it to become a great resource for anyone else who is traveling out that way!
Anne says
Where are all of Clara’s cute swimsuits from? I’ve been looking for some just like those! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re hand-me-downs but I think all fro Baby Gap and Old Navy?
xo,
s
Katy says
Could she be any cuter?! So precious.
Katie N. says
Thank you so much for sharing the pictures and videos! Clara is absolutely adorbs! So glad you guys were able to get away and totally unwind (and, Sherry, I love that you went sans makeup all week…it’s such a treat to do that!!).
I’m guessing you didn’t since it’s not mentioned here, but did you eat at Mama’s Fish House at all? For anyone looking for great Maui restaurants (albeit a splurge), Mama’s Fish House is AMAZING!
Although, ALL of the food in Hawaii seemed to be amazing when I visited, so you can’t go wrong!
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, we couldn’t squeeze it in but we have heard it’s awesome!
xo,
s
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
This makes me excited to go back! (8 weeks!) I’m so glad you went to the shave ice place. I’ve heard great things about it since our Aloha Island Shave Ice closed. Aloha Mixed Plate was always our favorite and a great location. If you go at night, you can hear Old Lahaina Luau’s show so a little free entertainment. I’m going to Auntie Sandy’s now because there is NOTHING like banana bread in the islands. Loco Moco is the best! I actually had it twice this week. So ono! We’re going to Kimo’s for dinner our first night in for some hula pie, a tradition. We haven’t been to Maui since 2008 so we’re glad to be making it back to the Valley Isle.
If you want to relive some island vibes KPOA.com allows you to listen live. My friend Val comes on at 3pm HST! Can you tell your post has me so excited to return!?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, love all the HI tips everyone! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
acronick says
I got married on Baby Beach last summer! Maui is so wonderful. Since my husband and I need to go back for at least one anniversary (and maybe this time during whale season) I’ll look into staying at the same location. It seems very accommodating and relaxing. Thanks for the info!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s the best beach ever!
xo,
s
Meghan says
I’m curious if you used Clara’s cloth diapers on the trip, or just went with disposables since you were travelling. And what about swimming?
YoungHouseLove says
We used cloth swim diapers (not one poop in them ever- and we swam every day – wahoo!) but used disposable regular diapers since we went to Portland for three days first and didn’t have access to a washer and dryer there.
xo,
s
Lauren says
Ohh I loved this post! Looks like you guys had an AMAZING trip filled with tons of happy memories :)
gaby says
Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves so much!
I LOL at the Moco Loco…translated to spanish, it means crazy booger…LOL :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, so funny!
xo,
s
Nicole O says
Im sure Clara’s hair was always wet from the fun times, but am I the only one who thinks her mini side part makes her look like a big girl? Been a lurker since 09….first comment besides giveaways…. I couldn’t resist
YoungHouseLove says
She’s growing up so fast! Sniffle.
xo,
s
gsyah1 says
Where did Burger go for a vacation?
What did he do when he first saw you?
Sometimes there is ”
payback”
YoungHouseLove says
He had his favorite house sitters (our relatives) so he apparently didn’t miss us at all. He did wag his tail like crazy when we came home though, so maybe he did miss us a little! No payback so far! I think it helped that he was able to stay in his own environment so it wasn’t a foreign/scary place (and he knew the people watching him).
xo,
s
Quiana says
What a fabulous trip! Now I’m itching to go to Hawaii. My husband’s traveled the world and says by far Hawaii was the best place he’s been weather-wise. Now he just needs to take me! Your description of shaved-ice has my mouth watering. Your coping tips over on Young House Life sound very similar to what worked with us on our recent trip to Nigeria with our then-16 month old. Overall looks like everything worked out wonderfully! Looking forward to your next post!
Vanessa says
I am so jealous, I am at work checking out your vacation pics! Looks like you all had a great time and a well deserved time away from your hectic schedule. Thanks for the tips- maybe we can plan something kid friendly ourselves! We missed you!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Vanessa! We missed you too!
xo,
s
Teresa @ wherelovemeetslife says
The whole whale sighting part is amazing to me :) It sounds like you had an awesome time! And love that you are sharing details of how you did it. Everyone wants to save a buck, and its nice to see you can have a nice vacation without breaking the bank.
And your description of spotting the whales makes me think of my first trip to Key West. We were lucky enough to go deep sea fishing with a family friend, and while on the boat I kept seeing birds fly on the surface of the water, but I never saw them pass in front of me. It was a little odd…. then our guide informed me that those were flying fish!!! So next time I spied one, I turned to see it, and low and behold – it WAS a fish! The distance they “flew” out of the water was unreal!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that sounds amazing!
xo,
s
Dara says
Ahhh sweet memories. My hubby and I’s honeymoon was there in Hawaii (Maui and Oahu). We stayed in Maui on Kanapali beach, just a lil ways from Lahaina. We would go to Lahaina all the time for dinner or to just walk around. I hope y’all went to the luau!! I think we went to some of the same restaurants as y’all too. I really miss that place, we will have to go back some time soon. Especially with your travel tips, maybe we can go for a decent price this time.
