In July of 2016, we met Tavis’ family in Maui to celebrate his parent’ 50th wedding anniversary. We found a great plave to stay across the highway from the beach. Our apartment included beach chairs, snorkel gear, and sand toys for the kids. It was well equipped with a washer and dryer, and great layout for our family. The complex even had an outdoor library, pool, tennis, and lots of other activities to keep us entertained. Tavis’ sister and parents stayed at a condo on the beach across the street, so we were all nice and close. It was our kids’ first time to Hawaii so we did a lot of sightseeing and hiking.
Lahaina: We always enjoyed spending a day in Lahaina
Kaanapoli: It is a special treat to enjoy the breakfast buffet at the Hyatt in Kaanapoli. The grounds are amazing and it is fun to spot the wildlife on the property. From flamingos and swans to penguins and parrots. The food is great oo!
Komoda Store Bakery: Another treat is to visit the Komoda bakery in Makawao. You have to arrive early because once they sell out, they are closed for the day.
Makena Beach: We took our kids to Makena beach and taught them how to handle large waves. This is not a good beach for young children and at times it is not safe for anyone to swim because the waves can get quite large. However, it is a perfect surfing beach. By the end of the day, all 3 kids knew to dive into large waves instead of letting them crash down on them.
Po’olenalena Beach: This beach is much better suited for young families and those who enjoy snorkeling. We even saw some sea turtles here. You just have to be careful of those rogue waves though and keep an eye on the tide. Even though our bags were up high, a wave managed to soak our towels!
Waianapanapa State Park, Hana: You can’t go to Maui without visiting Hana. The drive is incredible and there are so many things so see on the way. We explored lava beaches, caves, waterfals, and found some great beaches to relax on. The black sand is very different from what you see in other parts of Maui.
ʻĪao Valley State Monument Park: Another great hike are the trails at ʻĪao Valley. The trails are well cared for and there are often people with instruments hanging out in the valley. It was a very tranquil experience.
Haleakalā National Park: One day, we drove up the top of Mt. Haleakalã. It is 10,023 ft above sea level. We drove up through the clouds and after we arrived, the clouds began to disperse, leaving an incredible view of the island. There are some great hiking trails up there aswell. It felt like we were walking on Mars because of the endless dirt. The kids were hesitant to go on another hike, but it didn’t take long for them to change their tune.
Tammy's Tips
1
Try something new: We planned a few adventures that we normally wouldn’t do. We did a segway tour of Lahaina and learned quite a bit about the history of the town and hot spots to visit. All while scooting around on wheels through a mode of transportation that we normally don’t get to experience. It is getting more and more difficult to find segway tours so I am glad we took the opportunity.
2
Explore the area form all angles: On this trip, we not only got to experience Maui from the beaches, but we got a bird’s eye view looking down from a mountain. We also arranged a snorkel cruise to experience Maui from the water looking back to the island. It was such a neat experience and we all enjoyed the excursion. You also get to learn more about the area and meet new people. It is a great way to spend a day.
3
Plan a photo shoot: too often, we get back from vacation and look back at photos saying, “I wish I had a photo of…”. Because this trip was for Tavis’ parents, a photo shoot was arranged. We had a list of all the photos ahead of time that we wanted to capture. You don’t need to hire a professional photographer, you just need a plan and some equipment, such as a tripod so you can all be in the photo. To this day, I still treasure those family photos!
4
Make a photo book or video of your vacation: Adding onto my last tip, photos are not any good if they stay on a hard drive somewhere or put in a box under the bed. I like to make photo books of each of my vacations. Sometimes I make a calendar. They also make great gifts for family members. We have all of our books in our living room and it is very special to pick an adventure from 10 years ago and reminisce on some of the amazing experiences.
Mixbook.com – is a great site that I have used to create photo books and calendars. It is very easy and they often have sales up to 55% off. I never pay full price. I usually create my book so it is ready to order, and when a sale come up I purchase the book.