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!
Jessica says
I love Clara videos! I just love to hear her talk!
I was in Hilo in January for business. There is an amazing cafe in the downtown area that is a must, Cafe Pesto! Rainbow Falls is in the immediate area and is a nice stop for photos. I stayed at the Hilo Hawaiian hotel. There are not many hotel options on the Hilo side of the island. The room was just “ok,” needs updating. But the oceanfront views from my room was wonderful! Also, there is a fantastic farmer’s market downtown daily. Stop by Big Island Candies for some great treats, and drive up to the Volcano park, which is 1 hr.
Carol says
Sitting here at my desk at work in Brooklyn, I am SO JEALOUS of you guys! Maui looks amazing! I went to Waikiki last summer and I thought it was good, but not all that. Now we have to go to Maui!
Kim says
We were in Maui in January and Bradda Huts was one of our faves too! Still talking about it. Oh and POG juice :)
Andrea S says
Sorry but the sand on the facelook is giving me the same feeling as finger nails on a blackboard eek :)
Tami-Scramble says
We didn’t grow up in a big house, or drive around in fancy cars but my parents knew how to *do* vacations. We’ve been going to Maui since I was 8 years old and continue to visit at least once a year. Mom & dad now own a condo on the island and it’s more of a home away from home vs. a vacation spot. We stay far away from the ‘touristy’ stuff just because 1) we’ve done it all and 2) they are always over priced. I wrote up a post in 2010 on how to do Maui on the cheap, that may be helpful for some people:
http://tami-licious-life.blogspot.com/2010/10/maui-on-skinny.html
And here is the followup post chronicling some of our adventures: http://tami-licious-life.blogspot.com/2010/12/vacation-in-list-form.html
And for those looking to get Maui’d, we have our wedding photos/vendors here: http://tami-licious-life.blogspot.com/p/our-wedding.html
YoungHouseLove says
Such great info Tami! You’re a lucky gal!
xo,
s
Jax says
I miss the Clara mullet. :-)
Jennifer says
We went to Maui for our honeymoon. Our favorite parts were Hula Pie (yes, we had it twice in a week, don’t judge…at least we shared?) and a tour we took that went to Hana and then around the back side of the island. It was crazy to see all those different climates (beach to rainforest to desert) in such a small place. Your pictures brought back awesome memories! Glad you enjoyed it!
LARY@Inspiration Nook says
Hawaii is my dream vacation for a honeymoon. HAHA One day after I get married I’ll be looking back at this post for tips HAHA :) Love the pics!
Eileen says
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I will be printing out this post and bringing it with me as we are going to Hawaii soon. Can’t wait!!
Thanks for sharing~
binhtheredonethat says
Oh I love Maui, such charming with the ocean and mountain backdrop. I’ve also did a post on Maui. http://www.binhtheredonethat.com/2012/03/thursday-travel-maui-hawaii.html.
kelly taylor says
What fun!
Christina W. says
I’m 35 and I still dance around like Clara when I am in Hawaii. LOVE IT!! The “Revealed” books have some great information (ie Maui Revealed) and more off the beaten path types of things. We went for our honeymoon in 2010 to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. We went to Oahu last year with our step-sons and are planning a trip to Maui with them next year. I love Aunt Sandy’s and Aloha Mixed Plate. Very good picks. I can’t wait to go back!
Trish says
So jealous, looks amazing. PS – don’t let C wear her “rocks” on an escalator. Friend of ours had a daughter with major foot injuries/stuck in escalator/bad stuff.
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes, thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Momcat says
Ohhhhh, I miss Maui! I was born on Oahu and then we honeymooned on Maui back in ’91. Paradise indeed! Your photos reminded me of SO MANY THINGS! Esp how every single meal we ordered (dinners) had a gorgeous orchid on it. They use orchids like we use parsley for garnishes. And how cool and impressive the open-air lobbies of the hotels are. It just seems decadent to be checking into a hotel with a warm breeze blowing through….