Ashley @ The North Carolina Cowgirl says
The place you stayed in looked so nice. While I do love the luxuries that come with resorts, I do hate how crowded they get. Especially at Myrtle Beach in the summer..unless you get up at 6am and find a chair by the pool, your out of luck and stuck going to the beach. I also don’t like when you tell them no room service while you’re staying there and they do it anyway! That always makes me so mad. I like privacy and I like feeling like I can leave things laying around and not have to put them up somewhere safe. Anyway, I’m done ranting now lol. Your trip looked like a ton of fun! I’m ready for a vacation myself.
Ammie says
The hubs and I honeymooned on Kauai several years ago and it was our 2nd trip to Hawaii. We ate our fair share of the heavenly-snowlike shave ice in probably every flavor available. I’m talking like 2 a day for each of us so we could try all the flavor combos. There is nothing like it here, all the more reason to head back ASAP! Glad you guys had such a nice time.
Susan says
Looks like a great trip! I’m always amazed by the photos in your posts. I’d love to read a post on your gear, how you guys manage all the photos you take and get them up so quickly, and how you both learned to be such great photographers.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Susan! You’re so sweet! We still have a lot to learn when it comes to taking photos but we have a Nikon D3000 camera (we shoot mostly in A mode, so we can adjust the aperture and exposure) and then we just try to sort through them and size/upload them to the blog at night when Clara’s asleep (between cork flooring adventure of course, hahah).
xo,
s
Karen says
We got married in Maui last year in March. We love it there, can’t wait to go back.
gaby says
Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves so much. You guys deserve it after all the hard work you put into your house.
PS) I LOL at Moco Loco-translated to spanish it means Crazy booger :) lol
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah- so funny!
xo,
s
NatalieM. says
Sherry,
I LOL’ed when in one sentence you said you didn’t wear make up all week then the next few pictures of you were SOOOOO zoomed out of you like you were an O-ger ;)
hahaha
Kinda like that scene in League of their Own when they are showing the promo video of the team and they show the real butch girl all blurred out and far away.
Even funnier cause I know it isn’t the case :)
Welcome Back!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha – too funny! I got a few close ones in there, didn’t I? Or maybe I’m secretly an ogre. Haha.
xo,
s
NatalieM. says
You did after the few that were far away, no secret Shrek like characteristics hehehehe
YoungHouseLove says
Haha.
xo,
s
Anne says
It was Kimo’s that we ate at in Lahaina. The food was “meh”, but you couldn’t beat the drinks or the view!
http://strawberryjampackedlife.com/2011/08/14/honeymoon-recap-meals-on-maui/
By the end of our time in Hawaii, my husband was sick of teriyaki food and overcooked burgers.
eva says
Your trip looked amazing! I love renting vacation homes. I love the it’s my temporary home. My husband and I rented an apartment in Barcelona last year and it was fantastic. I’ll never stay in a hotel again for a long trip.
Krystle @ ColorTansformedFamily says
My husband just booked a trip to the Dominican Republic. He booked early Wednesday morning because he had also heard the rates were cheaper then.
Staying Ina rental property is such a great idea for a Hawaiian vacation. You probably even got more space for your money. I am so glad y’all had a nice week off. You deserved it!
Brittany says
This is so weird, because we were in Hawaii from Feb. 25th through March 1. I could have sworn I saw Clara and your husband in Lahaina. I actually thought about how far Hawaii is from the east coast for about a minute and concluded that it couldn’t be. I was wrong. :) We stayed at the Sheraton on Ka’anapali Beach near the Whaler’s Village. We brought our 2-year old and although traveling is SO hard with a toddler, we had a great time! It looks like you did too!
P.S. Great job on teaching Clara her letters! That is amazing.
YoungHouseLove says
That was totally John and Clara (maybe I was in the bathroom, haha)! We were there from the 24th to the 1st! Such a small world!
xo,
s
Carrie @DreamGreenDIY says
Your vacation post has me SO excited for our honeymoon to Punta Cana next month!! I’ve never flown before so it’s going to be an adventure…Hopefully I’ll pull through as well as Clara did =)
Glad you had such a wonderful time – You guys deserve it!
Lois says
Your pictures make me miss Lahaina. My hubby and I went there when I was pregnant with our first child. It is one of my all time favorite places (with New York being next). It was beautiful and you guys ate at a lot of the same places we went. Loved the Hula pie. It was sinfully delicious! Your pictures bring back all the great memories.
Beth Ann says
Whale = AMAZING! Please tell me you got a white ceramic whale to commemorate the trip!
