Maui Day Seven

So this was our last day in Hawaii, Tuesday, the 29th. We packed this morning and then went out and lounged on the beach for a little while and then went and played in the pool one last time. After lunch we went in to get ready and left the resort by about 2:45 and headed back to Lahaina to do some shopping and then drove down to Kapalua to see the scenery. From there it was back to Kaanapali to eat at the Hula Grill, a little more shopping and then we headed to the airport for our red eye flight. It was a great vacation and a great way to spend our 10 year anniversary.


One last picture of the pool area, looking at the water elevator. It is the only one in the world, cost 1.2 million to build and takes 18,000 gallons of waer to fill.

A view of the chapel on site. There were at least two weddings a day while we were there

One last picture on our Balcony

Sculptures in the entrace to the Grand Wailea

Kapalua Golf Course

This was our ride for the week, it was really nice having a convertible. Aren't those trees behind me cool?

A beach off the side of the road that we stopped at to see the boogie boarders

Sunset day Seven, the last Sunset of the trip

Repacking the luggage after buying too many things that didn't quite fit

Maui Day Six

We started the day getting a cinamon roll at the Cinamon Roll Fair in Kihea and then headed to do a little hiking in the Iao Valley State Park. Now when I say hiking, it was more like going up to the second floor of a house. They said that it was about a 30 minute hike to the lookout of the Iao Needle, but it was more like five minutes! It was about a 25 minute drive from Wailea and very easy to get too. It is something that I would recommend seeing because of how green and tall their Mountains are.

From there we went to the Maui Plantation and hopped on board the train that takes you around the plantation, but what we didn't know was that you had to pay $14.00 per person! The lady came to collect the tickets, and when we told her that we didn't have any, she told us just to stay on and not worry about paying. Now the tour of the Plantation was about 30 minutes, and we got to see everything from Sugar Cane, Pineapple, Guava, Passion Fruit, Coffee, Avocado, Coconut, and Macadamia Nut trees; plus a lot of other plants. It was a nice tour but I wouldn't recommend paying to see it. While enjoyable and informative, $14.00 per person is a little steep to tour a farm, even if they show you how to husk a coconut!

After a morning of exploring, the rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing at the pool.



The Iao Needle is right above our heads

Looking up into the Iao Valley

Looking down the Iao Valley to the Ocean

The Iao Needle.....again

A scenery shot

A Mango Tree at the Plantation

Riding the train and seeing the scenery

Another shot at the Plantation

Sunset Day Six

Maui Day Five

Another relaxing day, we took a walk down the beach trail when we woke up and then went to Sunday Brunch here at the hotel. The brunch was very good and for the rest of the day we just relaxed. We spent a few hours under an umbrella on the beach and then the rest of the day until 5:00 playing in the pool; going down the slides, playing in the pools, and going around the lazy river. Dinner was at humuhumunukunukuapua'a and we had another good meal there. Nothing too exciting, but a great day none the less.

Tryin' to look cool in front of the black rock

On our walk, sitting on the beach in back of what used to be the Rennaissance Hotel

The entrace to the Grand Buffett

In the Hotel gardens after our walk

Relaxing on the beach

Me riding the Lava Slide

Aly getting ready to ride the Lava Slide

Sunset Day Five

Dinner at humuhumunukunukuapua'a was Snapper....whole, the head, tail and all.....and it was delicious

A little after dinner drink

Maui Day Four

So day four was more of a relaxing day compared to the last couple. We got up and went into Kihea to have a really good breakfast at Stella Blues Cafe, and then went to a little local market for some gifts for the kids. After the market we came back and changed to go to Big Beach since everyone says it is such a great beach. It was really pretty but the beach here at the Grand Wailea is just as good and a lot calmer water to swim in. We only spent a short time there and then came back to relax at the beach and play in the pool. They provide umbrellas for the beach so we sat out there for a couple of hours, ate lunch, and then played by the pool for the rest of the day until 5:00. Tonight we are going to Tommy Bahama's for dinner, and that is the end to Day Four.


The local craft market


Entrace to Big Beach in Makena





A view from the top of Big Beach (This is also the entrace to the "clothing optional" beach Little Beach, but after seeing a bunch of old people making the trek over, I figured I would stay on this side!)

Writing in the Sand, something Aly seems to always have to do

Playing in the water

A view from the water to the back of the Grand Wailea

Relaxing on the beach

Aly posing on the beach

Sunset on Day Four

Maui Day Three

Today was adventerous to say the least. This morning we ventured out to the Road to Hana and even though we didn't go the whole way, we made it more than half way there. We enjoyed the trip and luckily for us our friend Jeana gave us some tips as to where to stop. Our first stop was Mile Marker 13 to see a waterfall, what Jeana didn't tell us was the hike we would have to do. The whole hike was on boulders in an old stream bed but after 15 minutes we arrived, you will see the pictures down below. We then set off in search of other picturesque locations and stopped off here and there until we came to Mile Marker 23 and took what would be the last hike of the day.

From Jeana's description we figured it was another simple hike, but after starting on the trail we were soon covered in mud and not sure where to go. We got to the top of one trail only to find that you had to cross a canal that had a drop off of about 30 feet. Since I am afraid of heights, I wasn't going to do that so we had to hike down and go up another way, and while doing this I dropped Aly's phone in the mud/water and now it doesn't work! After going around we finally got up to the water fall, took some pictures, and came down. On the way down we decided to cross the canal because it was an easier hike down, so I had to man up and take the walk. I walked like a penguin the whole way but I made it! The funny thing is that Aly just flew across it and left me there to suffer through my agony!

After a quick rinse off in one of the pools we decided that we would turn around and head back to get lunch. If we would have known where we were going and there wasn't so much mud we would have been able to do that hike in 20 minutes, instead it took us an hour! If you ever find yourself in Maui, take the drive, but make sure you stop off and see the scenery, that makes the long trip worth it.

On the way down we ate at Mama's Fish House and watched the wind surfers and then headed back to the Hotel to swim and relax by the pool. After getting ready we ate here at the Hotel and are now getting ready to go to bed. Aly and I are usually not that adventerous so we were pretty proud of all we did today. Here are some pictures:

An old Post Office we stopped at to mail some post cards

A town off the Road to Hana

A really cool tree at mile marker 10

The rock field on the way to the best waterfall we saw all day

Here is the tall waterfall that we saw at Mile Marker 13

Since another couple was stopped here we decided to stop and they graciously took our picture, mile marker 15 or so

The halfway point

This waterfall took a lot of effort to get too, were just glad that we made it up and back in one piece.

We got really dirty on the hike up to the waterfall at Mile Marker 23, this mud was extremely difficult to get off

Me crossing that bridge, what you dont see is on the right side of the picture is a canal. On the left is a 30 foot drop, and all you have to walk on is a 2 foot wide plank. I thought I was going to die a few times while walking it but I eventually made it

On the way back down

Outside of Mama's Fish House

Sunset on Day Three from the pool