Lahaina is fun, for sure. We did the tourist thing & saw the “authentic” luau there, not sure if it was really authentic or not but okay. Much better time was had driving through the rain forest (kinda hard to have a romantic picnic in a RAIN forest!!) and driving the road to Hana. And the flamingos in our hotel restaurant (the Westin).
We did not get to see whales though, we were about a month too early for them. SOOO glad you got to see them!!
That Clara is TOO CUTE FOR WORDS…. and hey, those big king size pool beds looked amazing for naps….. !!
JR says
Lovely pictures, you guys are so cute and Clara is ADORABLE! Sherry,wearing black even in Hawaii??? I am sure many of your other loyal readers would join me when I say that we would love to see you in something other than black sometime.Come on we know you can do it; John has transitioned out of his soda tees. Can we expect a wardrobe montage with bright pop of colors anytime soon? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I’m wearing a bright yellow cardigan on our about page and on the sidebar pic, does that count?
xo,
s
jess says
what a fantastic trip! selfishly, i’m glad you’re home…this week hasn’t been the same without you! :) glad you had fun and thanks so much for sharing!
Emily@Decorchick says
Oh I am SO sad y’all didn’t make it to The Gazebo to eat!! Sniff sniff.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re so sad we couldn’t squeeze it in too!
xo,
s
Jean says
Great post! The part about your hibachi dinner really brought back memories of our daughter’s first hibachi encounter– lots of tears and shouts of “more shrimp, less fire “. Needless to say that phrase is now one of our family favorites!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so funny!
xo,
s
Aissa says
We were just in Maui last July and this just made me miss it even more! Makes me want to do my own post of our trip too, to go with “spring break” starting next week. We stayed on the west side of Maui, in Kapalua at the Ritz Carlton (umm, we went all out). But we did visit Lahaina a couple of nights for dinner and went to a luau at the Old Lahaina Luau. I believe Aloha Mixed Plate catered it too. We were obsessed with the shaved ice! Glad you took a picture of it! I want to go back to HI so bad, possibly visit the other islands. Can’t wait for your next post and go down memory lane!
Andrea says
My husband and I stayed at Aina Nalu last May for our honeymoon! It was beautiful and we loved it! I liked the tiny little lizards that kept popping up everywhere. The only downside was that Lahaina has NO parking, so we ended up paying a ton to park onsite for the week. It was worth it though. I hope you guys come back to Oregon for a book tour! I live in Salem, an hour south of Portland, and was bummed that I couldn’t go to the Home show up there. Sounds like you had a good time though, in Portland and Maui!
Sarah says
Thank you so much for the pictures of Lahaina, they brought back wonderful memories. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon 5 years ago, when we made a promise to go back for our 5th anniversary. Life decided to surprise us and I ended up spending our anniversary last year 7 months pregnant with our daughter! So now we can’t wait to take our 2 kiddos (our son is Clara’s age) back to Lahaina for our 10th anniversary!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, have so much fun!
xo,
s
Pam says
We are leaving for Maui the day after tomorrow so thank you so much for this post! I wrote down the restaurant receommendations and making notes from the reader comments. I’m so excited!
Megan says
I pinned your condo! We are looking to do a real family vacation in 1.5 years, when my hubs finishes his PHD. Looks like a nice Place to relax!
Shannon says
This makes me want to go back so bad, we went to Oahu for our honeymoon in 2009 and stayed at Turtle Bay on the north shore. Beautiful. My favorite food was from the shrimp trucks. Hopefully we can go back someday.
Megan T says
It sounds like a great trip. I can vouch for the Hula Pie at Kimo’s. It is sooooo good. My uncle owns that restaurant and several others in Hawaii and CA. Their food is always good and the Hula Pie will never disappoint.