YoungHouseLove says
I wish! I looked high and low, but no dice!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
This makes me want to go back so bad! I love how open everything is. Tons of places don’t even have front doors (including the airport)! We saved money by booking everything in advanced too. That way I was able to compare prices and also read reviews.
Rebecca Li says
This trip looks wonderful! I’m glad you guys had such a great time–I just wanted to comment to say that Clara is looking so so so so beautiful–especially in the ALOHA sign picture. What a doll! :)
heather says
OOooohhhhhh BRUDDA HUTS!!!! Best meal we have ever had hands down! Isn’t that crazy? I’ve had a lot of great food but, yummy, there is something about being handed a paper plate filled with chicken and rice outdoors under a small white tent and being surprised by the unbelievable flavor. I wanna go back just to eat there. We have friends who live in Hana and they eat at Bruddas once a week. Jealous!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, count us jealous too!
-John
Amy says
Your vacation looks awesome! Never been to Hawaii but it’s on our list. You guys work so hard – I’m glad you had such a nice time. Getting away from it all is a must from time to time.
LMG says
Not to sound like an ad, but we’ve gone twice to Hawaii without paying for tickets because we got a Hawaiian Airlines credit card. We use it for all house-related purchases, or anytime when we’re buying something big (we just pay it off immediately with our cash). It takes about 3 years to have enough for two tickets, but it is SO worth it! Saves us at least $1200/trip.
YoungHouseLove says
Good tip!
-John
Julie @ There and Back Again says
My family and I went to Oahu and Maui about ten years ago, and by far the best experience we had was going to a music/drama/dance production about the history of Hawaii called ‘Ulalena (http://www.ulalena.com/). My mom booked it for us, and the rest of us made a huge stink because we thought it was going to be sooo lame… and it was absolutely everybody’s favorite part of the trip! My mom has never let us forget it :) I don’t know if a two-year-old would’ve dug it (she would have either loved it or hated it), but it’s a don’t-miss if you ever go back, or for anyone else heading that way!!
Christine says
HomeAway is the best! Renting a place with a kitchen is such a great way to save some cash. My husband and I went through HomeAway for our honeymoon in Kauai and it worked out great (but you’re right, those flights are no joke!).
Christa says
Love the picture entering Lahaina. My family went to Maui twice when I was growing up and we stayed near Lahaina at a place called Kaanapali. Love it there!
YoungHouseLove says
OH yeah, we visited Kaanapali! It was great.
-John
stef says
This is bringing back so many memories from our trip to Hawaii. Looks like you guys had an amazing time! And that food – WOW!
I traveled with a group of 6 and we also stayed in a condo; a 3 bedroom rental in a complex where the residents are part-time. You spend so much time outside, the condo really just became a place to leave our stuff and sleep at night. Huge huge huge money savings over a resort.
We also rented two slightly sketchy old Nissan Sentras from a rental place in Kihei. The people were SUPER nice and laid back, and with 6 people it was either massively expensive for an SUV/van, or quite cheap for 2 compact cars. Again, we walked 90% of the time, so the savings was a no-brainer.
Emma says
How cute is Clara with her matching hat and Crocs? So glad you all had a great time. Cheers!
becca @ just one more trip says
your trip looks incredible! all the bright colors are getting me excited for our upcoming vacay. we’re only going to destin, but hey, a week away is a week away. and yes! hibachi’s with 2 year olds… our little guy had a major meltdown when we took him on father’s day last year (just a little over 2 at that point). my sis-in-law took him outside until the meal was done. cayden was still very tentative about the place. we’ve been too afraid to try it again! can’t wait to see more about your trip!
Lindsay says
I love this post! My fiance and I are trying to figure out honeymoon plans and you’re making me want to go to Hawaii!
Oh, and I saw this at Pier1 and instantly thought of you guys. It’s a bee hive drink dispenser! http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Seasonal/tabid/975/CategoryId/97/ProductId/5877/ProductName/Bee-Hive-Drink-Dispenser/language/en-US/Default.aspx
YoungHouseLove says
We spotted that too! Wish it had been around when we got married…
-John
Paula says
Love the “no checked bag” idea. We are going to Kauai next month with our 18 month old.
Did Clara have her own ticket? Did you guys take a stroller or carseat? And did you buy stuff like suntan lotion and diapers when you got there? I’m trying to get a sense of what kind of packing we’re looking at. We will also have a washer / dryer so we can go light on clothes.
Thanks
Paula
YoungHouseLove says
We covered some of that in our Young House Life post: http://life.younghouselove.com/2012/03/toddler-travel/
But the short answers are: She didn’t have her own ticket (since she’s under 2, we took advantage of that fact she could ride in our laps). We rented a carseat from the car rental place and the condo we stayed at came with an umbrella stroller. We brought some sunscreen for Clara and one pack of diapers, but bought more when we got there (warning: sunscreen is expensive there, but some of what we tried to bring got caught in security). And yeah, we only packed half the amount of clothes we needed knowing there’d be a chance to do laundry.