Lisa says
If you ever want to re-live part of your vacation there is a Cheeseburger in Paradise near the Woodbridge IKEA. My husband and are Parrotheads and were so excited when there was a Cheeseburger near the Home Depot when we moved to Woodbridge, even if it’s not owned by Buffett (he gets licensing rights over the name though.)
YoungHouseLove says
Good to know! Though the one we went to is a completely different chain than the one’s Jimmy licenses. It’s totally confusing, but their website makes it a bit clearer: http://www.cheeseburgerland.com/Cheeseburgerland/Locations.html I guess these “Cheeseburger” restaurants get names like “Cheeseburger Key West” and “Cheeseburger Waikiki.” We just happened to be at the location that got the “In Paradise” treatment. Confusing, we know!
-John
Danielle C says
Your little Clara is going from looking like a baby to a little girl! It’s been great watching her grow through your pictures. It really makes me excited for the birth of my little girl in June.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw congrats Danielle! They really do grow up so fast. Sniffle.
xo,
s
Melissa says
what is the name of the resort you stayed? We are looking for a place in Hawaii to take our son too!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s called Aina Nalu in Lahaina and we booked our room though HomeAway.com. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Bernadette @b3hd says
What a super fun trip. I’m always not about planning – just going and shutting my brain down. But with a little planning, you can really save money and have a great time (culinary experiences and all).
Bernadette
http://www.b3hd.blogspot.com
zana says
came back to see these pics n vids!!! clara is soooo very cute n prettyful!! n those mouthwatering food.pics…m nt droolin over em..lolz…m just so hungry rite now by lookin at em..hehe k ill be back again to see these wonderful pics….so glad u guys had fun on dis short trip!! now ill go munch on sumthin!!!=)
Ali says
That’s too funny/sad about the fire. When my sister – now 30 – was a toddler, she had a similar freak out about her birthday cake. When the cake with two lit candles came out and everyone started singing, she started crying screaming hysterically and screaming “fire! fire! fire!” while trying desperately to escape her high chair in order to escape from the approaching “danger”. Poor muffin, she’s still living that one down.
Erin says
Clara could not be more darling if she tried. Now that Ms. Bower is working on #2, I can’t wait for Clara’s little sibling (I know you’ll be waiting a bit longer per doctor’s orders). Looks like an amazing trip and well deserved break for you two.
I’d love to see a post soon on your secrets for keeping your energy and motivation up through all of the multi-tasking and chaos.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I wish I had secrets for keeping my energy up. Haha. Maybe just keep moving? I get tired when I slow down and relax, so we don’t do that much. Hahah. We just bounce from one thing to the next. And breaking things down into manageable “chunks” (like doing the kitchen in 5,000 stages) makes things more doable so you feel more victorious when you check each tiny step off the to-do list (instead of deflated, which can happen when you try to bite off something a bit too large). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin says
Oh, and how do you pack for a week in a carry-on bag?!? Pictures, please.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we just knew we’d have access to a washer and dryer, so we just each brought some tops and bottoms to mix and match along with two bathing suits and a pair of pjs. Simplify, simplify, simplify!
xo,
s
Carrie says
Beautiful pictures! Love the story about Clara and the Hibachi grill. Same thing happened to me when I was about 3 years old – for weeks I would ask if every restaurant we went to had fire – including McDonald’s. Don’t worry about it, we all look back and laugh and I love Hibachi restaurants now.
Maria @ mk square studio says
thank you so much for all the great recommendations. my husband and i are flying to Maui tom morning. we’ll definitely check them out.
aloha :)
Michiko says
Aloha, Im so glad you folks enjoyed your stay here on the islands. I actually live on the neighboring island of Oahu and when I saw your post I was so excited that you came to my hometown! By chance were you able to learn how to surf? Oh and did you try poi and lau lay and lomi salmon?
Mahalo,
Michiko
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Michiko,
No surfing lessons for us this trip – it would’ve been a bit tough to do with Clara by our side. And we also missed out on trying those things you mentioned this trip, though I did taste some poi when I visited Honolulu in 2005.
-John
Ashlee says
These pictures are beautiful! I’m jealous of your trip, but you deserve it.
I also LOVE Hawaiian shaved ice. Next time you’re craving it, there’s actually a place in Williamsburg called Sno-to-Go that has pretty delicious Hawaiian-style shaved ice (although they call it New Orleans-style, for some reason). It’s a short hike from Richmond, but it’s totally worth it! http://www.sno-to-go.com/
YoungHouseLove says
We keep hearing about that place! Will have to make the trip!
xo,
s
mimi says
My nephew is now 4, but he’s been terrified of hibachi since he was 2ish. We’re hoping he’ll outgrow it someday, since the rest of us love it! Btw, looks like a great trip!
Katie @ Katie Without Restrictions says
Looks like a fantastic Hawaii trip!! I love all the little Clara comments ;)
Lindsey Davies says
The bf and I literally just purchased tickets to Maui and are leaving in 2 weeks! Neither of us has been to Maui so this post couldn’t have come at a better time. We’ve checked out HomeAway.com and have found a few spots that we like. Thank you for your insight. Can’t wait to get there!
Andrea @ Keepin It Thrifty says
Sherry! I’m so glad you posted about this! me and the hubs are planning our Hawaii vacay this week! we were debating on doing the condo thing! Thank you so much for this post—I’m sending it to hubs right now so we can go to that HomwAway.com
XOXO Andrea
Kathleen Patillo says
SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS!
I’m a huge fan of yours, and happen to be heading to maui for the first time in early April to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Also happen to be staying in Lahaina …sweet timing!!!
Although this trip is sans our 3 kids under 5, a big thank you…no, THANK YOU for doing all the leg work re. budget places to eat, things to check out, etc., as I have come to completely trust your judgment.
gonna take all your advice :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, have so much fun!
xo
s
Kristen says
We also made the mistake of taking our 4 year old niece out for hibachi. Many tears!
Liz M. says
I know I am late on commenting on this post, but the picture of Clara covered in wet sand nearly made me spit out the coffee I was drinking when I saw it–too funny! The trip looks like a lovely time had by all. :-)
Liz says
We went to Maui for our 5 yr anniversary last year in May. As soon as you started talking about Lahaina, I recognized the view as from The Lahaina Pizza Co. Love that place!
Sonja says
That looks fantastic! So glad you had a nice trip.
Sharon says
Just getting caught up on my reading after being sick and being away in MAU!! We were there at the same time. I’m laughing as I read your posts at the similarities in our trips! Yup did that, yup hubby bought that same t-shirt, yup ate there…. Who knows maybe even ran into you on front street (although trying to push a stroller there made me grumpy… haha!) I also find it funny that one of my souvenirs was a map of the islands (a toss up on the one you bought and the one of all the islands) Good choices guys! Glad you had a great time. It was our third time there (in 3 years) and we still find so much to love about it. Now I wish I had made eye contact with people haha What is the chance that your fan from Canada would ever been in the same city again :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! What a crazy coincidence!
xo,
s
Emelie says
We stayed at Aina Nalu last time we were in Maui! It was wonderful! Hope you all liked it too :)
Karli says
I about died when I saw you came to HI, but then realized it was Maui…so no such luck in meeting you. Thanks for the tip of homeaway.com. Now I really want to go to Maui! Aloha!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, aloha back atcha! Maybe next time we’re back we’ll be on your island!
xo,
s
Laura Lewis says
We go to Maui every year so I love reading other peoples experiences on the island to see if they try something we haven’t yet and also just to hear what you do! Sounds like you had a fabulous trip… all I want right now on this 90 degree day in So Cal is a nice hawaiian shaved ice.. yum! And we go in February every year which is during the whale season and like you said, seeing a whale breech NEVER. GETS. OLD. :)