Enjoy your trip!
-John
Michele says
you guuuuuys! i am so jealous! and i just ate lunch but looking at the food pictures has me drooling (Hula Pie!)
i’m so glad you had so much fun. next year is our 5 year anniversary and we have always said we will go back to HI for it, let’s hope it happens. :)
Alix says
I’m glad you guys had so much funny in Maui! Ironically, I was on the Big Island and Maui in January! My family is from there, so we stayed with them in Kahalui, but drove to Lahaina for the day because one of my relatives (by marriage) actually owns Lahaina Pizza Company! It IS good pizza with nice views of the cruise ship (plus a sunken boat). Funny coincidence!
YoungHouseLove says
Small world! The pizza was great!
-John
Ashley says
My friend and I were on Maui last June for 10 days, and we saved a TON of money by house swapping. My friend had just bought a town home (we’re in Seattle) and posted it on a swap site. She has gotten some amazing requests (Wyoming, Alaska), and one of them worked out for Maui. Even better is that they’d like to keep it open long-term (since their daughter lives in Seattle). We also swapped cars – obviously that’s a personal preference, but super handy if both parties are up for it! Another bonus if it’s what you’re looking for is that it gets you out of the touristy areas and you feel more like an insider :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, what a sweet deal!
-John
Karen F says
Sounds like a great time, and thanks so much for the tips, they’re awesome. Considering you guys don’t travel all that much, you seem very seasoned to traveling with a toddler – great job!
And that seems like a really amazing deal you got for the condo! Whoa!
Karen F says
guess I should have waited to reply until I read your post on YHLife LOL! But still, you guys handled it like champs. Traveling with a child on your lap is never easy, even when they sleep! I’m so glad my littlest is two now and we have to buy her a seat. It’s worth it!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Karen! She’s about to be 2 so we’ll have to buy her a seat from here on out, which will probably help out with sleeping since we’ll bring her car seat. Here’s hoping!
xo,
s
Kacie @ A Collection of Passions says
Good for you guys! That looks so relaxing and fun!
Kacie
http://www.acollectionofpassions.com/
Becca says
Mmm, Aloha Mixed Plate is so delicious. We ate there during our honeymoon. Think I had teriyaki chicken. I agree, Moose Mcdillicuddy’s was just so-so. Looks like you had a great family vacay.
Donna says
John, do you prefer the island of Oahu or Maui? Hawaii is definitely on our bucket list, but I don’t know much about the different islands. So happy that you guys had a nice time!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question. Staying in Honolulu felt less “vacation-y” to me, but partly because I was staying with a friend in her apartment so we were amongst locals whereas in Maui we felt like we were in the heart of tourist-ville. Maui seemed to have more activities and tours if you were looking for whale watching, zip lines, dinner cruises, snorkeling, etc, etc. But again, it also could’ve been because I had a local guide when I was in Oahu and she probably avoided that stuff.
-John
Kristen in Hawaii says
Aw, YAY! So glad you guys enjoyed Maui so much. We live on Oahu but hop over to Maui for weekends 1-2 times a year. So funny that you randomly hit up Fred’s! For some reason we always end up there before heading to the airport. And I take it you made it out to Hana? So gorgeous, right? Can’t wait to hear about the rest of the trip!
YoungHouseLove says
We did make it to Hana! It was a little overcast by the time we got the Hana itself, but we got some great pictures along the way. Beautiful (but scary) drive!
-John
Jamie says
The timing of this post is so ironic cuz I was JUST telling my parents this morning that for some reason I thought you Petersiks stayed at Aina Nalu by the random pic of ginger flower/palm tree in your “Guess where we are” post. We stayed there last Nov. How awesome was that infinity pool? :) Aloha Mixed plate is always a yummy fav but somehow I missed out on the Ululani Shave ice! Was that in Lahaina? I guess I’ll just have to go back to Maui to try it! Glad you guys had fun. Aloha & welcome back!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow, you’ve got quite the observant eye! And yes, that pool was awesome – Clara loved being able to sit on the edge and kick her feet. And yep, Ululani’s was in Lahaina – actually twice! Both kinda near Cheeseburger in Paradise on either side of the street.
-John
Molly says
I’m pretty sure I gasped when I saw the pictures of your hotel. My husband and I stayed at that exact same hotel for our honeymoon. We loved it! It’s off-the-beaten path away from some of the larger, more expensive mega-hotels. We had such fun exploring the island during the day and coming back to the relaxing atmosphere of Lahaina at night for all the amazing restaurants.
We both can’t wait to go back!
YoungHouseLove says
Small world! So glad you enjoyed it too!
-John